Crank weights for you crank bait guys..

[chilly-willy]

This to me is a awesome idea..

[chilly-willy]

Here is who make them ..

http://stores.clamoutdoors.com/clam/tackle/crank-weight.html

[Steve Sr]

I did like the idea, but not the attachment location. I didnt care for it hanging from the treble.....at all.  Maybe it's just me but that looks like a BAD idea so I went with my gut.

Ive not FISHED one yet but I adapted my own twist to the thought process.   

I took some sinking Rapala's that I like, small versions and melted a small hole through the lip.  FOR NOW I just used some heavy (14lb) line I had sitting around and tied a dropper under the lip leaving it maybe 1 and a quarter inch. 
Being a tight wad, I didnt use drop shot weights which would be much handier but used 2 or 3 small slit shot. Some sound is even added if lifted abruptly with the split shot "ticking" the lure body.  Good or bad.....I don't know.  More to think on.

"Testing" them and adjusting split shot size I like the "wobble" given off by the lure as it always does on a lift but I used just enough weight to get the lure to  "swim" down, nose first.  On a slack like the lure sits at a 30-40 degree angle, tail up.   I plan to put a minnow head on the rear treble, maybe even try a small plastic tail.

There isnt a LOT of difference in action between these and a Chubby darter, but some.  I dont seem to have to rip the lure to get a wobble out of it, but just lift it. 

I just like playing but the action looks good to me.  One will be on a pole come first ice.  Unless something else produces, it will stay on one till I convince myself it's junk........but I'll give odds it's not.

I've not tried floating lures yet.  I chose the sinkers assuming very little weight would be required to take the lure down nose first....but the floaters would probably stay tail up much better.  I might have to grab a floater and fish both. LOL

God Bless

[hays47]

At first I got excited about this idea. But as I was sorting thru my crankbaits looking for floaters. I spotted a couple plano boxes stuffed with lures and marked sinking. Hmmm took a x-rap countdown F7 in the glass ghost finish and down to my minnow tank I went.  Stuck it on one of my tickle sticks and started to jig in tank. Wished I could have made a video of it. Looked just like an emerald shiner in the tank. Which to me is one of the best live minnows to use.

Looked up a few more colors on line and that olive back may resemble an emerald in the water also. Now I am even more excited for the ice to get here. Going to some of the 5 size also. If ice don't get here soon may drag boat back out just to try this.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Personally I wouldn't like the weight hanging off the hook like that.....I would just replace the front hook with a snag weight treble. Problem solved....

[TheCrappieFisherman]

Bruce Mosher who is in the video owns Today's Tackle and invented those; then a year or two back sold it to calm. He also started the ice buster bobber.  He is from NW Minnesota.

[chilly-willy]

Personally I wouldn't like the weight hanging off the hook like that.....I would just replace the front hook with a snag weight treble. Problem solved....

Thinking of making a couple..  for my self..  I got a net craft tackle tool and can form eyes in wire.. all I need is a wood mold to make  it so the wire will have lead on it.. I figure the split ring were the treble is attached is best attachment point so far..  but instead of a hang hook I attach the wire like a treble.. to bad snag hooks are illegal to use here in michigan or that would be a great idea.. tell you the truth..

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Thinking of making a couple..  for my self..  I got a net craft tackle tool and can form eyes in wire.. all I need is a wood mold to make  it so the wire will have lead on it.. I figure the split ring were the treble is attached is best attachment point so far..  but instead of a hang hook I attach the wire like a treble.. to bad snag hooks are illegal to use here in michigan or that would be a great idea.. tell you the truth..

It wouldn't be a "snag hook" when mounted on a crank. It would be a weighted hook.

[HWeber]

game warden would have to be a real prick to fine you for having a snagging hook attached to a lure ice fishing, Id call it a "leaded hook" 

[esox_xtm]

Nice concept but $5 for a couple of bullet weights and a few inches of wire? Screams DIY to me. You could upgrade to tungsten and downsize the package. Wait till I get home, the workbench is callin'.

[river_scum]

i did the same thing 20yrs ago. i used rattle traps and "suspenda strips" though. place the strips at the nose so it dives head first on the fall and hangs that way at rest.  it does work great for bass and pike, and im sure it would work for eyes too.  the rattletraps call fish from a long distance too.  most time ill jig it in the midst of some tip ups to call fish in.  they do hit it if you keep ripping and jiggling.

[esox_xtm]

i did the same thing 20yrs ago. i used rattle traps and "suspenda strips" though.

Rattlers are still great (shhhhh!) 

[chilly-willy]

Nice concept but $5 for a couple of bullet weights and a few inches of wire? Screams DIY to me. You could upgrade to tungsten and downsize the package. Wait till I get home, the workbench is callin'.

Your reading my mind...

[Chute82]

Lead tape is easier and can be added to lures to make sink. Just keep adding lead tape until you get the lure to sink

https://www.fishusa.com/product/Lead-Tape

[chilly-willy]

What about stick on tire weights??

[esox_xtm]

I like the easy on, easy off of the "clip-ons". If you stick on tape or weights then you gotta peel 'em off when you use
'em for open water.

Besides, I've been the tape route and if you're looking to add significant weight it's expensive and a pretty thick pile. I also think the swinging weight self-centers based on the lure drop. Just thinking out loud like you guys...

[hays47]

I played with a different idea today. Used a screw eye like the ones used on lures and put a hole in plastic lip. Used a drop shot sinker then used split ring to connect. Liked the way the lip held the weight away from the hooks. Will try and post pic tomorrow of exactly what I did. Used a variety of weights but drop shots show the most promise so far.

[GasBlaster]

A small piece of line or wire tied to the split ring with a couple of split shots would be a simple DIY

[hays47]

My solution to avoid the overpriced weight. Few posts above described what I did. For the crankbaits with a real small bill a small bell sinker seems to work best, the bigger lipped the drop shot sinkers. I have some quick clips in the pic but going to go to split rings there also. After testing in my minnow tank the split ring reduces hook fouling almost 100%

That small screw at bottom in pic is what I am installing in lip of the cranks

[river_scum]

nice work hays47!!

[chilly-willy]

Very nice hays47 they sell the minI Crack bait eyes at jannsnetcraft.Com they use them for mskeing your own crank baits.. I think they sell the same ones at lowes and homedepot but not sure any how that's a great Idea .. none the less

[Agronomist_at_IA]

I like the easy on, easy off of the "clip-ons". If you stick on tape or weights then you gotta peel 'em off when you use
'em for open water.

Besides, I've been the tape route and if you're looking to add significant weight it's expensive and a pretty thick pile. I also think the swinging weight self-centers based on the lure drop. Just thinking out loud like you guys...

If you want the easy on easy off get or make the treble hook that came out a year or so ago that hooks/Unhooks from spoons to put a minnow head on.......only instead of a minnow head slightly drill out a worm weight and slide it on the treble neck of the hook like they do the minnow head. So it is like a removable snag weight. Then you can hook and unhook the treble from the lure easy and you can change the weight on the hook easy or remove the weight entirely.

This way you can change things up easy, and the weight wouldn't ever get in the way of hooking a fish.....the original guy had an ok idea......didn't take much thinking to improve it much.

[chilly-willy]

Here is what I came up with instead of adding a swivel like I did in picture.. on orange bait..  I just added the weight to the treble hooks split ring it seems like a 3/8 or a1/2 weight would work best.. so in other words you can make the same thing for about $1.50 for a bag of water gremlin weights that are heavy enough to sink it... the reason I did not want the swivel is it to long and will tangle on back treble hook ..  so this one I can tell is going to be a bust for clam $5  for 2 or a $1.50 for 3 wich would you prefer??  you can use bell sinkers same way I did with the pencil sinker .. I just had pencil sinkers laying around in a river box.. any how feel bad for clam that we busted this one wide open cause there probllay paying royalties to the person who came up with it?? Any how enjoy the picture..

[esox_xtm]

@ chilly: Love your workbench top. Reminds me of home...