I just picked up two lightly-used crankbaits at a flea market that I visit weekly. I buy cheap lightly used Bandits, Bombers, Rogers, Normans, Strike King, Storms, and Rapalas, etc. there. There were a bunch of new lures there including these two flat balsa cranks with circuit board lips and life-like, glued on eyes (not painted eyes). They look like a custom bait but there is no name on them. I know nearly all of the standard brands well, but I do not typically buy customs, if these are customs. I know there are lots of tackle connoisseurs, bait-monkey addicts, semi-pros and pros out there on BR. I figure if anyone can identify these guys, it will be somebody on here. Check out the pictures and give me your opinion on these if you would. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
Are they custom bagleys?
No! Bagleys have painted eye close together.
How do you know they are balsa?
Tom
Yeah I'm thinking of wrong company.
I am about 99% sure they are balsa. no rattles, light weight, and the setting of the lip - usually balsa baits with circuit board lips have an externally visible "set line" that has minor minuscule flaws (Think Rapala balsa baits). Plastic baits with lips molded in the bait have no set line (Bomber a series, Bandits, Normans, etc.). Circuit board lips on injection mold baits have to be inserted after the bodies are molded and sonic-heat sealed (like Storm Arashi and Spro Little Johns). My long-term experience tells me these are balsa. The barely-visible color behind the lip looks tan like balsa, not clear or white like plastic.
On these there is also a thick paint or outer pre-fab shrink wrap coating (think Rapala shad rap and DT series and newer Bagley's). Plastics are not generally coated thick like that. Think of the difference between a Rapala Huskey jerk (plastic) and a Rapala Floating minnow (balsa) both in their old natural shad color. The hook hanger on the back is a screw in hanger like the non-brass Bagley's. Years ago, Bomber had screw-in hangers on their A-series plastics, but that has been decades ago.
Yeah, I'm sure they're balsa. I will throw in another top-side picture
kinda sorta looks like a brians bee. he paints the eyes on now, but maybe he used glass eyes in the past.
I think you are saying they are wooden and cedar or bass wood are very common, balsa are very soft and require to be made in 2 halves with wire running from the line tie to each hook hanger. Bagley also have a lead disk dehind the line tie eye on their balsa lures.
Glass eyes are unusual on flat body lures and the rear hook eye is flat should help to identify it.
I don't know who made?
Tom
Croakhunter, Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I know my Bagley's fairly well and I am sure they are not Bagley's, unless it is some kind of a rare "custom" Bagley's unlike anything I have ever seen. I have lots of Bagley cranks -old and new. Strike King and Mister twister outsourced same balsa and exotic wood baits for Walmart and K-mart in the '80's. I have some. They are real inconsistently made but some will catch fish. Circuit board lips were very rare back then and usually only oh $$$ customs.
I'm guessing they're a cutom job.
WRB/ Tom, Yeah they could be some other wood type. Thanks for trying, Tom. I even Googled images of balsa baits, flat custom baits, etc. I just don't see these online.... yet. I live in the 4-corners area of SW Missouri, near Arkansa, Oklahoma, and Kansas. This is historically a hot place for custom lure-makers, some small; some some fairly well-known. No telling if some small-scale guy made 500 pieces and went out of business with little record of his production.
BaitFinesse, Maybe the lure maker will see them on here. Haha!
BaitFinesse, I am thinking they are customs too, but I would sure like to know more about them if possible. I just changed to hooks out and added an oval split ring on front and tested them in the tub. The action is good (Rapala-esque- Haha!).
They might be Lee Sissons Lures . I think he was with Bagleys then started his own company .
Scaleface, I am familiar with Lee Sissons. He worked with Jim Bagley when they were in Florida and then did several of his own lines in various woods later. Very creative guy. I'm glad you jumped on here. I saw sometime back that you were a Rogers crankbait fan. This place I visit gets them in regularly. There are several Deep Big Jims? or Deep Jims? there now. I bought all of their shallow Big Jims after reading about your luck with them. Which size and color did well for you?
On 9/22/2017 at 6:08 AM, scaleface said:They might be Lee Sissons Lures . I think he was with Bagleys then started his own company .
this is what I was thinking when I saw them.
Crypt, You guys could be right. Have you seen any Lee Sissons baits with those glass, glue-on eyes? I would love to compare some pictures with what I have. I have never seen any Sissons baits like that, though. Then again, I have never seen cheap baits with circuit board lips. Storm Arashis are the cheapest I've seen with circuit board lips at about $8 retail.
I have some flat Lee Sissons , the eyes and lip are not the same but the red gill looks the same .
Yeah! Those are the ones I am familiar with too.
I think they are Sisson baits as well. They use to sell them at BPS in Baltimore.
Allen
I have a lot of the Sisson cranks, as I like them, and never seen one with the circuit board lip.
Google image search Sisson crankbaits and these will show up.
Allen
Munkin, I googled Sisson baits and I cannot find any with a circuit board lip. Where did you see those?
On 9/22/2017 at 7:48 AM, deaknh03 said:I have a lot of the Sisson cranks, as I like them, and never seen one with the circuit board lip.
Me neither. I think I still have one or two old ones. I have a top water double prop lure of his too. It is like a long torpedo with a prop in the front and in the back, like a short devil's horse lure.
On 9/22/2017 at 9:26 AM, Cranks4fun said:Munkin, I googled Sisson baits and I cannot find any with a circuit board lip. Where did you see those?
Me neither. I think I still have one or two old ones. I have a top water double prop lure of his too. It is like a long torpedo with a prop in the front and in the back, like a short devil's horse lure.
I Have The Prop Lure as well.
Looks like they came with weedless hooks ,mjust Google Sisson crankbaits .
The lures could be pre production models by Sisson, he did make some with flat rear hook hangers and PC board bills.
Tom
I love that Sisson bait with the weed guards! Haha! It is gadgety-looking but it would probably work well along some shallow weed mats where we fish. Thanks, guys, for looking into this. I hope I can discover the make of those baits. I will fish with one tomorrow to see if it produces anything. I suspect it will work better in a month with cooler water though. Please share any future similar discoveries.
What a strange addiction these things are. Oddly, The single most productive crankbait that I have ever fished is the cheapo Walmart Bait Bonanza CC big O ($2.97). I have lots of good productive crankbaits but that one in my favorite color has accounted for probably 100 SM bass in 2 years. It seems to work well in clear streams and rivers only. I can hardly buy a bite on it in Grand Lake, OK or Table Rock Lake, MO. I doctor them up with good hardware and they really get hit in clear moving water! I am wanting another crankbait that will do that for me in the stained and clear water lakes. It is probably a pipe dream, but it is fun searching for one and experimenting.
Hello all
Those are Definitely Lee's lures. I own Mimic Lures. We stamped all the fiber board lips for his baits. I think that bait was called the Skinny P.
I have about 10 of those in various colors. 100% Lee Sisson Premium Balsa baits.
Thanks, KStooks and Avalonjohn44, for the info. I will look into those to get some history and reviews.
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