338muskie Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 Stoped in at Amma Bamma Baits last Sunday and had a chat with Bill Loony in his shop learned alot from just talking to him. He's got some great looking baits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 I have written Bill several times and he has generally been kind enough to respond to my questions...within reason of course. He definitely wouldn't give me any "details". Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskie1958 Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 Riverman, What details do you want to know about? : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 The only thing that matters with these baits, the weighting scenario, depth, placement, number. Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrydabassman Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 Some are just unwilling to share their secrets. Example: Is there something better than Etex and Devcon to finish our baits? You bet there is...will the source of knowledge tell us? NO!! Why?...Fear of competition? I don't know, but I do know there are a K-Zillion fisherman out there in this world, and NO one person could possibly service them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 The guy who owns Amma Bama, Bill Looney, is not a user on this board to my knowledge. He seems to be a gentleman however. I have written literally dozens of bait-makers over the last year asking for information, few will ever take the time to answer. Those that do will only give you the most basic of information, wood type, hook size, etc. I have written Bill Looney twice and each time he answered me, to me this says something about the guy. He didn't give details about his bait-making process and I didn't ask for them. I do have much respect for the guy tho and hope to meet him someday. Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskie1958 Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 There was a 1/2" inch hole drilled 1" deep at the front hook hanger. Thats it!!! I could not get two alike this way to save my butt.Some were fine, some floated, some sank like rocks.Don't know if they are still weighted like this. I now weight mine like Cobbs and HR's. Spots of lead throughout the bait. It just makes them more consistent. Only problem is you have to be careful about getting into the wire. My baits are wire through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muskie1958 Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 The weight I just described was for the Striker jerkbait. Sorry for the confusion.Idon't know how the other bait is weighted. :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 I would guess the Amma Bama has two pieces of lead just in front of the belly hook and one near the tail. The reason I say two holes near the front as I know Bill uses basswood which is quite buoyant and it's hard to get by with one piece of lead in the front. I am not familiar with the "striker" baits. I'm curious, in weighting your baits like the HR, do you use one long section of lead as a center piece like HR does? Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
338muskie Posted July 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 Riverman Bill puts his weight in two spots. the frist one is where the wire hanger holds the hook and the sec is right behind it. He has a 24 step methed to makeing his baits. And he told me he has no secrets that he is not willing to tell. I know he is willing to help people. I'm doing a story for Muskie Imc. mag. And will send you a copy of the mag when it comes out if it will help. I took about 60 photos of Bill working in his shop on the baits for the story. So it will be a good photo story. Thanks 338muskie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 I would love to see that story and would be happy to pay for the magazine and postage, thank you. Congrats on the story too! Now let me get this straight, a hole right at the wire hanger? Are you saying the wire goes through the weight? The second just behind it...hmmm. I have tried weighting baits just at the balance point and it does work even tho many builders will tell you it won't. Actually weight just in the center of the bait makes the most sense to me as you would think the weight would then act as a fulcrom by which the ends could swing back and forth on....like a merry-go-round, there's a word I bet this forum has never seeen, lol. Many of the European builders take a totally different approach, placing lead at the head and tail of the bait. I have had success with this approach as well. The bait in the video I made is somewhere between these two designs. That's why I asked your weighting in the HR style. They have one long weight at or near the balance point followed by a series of shallow holes extending front and back from there. Tried to post a pic of the xray but for some reason it won't let me today. Jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Lanham Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 A few years back I found some sheds I found the right later on I found a lift they were big around pop cans and he tried to buy them off of me I told him I wasn't willing to part with him and later on that year I was laid off and my electric bill came to do and I needed a little extra money so I went to Mr Looney and asked him if he would let me pawn my sheds to him for $200 he was super willing to let me do that and he said when the time comes that I can come get him back just bring him the money. Month or so goes by I've done just that I took him the money and he told me that his son had him out west to a wildlife show and that as soon as he got them back he would let me know and I could come get my sheds. Never did hear from him for wow I call him and I didn't no response go to his house nobody would come out nobody would come to the door until one day my wife got a hold of him and he said that the sheds was gone he sold my s*** mind you out it's at his house with the money and he said that wasn't there that his son had him well I read it for his daughter they told me that his son had died it passed away and that I could probably get my sheds back so I get a hold of Mr Looney and he says that he has put them on a deer mount and it would cost me thousands of dollars to get it back. He knows what them sheds meant to me he knew what my plans was for them sheds and he crooked me out of them. So what you're calling the gentleman he's a wolf in sheep's clothing he laughs all the time about how it don't cost nothing to make these lures and people are willing to pay stupid money for him I hate to see everybody be fooled by him just because he can make a lure. I'm not trying to run him down but I want everyone to know just what kinda person he really is. I went to his house several times and called several times trying to get my sheds back from him. He swindled me out of something that I was passionate about and he knew it. That's not sportsman like at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
