Volp1 Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Guys, I was just reading that Brian's Crankbaits uses mycarta for the bills of his crankbaits. What is mycarta??? Has anyone ever used it??? Thanks. Volp1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Volp, Micarta is the same thing as computer circuit board. It is a hard durable material that has been used as lip material by mant guys in Tenn. & Kent. for many years. I use it in my shallow baits but to be honest with you I have not really seen a difference between lexan and the circuit board as far as deflection off of objects. One thing about the circuit board that I do not like is that when you crank around rocks the circuit boad will wear down. One of my customers sent me his favorite bait back and the bill was completly rounded off(it started off as a coffin bill) The other draw backs are it is more difficult to work with ie cutting, drilling and shaping. There are several different grades available as well as a bunch of different thicknesses and different colors. The color I like is a translucent whiteish/green(when it gets wet you can almost see thru it. some of the other colors are not so desireable as they add a larger profile to the bait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Blackjack gave you the scoop on this stuff. Everything he said was dead on. But in my opinion...... it just looks like crap. That ugly green thing sticking out the end of a beautifully painted bait. Blasphemy!!!!!!!!!! Stick to lexan. Its more durable and it looks purty too. Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtrs5kprs Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Looks to me like it would be hell to cut the lips. I break and grind off plenty of lexan and injected lips fishing chunk rock and rip rap, just looks too thin for that. I also wondered about the color. Were the old TN/KY baits originally made for fishing over/thru brushpiles and on clay bottom lakes? Maybe some of the SE guys can help out. Seems like they might dive a little quicker, which would be an advantage for that sort of "offshore" cranking. Haven't messed with the stuff because it seems so poorly suited to our Ozark lakes and contact cranking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Mitchell Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 I know that Skeeter thinks it look like "crap" but to an old Tennessee boy they look dam good. It is about the same thickness as lexan and all you have to do is to keep a file handy and you can touch up the bill real easy. You can shape the underside and make it cut thorugh the water and diver a little deeper. I can take pieces that I have cut out, trace a bill on them, take a pair of side snips and trim most of the material away. In just a minute I can take the little belt sander and have it right on the lines you traced. You will not have all that "gook" to get off of like the lexan when you put the sander to it when you get it too hot. This just makes a little dust. It is easy to drill a hole for the line tie. If you do get a little 2 ton on the bill it will pop right off when it dires. Not so with the lexan. Touch that with a stickey hand and your finger print is there for ever. It is another one of those preference things. I use both but like the Mycarta the best. I think that several of those TN boys worked at Oak Ridge and had access to the stuff and that "free" is what got them started. Heck the first ones may have glowed in the water with what they were making up there. Anyone that wants to try a piece or two just let me know and I will send you some. Charlie M AKA, Boyhowdy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volp1 Posted March 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Thanks for the info guys! Volp1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
