Discontinued Crank Bait colors

[DirtyMike]

In preparation for the next rain-marathon, I'm planning on spending the day painting some shad raps, reef runners, and lipless baits. I've ran out of ideas and don't want to keep copying what rapala and berkley have out already. So, you old timers, what are some colors/patterns that you used but have since been discontinued. Pictures would help if possible.

My father in law send me a smithwick that had a ridiculous pattern on it but he said he put it in the box because he was afraid of losing it after they discontinued the color and couldn't find them anymore.

original

dirtymike version

 

[deleted_account]

I have some beat up cranks I'll give you this weekend to experiment on

 

[DirtyMike]

Deal. My brother asked me to paint a dallas cowboys one but he was afraid it'd get thrown into another boat and intercepted.

 

[johnr]

Deal. My brother asked me to paint a dallas cowboys one but he was afraid it'd get thrown into another boat and intercepted.

Cool idea, I will send over some beaters to have you get all Viking'd up.
I hear fish love em something to choke on

 

[DirtyMike]

haha. nice one john

 

[Rowdie]

I had an old wally diver that had the colors of a small walleye. I haven't been able to find it again. I would focus on patterns that look like real bait.

 

[DirtyMike]

I had an old wally diver that had the colors of a small walleye. I haven't been able to find it again. I would focus on patterns that look like real bait.

Those are the most difficult to paint.

 

[JayKay]

That Smithwick is just the ticket, so I was told by a guy at the Heskett one night. He had a couple of them, and apparently you can get them in two bill widths. Not so much length of bill, but width. Odd. Anyhow, he wasn't even retrieving them - just jerking forward and letting them settle back with the current, and catching fish.

 

[KDM]

I always had good luck on a yellow/red polka dot lazy ike when i was a youngin'. Then a blankety blank blank hammer handle stole it. Don't see that pattern much anymore on the modern cranks. Might be an interesting one to bring back and give a whirl.

 

[thriller1]

That's what I like about the Lindy River Rockers. Pretty inexpensive and kinda close to a Lazy Ike. I love pulling them at 3.2 MPH.

 

[Pigsticker]

Two of my favorites in deep diver bombers that you can't get anymore... wonder bread and mother of pearl (two furthest right in the pic). If you look at the mother of pearl closely it has some light hints of blue and pink under the pearl coat. Here are some other awesome discontinued colors that have produced well for me in the past....

 

[DirtyMike]

Kdm, do you have a picture of that one?

 

[Rowdie]

Those are the most difficult to paint.

The wally divers or trying to mimic the live bait?

 

[martinslanding]

Kdm, do you have a picture of that one?

I remember those:

 

[DirtyMike]

The wally divers or trying to mimic the live bait?

Live bait. There's a lot of detail in most species. I've found perch to be pretty easy. But that's about it. I need to get better at documenting how much of each color I use when mixing. I hit the nail on the head with a couple different colors while bring kinda sauced and I can't remember what I even mixed.

 

[KDM]

I remember those:

That would be the one!!! Damn good lure for slooooow retrieves.

 

[svnmag]

I dipped a big (not Super--not versed on the numbers) ShadRap in glow paint, drew a couple BIG-assed crazy red bloodshot eyes and thick lateral line (also red): Clear coated, removed tape from hook eyes and lip and was very pleased. It looked cool as hell when it was glowing! Actually had better luck with it in daylight hours.