New soft plastic shapes matter and may be the most versatile lures going

[SpoonMinnow]

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I get you enjoy cutting up plastics and splicing them together. You may find it innovating/exciting and that is all that should really matter to your venture. Personally I don’t see the wow in it. I don’t see any new skills to be developed. I don’t see it as creating something new or developing a new action/style of lure. I see it is no more then basic modifications of existing lures not developing or building a lure. This is why I don’t give a lot of interest and likely why others are not jumping all over your posts. Show me something you created and developed on your own vs hacking up baits and Frankensteining together then you will get my attention.

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Soft-plastics follow the same fluid dynamic rules as hard-baits as do all lures. There is just as much room for innovation in soft-baits as in hard-baits, but members don’t seem to get involved that deep. Soft-plastics is a different style of fishing. As far as I know, soft-plastics will usually win over other types of lure,I think there is a lot of room for more innovation in softies.  Vodkaman (Dave)

Dave said it better than I could have and we are on the same page when it comes to lure action-by-design whether hard or soft lures. I've used many hard lures over many decades having caught fish on the best designs. I've attached skirts and blades to spinnerbatis and skirts to Arkie jigs. In-line spinners like Mepps was also productive and easy to make with or without tail materials added. But Dave wrote this a few years ago:

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 a true lure worked in the correct way (very important) will have some special appeal, some instinctive attraction to the predator.   Dave

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My aim is to develop that has a violent change of direction built into the lure along with the regular waggle, all achieved on a steady retrieve. Hunting works to a certain extent, but generally it is not violent enough.So, to sum up; it is changes in motion that elicit strikes, way more than paint or a sweet, regular action. Of course, this is just my opinion, backed up by observation, some science and reasonable comparative results. Dave

The first quoted post ignores what Dave and I have observed for years. But the regular waggle of any lure in my opinion requires a more or less steady retrieve - swimming a lure vs. adding action to it with the rod tip, reel handle or both. Having "Frankensteined" soft plastics  for years and catching most freshwater species on them, has taught me that a unique combinations of shape and size is a goal worth pursuing.

We have bought and made many lures over the years - some copies of one another when it comes to lure action. A spinner spins, a popper pops; a skirted jig with trailer hops off bottom or can be swam like a spinnerbait.  Except for suspending crankbaits, all are steady-retrieve lures. As I've posted before and indicated in Dave's reply, erratic action at a slow pace gets more bites from fish not willing to chase prey or lures. On top of that, in my opinion lures fall into two categories: thumpers and ticklers. Fish senses are more sensitive than humans will ever know whether used defensively or offensively in connection to a simple brain that makes one of two decisions: attack or not. Matters not whether prey being prey or prey preying on other prey. The main thing is provoking fish to attack. 

Lures seem to tip the scales when it comes to provoking attacks from fish not really in the mood to attacking even prey. This is were thumpers and ticklers come into it. A thumper I define as an in-their-face (senses) lure that is visually or sonically loud in one or both respects. A #3 chrome willow leaf spinnerbait blade or large silver Colorado blade blasts pulsating flashes of light and pushes thumping sinusoidal waves (to quote Dave) detected by the lateral line. Surface lures make a lot of commotion. If I were a fish, I'd swim the other way, but fortunately fish are tuned in to their senses and can't help themselves but to attack. (Did I mention that fish are dumber than rocks when it comes to lures?) Thumper type lures can be swam or in some cases worked vertically, but in all cases they disturb the peace and quiet of a suspending fish minding its own business.

Ticklers annoy the scales off fish same as a fly on the back of your neck causes you to swat it or an itch causes you to scratch it. I'm not talking a bumble bee in the face (a thumper if there ever was one!) But a finesse action lure. presentation or both that slowly aggravates a fish to attack. Any jig or plastic worm worked slowly on the bottom is noticed and many eventually gets pounded. I saw that recently with a small lure I let fall to bottom, let sit and hopped once. That's all it took for a large sunfish to attack and in shallow semi-clear water no less!  My favorite ticklers are finesse lures that do almost nothing yet quiver and dart or suspend and then do both - all angler-imparted. No steady retrieve like that of a swimbait or Kalin twister tail. In fact, key to using finesse designs is how slow they are worked on light jigheads or no weight whatsoever (remember, plastic has weight especially when using a sinking plastic formulation.

Regarding "Frankenstein" creations, some of the best unique designs I have discovered that have done really well, involve joining plastic shapes by melting the ends over a candle and holding the parts together for 5 seconds. Are they copies of much bigger lures in action or shape? Could be, but just the small size and how they are worked set them apart and has accounted for fish from 3.5" to over 7 lbs. using the same lure. Isn't that all we are after: making lures that catch more fish more often???  I am tickled pink (no pun intended) when I catch fish on lures not sold anywhere. Only a blind angler is not able see how the unique actions of each p.o. fish and catch more fish over time than swim type lures especially on days when the bite is very slow.

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by SpoonMinnow

[Vodkaman]

Good read.

I am very close with the 'violent action' lure. It was something I stumbled across by accident back in 2006 but I was never able to reproduce it. Now I have figured out the fluid dynamics of what I witnessed all those years ago, i Just need a 3D printer to test the hypothesis.

Along with the violent erratic action, with a minor tweak or two, a very exaggerated hunting action should be possible. I need to make more of an effort to get the printer and start testing.

Dave

[SpoonMinnow]

Dave, if you have any soft plastic laying around with parts that can be cut and joined, all you need it a light jighead to observe their action in water. This consists of the front of one lure attached to the ribbed body of a grub. The action is the same as the Zara Spook when twitched under the water.

Same concept except two bodies are joined:

The above can be wacky-rigged like those that follow.

Carrot stick or taper tail attached to a grub body may seem like they'd move like a Senko, but the quivering tips no way move like a wacky rigged Senko:

It catches everything!

 

A claw from a craw trailer has done very well:

...same for fin tails on this French Fry body:

The up & down tail-tip quivers/flutters get fish going!

French Fry stick segments can be melted to curl tail for a unique shape and action apart from round bodies.

 

I have 12 pages/60 images per page of lures that have worked - mostly created by me. IMGUR.com is a great place to keep photo records and allows an easy copy & paste to forums.

Again, the key is using light jigheads 1/16 oz or lighter. Working these lures mid-depth, even in shallow water, seems to generate more strikes.

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by SpoonMinnow

[Vodkaman]

I don't do soft plastics, only hard baits.

Dave

[SlowFISH]

I agree on quite a few points...

Violet action - I fish with a friend who's 83 years old... unbelievable source of knowledge... one of his favorite techniques is 1oz-1.5oz jigs pitched into 3 foot or less of water on inside weed edge.  For years I laughed at why you need 1.5oz jig for 3 feet or less... yet he consistently catches bigger fish than me... I've come around to thinking in some instances that "violent" splash and super fast drop to bottom is irresistible.  Like a dog chasing anything that buzzes by like a car, bird, toy, etc. 

When it comes to soft plastics - the great thing is you can really detail your lure to how you plan/desire to fish them.  If your planning to crank/move them alot - you can use thicker sections and count on a good amount of resistance to move/provide action.  If you plan to let them slowly sink weightless... adding fine appendages, areas to gently quiver helps..... I tend to try and add both to any lure I make... just a preference... and like anything else - sometime I think I have it - and sometimes the fish just ignore me.

  J.

[Outlaw4]

there is no wrong in fishing. fish and have fun. try some stuff. no absolutes.

like rapala "fixing" the wiggle wart

i think new and unusual, erratic movements will always get them if you can fish them efficiently.

[alsworms]

2 hours ago, Outlaw4 said:

there is no wrong in fishing. fish and have fun. try some stuff. no absolutes.

like rapala "fixing" the wiggle wart

i think new and unusual, erratic movements will always get them if you can fish them efficiently.

I remember as a kid buying those pre Rapala Wiggle Warts at drug stores for 99 cents each.  I'd go in with a fiver, get 4 lures, and still have enough money left over for an ice cream!  I don't know if anyone has looked at the prices of those old school baits now, but it's shocking!!  Here's an example of a seller on Ebay.  The dude wants anywhere from 18 to 70 bucks a piece, depending on condition.  Sure wish I would have kept all those lures!!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/314433098376?hash=item4935ac5288:g:BMQAAOSwZrFj~q32&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8MkoZkCJGSRL0n8NHVvGGaAxHaBOatogKhHq7AH0yJFDttl%2Bcp2mBJYI5KWKFyANhKoQtIBNtrzt0Y%2B%2Fd1rOHYQFj%2BAV1r04T%2B3TvFAFxLbAPMqalIpIcMkfYg8W8JDI67iEvHai9ufeLSCscg4eUK7bDuGkohcm8EryHR4nKp%2Fn%2F3u9nkxP3JQnRiOTiN7bdR9VcKq1bzWT5QtsEDFwITPy6PD1kxgtyVx%2FnWrDRgTyglofY9wDbxVLJd%2B4NfX58o%2FE6Mhv52aTvva0inFI3v%2BzI4NiYNDF2y0znEoRLQRyl4YYfe0PZpeD4oukJQ0oJA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR4ahnfzoYQ

[SpoonMinnow]

Man, I'm sittting on a gold mine! Still got over 20 and never use them along with 500 other old crankbaits sitting in the basement.