Cranks in timber?

[clemmy]

Ok, here's a bag of worrms:

There are so-called "crankbait experts" among the pros and designers, as well as manufacturers that tout a certain lip shape as being the "best" for working through cover. I can sort of see a point for each, so my question is: Like everything else, it depends? Depending how you are working it and how you are trying to get strikes?

Square lip: Supposedly the best as it deflects the biggest, and also levers the bait over the snag.

Coffin: Supposedly the best as it does the above if you hit snag directly on, with the added benefit will have the same action, albeit to a lesser degree, if you just miss the cover to one side so the angled edge hits.

Rounded: Supposedly the best as it will "roll" off cover while preventing a snag.

I've always considered the coffin bill to be the best, but that's based on my subjective experience. Any opinions/theories/facts?

Note that this is one of the main reasons I just bought my glass bottom boat.

Clemmy

[cullin8s]

I think the coffin bill is the best for deeper running lures, and the square bill is the best for shallow lures IMHO. Round bills get hung up more than other shapes IMO as well.

There are other factors as well, because a lot of square bills get hung up worse than others. I dont care if the bill is in the shape of a trapezoid if it comes through cover it comes through cover lol.

[BobP]

Lip shape is one factor in a shallow wood cover bait. Bouyancy, body shape, size of trebles, and lip length and angle are more important, IMO. I can't count the times I hear pro anglers say square lipped baits are best for wood cover. It's funny that one of the baits most highly prized among pros for shallow wood cover is the D-Bait. It has a round lip. I just fish for fun but can't distinguish a probability of snagging based on lip shape alone.

[jawjacker]

bobp is correct in his post the crankbaits weight -shape- lip angle and the demensions of the lip all determine how a bait will come through brush the lip shape is just what you believe will work best for you i like square but i also can take a round lip and make it come through the same type of structure bobp mentioned gary dees crankbaits as a good crank for wood i can vouch for that i made a crankbait like that about the same time as gary did and its one of the best crankbaits for brush that i have ever made and it has a rounded lip in it so in my opionion its up to the person using the crankbait to see which one works best for them:yay:

[Lure--Prof]

Wow, a thread where everybody is right! And Bassmaster and anyone else like Josh Pro Fisherman who disagrees with the facts stated here are wrong. Having almost totally worn out my wrists, elbows, and shoulders, over a lifetime of cranking, beginning with the old style Bombers, I can definitively echo what has been stated here: The lip shape is but one element in the total lure design that'll get your bait through snag infested water. And it even depends on the type of snags you're talking about; there are stumpfields on breaks, standing timber, flooded new growth, and laydowns large and small, old and new. All the rest of the talk about the "best" lip is merely style and marketing.

Dean

[dampeoples]

This is like a meeting of (cranking) old men!

I can't help but agree, though, although buoyancy would be the prominent factor, IMO.

[clemmy]

I know, I know, it depends on a lot of other factors, not the least of which is the fisherman's sensitivity and style. Some are designed to lever over cover, thus protecting the hooks, others are meant to deflect and float up (back). The size of the hooks, line tie position, the size of the bait all matter as well.

That said, what does everyone think with those factors (including depth) being equal, does one style of lip hel-p prevent hang-ups more than another?

Clemmy

[Vodkaman]

The wire guys use hook guards, there is no reason why such technology could not be employed on a crank. I can only remember seeing one 'hard bait' with such a device.

[dampeoples]

That's because it affects the weight, depending on the intended outcome, the entire bait would have to be re-engineered!

As far as lips, I don't really care, honestly, I look for a high floater with flat sides, then rock on.

[ernel]

The wire guys use hook guards, there is no reason why such technology could not be employed on a crank. I can only remember seeing one 'hard bait' with such a device.

I was reading in a Bassmaster Mag from a few monthes back where Lee Sisson has made such a crank. Not just for timber, but also for for weeds as well. It has a lip gaurd and all the trebles have a wire gaurd covering the point.

I will see if I can find it later.

Eric

[clemmy]

Actually, it doesn't have to. not that this helps me in identifying a timber lip, TritonMike on the BFHP shared his mod/weedguard on that board. If you look at the belly treble, one hook normally rides down. What he does is snip the point/barb off and staighten the curve a bit. It then hits the snag as well and leverages the bait over.

[ernel]

Heres one better. Here is a link to the article:

http://proxy.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/members/insider/bmmarchive/story?page=b_fea_GuardYourLips_BMM0703

You can go to Lee's web page and see a pic of the lure. Just scroll to the bottom.

http://www.leesissonlures.com/ct_catalog.htm

Eric

[kelly]

Very interesting with that wire out the front like that you could change the angle the lure swims for the depth of dive and tuning it would be easy. The action might be dampened and not wobble as well. testing would be fun. changes how I look at line ties.

[kelly]

ps I use that hook guard on my spinners and jigs. It is .011 thick it adds little weight or loss in action. and are easy to make.

[bassmaster1974]

If I have learned anything over the years about fishing it is that everyone has a way of doing something that works for them and probably does not work for everyone else.I have never worried about the bill on a crank when fishing thick cover.I will try a variety of baits in any situation and I probably experiment with different cranks even more.I have some baits that work better than others in thicker stuff,but some of them are square bills and some are round bills.Almost all of my cranking through heavy cover 10' and deeper is with round bills.I change my approach when I am fishing really thick wood/structure to keep from hanging up as much.I "milk" a crank through areas like that with a slow drag and pause retrieve.You can cut down snags in half if you do this instead of working the crank with the reel alone.

There will always be a debate on graphite vs fiberglass for cranking rods.Use what works best for you.I prefer graphite.You can feel everything with a high end graphite rod and that along with dragging the crank rather than reeling through cover helps me keep snags to a minimum.In open water or less thick structure,I will use different retrieves and stay with what works best.Sometimes that is working the bait with the reel.But for wood,brush or anything rough enough to hang the crank,I pull with the rod and reel slack when the lure hits cover.This is just what works for me.