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MadisonWI

Musky Crankbait Question

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You can buy lips in a variety of sizes and shapes from Rollie and Helen's Musky Shop or Moore's Lures.

Rollie and Helen's puts out a nice catalog, which I'd recommend you request.

After you acquire the lip you'd like to try, you must insert the line tie by drilling the lip and placing the line tie just less than half way to the front of the lip (measuring from where it touches the body after its inserted in the lip slot.

After inserting the line tie (which you make by bending wire) into the lipe, you must bend the line tie wire back toward the body and insert it into the body as you slide the lip into the body. You'll need to drill a hole in the body beneath the lip slot, so that the wire can be glued into the hole inside the body of the bait. Test it by placing the lip and the line tie into the bait before you actually try to glue it into the bait.

Cut the lip slot before you begin shaping the bait so that you're working with flat stock. That way you get a nice, clean, parallel cut with the band saw or table saw.

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Hey Guys,

Thanks for the help. That seems like a lot of work :( as far as bending wires. Is it possible to use a screw eye as the line tie. Then epoxy the lip in, predrill small screw holes using a small dremil bit into the bottom of the bait and through the lip. Then screw in small screws through the predrilled holes in the body and then into the lip to secure the lip? Hope that makes sense. I'm making these for myself so I don't care if the lip breaks as long as I don't lose by 60lber.

Also why does the wire need to be in the middle of the lip? I'm guessing so it runs better but will it work if I have the line tie higher on the bait using screw eyes?

Also How do you go about cutting the lip slot when your stock is still flat? I was thinking a table saw using a fence? Is this correct?

Thanks again. These baits look like they are very very hard to make.

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River Run Tackle (makers of the Manta) makes those lexan lips I believe. They are in WI too, but I'm not 100% positive.

It is possible to use screw eyes for both the hook hangers and the line tie. The line tie will need to be modified before it will work. I've used them with much success over the years. Someone who was using one of my baits brought up a 35lb anchor that they were stuck on in Georgian Bay so they will work without pulling out.

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Yes, a table saw would work as would a band saw or coping saw. I assume you're talking about a cylindrical bait since you mention putting it on a lathe afterwards.

Even with shad body baits it's best to cut the lip slot while the blank is still square (rectangular prism). It matters less on a cylinder, but it's easier to cut beforehand.

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I mark a center line on the bait and on the lip. The lip is then inserted into the bait and center verified before drilling.

I drill one small pilot hole through the body and the lip. The lip is then removed and a hole large enough for the screw to fit through is then drilled into the lip.

I then drill a countersunk hole in the bait so that the screw head can be epoxied over later and the screw will not be visible.

I don't like to install the screw into lexan (or aluminum) through a pilot hole only. I've had lexan crack when done in this manner as it is not very forgiving. In aluminum, the screw tends to strip if it's just a pilot hole.

Once all holes are drilled (pilot, countersink), I insert the lip, verify center and install the screw. Center is verified again. If all is good, I remove the lip, place some epoxy in the slot and in the holes and then repeat the last step, but this time installing the lip permanently.

Hope that all made sense as its been a VERY long day.

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I make more twitch baits than deep diving cranks so the line tie is in the body of the bait as opposed to the lip. If you do deep diving cranks, you would need to wire the line tie in or screw the lip in as described above.

For twitch baits you can epoxy the lip into the body of the bait. Drill two or three 3/16" holes through the lexan where it fits inside of the slot in the bait. Then using a razor knife, etch the surface of the lexan, the more you etch, the better the bond. When applying epoxy, make sure that plenty of it gets into the lip holes and also in the slot.

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I Make My Own Just Got With A 13 In Crank I Cut My Lip Angle In Before I Even Shape The Lure After Shaping And Sanding The Lure I Seal The Wood With A Sanding Sealer[minwax] At Lease 3 Coats After This I Prime The Lure With White Primer 3 Coats Then I Hand Paint Using Acrylic Paint Then I Use Crystal Sheen For My Top Coat [let Dry Completely Between Each Step I Set The Lip In Last Using 30min Epoxy Make Sure You Epoxy Your Screw Eyes Ect So Your LURE Is Water Tight

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I try to cut it with a bandsaw lunge......I make sure the table is square to the blade and when you insert the lexan bill some of them are NOT square...they lean down one way or the other. It seems like the band saw blade always wants to cut just a bit off square. I know other guys do this no problem but I haven't had good luck at it.

jed

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2 questions then...

1. What ind of wood are you cutting - hard or soft?

2. What size or how fine a blade or how many TPI (teeth per inch) is the blade?

Perhaps your blade is too thin. Maybe moving up a size or two would help. The larger the width of a band saw blade the more rigid it is. It also shows less tendency to wander.

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