Crankin Ky Lake

[M R Dux]

Quackrstackr and I decide to try to catch some crappie on cranks Sat after our last trip was a total fiasco with 3 foot waves and bunches of crankbaits left hung on bottom structure. We hit some main lake bars but the lack of current really hurt us there. The fish were scattered all over the place with maybe 3 here then one there. We ended up on a ledge in a major bay that had done well for us in the past. Again, they were scattered but we did hang with them long enough to catch 22 keepers. Tim and I have both been painting some really off-the -wall colors and combinations to try. We caught all but a couple of our keepers on our custom combos. We didn't lose quite as many as the last trip but enough to make it painful. It's hard to take when you start catching fish on one you painted that happened to be the ONLY one like it then break it off. That's why I take pics of all my new combos.

I am spending this afternoon changing line on every one of my trolling reels to Trilene Big Game Solar 12 pound test. The Mr. Crappie 10 pound I spooled onto my reels just a couple of days ago let us down BIG TIME. It might be OK for longlining but isn't made for getting cranks back from bottom snags.

Here's qs with one of my custom colors which happens to be a taxidermy paint for fish mounts. I had 2 of them and we both caught fish on it. Guess there will be more of it in the works this week.

[Monark King190]

Mrdux I took your advice and bought some c55's to paint. Hope I can get em like you do. How do you choose which color scheme you want?

[ccollins]

Mrdux, I have lost a few there also I was using 10 lb suffix pretty tuff but after lossing $50 i thought about switching only problem i could see with that was it almost pulled my boat backwards before i could get the 10lb to break if it was more i guess i would have had to cut it i am affraid i would have to cut several if i go to 12 for none of mine just pulled off whats your thoughts on this? also what tools do you use to paint your cranks?

[ifish]

Have you all tried tying on your hooks with 6# test line and doing away with the snap?

[M R Dux]

Mrdux I took your advice and bought some c55's to paint. Hope I can get em like you do. How do you choose which color scheme you want?

I just sit down with an airbrush and a shelf full of paints and experiment. I do have a basic idea what I want and it usually involves colors or patterns I DO NOT have in my tackle boxes. I do start out by painting the blanks opaque white then laying my colors on that. I've been painting several pearl white over the opaque white then using pearl colors like the one shown. It gives a different look and those baits do look awesome in the water.

[M R Dux]

Mrdux, I have lost a few there also I was using 10 lb suffix pretty tuff but after lossing $50 i thought about switching only problem i could see with that was it almost pulled my boat backwards before i could get the 10lb to break if it was more i guess i would have had to cut it i am affraid i would have to cut several if i go to 12 for none of mine just pulled off whats your thoughts on this? also what tools do you use to paint your cranks?

We never stop the boat for a hung up bait so we have little trouble breaking them off.

I use a Badger Renegade Velocity airbrush at 25 psi. I use mostly Createx airbrush acrylic paints that I thin with reducer or Polytranspar taxidermy acrylic paint. I paint my taxidermy fish with lacquer paint thru an Iwata Custom Micron B airbrush. That is a $100 airbrush vs a $550 airbrush. I don't need the detail I can get with the Custom Micron for crankbaits that I'm going to lose in a couple of trips anyway. I seal all my cranks with Devcon 30 minute 2-ton epoxy then rotate them over night on a rotisserie. All my glitter is added to the Devcon once it is mixed well and before it is brushed onto the baits.

[wilbur]

Have you all tried tying on your hooks with 6# test line and doing away with the snap?

That sounds like a good idea. What kinda knots?

[Monark King190]

Yeah sounds like it would work

[Monark King190]

I guess its the same concept when I tie jigs. Just with paint.

[CrappiePappy]

Have you all tried tying on your hooks with 6# test line and doing away with the snap?

Definitely cheaper than using these : Ultimate SmartLink Titanium Rings 6pk

... cp