Organizing crankbaits

[SLP]

I love throwing crankbaits and because of that usually have a lot of them. Years ago many used to add the model name of the crankbait into the molded part of the plastic lip but probably due to cost less and less seem to do that now. It was nice because sometimes it is not easy to tell what depth or action a crank bait will run at without knowing which specific model it is. When you could look at the lip and read the model no problems but if it is blank and you have a lot of them sometimes you can't be positive or even remember what specific model it is and what action it was designed for.

I saw a "pro" (can't remember which one) say on a fishing show that the first thing he does when he takes it out of the box is to use a permanent marker to write on it what it is so he will know once it is in his tackle box. Sounds good but I have also read other pros say many times that fish can often be turned off by even the slightest chemical smell that you may handle which would transfer to your lures. Stands to reason ink would give off some form of odor and therefore marking up ones lures might not be the smartest method to use. Plus seems like some would maybe get smudged over time and you would find yourself back to square one.

Anyone have a good method of keeping track of their crankbaits specifics if you have a lot of them?

[kygorski]

I had a great amount of baits also. I striper fished and bass fished lake cumberland, I also fished Dale, and the cumberland river.Since I lived less than 15 miles from either, and was retired, it was how I chose to fish that day, that determined what I take. I liked to musky fish also,so I made trips to green river lake almost two hours one way.But I also trolled to add more baits. but to cut this short, when I wasn't able to safely get into and out of my boat, I quit. There is no simple answer, shopping is almost as much fun as fishing.Enjoy you're quandry, I hope you have that problem for many years to come.No need to go into spinner baits, plastics and rods and reels.

[joey heller]

I love throwing crankbaits and because of that usually have a lot of them. Years ago many used to add the model name of the crankbait into the molded part of the plastic lip but probably due to cost less and less seem to do that now. It was nice because sometimes it is not easy to tell what depth or action a crank bait will run at without knowing which specific model it is. When you could look at the lip and read the model no problems but if it is blank and you have a lot of them sometimes you can't be positive or even remember what specific model it is and what action it was designed for.

I saw a "pro" (can't remember which one) say on a fishing show that the first thing he does when he takes it out of the box is to use a permanent marker to write on it what it is so he will know once it is in his tackle box. Sounds good but I have also read other pros say many times that fish can often be turned off by even the slightest chemical smell that you may handle which would transfer to your lures. Stands to reason ink would give off some form of odor and therefore marking up ones lures might not be the smartest method to use. Plus seems like some would maybe get smudged over time and you would find yourself back to square one.

Anyone have a good method of keeping track of their crankbaits specifics if you have a lot of them?

Use the marker. I have collored whole baits with markers and fish flat choked them.

[The Legend]

2nd on the marker and if it starts to fade or smudge, just trace over the numbers/letters again. At least one company which I can't recall for sure at the moment (maybe Rapala?) still embosses the depth on the bill of some models.

[SLP]

Thanks guys. I guess from having long heard and read how any foreign odor can scare off some fish it has me paranoid that using ink may spook that big one, but maybe that is the only way to really go. I was hoping for another alternative from someone but maybe there isn't a one.

[Duayne]

Sounds like there is a market for bait fish or crawfish scented markers!

[hairball]

Cranks were my go-to baits years ago, but after I discovered flippin sticks and soft plastics, cranks started taking a back seat more often than not. Here's an idea I had years ago but never implemented. Start with an appropriate size (diameter) short piece of pipe or a shell casing. Heat one end of it and press it into the backside of the lip, creating a very shallow round groove. Imagining that the circle is a clock face, scratch a straight line from the center of the circle to the outside. For example, if your bait is supposed to run at 8 feet, scratch in your "hour hand" at the 8 position. A frame of reference is needed to determine where "12 o'clock" is, but I always figured that if I held the baits the same way every time, that would work just fine. In other words, if I held the body of the bait in my left hand with the lip sticking out past my thumb, 12 would be at the farthest point of the circle and 6 at the closest. Did I just lose everybody?

[robertdilbert]

if your worried about smell, engrave it on there with a vibrating etcher. it will never wear off, and it wont smell. win win.

[FishFry]

Two techniques I use: Keep them in their original boxes and store in the deeper Planos with no dividers or cut the label from the package and leave it in the bottom of the Plano with the dividers so it lays underneath the bait so I know what it is and how deep it dives.

I am all about organization and it causes me to carry more boxes than necessary but I can always find what I need and never have things tangled up all over the boat.

[SLP]

Two techniques I use: Keep them in their original boxes and store in the deeper Planos with no dividers or cut the label from the package and leave it in the bottom of the Plano with the dividers so it lays underneath the bait so I know what it is and how deep it dives.

I am all about organization and it causes me to carry more boxes than necessary but I can always find what I need and never have things tangled up all over the boat.

That is what I have been doing but clearly I'm not as disciplined as you are and I end up losing track over time. Half the time I can't refit all the boxes back in and in the heat of the fun of fishing I end up with more open and not kept track of. Then I take some back and forth between kayak and boat and between different tackle boxes each time and in the end I haven't kept them as organized as I intended.

Maybe this year that can be a goal of mine while on the water this year.

[bigwormy]

I throw a lot of cranks. I label my tackle boxes as such, 1-5 ft, 5-8ft, 8-12 ft, 12-25 ft. I have 2 boxes for each depth and I place a #1 or #2 on the box also. I put my favorites of each different depth in the box labeled #1 and put the ones not used as much in #2. Therefore, I have my favorites in the boxes labeled #1 and I also have the depth they run written on top of the box. Makes it pretty simple for me. Last, any of the small silicone packs that you get when u buy some things, I try to have one placed in each individual crankbait slot in the tackle box to help prevent rust. Only put one crank in each slot to help reduce rust as well. Hope you were able to understand this as it works well for me.

[Moveon]

Thanks guys. I guess from having long heard and read how any foreign odor can scare off some fish it has me paranoid that using ink may spook that big one, but maybe that is the only way to really go. I was hoping for another alternative from someone but maybe there isn't a one.

You can try to use an electric engraver to mark the bill with the depths. I personally love to fish with crank baits and always fished that way. I never worried about the exact depth until I started trolling cranks for suspended crappie. Then I started using the Bandit type crank baits that are pretty easy to tell apart. And if I let out enough line and feel them tipping the bottom once in a while I know I'm in the strike zone.

If you did use the ink and it's been on the bait for a while most of the volatile solvents have evaporated away leaving on the solids. Mark them and then let them sit out in the sun for a few hours and I bet that most of the solvents will have evaporated off the crank baits.

While it's true that fish have a keen sense of smell ( most of their brain is devoted to smelling) I don't think it would put the bass off of striking the baits. Bass hit cranks out of instinct. It's a reaction strike a lot of the times. Now if they start trailing the bait they might pick up some odor and may turn away. But I would think that you could spray the crank baits with some Fish Attractant and it would cover up the smell of any tiny bit of ink residue. And if there is any ink volatiles off gassing into the water it would be in the parts per Trillion if that much. Some Dr. Juice or other fish attractant would cover up any bad odors easily.

I wish I had all the boxes that all my crank baits and other lures came in. I'd sell them all for a huge profit to collectors.