smirkplug

I made my first striper plug about 20 years ago because i tripped into a really strange old wood musky plug that didn't swim at all, then i fooled around with different hooks and removed unnecessary hooks that hung up when i cast on windy days, i found the action so good i kept it a secret for 10 years. i only made 3 plugs and swam for them when i snagged them. By the time i lost the last one there was no paint left and the origional paint job was only 4 colors of krylon and a marksalot. Now that i sell plugs the buyers are driving me crazy with describing what colors they want. As i use up all my patence for for catching fish i find myself being rude to the So. Cal. tweaker bass guys. My question to you guys is do you spend more time making your plugs swim right or do you consentrate more on the way it looks. I do admire all the stunning artwork in the gallery especially for your personal baits.

It seems like theres alot of junk out there made in China with low prices, I fish heavilly fished lakes and snag up many a chineese junk plug with bent, broken, cracked, plastic, hooks, etc ! think of what our lake bottoms look loke with all that junk around. Prices are so cheap it seems everybody breaks off a cheap lure rather than trying to get it back.

A carpener took a heavy grit sanding belt about 26 inches then cut a 2x4 in the shape of the belt with tapered edges then slid the belt over the 2x4 and it takes lots of time off hand sanding !

I talked to a clerk from u.p.s. and they quoted $102.00 for shipping to japan !!! Was that a misquote ? At the U.S. post office they claimed they will not send anything over 60 inches at all anymore, is that true ?

Now that i have 2-3 of every rod i have wanted over the years and have never gotten rid of any, im faced with ebaying the old to make room for the new !! (You guys were very helpful in helping me decide to ship in p.v.c.) Im now faced with who will ship these rods at fair prices around the U.S.A. and even places like Japan, Europe, etc ! From 9' one piece saltwater jig sticks, to breakdown backpack rods, i would like any suggestions on how you guys have handled this confusing problem with becoming a shipping agent yourselves ?? all suggestions are helpful as im way in the dark.

Big baits big fish !!!! Californians didn't believe that until about 10 years ago. I once caught a 17 pound striper 3 hours after a 1000 pound trout stock, (average size 8-12 inches) that had 6 trout in its belly when i cleaned it. It was after # 7 when it gulped my 10 inch popper. Always give the fish a chance to bite the big ones !!!

I bought 20 mustad 1/0 split trebles with bucktails on em and 3-4 of them broke when i straghtend the split. Sometimes i open the eyescrews and hang the hook through to aviod splitrings.

Welcome, those are some nice lures, I hope to learn about the Drina.

Hey Vodkaman nice action, you may want to look on ebay under 'THE ORIGIONAL SMIRKPLUG' then click the link to see my version of a hunting bait as you guys call them. I beleive with the right weight to size to balance ratio you can swim a good plug fast or slow. please let me know if you don't get the video link. p.s. these videos were taped in 2001 and ive been hiding this model from other fishermen since 1989. If any of you guys want blanks let me know.

Thanks so much for corbins link, they are very helpful and priced right.

I wish id asked that question 6 years and approx $1,000 ago. I would start with spray cans and practice blending colors and using a cardboard screen to blockoff what you don't want to paint. You can try Pearls or any other artists supply or craft store for more bells and whistles. If your looking for a good 1 day paint job just lightly sand, scratch up the surface, spraypaint then fish. if you get one that you really want to keep in good condition try any of the various clearcoats others recommend on this site.

Slowroll is usually best, If you have a slow sinker, try a sink then lift retreive. They usually get bit on the drop. try a smirkplug (wood see gallery) when they follow or swirl and don't strike, swimming it faster so they react like its getting away then hit it hard. if your fishing deeper water you might try a big wakebait to get them to look up. sometimes i get bass to come 20 feet up to strike a topwater. also if you get swirled on leave the area for 20 min.-1 hour then toss a faster bait past where you got swirled. good luck !

I know that seeker and other mfgrs. are using a new product bought from a friend of mine named Bill Samrin at 626-333-6888 he sell all kinds of adhesives and clearcoats. His new product won 'best new product' at the icast convention last year. he's very technical and helpful. if you find out what works please post it. thanks.

Did the humidity change alot while it was drying ? or maybe you used an enamel color that had alot of solvent in it like a glitter or opaque finish. I use an extra coat or two of clear over any lure that feels dusty, tacky, or thin, that seems to help. good luck

Great looking baits, I really like the red spots as it gets close to fall. I think alot of baitfish get their spawining colors in the summer or fall and produce extra strikes. good job

Thanks for the link to zmanfishing.com. Birdy why can't sombody make a head like yours with a body like the zmanfishing elaztech flyingfish offshore series ? you might hahe to weight the middle to push the nose up, but i think with the wings it would swim great. im very tired of trolling many hours without a strike, please invent something new, With a head like you made a sluggo works better as a body for me than a skirt. Nice work on your detail by the way

for inspiration i sometimes start with scrap wood items like tapered table legs for big crankbaits, old oval shaped paddle handles for a/c plugs, rounded chair supports for poppers, and walkers, and hickory hammer handles for jointed cranks. as far as painting goes im still using spray cans to blend colors and permenent markers for detail, sometimes i glue on gold leaf and or glitter. im lucky because all my bait are big and easier to let mistakes blend in . good luck !!

Those are beautiful, just don't run up to the lake carring that or you might end up looking like a pierced punkrocker. is lexan wormproof or will a plastic bait eat into the lexan ?

Awesome, now if i had one of those id use it to drop my plug in the 1/4--1/2 mile roped off zones in our lakes that havent ever been fished !! Jimmy Houston used a remote control boat to do just that in lake Irvine Ca. to catch some world record catfish on plugs.

Unfortunatly im not a great fan of soap, lol, but did you know that the commercial catfishermen on lake Okachobee use zote soap for bait !! Maybe thats a good soap to start with. They say it has the highest fat content. I know its cheap you can find it at .99 cent stores. Good luck !

We get some big edjucated bass here out west that seem to slap and not stick to poppers and walkers and never return. Its part of driving you crazy that makes me come back. Ive started to put a single siwash hook with the point turned up like on a plastic swinbait to get a better shot at hooking em. I wish i could say i had patence to wait until i felt the fish prior to swinging on fish but i don't.