How do you organize your crankbaits? 2024

Dixon reply :

Color or by depth. I am just organizing my stuff to get ready for the season.

KYntucky Warmouth reply :

I organize mine be depth and then by bill shape.

PondHunter reply :

I organize mine by depth also. Then I use a fine sharpie to write on the underside what depth the lure runs. It can be frustrating to pick up a bunch of Rogue's and not know which one's float, and which one's suspend.

Goose52 reply :

Depth.

... and, since my memory is so bad, just this winter I marked the "book" diving depths right on the back of the plug in small numerals with permanant ink. Let's see how long the ink lasts :

Goose52 reply :

Quote
I organize mine by depth also. Then I use a fine sharpie to write on the underside what depth the lure runs. It can be frustrating to pick up a bunch of Rogue's and not know which one's float, and which one's suspend.

Wow - same responese at the same time - sorta like a Twilight Zone episode! (Now I don't feel as stupid for doing the depth marking ;D ;D)

Dixon reply :

What if you dont know the depth of a certain crank?

You guys write under the bait or on top of the box

Goose52 reply :

Quote
What if you dont know the depth of a certain crank?
You guys write under the bait or on top of the box

The "book" diving depth is often found on the original package, otherwise, you can usually find it in the BPS catalog or on the manufacturers web site. I "" the word book since diving depth is affected by line type and diameter (among other things) and you may or may not get the book depth.

I write the numbers on the left, rear side of the plug, towards the bottom - FWIW

Dixon reply :

U actually write on the crankbait?

TennesseeShad reply :

I go by depths that way I don't have 3 of the same color right next to each other and then have to wonder what is what.

KYntucky Warmouth reply :

Quote
U actually write on the crankbait?

yes, either on the belly or back

Goose52 reply :

Quote
U actually write on the crankbait?

I did - using the exact same Sharpie shown by BigRickRolled. Don't know how long it will last. I've had a number of these out for a swim and the ink has held up so far...

bmadd reply :

I've done this on baits before, if you don't want it to be on the bait itself you can write it on the bill. That's where I did mine. Held up pretty well.

rowyourboat reply :

I write the depths on the bills also...

bassman31783 reply :

Depth first, color second.

Question for those that right the depth on the crankbait. Do you also write it on your deep divers? If so, how do you know how deep it's actually going, & do you write down the line size seeing that it directly affects the depth. Honest questions. Thanks.

Goose52 reply :

Quote
Depth first, color second.
Question for those that right the depth on the crankbait. Do you also write it on your deep divers? If so, how do you know how deep it's actually going, & do you write down the line size seeing that it directly affects the depth. Honest questions. Thanks.

Can't answer that personally (yet). I only have a few cranks that go below 10 feet but haven't fished them yet. I bought them in advance of getting a canoe and getting out on the water in the spring...I'm fishing off the bank right now. I did write the "book" depth on them as a starting point, knowing that they probably won't reach their book depths.

My guess is that you know how deep your deep divers are actually getting by either catching fish that show at a certain depth on your fish-finder - or you feel the crank hitting bottom at the indicated depth, or the crank is bringing back grass that you see at a certain depth.

Stringjam reply :

You should be able to tell how deep your cranks go by just looking at them. If you can't, you should fish them more often.

Goose52 reply :

Quote
You should be able to tell how deep your cranks go by just looking at them. If you can't, you should fish them more often.

Yep - bill length, width, and angle should tell you and it would be close enough I expect.... (but I'm still gonna write the numbers on my plugs : )

flipin4bass reply :

Definately by depth.

J Francho reply :

I sort them by what rod I throw them on.

Stasher1 reply :

I take an engraving pencil and mark the lure's diving depth on the bottom of the bill. Depending on the lure, I may put the brand/model on there as well.

As far as organizing them in my tackle box, I have them seperated by style and depth. I typically fish from a kayak in the warmer months, so I try to limit the amount of "unnecessary" tackle I carry with me.

I typically carry a Plano 3600s loaded with med-diving cranks and jerks, another loaded with lipless cranks, and a smaller container (off brand, roughly 2/3 the size of a 3600) full of wakers and shallow cranks. It may seem like a lot of cranks, but I keep hook bonnets on them to minimize tangling and that severely limits the quantity you can fit in a box.

These will cover the majority of situations I'm likely to encounter in my local waters, but your local waters may be different.

skunked_again reply :

first of the season, depth

end of the season, whatever box they fit into.

Goose52 reply :

Quote
first of the season, depth
end of the season, whatever box they fit into.

Ha - best answer so far !

A-Rob reply :

I have them by depth, in a 360 box in singles not to tangle them....well I single my favorites and double/triple up guys I don't use often b/c for the amount I use them, they can tangle

Fishes in trees reply :

Bass Pro Shops sells double sided tangle free hard bait organizers. At least they used to. I just referenced my 2010 Master Catalog and my 2010 Spring fishing catalog and they aren't in there. They are in the 2009 catalog. Go Figure.

These boxes work great. I sort out baits using a combination of size, diving depth and brands. For instance, I'll carry 2 boxes of just Timber Tigers and another box of assorted cranks.

These same boxes work great for jerkbaits as well. For the big deep diving cranks and Rattle trap style baits, I think the Plano Flipsider storage systems work real good.

In addition, I have another set of boxes that I keep empty, so that should I be fishing out of another guys boat, I can pick and choose and not have to take a dozen crankbait boxes with me.

I think I'm like many other guys in that I have perpetual tackle storage issues.

Sam reply :

By color and by depth

Paul Roberts reply :

I have a lot of crankbaits -way more than I can carry. I have a main box (the store), (and an overflow box :-[), then smaller boxes that I take to the water.

My main box is sorted by depth, style (stick, shad, fat), size, color is last. I then choose from the store what I need. The choices tend to be seasonal, but certain waters, or conditions, can require somewhat different things.

As to running depth, I use a designated CB rod that I've standardized with only two lines: .012 (winter/spring) and .014 (summer/fall). I don't mark my plugs by depth off the box -too much variability as to line diam, and cast distance. To hit a bush I find on sonar, I pick an appropriate plug and cast the proper distance that should get me there. If I come up short, I cast further. If I want less speed when I get there, I pick a deeper plug. It's a lot of brail-work for me. I guess I'm no David Fritz at this point lol.

I introduce new plugs thoughtfully, testing them in the bathtub (shallow plugs), and on the water. First I tune them; untuned plugs not only don't run to depth, but also have stifled action. Then I look at the wiggle (aggressive, moderate, or weak), buoyancy, stability: Will they hunt? Do they require a certain retrieve speed? Do they need modification? All my suspending plugs I test in a small tub of cold water and I don't mark them; I fix them: changing hooks, split-rings, adding lead tape, or putting them under the drill.

Here lies a major difference between a Lucky Craft and a knock off. The latter can be much more work to get it to operate well, and you may end up pitching it in disgust. I'm not averse to cheapo plugs, but they need a good testing, as some only work well at certain speeds, or with modifications. A few I simply discard. All this certainly cools the bait monkey's jets some, bc it can be work. But I do get a kick out of those $1.99 specials I can do good things with.

kikstand454 reply :

i have an appalling amount of cranks in all flavors. i have a hard time organizing them as well. currently i have them seperated roughly by depth (guessing)... but what id like to do is also seperate them by color/conditions. the two main lakes i fish are different in water clarity and id like to just grab this box for lake talquin or this box for lake seminole... etc. i think im going to get some of the crank boxes mentioned above... but i had also noticed them missing from the 2010 catalog. theyre probably still online though if you use 2009s number.

Paul Roberts reply :

Quote
i have an appalling amount of cranks in all flavors. i have a hard time organizing them as well. currently i have them seperated roughly by depth (guessing)... but what id like to do is also seperate them by color/conditions. the two main lakes i fish are different in water clarity and id like to just grab this box for lake talquin or this box for lake seminole... etc. i think im going to get some of the crank boxes mentioned above... but i had also noticed them missing from the 2010 catalog. theyre probably still online though if you use 2009s number.

Wow. Those are BIG lakes. Probably end up sorting by season, and habitat -upper, middle, lower creek arms/lake. Just a guess; my big lakes are 50acres.

I can add to my first post, in saying I organize my trip box compartments by habitat: depth, cover, and clarity. Depth is handled by lip and design, cover by body and lip shape, clarity by size, style, color and finish.

Different styles have diff places where they shine. I recognize four basic body styles: Sticks (minnow plugs), Potato Chips (shad style), Fats (Alphabets), Ping Pong Balls (super fats). In terms of triggering by shape the Stick end of the spectrum gets the nod. In terms of snaglessness, the Ping Pong balls are the GoTo's. I see lipless as a category by themselves.

Soa spring CB box tends to have sticks (suspenders and floating Rap), some low buoyancy plugs (usually sticks and potato chips), lipless, and shad style divers. A summer box has weedless styles (fat plugs and ping pong balls), deep runners (fats and chips), and lipless.

TommyBass reply :

I organize mine by depth mostly, then by color (for instance a normal Plano style box will be organized by depth in rows and colors in columns). I agree, I have been writing the depths on the belly of my cranks with permanent marker for some time now and it works great. I didn't like it on the bill because running it through rip rap or dragging the bottom wears it off quicker (may be able to write it on the back side of the bill, not sure). I found writing it on the belly 2/3rds the way back to the back treble hook last a long time. I may touch them up once a season if that.

edit: looking the baits up on the internet is a good start for run depth. If not, just cast it out in a known depth of water until you can't feel it hit any more then note that depth.

kikstand454 reply :

Quote

Quote
i have an appalling amount of cranks in all flavors. i have a hard time organizing them as well. currently i have them seperated roughly by depth (guessing)... but what id like to do is also seperate them by color/conditions. the two main lakes i fish are different in water clarity and id like to just grab this box for lake talquin or this box for lake seminole... etc. i think im going to get some of the crank boxes mentioned above... but i had also noticed them missing from the 2010 catalog. theyre probably still online though if you use 2009s number.

Wow. Those are BIG lakes. Probably end up sorting by season, and habitat -upper, middle, lower creek arms/lake. Just a guess; my big lakes are 50acres.

yeah... thts kinda my problem. theres so many things i could sort them by.. and its just a massive pain. whats funny is i normally just throw a 17'+ crank in sexy shad color. hahahah

its the mid to shallow cranks that are killing me. ive got like 7 boxes. : (baitmonkey!!!)

roadwarrior reply :

For all tackle:

(1) Stored in Plano boxes or displayed

on shelving in my fishing room.

(2) Lures and baits that I "might" fish

on an outing organized in my BPS

tackle bag (40-50 lbs). This rarely

leaves my SUV.

(3) Everything that I actually "need" taken

on the boat in a G. Loomis worm case.

This includes all classes of lures, it's

really neat!

(4) The only stuff I actually fish tied on the

night before.

Paul Roberts reply :

Quote

Quote

Quote
i have an appalling amount of cranks in all flavors. i have a hard time organizing them as well. currently i have them seperated roughly by depth (guessing)... but what id like to do is also seperate them by color/conditions. the two main lakes i fish are different in water clarity and id like to just grab this box for lake talquin or this box for lake seminole... etc. i think im going to get some of the crank boxes mentioned above... but i had also noticed them missing from the 2010 catalog. theyre probably still online though if you use 2009s number.

Wow. Those are BIG lakes. Probably end up sorting by season, and habitat -upper, middle, lower creek arms/lake. Just a guess; my big lakes are 50acres.

yeah... thts kinda my problem. theres so many things i could sort them by.. and its just a massive pain. whats funny is i normally just throw a 17'+ crank in sexy shad color. hahahah

its the mid to shallow cranks that are killing me. ive got like 7 boxes. : (baitmonkey!!!)

I hear you. I'm not in that league, water wise.

I edited my last post, adding some stuff on styles that might help with the diff habitats.

kikstand454 reply :

yeah... thats the way i want to lean... but i need many more boxes to pull it off. come on income tax!!!!

Grey Wolf reply :

I store mine by the depth they run.

Top water.

Sub surface.

0'-4'.

2'-5'.

6'-8'.

10' and over go into one box because I don't have any deep water much over 12 '.

trevor reply :

You dont wanna see it! Its one ugly mess.

bigbass49 reply :

I organize my crankbaits by depth and keep them in clear plano boxes.

kbkindle reply :

any more i seperate cranks by brand the two home lakes i fish are all the same depth and the deepest is 20 ' i have fished the lakes for years and i know the depth and most of the time we fish 0-8 ft other ealy spring or late fall. seems like one day they will hit on a bandit the next day a cotton cordell. if they dont hit eather then i go buy depth or top-spinner-buzz-jig -worm --tube -etc

fooman reply :

All my tackle except plastics are kept in a Plano 3700 and labeled

-terminal tackle

-top-water

-jerkbaits

-floaters

-jigs

-crank baits

-shallow

-mid depth

-deep

and the depth is written on the baits

My family thinks its weird and think I have an OCD problem but after coming to this site and seeing others do the same I feel a little normal now..

Seperating baits and labeling the boxes makes fishing so much easier on the water..When I need a bait I grab the right box and dont waste time digging through all the others looking for lures

A-Rob reply :

I also sharpie my cranks.

I like putting a pattern, like a series of dots that kinda look like gills or something natural under the chin of the lure. I'm sure it doesn't matter, but it makes me think I'm behaving like a professional (insane person).

ie for strike king series 4 I will put 4 dots as gills.

Bankbeater reply :

By depth also.

A lot of the ponds and lakes I fish are different depths.

.ghoti. reply :

After reading all the replies so far, I'll have to say I organize mine poorly.

stalking coyote reply :

Over the years I have tried every way imaginable... depth, color, style, lip size, pattern, habitat... but in the end... the crank bait I really end up wanting will be in the box I don't have with me...

bryand82487 reply :

depth then color in Falcon boxes

BigFish2009 reply :

all in box

hitchhiker reply :

By depth as well.

If you do use the 3700 size boxes, do you use the hook covers? I can imagine pulling out a long string of tangled cranks.

I like the Falcon boxes for that reason, but the capacity is a little low compared to the 3700 boxes.

cowiemi reply :

Depth and model!

6680

How do you organize your crankbaits? 2024

related Fishing Tackle topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Fishing Tackle topic