Aiden James Lures Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 I have always painted the eyes on my lures and am considering making the switch to glass eyes like these? http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/BOSS_True_Vision_Fish_3D_Eyes_100pk/descpage-BOSSFEY.html Any thoughts on eyes? I've caught lots of fish on swimbaits with missing eyes, so I wonder if the eyes are more for the fisherman than the fish? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtx Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 I was wondering the same thing. Last week i was using one of my pet balsa flat side baits. I caught four bo fin and a snapping turtle on it. They destroyed the epoxy top coat on it. Which took its toll on the paint job and eyes! So end result was a half painted bait with two missing eyes that now sinks ! Bait still had shad dots still on it though. The bass didnt seem to care. Five bass limit for 27 pounds.... i didnt care either ! For sure its for the fishermen. The bass ? Still waiting to find one that can talk ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking 56 Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 In the musky world they say the bigger the eyes the better. I use 1/2 and 5/8'' eyes and honestly I've caught more fish on the 1/2''. s54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 I think most of us get caught up in trying to make the lures we build look like pieces of art. Can a fish see every little detail we add to a lure to try and make it more realistic? Like xtx I'm still trying to find a fish that will talk to me. When we use netting to represent scale patterns I doubt a fish is really paying all that much attention to painted lines that aren't much thicker than a hair. Can they tell the difference between a painted eye and one like the one shown at the link you provided? I'm not sure, but I kind of doubt that they're paying attention to any one specific item. And you've also got to take into account that the lure is moving through the water and wobbling side to side all at the same time. I'm thinking that if the bait is offering more "triggering" responses than it is negative responses then the bass is likely to eat it. just my , Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsgorilla Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 In true bass fisherman style, I have Got to get some of those eyes! The green ones will look killer on my basswood frog swimmers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joetheplumber Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 I read a few articles on tackle making. com on color theory and things that trigger strikes a while back and they say one of the biggest strike trigger is the lures eyes. According to them and some other folks the pupils size draws more stikes than the actual size of the eyes. The article says large pupils represent prey and a smaller pupil represents a predator. I'm not sure what to think but it does seem logical. Maybe that's why some of the high end crankbaits seem to produce better such as the LC's. They have the 3-d eyes with the very large pupils. But like y'all said when a bass gets ready to taste something I'm not sure they take a bunch of time to look to see if your lure has big pupils. And talking to a fish would definitely be a big help for sure........Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 eyes appease our thoughts. pulling musky baits at 4-5mph equates a lure travelling 8 ft per second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 I think we can hypothesize but can't know until a fishery scientist performs controlled experiments. Here's another hypothesis: bass will pursue a prey species from a direction that inhibits the prey from seeing them whenever possible. Therefore, pronounced eyes, especially if they stick out from the surface of the bait like 3D eyes, signal the bass that the prey can see them and is more likely to elude capture. So big eyes actually inhibit the bass from attacking the lure. Sorta turns the idea of big eyes on its head! Which is correct? One theory makes as much sense to me as the other. We can have all kinds of ideas about what "looks good". Will looks attract buyers? Surely yes. Will it give a fisherman more confidence in using a lure. Maybe. Will the lure get bit more often? Dunno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajay920 Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 I like the point that these things started out as an idea of some craftsman. He then refined his craft into a process and decided to make it into a business. It's all backed by the search for something unique. Kind of like we all do. They look awesome and I'm sure will work well at both selling lures and catching fish. I still like to drill a hole paint the recess and fill with 5 minute epoxy. Whichever, enjoy the process!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tupong Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 Geezzz I wish that some fisheries scientists would take as much concern as we as fishermen do with some of the questions like "do eyes add something " " do fish see Uv" " does scent actually make fish strike more" "which is more important action or colur" .....I'd infact be happy for a large portion of my taxes go towards such a programme ......lol . You always hear that some of the bait companies invest thousands in testing out what works and doesnt work but i sometimes wonder if the testing is done on what catches us rather than what attracts the fish. Personally I like eyes on baits but not sure if they make a difference when the fish are biting. regards Mick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking 56 Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 Curiously enough, 25-30 years ago it seemed more muskies were being caught with less choice of baits and most were offered in black. These days, there's more choice colors with less muskies caught. Just a coincidence I'm sure and surely there's other factors attributed to this. When I used to target bass my go to lure was a white Big-O. Can someone tell me if this lure still produces today? Going to paint more solid colored baits this year as it may be time to go back to fundamentals. s54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjbass Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 Just to set the record straight.....there are far more muskies caught today than 25-30 years ago. I don't know where you get your information, but it is not true. Just sayin... Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking 56 Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 Yes, more muskies are being caught today because there are more anglers targeting them. Some fisheries have exploded in terms of numbers and sizes, St-Clair is a perfect example but this does hold true for most bodies of water that have natural reproducing muskies. The rod hours per fish were less 25-30 years then they are today. Muskie waters have become more pressured with anglers and lures and as a result the fish have become more conditioned and challenging to catch. Any seasoned musky fisherman will attest to this. This is just my opinion based on simple observations that muskies back them would hit anything you presented at them without having to fish with elaborated painted lures.... s54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted April 14, 2013 Report Share Posted April 14, 2013 from the 1950-1989 era a 50 fish year was great on st clair.using flatfish and ccpikies. fast forward explosion zebra mussels came. clean water. musky exploded more guys target them. but with cleaner water fish see more no doubt. wobble/actions first.. eyes look cool no one wants a perch color without eyes. humans/musky guys love pretty sh/.t. were all there right. lmao. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickdraw Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 My thoughts are more, "do you want to use an eye"? If so then these prefab eyes are much easier to use than painting eyes. I finish my painting, final heat cure, press on the eyes and topcoat. It sure beats doing 2 or 3 different payers of paint for an eye and they look much better to me. I like that and the fish don't seem to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Mac Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 I've been very happy with the predator bass bait eyes! I normally try to put the largest eye I can on a lure, but mainly because I think it looks cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickdraw Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 I read a few articles on tackle making. com on color theory and things that trigger strikes a while back and they say one of the biggest strike trigger is the lures eyes. According to them and some other folks the pupils size draws more stikes than the actual size of the eyes. The article says large pupils represent prey and a smaller pupil represents a predator. I'm not sure what to think but it does seem logical. Maybe that's why some of the high end crankbaits seem to produce better such as the LC's. They have the 3-d eyes with the very large pupils. But like y'all said when a bass gets ready to taste something I'm not sure they take a bunch of time to look to see if your lure has big pupils. And talking to a fish would definitely be a big help for sure........JoeThis is what I learned years ago also. For me it is hard to find 1/2" or larger eyes for big swimbaits. Last year I ordered from Europe but since then I have found them in the US. The European were very nice, especially the pupil. They were teardrop shaped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted April 15, 2013 Report Share Posted April 15, 2013 Not to highjack this thread, but... I've been fishing for about 2 1/2 decades for muskies.Clearly they are far, far easier to catch than they were back then, but if you have some type of documented stats to prove otherwise, I'd love to see ithem. But...it would have to be stats for the nation, not just say, St. Clair. The internet alone has caused the catch rates to soar...more information as to what, where, when and that is on a national and even international level, compared to a few spares written articles or word of mouth back then. I can get online and pick a lake in Canada or the USA and within a few minutes, I know when to go, what to throw and where to buy the baits I'll likely need for that specific body of water...including St.Clair and some of the world's best lakes and reservoirs. When I started it was difficult to find any bona fide, productive, musky baits, period...there were no Cabelas, Rollie and Helen's, Ebays, or Googles to help you locate what you need like anyone can today. No extensive articles by guides or other die hards like we have today. Never mind that today we have literally thousands of basement builders and professional and semi-professional builders of custom baits that can actually pinpoint size, color, action, etc for a specific body of water...specifically for muskies. I am one of those seasoned musky fisherman to which you referred earlier and all of the others I know of like me now can easily catch 30 to 50 a year. When I started a dozen a year was a big deal for anyone. The fish of a thousand casts? (Maybe back then when a big flatfish was considered a musky lure). If it were like that now, I'd quit and fish for something eles. When my partner and I hit the waters these days, we expect to catch at least one or two per trip, if not more. Rarely do we get skunked when the season is in full swing. Catching muskies in general, even for beginners, has never been easier. The internet alone has seen to that and yes, as a result of the increased success rates, there are more guys targeting them and that pushes the numbers higher yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking 56 Posted April 16, 2013 Report Share Posted April 16, 2013 fatfingers, There is no possible way to scientifically confirm either argument at this point. In hindsight, our water systems are probably like comparing apples and oranges. . Our MNR has stopped stocking muskies back in the 90's unlike your waters that are actively being stocked by your MNR. So, your waters hold more muskies and are therefore they're easier to catch. We are left chasing natural reproductive muskies which are more difficult to locate and catch. I think we'll leave it at, we'll agree to disagree LoL! Respectfully, s54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatfingers Posted April 16, 2013 Report Share Posted April 16, 2013 (edited) Fair enough! Edited April 16, 2013 by fatfingers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
