Creepers-Where to get parts?
Grunt Lures
Posted 4/5/2007 7:08 PM (#249116)
Subject: Creepers-Where to get parts?





Posts: 786


Location: Minnesota
Tried to get some Creepensteins and they are in short supply. WEll, I figured why not make my own creeper bait? Question is, where does one get all the parts wholesale for these types of lures? I can shoot Dick M and email but, thought some here might know. A lot of those types of baits look custom made (hence the high prices for them). Seen a bunch of cool ones in teh new Rollie and Helens catalog. Did not know there were that many out besides the (what I woudl call) the original Creepenstein. Not sure if it was the original but is in my head.....

TIA for any help,
James
Doug Bradley
Posted 4/5/2007 7:31 PM (#249119 - in reply to #249116)
Subject: RE: Creepers-Where to get parts?


Grunt, Most of us make our own blades, other then Dick Moore and Bobby Bait { rouser style } I dont know of anyone else selling blades. At one time I think Danczyk was selling a few of his so you might even check with him, His are a very large style......Good Luck.....Doug Bradley
Grunt Lures
Posted 4/5/2007 8:30 PM (#249128 - in reply to #249116)
Subject: Re: Creepers-Where to get parts?





Posts: 786


Location: Minnesota
Doug,

Yikes! Maybe I won't try to make these 50-100 at a time! I think I am getting the picture as to why these cost $50-$100 each. I can do almost anything and have worked in a machine shop but, making creeper wings does not sound fun and I do not have the equipment to make them.

Thanks,
James
Jason413
Posted 4/5/2007 10:53 PM (#249158 - in reply to #249128)
Subject: Re: Creepers-Where to get parts?




Posts: 119


Grunt you can find Creepers at a very affordable price. Hi-Fin tackle makes them for about $18 and you can buy current versions of Le Lure for about the same. The high prices you are seeing are from an era of old and are probably handmade by the original designer himself. Hope this helps.
DEMolishedyou
Posted 4/5/2007 11:13 PM (#249164 - in reply to #249158)
Subject: Re: Creepers-Where to get parts?





Posts: 408


Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Creepensteins are probably some of the fanciest creepers out there, so they cost the most, and a regular creeper only runs in the $20-$30 range, but if your looking for creepensteins I see them all the time on eBay and Musky Safari came out with a look-a-like called the Frankinspitz. As for creeper wings Danczyk sells them I am pretty sure.
dzklrz
Posted 4/6/2007 1:20 AM (#249173 - in reply to #249116)
Subject: Re: Creepers-Where to get parts?




Posts: 110


Location: WI
I still have them available, shoot me a e-mail or pm and I can get you set up. Here are two pictures of the creepers that I make, the first is a 9" and the creeper globe is 11"

Chad


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Doug Bradley
Posted 4/6/2007 2:30 PM (#249277 - in reply to #249116)
Subject: RE: Creepers-Where to get parts?




Posts: 190


With creepers as a mass produced or custom designe, the hardest and most expensive parts are the wings and they are very time consuming and can be very frustrating to mass produce.

If you designe your own wings and brackets, they can be cut from stainless or aluminum and you can test and tone and make a couple for yourself comfortably at a minimal expense.

Your other option is to purchase a few wing sets and make your own bodys to come up with what you want.. Wingsets can cost from a company that mass produces them for around 4.00 to 7. 00 bucks.

Next option is to have your wing designe laser or waterjet cut in large quantities and still pay .60 to 1.00$ per piece, remember that is x 4 for one creeper. You still have to bend them at this point.

The next option is to pay thousands of dollars for stamping and bending dies and have somone make them for you like companys like B.S willie , Slammer, Le Lure and couple of the larger companys do. at this point it costs less per part but you have a larger investment.

Assuming at this point you have your wings figured out and know your investment....... Now you have to have your bodies made or make them yourself, seal them, prime them, paint them and assemble them.

Now figure out how much time and money you will have in each one and multiply by the amount you want to produce..... Add your profit margine and expect the store you want to sell them at to mark them up 50 to 60 % ..... Now go and take some ASPIRIN for your head ache.

Long story short, this is why creepers and custom large creepers cost so much and why there are fewer creepers on the market than crank baits and other designes that are easier and cheeper t make....Dont get me wrong, I know how much time goes into custom cranks , I am refering to the mass produced models.

Good luck ...........Doug Bradley
Grunt Lures
Posted 4/6/2007 3:02 PM (#249283 - in reply to #249116)
Subject: Re: Creepers-Where to get parts?





Posts: 786


Location: Minnesota
I would need my stuff mass produced. One to make it easy for me but two (biggest point) is to make a consistent product. Without that the lure is worthless. I am sure I could make a few wings but all woudl make the bait work (or not) different than the next. I think we all know what we feel when we buy a big lure and pay a lot for it and then buy another and it works different than the first one.... Me thinks I will wait on this venture

James
Doug Bradley
Posted 4/6/2007 3:39 PM (#249290 - in reply to #249116)
Subject: RE: Creepers-Where to get parts?




Posts: 190


I agree, James, you hit the nail on the head with " consistancy ".... I havd my production blades laser cut and believe me the bill hurts. At the same time I have alot of respect for the "purist" Creepers with all hand cut wings, brackets and hand carved bodies. These are just the coolest baits to collect and I enjoy every one of them.........They are generally more expensive but from a collectors standpoint a quality handcut creep is worth every dollar.

Every time I pull one down to look at it, Ican just see these craftsmen in their shops or garages pouring their heart and soul into these amazing pieces, paying attantion to the finest details. I have the highest respect for these baitmakers and try to continue the tradition with my larger customs.... Guys like Frenchy-Bill Kaiser- Bob Alits- Gary Tesch-Greg Nimmer- Gale Oxleys Wakemakers - Ry Lure- Wick and the list goes on and on........ These guys get my vote.........Doug Bradley
Grunt Lures
Posted 4/6/2007 5:20 PM (#249310 - in reply to #249116)
Subject: Re: Creepers-Where to get parts?





Posts: 786


Location: Minnesota
Oh ya! And I am not saying the guys who make everything by hand are not consisten. I am just saying for me to make a lot of baits all teh same I can not afford the time it takes to make each one the same and thus to run the same. I think creepers are a little different than the average billed lure. If a creeper is made a little "off" I do not think it woudl run much different than the next. They throw water and make a racket! Hard to NOT keep that consistent
Ty Sennett
Posted 4/9/2007 12:04 PM (#249814 - in reply to #249116)
Subject: RE: Creepers-Where to get parts?


It's the opposite. If creepers are off a little they don't work. They are a pain in the butt to get going again. Tail baits are the easiest.

Add in taxes also if you are going to sell them. Otherwise the tax man will get ya'.


Ty
baitmaker66
Posted 4/9/2007 4:24 PM (#249844 - in reply to #249119)
Subject: RE: Creepers-Where to get parts?




Posts: 121


I was looking in the Moores catalog and didn't see creeper wings. What page are they on??

Ben
Gale
Posted 4/10/2007 7:12 AM (#249915 - in reply to #249116)
Subject: RE: Creepers-Where to get parts?


Go to Dick's website catalog: http://www.mooreslures.com/catalog2007R1.pdf

Scroll to the bottom of page 18.
baitmaker66
Posted 4/10/2007 2:59 PM (#250006 - in reply to #249915)
Subject: RE: Creepers-Where to get parts?




Posts: 121


Thanks Gale, I was looking in my paper catalog. Those would be kinda small for a musky sized creeper wouldn't they??

Ben
Gale
Posted 4/11/2007 7:40 AM (#250095 - in reply to #250006)
Subject: RE: Creepers-Where to get parts?


Ben -

I've not actually seen the Moore's wings in person, but they appear to be similar in size to wings you can currently find installed on commercially available musky creepers.

I agree though, they would be small compared to the wings used on some of the super-sized creepers readily available. Ex: Musky Buster's Wave Walker and Chad Danczyk's creeper(s).

My advice is: Buy a few sets of Moore's wings, sit down at your work bench and build a few creepers. You have to start somewhere, and having ready-made wings rather than making your own at first, will lessen your frustration levels considerably. Afterward, if you find you enjoy building creepers, you may want to attempt to cut your own.

muskymeyer
Posted 4/11/2007 8:35 AM (#250109 - in reply to #250095)
Subject: RE: Creepers-Where to get parts?





Posts: 691


Location: nationwide
I will make the statement that cutting out your own wings and bending them, along with soldering rivets to them really sux. Brackets are no better. I cringe everytime someone orders a creeper and wants me to cut out the wings and use soldered wings and brackets .. . . . . me no like the bs involved with making them. I would much rather scab wings off another creeper than make my own.

And in my opinion there are not any stainless steel wings out there to buy that are decent.



Corey Meyer
deantre
Posted 7/27/2007 1:03 PM (#267460 - in reply to #249173)
Subject: Re: Creepers-Where to get parts?


Saw your creeper and it looks very good, I am interested in purchasing if you have any for sale. I live in sparta wi, this will be my first year musky fishing, been fishing for 57 yrs, 30 in the military but now finally getting the time to go after the big one.
I will be heading out to the chippewa flwg in Sept. email me at [email protected]
deantre
Posted 7/27/2007 1:10 PM (#267464 - in reply to #267460)
Subject: Re: Creepers-Where to get parts?


was aiming the previous email to dzkirz