I've seen people talking about tuning crankbaits on here and I'm curious as to how I go about doing it. I can obviously tell when one is not swimming correctly say left or right but how should I fix this? Any tips appreciated as I usually just throw one back in the tackle box if it's not retrieving the way I would like it to.
How do you tune crankbaits?
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mallardecho
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You will get some good tips from others on the forum, But all I do is gently bend the eye of the bait in the opposite direction it is running. EX if your bait is running to the left you bend the eye of the bait to the right, but go in slow small amounts, trial and error is the key. Hope this helps.
BackOnTheWater
Well-known member
mallardecho said it...take a pliers to the eye.</p>
You can tune a CB to run left, right, or straight. Sometimes you'll want that bait to swim in one direction or another in order to get under a dock, for example.</p>
Careful, though...those eyes won't take a whole lot of tweaking before they snap off.</p>
You can tune a CB to run left, right, or straight. Sometimes you'll want that bait to swim in one direction or another in order to get under a dock, for example.</p>
Careful, though...those eyes won't take a whole lot of tweaking before they snap off.</p>
UTCAngler
Well-known member
I agree bend the eye but just a couple weeks ago i threw one of my new x-raps that id had in my tackle box for awhile & apparently the bill got messed up.Being as the x-raps arent cheap i just lit a match held it close to the bill to get it plyable then used my fingers to bend it back properly.Runs perfectly now!Beats the heck outta throwin em away!
fisherpal2k
Well-known member
First you have to find out what frequency it is on. AM or FM. I prefer the FM ones myself....
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Just kidding. You can tune the crankbaits to run left or right by bending the eye of the crank to the side you want it to run to. If you need it to run to the left bend the eye just a smidgion to the left. Just be careful as has been noted the eye won't take much bending till it breaks. </p>
Just kidding. You can tune the crankbaits to run left or right by bending the eye of the crank to the side you want it to run to. If you need it to run to the left bend the eye just a smidgion to the left. Just be careful as has been noted the eye won't take much bending till it breaks. </p>
There are a couple things to look for before you bend anything. First and most common boo-boo is make sure the "O" ring is tied on correctly. Most baits come with and O-ring. You want to make sure your knot is connected to where the O-ring has only one wire. If you look very closely there will be a doubling of the wire on the ring and that is where the bait eye needs to be. To keep it true have your knot connected to where the two wires stop and the line will always cause that to be opposite of the bait eye. If you do not it will sometimes not get the right actions and you will be adjusting it when it is not necessary. Secondly check the hooks and the eyes where they are connected. If one gets bent or is not aligned right this also will cause the bait to run untrue. Once those things are done and it still runs incorrectly then bend the front eye where your line is connected just slightly in the opposite direction from the way it is running. It usually does not take much of a bend to correct. That eye needs to also be straight with the bait. If it is turned that could be the cause and do not bend it until you straighten it to the bait. That may be all it takes to fix it. Hope this helps. If you have a questions just call me. 298-4348 JmaxemoThumbsup
Heavy lines impair the action of any crank lipless or billed. You might try going down a line size. I use 8lb. mono on heavy dd22s, You have to use the drag and a medium rod, but I have broken off few fish, in fact, i have seen several cats, including a 46lb flat head laneded on 8lb. bending the eyes is the quickest way to tune one that runs to the side.
Buoy-Master
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http://www.walleye101.com/cranktune.htm </p>
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Nickajack Angler
Well-known member
It may sound silly.... I've tuned a crank, but lately, with kids using my baits, I've noticed my spinnerbaits are in need of tuning. I've tweaked them about everyway I know.... but still have a couple that run stupid. So, share some insight fella's... not trying to hijack the thread, but think it's applicable here....
Besides turning the eye one way or another you can also "skuff up" the bill of the crankbait a little. Just take a flat file and work the edges slightly just make sure not to over do it, it's really hard to fix it if you do. This also helps the bait grab more water so that it runs true and sometimes helps them to dive a little deeper. Also watch your line size, don't go to big, that will definetly affect how a crankbait runs.
