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I've been wondering about this for some time. The closest outdoor store sells crankbaits with their name on the bait. They sell for 18 to $20 a peace. I was looking at old posts "high end crankbaits." page 22. Most of the fellas seemed to think that baits that expensive were worth it. I was wondering what current members think about these expensive baits. carl

As I have very limited experience with high end baits I can’t make a direct reply.

But, for my two cents, I did learn a long time ago that baits are designed to catch two customers.

The fisherman, and the bass, and a lot of the design effort goes into the first one.

But, I admit, those $1.99 baits at wallyworld are not worth the price. I’d rather buy one that costs three times as much because it works much better.

I’ve seen a lot of guys chunking those high dollar baits, and catching fish. But I’ve never had the chance to fish them side by side.

Unless someone has a few they'd front me for a long term comparison...........

Richard.

Well, since I am considered to be pretty handy with crankbaits, I'll throw in my two dollars worth. I believe that expensive crankbaits work well, very well, but in the right hands a five dollar bait is just as effective. In the wrong hands, a fifty dollar crankbait is useless. Given a choice of one-$20 bait 0r 4-$5 baits I'll take the $5 baits. I do believe there are certain high dollar companies that are trying to convince us all that their high $ baits are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Only the fish can tell us.

I have some hand made cranks that sell for $20 and I have some store bought that cost $1.99 I've caught fish on both. I throw the $2 baits around the nastiest stuff I can find because I dont mind losing them as bad as a $20 bait.

As far as performance the hand-mades work wonderful and they catch fish its just hard to throw them knowing they may never come back to the boat!

I got into another discussion about rods on another board. It all came down to what you can afford and have confidence in. I started out fishing with $20 rod & reel combos from discount stores and caught lots of fish but thats all I could afford at the time. I feel cranks are the same if you can afford the hight priced baits and that bait gives you the confidence to throw it and use it you will catch fish on it. Me I will stick to a bait that I'm not afaid to throw into the nastiest stuff I can find cause thats were the fish will be..

I don't fish many crankbaits and none you guys ever heard of but when I do, I'm a freak about the "right" one. Custom, custom, custom for me. Balsa, hand carved, hand painted, just everything you don't find in todays catalog houses. If you think baits from Tim Hughes are good, the stuff I'm using now is 10X better. You can check ebay for a bait called "crankbaits by bass hunter" Do a search for basshunter as a seller. This guy is from TN and hand carves baits for me. He has some great stuff. Only down fall is standard hardware...you can replace to your liking. I fish a shallow diving coffin bill that he makes that I've thrown into a pine tree and can't get it to hang up. Really high end quality. Now if you are simply referring to high end being Lucky Craft baits, guys swear by 'em. I throw a few topwaters that they make but I've caught more fish on Spit N Images and Fat Free shads than LC's.