Crankbait Lips

[Pete Stoltman]

In another thread Esox Chaser brought up the subject of crankbait lips and replacement of damaged lips. There are some replacement lips available and we carry a pretty good selection at the shop. However, please remember that these are "aftermarket" lips meaning they approximate shapes of lips from various different baits but are not stock factory lips. Usually you can make one of them work even if you have to fiddle around with them a bit. If you are looking for an exact replacement then you probably need to contact the individual manufacturer. In my experience some will and some won't sell you a factory lip. My guess is that the ones who won't would rather have you buy a nice shiny new lure. If you've gotten a good amount of use out of the bait then that's probably a reasonable expectation. After all, you can spend well over $15.00 for a soft plastic bait that may survive an encounter with one fish. If you have a lure that broke without trauma (banged into rocks, docks, your buddies forehead, etc.) then you probably have a case for a factory replacement. Most companies I've dealt with are pretty good about this and they can tell if it's a new bait that just had an isolated issue. However don't send back a lure that's got three seasons of hook rash and tooth marks because YOU broke it. These things don't last forever and face it, we're subjecting a relatively fragile product to a pretty harsh environment. So, that's my take on the lip damage issue.

If anyone has interest in discussing the topic of lips further I'd be happy to pursue it. How about the differences between metal and poly lips? Or the different action, depth etc. you get from lip shape (squared vs. rounded). Diving characteristics of various lures etc. You get the idea. Jump in and let's hear about your crankbait experiences and what your preferences are. That's it for today. Think I'll watch the news and sharpen some hooks. G'nite.

[Esox Chaser]

Pete,

FYI- I was able to "save" my Night Shiner Jake. I had another Jake in a color pattern that obviously looked like something I thought would be really hot once upon a time. Ahhh, not so much!
So with a little wiggling and a very thin jack knife blade I was able to pop the lip out of the old lure without damaging the lip or the lure. It was a bigger trick getting the broken piece out of the Night Shiner because there was nothing to wiggle. That took more careful prying with the narrow blade. Wiggled the new lip up into place and it seems to run just fine.

[Pete Stoltman]

Good thinking there. I always love the fact that musky guys are willing to tinker with stuff to improve or repair a bait. Don't find that much in most other forms of fishing with the exception of fly tyers. Glad that worked out for you.

[Pete Stoltman]

Just saw this online today. There's your answer.

Drifter Tackle, in response to field complaints about Jake lips occasionally breaking, has sourced a new material that is almost indestuctable. We are shipping the new material on all new Jakes as of November 1st. If you have broken lips in the past, please contact the factory for free replacements. Drifter Tackle takes great pride in manufacturing the highest quality products on the market and everything we offer is 100% American Made! We thank our customers for their loyal support. You can contact us at info@driftertackle.com.

Zach Stechschulte
National Sales Manager
Drifter Tackle, Musky Mania, Esox Research Company

[Esox Chaser]

Pete,

Thanks for putting up the e-mail address for Drifter Tackle.
I sent them an e-mail asking for a replacement.
I'll let you know how I make out.

Thanks,
John

[Pete Stoltman]

No problem. Hey, I'm here for ya! Anybody out there who has tackle issues throw them at me and I'll see if I can at least point you in the right direction.

[Esox Chaser]

Pete,

FYI- Package came in the mail from Drifter Tackle yesterday.
Thank you to Zach (National Sales Manager) for his help.
Absolutely what "Customer Service" is all about!