Mysterious Crankbait

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:06 am

I will probably get nowhere with this but I will give it a shot. So a couple years ago I was walking along the shore of Lake Comanche, and I came across an assortment of left behind lures. One of them was a crankbait I had never seen before. In the long run that crankbait ended up catching me a lot of fish on a lot of lakes, until the day I lost it. Too this day, I cannot find it anywhere online or in any tackle shop, nor do I know who even makes it, or have a picture (This was around the time I first started bass fishing, and I honestly didnt think anything of it).

The Crankbait looked like this: It was roughly the size of a Bandit 200, it had a White Lip (never seen a bait with this before), Red 3d eyes, and the color pattern was a grey colored crawdad, and you could see through the bait.

If anyone has any idea what this bait is, and where I could buy more, please let me know! Thanks! Derrick

frahmilicious · Post by **frahmilicious** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:12 am

sounds like a wiggle wart

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:30 am

Nope, I looked at those and it definitely was not, Storm lures dont catch a lot of fish anyway

milehigh · Post by **milehigh** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:41 am

I have a couple of wiggle warts I bought in a lot to get some 37s that sound like what your'e talking about. Probably made in the 80,s, newer reissued ones not the same at all. Wiggle warts were some of the best cranks made in my opinion, great cold water baits.

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:49 am

I will agree that the older Wiggle Warts were actually a pretty good bait. But, I know that it was not a Wiggle Wart, not even an older style one. The eyes on the bait I used to have were completely different as well as the lip.

GW · Post by GW » Sat Jan 23, 2010 12:06 pm

It may be an old Smithwick crankbait. I am pretty sure they are out of production long ago. I have a couple but am in MO right now so I cant get you a photo.

stevey · Post by **stevey** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 12:35 pm

what does the tail look like?

post a hand drawing.

maybe a bomber or an older big O.

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:47 am

Was the bill squared or round, and were the eyes painted over a 3d bump or stick-on?

brambo0311 · Post by **brambo0311** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 7:20 am

Check eBay, search old lure, freshwater lure, bass lure ect.. I have a few baits I thought I would never see again on there.

Rod Martin · Post by **Rod Martin** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:20 am

stevey · Post by **stevey** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 9:23 am

hellbender and mudbug uses a metal lip. that brings up a question was the lip integrated into the body or was it added on?

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 9:35 am

The lip was definitely integrated into the body and round, and the eyes were stuck on the bait, not painted on

big_limits · Post by **big_limits** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:52 am

sounds like a Rebel Fastrac

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 11:50 am

Wasnt a Fastrac either

like i said, ill probably never come across this bait again, i cannot seem to find a match anywhere...if only i took a damn picture

Greg_Cornish · Post by **Greg_Cornish** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:06 pm

Spookin'Em43 wrote:Wasnt a Fastrac either like i said, ill probably never come across this bait again, i cannot seem to find a match anywhere...if only i took a damn picture

Don' give up, it took 1 1/2 years to find one I used in the 60s, Now I find them are all over eBay

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:24 pm

Thats an interesting looking bait Greg!

Greg_Cornish · Post by **Greg_Cornish** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:31 pm

Spookin'Em43 wrote:That's an interesting looking bait Greg!

Caught 24 bass on it in Minnesota one day in 1963 on a 5 acre lake.

After all that searching my brother found my original. It was called a hi-sport surfing minnow.

If you could provide a drawing I'd have fun searching ebay for you.

big_limits · Post by **big_limits** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:56 pm

Wordens Fatfish maybe??

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:58 pm

Me....Draw?! Thats a good one!! ill see what I can come up with, if anything, but ill give a stab at trying to draw it

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 1:33 pm

Actually this will help better than a drawing...looked very similar to this, in the color #20 http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... rchResults

Only difference is that the color of bait I had was a tad lighter....almost like the color of pencil lead, and the lip was round and white, and im pretty sure it was not a BPS bait

Greg_Cornish · Post by **Greg_Cornish** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:09 pm

It wouldn't be something as simple as an old norman in a special color?

Or Shadrap?

http://basspro.scene7.com/is/servlet/iz ... iccEmbed=0

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:12 pm

Nope, im beginning to wonder if it just may have been a custom bait someone made or had made for themselves

fishingdan · Post by **fishingdan** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:23 pm

Any chance it could be a Natural Ike? Was it a wood bait or a plastic bait? I bought a bunch of them back in the early 80's and they did catch lots of fish especially at clear lake in the fall. I've still got a few and if you need to see let me know and I'll try to take a photo and send it to you in an email. NOt sure how to link a photo to this chain...

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:38 pm

Wasnt a natural ike either

and it was a plastic crank

jigginpig · Post by **jigginpig** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 6:43 pm

ask Homer Circle!

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 5:06 am

I don't think it's that old; stick on 3-d eyes are a fairly new addition to mainstream crankbaits. Have you looked at Barlow's and the other places with knock-off bodies? Lots of the blanks are clear and most of them use 3-d eyes.

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:43 am

Andi,
How do those Barlow's lures perform?
Are they worth buying?

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:31 am

Oldschool · Post by **Oldschool** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:56 am

Take a look at Bagley's Bait Fry shad.
Tom

Oldschool · Post by **Oldschool** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:27 am

Oldschool wrote:Take a look at Bagley's Bait Fry shad.
Tom

Or..Small Fry deep diver.

robertthornton · Post by **robertthornton** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 9:11 am

Spookin'Em43 wrote:Nope, I looked at those and it definitely was not, Storm lures dont catch a lot of fish anyway

Its not the storm lures fault. Its whats on the other end of the lines fault.

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 5:07 am

Mark, I have no idea. I've never bought or used any. I know quite a few custom painters use them, though. The only one's I've messed around with are some Jackall Aragon SR knockoffs from Predator Baits which seem to work great.

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 5:33 am

Thanks Andi.

Greg_Cornish · Post by **Greg_Cornish** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 6:16 am

Found some big red eyes

http://www.bagleybait.com/4.html

rexford · Post by **rexford** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 7:15 am

Can it be recovered? I lost my favorite bait once and finally
ended up going back and diving for it. Funny thing is now
that I have it back I am to afraid to use it. I spent a bunch
of time making duplicates but never fished it again.
Go figure!

GL
Mike

Spookin'Em43 · Post by **Spookin'Em43** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 9:02 am

Im sure It could be recovered, assuming due to lake levels dropping nobody else has recovered it, but Collins Lake is a long drive from Humboldt County

And Greg, the eyes are similar, but still not it, thank you, and everyone else who have tried helping me so far, I really do appreciate it!

dgoldston7 · Post by **dgoldston7** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:21 am

Man, If i felt this strongly about a bait i would find a buddy with diving gear and go get it back! Sometimes crank baits are really one of a kind in there fish catching ability.