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saumon

The quest for the perfect speed trolling bait...

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Hi everyone,

i'm asking for this community wisdom to help me find the perfect high speed (5-8 mph) trolling musky (8"-10") shallow (1'-3') crankbait.

I already know that big spinnerbait can do the trick but i'm also looking for a cranbait that won't blowout in this situation. Shallow Invaders come close but weren't good past 6 mph or so. I'm also aware of the LSC way with 8-16 oz. torpedo sinkers but i'm looking for a bait that can do it alone. Loke, Wiley, Woodie and commercials Stalkers run a bit deeper for me.

I've been told that speed trolling jerkbait like the Sledge can be what i'm looking for? Any other idea?

Thanks in advance for your inputs!

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Ahhh, another speed freak like me.

If you're talking about commercially sold baits, the SuperShap by Rapala is hard to beat. It comes in some decent colors, is very reasonably priced so you can buy a bunch, will go as fast as you'll ever want to go, as deep as you'll ever want to go, doesn't run as close to the boat as some other deep speed baits, and holds up well through many fish, and is overall one of the better musky-producers on the general market.

It is mostly the lip configuration of that bait that does all those wonderful things at the same time.

I spent a lot of time this winter fabricating and bending that lip pattern in polycarbonate and stainless steel and I've found that the lip is not only bullet-proof and versatile, its very forgiving as to installation and size as compared to other standard round or coffin-shaped lips.

Every one I've built and installed has tested out like a champ. I'm very amped up to paint and weight these things in the patterns and shapes and sizes that I know will produce on our local waters.

Stainless:

stubbydude014.jpg

Lexan:

DSC00270.jpg

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Thanks fatfingers,

...mmm interesting, remind me of the Creek Chub Pikie lip but more rounded with a shorter bend at the end. It's probably that bend that keep the bait from blowing out...

As for the Super Shad Rap, it's only available in 5"1/2. I dream of something with at least 3" more...how long were yours? And is it possible to keep it in the fist 3 ft. of water on short line or it will dive much than this?

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Excuse me but i forgot to give you some precisions: someone asked me in PM if i'm asking if someone makes a bait like that all ready, and I want to copy it, or if I want to buy some, or if I want to make one that will do that?

I still haven't do crankbaits, but will certainly give it a try in the future, now only tying flies and bucktails/spinnerbaits.

As for this kind of musky bait, i'll buy for sure a lure that can do all this!

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Something like a No Box Skinny Boy maybe? Advertised to 12mph I believe. Not sure on the depth (6feet?) but I guess thats relative to line out (like prop wash trolling).

Rattle trap-like lures are very speed tolerant. I've got two 5" proto's, similar to a floating trap (crappie) I just finished, but haven't really tested trolling yet & a couple 7 inchers roughed out. Hope to use 'em casting & speed trolling.

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Well, I'd at least take a look in another direction. I'd look at some of the high speed lures meant for tuna and wahoo. They're big, (8-12") and meant to troll 10-20 mph. Even if you wanted to build your own, onwe could look to the various designs of head, lip, etc to help understand requirements for speed trolling.

braidmarauderYellowfin.jpg

Clemmy

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Wow, what a great community! Thanks to all you guys for your ideas.

For woodieb8, i'll try shaving the lip from a Drifter Stalker, they're cheap enough for that :lol: It will run shalower but i'll probably loose some wiggle as well, we'll see...

For clemmy, i really like this design with the head being the lip and the tow eye on top. I made a quick search in Google for "tuna wahoo speed trolling crankbait" and found the Megabait Sea-Boz. Seems to be the same pictured in your post. I'll give it a try for sure at 15$ or so.

Muskies rulez!

084266.jpg

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Not that I've anything against Megabait, but for clarity the above lure is from Dennis Braid. Do a search under Charkbait and you'll find many hi-speed tuna lures, including the braid runner, a bait I always thought would be perfect for DEEP jigging muskies feeding on ciscoes, but alas, now in Florida...

Clemmy

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One of the first lures I ever made (don't laugh:lol:). I designed it primarily as a slow moving topwater. It is about 8" long and as you can see the lip is the head of the lure itself. It has a nice serpentine action at all speeds and although I don't troll I have tried cranking it as fast as I can and ripping it as well. It won't blowout whatever I try to do and it always stays in the top 2' of water.

Couldn't really be simpler to make either.

JointedSquirrleyPike2.jpg

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