mark poulson

It looks like the 60 degree hook just puts the line tie a little farther forward. I think that should make it more weedless.

Buy a digital thermometer. Any plastic will yellow if you over heat it.

Fun to look at. Thanks.

You're such a tease! Hahaha

I would wait until I could cast the lure, to see if it needs to be trimmed. I have a pair of sst scissors in my boat that are dull, but do the job on the water, where I can really see how the lures work.

That looks like it could be the ticket!

I find that feathered trebles on a hard bait are a two edged sword. They add action on the pause and simulate a living tail, but they can dampen the action if they are too long for a particular bait. For example, for 4" jerkbaits that I move fast, I use a flashabou dressed rear treble trimmed just past the hooks, so I get a lot of action and still get flash. I don't use any feathered treble at all on bigger jerkbaits, because they are harder to work, and the feather makes them sluggish. For 5" walking baits, I leave the feather/flashabou combination about an inch past the bend in the treble, and trim it on the water until the bait walks well. A long tail here definately dampens the walking action. For 6'+ punker-type top water gliders, I leave the feathers long, because these big baits aren't worked fast, so the long tail doesn't inhibit their action. For sub-surface lures, I tie the feathers long, and trim them on the water if they slow down the X'ing I want. For me, my general rule is the smaller the bait, the smaller the dressed treble, and the faster the action I'm looking for, the shorter the feathers.

Amac, I just checked them online and they look great. Plus I have a Sports Chalet nearby.

That looks like it will work. I worry that the hook attachment that far from the plastic anchor might cut down on the action of the tail if you're trying for a walk the dog action, but it should be great as straight weedless popper. Let us know how it swims.

What a difference! Thanks again.

I haven't used brass or bronze split rings in years, but the same sizes that I use now, probably. Depending on the lure and hook size, anything from a #2 to a #6 on my swimbaits. I wouldn't use a #2 on anything that is thrown with line heavier than 10lb test, or you'll have your heart broken. Even a #3 is pushing it.

Could you apply a paper template with a centerline marked on it to the top of your bill after it's on the jig, but before you actually shape it? I don't use a template. I cut my bills out of rectangular strips of lexan that I cut out on the radial arm saw. I put some blue painter's tape on the blank, use a compass to put a centerline on the tape, and work to that. It works for me, but I build lures one a time, not production.

I use the Danielson rings from Tacklewarehouse. I'd stay away from brass. It isn't as strong unless it's thick wire, and it looks old school and turns a lot of people off.

The rubber skirt band idea is a pain, because it is too tight a fit over the hook anchor screw, so it is really hard to get on right. I'm searching for another material, because the idea works.

Thanks. I'll try that.

I would contact Jim at Predator Bass, and ask him. He's honest, and shares, if he can.

I use MCU on plastic lures, because it is thinner and lighter, so it doesn't affect the lure action. For my PVC lures I use Solarez.

I think most of the overseas wholesale companies that make lures for major brand names here probably make knock offs for the US market, too. Their molds are too close. But the internals are different, and that makes a big difference in action.

It's been years since I've seen this, but it might help you achieve what you want. If you can find some, alcohol stains are more controllable than oil based stain because they don't penetrate as deeply, and dry really fast. You will still get overlap and blending, so I suggest you practice before you touch your finished lure. You could probably make your own using denatured alcohol and painter's pigments if you can't find any ready made. Stain uses the same pigments as paint, but typically the pigment is finer, so it can penetrate, and the amount of pigment per oz of carrier, either oil or alcohol, is less, so you get a translucent effect instead of opaque. Another way to approach this is to use a very light, thin stain as your base coat over the entire lure first as sort of a seal coat. You could come back after that and add darker areas and details using JR Hopkins dry brush dawbing technique, or something else to put the darker stain where you want it. Once the first coat of stain has dried, it will minimize the amount the darker, contrasting stains will penetrate, and you can control you coloring much more easily. You might also want to look up Ebonizing on the internet. That method produces some interesting effects.

You get what you pay for.

I over drilled the seat for the frog hook in the new frog I'm making, so I threaded a rubber skirt collar onto the screw to take up the slack, and I got a bonus. It acts like a spring, pushing the tines down onto the magnets even more strongly, but not enough to affect how the hook deploys. I realize that rubber skirt collars are not very durable, but I'm thinking of making a bait with just the rubber and no magnets, to see if that works. I can always put a new skirt collar on when the old one breaks. That way, I'll save the weight of the magnets, so I can add rattles. I'm going to try and put one on my first bait, too.

You can use any thread that won't break while you're winding it, as long as you coat the thread afterwards with either super glue, or some other kind of strong thread sealer. I've used old braid, and it works, too.

Sounds like some kind of Berkley anti-tamper device!

Great idea! I have the structural foam that expands to 3X's it's volume that we use for seating and insulating bathtubs, and for filling voids in various areas. That should work perfectly. My net has an extension handle that slide inside the other part, so I'll probably use a hollow cardboard tube to place a section of foam around the outside of the net handle instead of trying to fill the handle itself.

Success!!! Using Baitjunkey's colorant, flake, and the sample he sent me of his plastic I was able to make and pour some very nice watermelon/red flake Ikas, and 7" worms, with no color bleed from the red flake at all! Next batch I'll add a drop of black, and match GYCB's color exactly! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!