Reviewed by Capt. Mike Schoonveld
Hard-bodied crankbaits are the go-to lure for most fish, at least some of the time. They only work, however, when they are running true and an out-of-whack crank is a disaster when it’s being trolled.
Some crankbaits almost always need a slight adjustment to the nose ring to get it running perfectly, some hardly ever need a tweak and all of them can be bent or mangled by a strong salmon or walleye during the fight or in the landing net. Top anglers check every body-bait they tie on when it first goes into the lake and after every fish is caught with it.
Tuning is a simple process. If the lure swims or rolls to left, bend the line-tie-eyelet to the right. The concept is easy, doing it is tougher.
Most of the time, a pair of needle nose pliers is the tool of choice and though those skinny tipped pliers are multi-taskers, they aren’t the best tool for the job. The perfect tool is now available from Offshore Tackle – the EZ Crankbait Tuner.
It’s a pliers-like tool with one long and one short end. The short plier pinches against the line-tie, the long plier lays along side the crankbait’s body. It’s made from a super hard plastic strong enough to bend the nose wire, but it’s gentle on the plastic and paint on the lure itself.
As much as I like tools that can perform a variety of tasks, sometimes the right tool for a specific job makes the chore easier, quicker and more precise. The EZ Crankbait Tuner is one of those tools. The tuner is widely available in tackle stores and on-line. Check them out at http://www.offshoretackle.com.
FISHING TOYS 