Click to View the Full Thread

Author	Message Text
senkosam	04/04/2024 09:10PM   I use a candle flame to join the pieces and a soldering iron to smooth the seam.
Rafterman	05/05/2024 02:22PM   Looks kinda like a Ned rig.
iCallitMaize	02/22/2024 04:48PM   Good stuff. Mend-It lure weld works well for creating custom plastics.
senkosam	02/22/2024 06:03AM   By far my most productive lures are soft plastics most likely because that's what I cast 90% of the time. I'm too lazy to cast many other lures that have caught fish in the past for bass such a spinnerbaits, surface lures, crankbaits, weedless bass jigs, etc. (Though maybe this year I'll carry a baitcast reel and some of those.) Some anglers prefer heavy jigs with painted heads and barbs to hold lures on. I don't. The jigs I prefer are unpainted, 1/16 oz or lighter and barbless. Every year I catch small and large fish on them from 4 lb sucker to 6lb catfish to 4" yellow perch. Small hooks never open or break no matter the size fish. How do the lures stay up on the jighead?: wire Grub-Grip It's not hard to add to any jig and the lure will never slide down. Here's how to add the wire grip to a jig: 1. Cut a small length of 24g floral arrangement wire as shown and line it up it with the line tie post 2. Wrap one side around tight 3. Cut one side close to the post 4. bend the remaining side into a L 5. swing the point into the plastic as shown (BTW, IMO jig head color adds to a fish's visual of the lure as greater in length and not much else. Bare lead for me. Even my bass spinnerbaits are unpainted.) When it comes to what soft plastic shapes to use, the sky's the limit. Match lure size to size fish you want to catch and those you don't. For example, I'll cast a 1/16 oz jig + 2" or shorter soft plastic lure to catch most sized fish; heavier jigs and longer lures for larger fish but excluding small fish.
bobbernumber3	02/22/2024 09:13AM   senkosam: "By far my most productive lures are soft plastics most likely because that's what I cast 90% of the time...." That's the "Theory of the Black Jig Head." I catch most of my fish on black jigs, so I always tie on a black jig.
senkosam	02/22/2024 11:01AM   I'd never seen this lure shape which I discovered last summer. I was fishing a curl tail grub and the tail was bit off by a pickerel at the boat. So I figured: why not fish the body with no tail? Sure enough the modified grub caught everything and on the days that followed.I continued making similar shapes that did just as well. The last photo shows two grub bodies attached by using a candle to melt the ends. The action is similar to a Zara Spook: a darting back-and-forth action when twitched with the rod tip. Braid allows the best action for any small subsurface lure and it's the only line I use.
iCallitMaize	02/22/2024 10:16AM   Soft plastic guy here too. I will always go to them first. We each have a confidence shape/style/brand…I’m a fan of the “Ned style” heads with the keeper but I still use a dab of super glue to keep them up. My experience echos that head color makes very little difference. Maybe in clear, clear water where you want to stay natural but lead gray is about as natural as you can get. Nice wire hack! You can also use a little snip of paper clip. Orthodontist rubber band to hold in place. Attach with JB weld.
basswoodlakefan	05/06/2024 05:23PM   senkosam: "I'd never seen this lure shape which I discovered last summer. I was fishing a curl tail grub and the tail was bit off by a pickerel at the boat. So I figured: why not fish the body with no tail? Sure enough the modified grub caught everything and on the days that followed.I continued making similar shapes that did just as well. The last photo shows two grub bodies attached by using a candle to melt the ends. The action is similar to a Zara Spook: a darting back-and-forth action when twitched with the rod tip. Braid allows the best action for any small subsurface lure and it's the only line I use. " I read an article where a fish lure company tried to find the best shape of crawfish to use as lures. Both claws, one claw, tail shape, etc. the best most effective shape they found was a crawfish body with no arms at all. They refused to sell it because they said no one would buy it. Have you tried just the body of the grub with no tail and no splicing? Just solid one color body? Just curious.