CRANKBAIT INSURANCE – How A Little Piece of Nickel Titanium Can Help You Get a Snagged Bait Back.
By Chuck Bailey
In the closing moments of a competitive bass tournament, Don Yeager needed another bass if he was to hold onto first place. His confidence was high that a certain shallow flat might hold a kicker fish or two. But then he remembered that this small area also contained several large and gnarly logs that threatened to devour his Bill Norman crankbait before the bass did.
Most fishermen would hesitate to throw a crankbait full of razor sharp trebles into similar environments. If the crankbait gets hung up, they might lose their most productive lure. But even worse, a tournament competitor might have to take the boat into the shallows in an attempt to free it – spooking every fish in the vicinity.
But Don Yeager never flinched. His confidently hurled his shallow-diver beyond the logs and commenced his retrieve through the crankbait graveyard.
Crankbait Insurance
Why was he so fearless? Simple: Don Yeager had purchased “Crankbait Insurance”. Never heard of it? Not many anglers have. Even fewer have purchased it. Too bad, because it’s a promising product that just hasn’t quite found it’s way into the center of the fishing culture. Yet.
Don, however, had purchased “Smartlink” crankbait insurance, and it was a fortunate thing he did. On that first retrieve one of his treble hooks and a strong branch got married for life! Nothing was going to separate the two.
Reaching down and winding his line several times around his hand, Don pulled slow and steady. Suddenly the buried hook was released, the crankbait became loose, and its balsa body floated to the surface.
Yeager reeled it back in, quickly replaced the missing rear hook, and then cast once more into the forbidden zone.
Don shared what happened next, “On that next cast, I immediately caught a three and a half pound bass. And that turned out to be the bass that won the tournament.” Yeager’s insurance policy had paid off handsomely.
Nickel Titanium Smartlinks
Unlike other forms of insurance, it was not a written contract or policy that returned Don’s bait, but a small piece of Nickel Titanium metal wire that appeared to magically release the snagged rear hook, freeing the crankbait to be fished again.
A lucky break? Did the split-ring fail? No, the tiny piece of engineered wire had released the treble hook just as it had been designed to do.
The Ultimate Smartlink is primary a high-tech replacement for split-rings. Each link size is scientifically designed to release at a specific amount of pressure. A 10 pound link will stretch and release when 10 pounds of pressure is applied. And then, (because Nickel Titanium has “memory”), it will snap back to its original shape, ready to be used again.
The fouled but replaceable treble hook will be sacrificed and will remain behind to rust on the log, while the expensive crankbait is reeled in, reused, and eventually returned to the tackle box at the end of the day.
A unique solution to the problem of losing crankbaits is now available.
The Ever Present Question!
So… why aren’t all crankbait anglers buying Smartlinks and putting them on their baits? Because of one simple, prevailing, and ever present question: “If a Smartlink is going to release the crankbait from a snagged log when pressure is applied, what’s to stop it from releasing a big fish?”
Don runs into this recurring question every time he demonstrates the Smartlink. His seminars are usually filled with crowds of doubting Thomas’ who need to be educated by the not-so-obvious science behind the product.
To make his point, Don usually picks the largest, strongest looking guy in the crowd and offers him a $100 bill if he can make the Ultimate Smartlink system fail. The volunteer is first asked to watch closely as a 10 pound Smartlink is attached to 10 pound line that Don wraps around his hand and pulls, showing how the Nickel Titanium link releases.
Then Yeager reattaches the link to the front of a crankbait, (hooks removed for safety) and hands it to the burly volunteer. Don then walks a ways off a ways and again tightens the line, this time with his reel while holding the rod up at a 45 degree angle.
With $100 on the line, the huge participant is challenged to imitate a trophy fish and to pull, yank, and do everything he can to make the Smartlink release the crankbait. Don has never had to pay up. The link always holds.
Understanding the Science Behind Ultimate Smartlinks
Why does the link always hold when a fighting a fish? The rod.
Don explains, “From surf rods to crappie rods, each is designed so that under load there is very little pressure at the tip of the rod. Unless you are using a pier pole or something ridiculously stiff, (like when halibut fishing), …when you position that rod at a 45 degree angle, that tip is going to be bent. And the pressure on the fish is dramatically reduced. The flexing rod is basically eliminating the Smartlink rating from the equation.”
Because the pressure on the fish is significantly lessoned by the flexing rod, the release “pressure limit” of the Smartlink is never reached. The link does not open and the fish is never lost. The rod is the key to the mystery.
An example: An angler can have a 10 pound bass on 10 pound line connected to a crankbait with a 10 pound Smartlink but the fish may only feel 3-4 pounds of pressure when the angler is using a properly angled rod.
After explaining the science behind a properly angled rod, Don is quick to point out, “But when you start lowering the rod and it’s aimed straight toward the fish, (taking the rod out of the equation), something is going to give and it’s going to be that Smartlink.”
“I constantly stress that you’ve got to keep that rod tip up. However most knowledgeable crankbait fishermen will instinctively sweep their rod to the side when they get a strike. Not many people will point the rod down at the bait. If they do, that’s when they will lose that fish!”
The Rod is the Key!
Don recalls one such demonstration that was especially memorable because of the fishing celebrity who attended. “Once at Dixie Marine I was giving a demo and Hank Parker was there. And after watching how the Smartlink released after steady pressure was applied, Hank asked, ‘What happens when you catch a big fish?’ The crowd laughed.”
“So I put the bait in Hank’s hand and showed him that only when the rod is eliminated from the equation, will that fish be lost. But if the rod is used properly, the Smartlink will never open. And all Hank Parker could say was ‘Golly!’”
Line Rated
Naturally it is also important to match the right Smartlink to the line rating being used. When ordering or purchasing the product, an angler must ask themselves what pound test they are going to use. If it is 10 pound test, then they select the number 10 Smartlink.
The fact that each link is color coded makes it easier to know what the rating is and how to match it to the line you are using. (The chart below reminds an angler that a “red” link has a rating of 14-15 pounds, a “white” link is 17-20 pounds, etc...)
| If your rod line weight rating is... | Use a Line Test Rating of... | With a SmartLink Rating of... |
| 2-10 | 6 lb.* | Orange |
| 4-12 | 8 lb.* | Light Blue |
| 6-15 | 10 lb.* | Green |
| 8-17 | 12 lb.* | Silver |
| 10-20 | 14-15 lb.* | Red |
| 12-25 | 17-20 lb.* | White |
| 20-35 | 25-30 lb.* | Yellow |
Line Is The Second Key
Keep in mind that using good line, (free of nicks, etc.) is very important. If abrasion has weakened 12 pound test line so that it will break at only 5 pounds of pressure, then the Smartlink that is designed to open at 12 pounds will be unable to deliver. The functionality of the Smartlink is dependent on the angler picking the right line and maintaining it.
If a fisherman's line breaks while trying to retrieve their crankbait from a snag, they'll have to rack that up as 'angler error'. Watch the pros; they are checking their line constantly, feeling for nicks, and retying as often as is necessary to make sure that their line is not the ‘weak link’ in their fishing equipment.
Line maintenance is not only necessary for the functionality of the Smartlink, but it is also essential if the trophy of a lifetime is not to become "the one that got away".
A Time Management Tool
Obviously the primary advantages of using the Smartlinks are 1) preventing the loss of crankbaits, and 2) eliminating the need to spook fish when freeing lures. Nowhere are these advantages more important than when competing in tournament situations. That’s where Don learned “In a tournament, Smartlinks are also a time management tool.”
“Just before doing a seminar at D and R Sports, I was talking with Gerald Swindel and Kevin VanDam, who both fish the B.A.S.S. Elite tournament series. I was demonstrating the Smartlinks and while they both were interested in them, Gerald was more so than Kevin. VanDam was in a successful position where he was able to state that ‘losing crankbaits’ was not a big issue for him.”
“So I asked him about changing out dull hooks in a tournament. I said, ‘Isn’t it kind of a pain to change out 4/0 or 6/0 hooks on a split ring?’ Kevin said, ‘Well I’ve done it forever and I can change them out pretty quick.’ So I said, ‘Hey, I believe you – you’re the best there is – but watch this.’”
“So I put two 4/0 hooks on a bait so quick, he couldn’t believe it. It took me only a matter of seconds to do it with the Smartlinks. So then I asked them how long it would take them to fumble with split-rings, pliers, and do the same thing. That’s when Swindel said, ‘Hey, that’s pretty cool!’ Basically in a tournament it is a time management tool.”
Top Water and Jerkbait Hookups
Don has discovered other unexpected advantages to using Smartlinks. “Terry Baksay (an accomplished Midwest professional fisherman), and I do a lot of smallmouth fishing early on in the season using jerkbaits and Zara Spooks. And we like to add to them a larger Smartlink (like a number 12). The neat thing about that is it allows your hooks to hang down a little lower and definitely looser, which stops the hooks from being so bound up.”
“Right away we noticed that our hookups almost doubled. Terry, who has been to several Bassmaster Classics, said ‘Man, I have really noticed how the Smartlinks helps the heavy topwater to have less leverage so the fish can't throw the bait.’”
Pond and Shoreline Fishing Benefits
Pond fishermen, (often overlooked), are some of the potential benefactors of Smartlinks. Don explained, “If you have ever been pond fishing from the shoreline with a crankbait and you get hung up, all you can do is turn around and start walking until ‘pow’ the line snaps. And naturally you lose your bait.”
Without access to a boat and a lure retriever, shoreline fishermen hesitate to use crankbaits. With Smartlinks, that fear of losing their crankbait can be reduced immensely.
After pointing the rod straight at the snagged crankbait, the angler increasingly tugs on the line until the Nickel Titanium releases. The only thing the angler loses is the hook.
“Even if you are just pond fishing, you want every advantage you can get!” says Don. “There are places on ponds that you just can’t get to without a long cast, and if you get hung up, there’s not much you can do about it, …unless you are using Smartlinks. Then you have given yourself a real advantage when fishing from the shore.”
Trolling For Walleye!
Don continues to hear success stories from fishermen that chase other species. “Take the Walleye guys that are trolling with several lures. In a tournament down in Tennessee, one of the participants was using the Smartlinks and trolling Reef Runner crankbaits. He told me that some participants doing the same thing were losing 50 baits a day.”
“And though he admitted to losing a dozen baits a day due to abrasion and nicks that caused his line to break, he saved almost all the baits that snagged on wood – which was happening often because they were trolling against a steep wall that had a lot of fallen timber.”
“But the walleye angler said it was an awesome day,” recalls Don, “because more often than not, he got his baits back – usually without a treble hook, but never-the-less, the baits came back.”
Expensive Designer Baits
As “designer crankbaits” flood the market, their escalating financial costs multiply the fears that anglers have of losing such an expensive investment. With some of these specialty or imported crankbaits (ranging from $15 to $75 or more), it makes an angler pretty nervous to throw one into snaggy cover.
And yet, most anglers also understand that they can’t catch fish unless they put their bait where the fish are. If the fish are in the gnarly cover, then Smartlinks become a form of “crankbait insurance” that can ease the pressure felt by fishermen who use expensive designer lures.
Old Favorites
The same is true for “old favorites” that can’t be replaced. Don admits, “I have some favorite baits that I have been catching fish on for 15 or 20 years and when I look into the tackle box and see them, there is the tendency to say, ‘Man, I need to save that.’ But when you have the Smartlinks on, you aren’t afraid to throw it. It gives you a lot more confidence.”
“Now I tell anglers, ‘If you want to leave that crankbait in the box, go ahead. But then you’ll be like those guys who buy fancy cars and boats but are afraid to use them. In order to keep them pretty they need to keep them in the garage.’”
Don chuckles and suggests the angler either use the crankbaits, or declare themselves a lure collector instead of a fisherman.
Discontinued Models
For many years, one of Don’s favorite and highly successful crankbait techniques utilized a suspending crankbait that is no longer being made - the Excalibur Red-eye Series Suspending baits.
Don explained, “I loved flipping along a dock and cranking them down and just letting go. They sat suspended.” Bass apparently couldn’t stand it, and rushed to kill it.
But, when flipping crankbaits around docks, “snagging up” is inevitable. Knowing this, the thought of losing these discontinued models made it harder and harder to toss them into tight situations.
Don admitted that losing a bait that cannot be replaced is ten times more crushing than the loss of a bait that can easily be replaced at the tackle store.
Some people are tempted to retire discontinued models because they don’t have the heart to lose them. With “crankbait insurance”, (Ultimate Smartlinks), the fear of loss is eliminated.
How To Test The Smartlinks
Don is well aware of the deep attachment some anglers have for their favorite lures, so he understands their hesitation to gamble with them when trying Smartlinks for the first time.
His safer alternative is simple “I ask them, ‘Why don’t you try it first on an old bait you don’t care about and watch how you can get that bait back. (And if it doesn’t work for you then you’ve lost nothing.) But if it does work for you and suddenly you can put your old favorites back into action without the fear of losing them… that’s exciting!”
Three Way Rigs
Deep water fishermen can benefit greatly from the use of Smartlinks, especially those who use any kind of weighted rig to get their baits down. On Lake Washington, near Seattle, many bass and perch fishermen use a three-way rig with a 2 to 3 ounce weight attached.
The three-way rig is used to reach the 40-65 foot depths necessary in order to get crankbaits down to the fish’s winter haunts. But should the weight get snagged on the bottom, the leader snaps. Or, (and it happens too often), the main line pops and the entire 3-way rig is lost.
Whether you are replacing just the leader, or the whole rig, it takes time for cold fingers to tie line and replace the hardware and weight.
With a Smartlink attached, the snagged weight gets released, and a new replacement weight is quickly added. Little time is spent getting back in the water, and fewer rigs are lost.
Non-crankbait Applications
All of the Smartlink applications so far have been centered around crankbaits, (the main focus of Crankbait Central). But Don points out that catfish anglers often use three way set-ups too. And rather than losing the whole rig due to a hook or weight snag, the use of Smartlinks saves them money and time.
Ocean going anglers, will often fish up to 16 ounce lead jigging spoons 100 feet down off a reef. Snags are inevitable, and many claim to save tons of rigs because of the Ultimate Smartlink system. (Also, the Nickel Titanium does not rust, making it excellent for saltwater applications).
Even freshwater anglers who throw spoons in deeper water or vertical jig them in winter, benefit with Smartlinks. When an angler snags up, all they have to do is pop it free and snap on a new hook. It’s quick and easy.
The Price
With all the advantages to Smartlinks, why haven’t they become an over-night success? There are several reasons. The first is the price. Nickel Titanium products are not inexpensive. Many weekend anglers look at the price and recoil, initially declaring “they are too expensive.”
Depending on the size of Smartlinks purchased, the cost is approximately $8-12 for a packet of 6. The #10 Smartlink is around $10 which means each link runs around $1.66 each. If an angler loses 4 crankbaits a month at $7 dollars each, that's $28 down the drain. Suddenly the cost of Smartlinks looks like a good investment, especially considering that won't be the last time those crankbaits will end up snagged.
And still, it takes some convincing to help some anglers see that if they save just one expensive crankbait, the product has easily paid for itself. And every time that Smartlink opens, more money is saved over the long run.
Fact is, no one thinks they need health or accident insurance until they get seriously sick or have an accident. Then in hindsight, (after looking at the bills), they wish they had purchased it.
Likewise, it’s hard for some fishermen to see the benefits of Smartlinks until their new 25 dollar Luckycraft is snagged up, …or their 20 year old favorite lure is embedded in a stump, …or that hard-to-find discontinued treasure is permanently attached to an unreachable tree top that even a lure retriever can’t budge loose.
Suddenly Smartlinks are a lot cheaper than first imagined.
Similarly, when a tournament fishermen takes their boat in to unhook their crankbait from a shallow stump and spooks an eight pounder on the other side – that’s when they kick themselves for not using Smartlinks.
With valuable prize money on the line, the product suddenly looks fairly inexpensive.
Marketing!
The second challenge facing Smartlinks is marketing. Unlike Mega-corporations with endless marketing budgets, the manufacturers of Smartlinks discovered early that getting the word out is far more expensive than first imagined, because the product requires both exposure and education.
Early in Smartlinks’ conception, the company invested heavily in a couple of commercials utilizing Jimmy Houston and Bill Dance. That turned out to be a huge investment that could not be maintained because of the cost.
When sales didn’t skyrocket immediately, it began to dawn on the company that watching big fishing celebrities “use” the product is not the same as “explaining” how the product works.
The lesson was quickly learned; the public is resistant to purchase anything they don’t understand.
Like it or not, Smartlinks was, and still is, a high-tech challenge to the predominately common yet unscientific conclusions held by most fishermen. The fact is now clear: a tremendous amount of public education is needed if the product is to be accepted by the fishing community.
Unfortunately, while a bigger marketing campaign may be the solution, the huge financial resources necessary are no longer available. A lingering recession is further handicapping the desire to get the word out.
Promotion
When Don was asked “Does someone using Smartlinks have to win big in a national tournament before the product takes off?” he smiles and replies, “That would help. Right now people just look at the Smartlinks and without knowing the science behind it keep thinking ‘there goes a fish’.”
So for the present time, Don and a few other “believers” are promoting the product by working in small seminars and workshops to demonstrate a principle that seems doubtful at first to many fishermen until they see it for themselves.
Among those promoters who believe in the product are some notable names. Besides Don Yeager there is Mark Kile, (BFL Angler and 2003 BASS Rookie of the Year), Terry Baksay, (Multiple Bass Master Classic Qualifier and Touring B.A.S.S. Pro since 1989), Dennis Foster, (2006 Professional Angler of the Year - Professional Walleye Trail), Johnny Johnson, (3 Time Arizona State Angler of the Year and Host of Fishing with Johnny Johnson on Sportsman Channel), and Paul Elias, (1982 BASS Master Classic winner and 12 time Bass Masters Classic Qualifier).
A Missed Opportunity
Unfortunately, even a national ‘tournament win’ by a notable fishing celebrity doesn’t always assure a product gets the press it deserves.
Don remembers when Paul Elias fished a tournament down south and won. “Naturally a huge bass-fishing magazine did a big article on Paul and showed the Mann’s 20+ and discussed the winning pattern in detail, but unfortunately not a single word was written about the fact that Paul was using the Ultimate Smartlink system.”
“You can see the Smartlinks in the picture of the crankbait, but nothing was reported about them in the entire article. Several months later Paul and I were talking and I mentioned I noticed he was using the Smartlinks, and he said, ‘Man, I cannot tell you how many crankbaits those links have saved me.’”
Unfortunately, Paul’s “crankbait insurance” never got the press it deserved during his tournament win.
The Key Is Education!
Let’s be clear about the purpose of this article. Crankbait Central does not make it a policy to elevate one brand-name over another.
For example, we believe in the “concept” of crankbaits, but do not hold up one crankbait company over another. We believe in the “concept” of plug knockers but do not elevate on brand over the others. As researchers, we do not support brand names per say, only fishing concepts.
But the fact is, there are no other companies producing products in this field. No other Nickel Titanium links exist, and it is not the ‘brand’ that we are supporting here, than it is the product concept.
A type of split-ring that has a memory and releases the hook to save the crankbait – it just makes sense. Should there be six Nickel Titanium link companies someday we will support them all.
This is a new and promising piece of fishing hardware and it would be sad and regrettable if the concept went unnoticed by crankbait enthusiasts because of a lack of exposure in economically tough times.
There are many crankbait fishermen who might benefit from such a product if they were simply educated as to the science behind it. The key is education, and that’s what Crankbait Central is dedicated to delivering.
Summary
It would be naive to believe that every reader will now seek to locate and purchase Smartlinks. But among every community of fishermen there is always a minority of experimenters that love to explore anything that promises even a small advantage over the rest of the field.
This new category of hardware especially deserves the attention of those anglers possessing inquisitive minds. A solution to the problem of losing crankbaits has been offered, and those willing to explore it will be the first to benefit by it.
As to the remaining anglers who tend to be a little more reserved and perhaps a bit slower to accept the Smartlink solution – the next time your expensive imported crankbait lies hooked up on the bottom of a piling, remember this article.
The next time the crankbait your grandfather handed down to you is firmly attached to a submerged brush pile, ask yourself how to put a value on it now.
And when the last of a treasured but discontinued model has its trebles deeply imbedded in a stump down deep, ask yourself what you would now give to get that crankbait back?
Then take the time to reconsider the cost of Nickel Titanium “crankbait insurance”. Chances are you’ll conclude it’s worth it.
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Don Yeager is a professional guide on Lake Erie and on the Ohio River as well as a Federation and BFL Angler. Don and Smartlinks can be reached at http://www.ultimateluresaver.com/
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