Stored in my basement are lures of every kind. Over the years I stopped casting most of them and being lazy, cast only a few I know I can catch the most fish and fish species. Sure, I could start casting weedless jigs with trailers for bass, but most of the local lakes I fish, there isn't a large population of bass like there is for panfish. Having experienced so many topwater smacks, spinnerbait ambushes and crankbait stop-em-cold strikes as well as T-rigged/dropshot/ Ned rig plastic successes,
But I needed some new challenges to keep me interested. It's one reason I started tying skirts in different colors on lures and pouring hot plastic into molds to create many different soft plastic shapes, colors and sizes. The sequel to that is making new and unique shapes by lighting a candle, cutting parts off of two different lures, melting their ends and holding them together long enough to become one. I call them hybrids. Some do very well for all species and fish sizes from 3.5" - 7 lbs.
Of course, a light ball-head jig is key for most of fish I catch on soft plastics.
Keeping a photo journal for 15 years has been my digital memory and very necessary considering the loss of short-term memory as I get older. Looking back, I noticed fish caught on lures I should really start casting old reliable such as Pop R's, Floating Rapalas, the Zara Spook and diving crankbaits. (Speaking of crankbaits, I took a bud along and he suggest we should troll them for crappie in this one area of the lake. Sure enough, we caught a doz. - some nice ones to boot! (Still not my thing.)
Another lure that did well was the Beetle Spin design. Some might say it's nothing more than a spinnerbait and they'd be wrong. The lure is unique in the small blade sizes used, the jig attached that swings back and forth and the large number of different soft plastics that catch fish when rigged on the jig. As we know when it comes to lures, action speaks loudest and the blade adds vibration to the lures attached - especially 4-6" plastic worms with no action tails. Even an itty-bitty Crappie Magnet grub has more action when rigged on the spin. The nice thing about the B.Spin is that it's easy to make. All I need is 23g wire, small blade, two split rings and pliers to attach blade and swivel, Thin-nose wires allow for the wire to be shaped as in the photos.
The other lure I happened to find on the ground a few weeks ago was a Micro Chatterbait. Never used the full size Chatterbait and didn't think I'd ever use the micro. but man was I glad I did! The first fish on 6 was this bass that attacked it on a 4' flat:
Like the Beetle Spin, the Chattebbait blade vibrates back & forth fast and imparts a crazy fast shimmy to the worm. I've even caught crappie and perch on the rig using a smaller worm than the Kut Tail shown. Now I know I can make them for less than half the price.
It's always a blast catching fish on new and old lures, and especially those I make. Lure action says it all!
But I needed some new challenges to keep me interested. It's one reason I started tying skirts in different colors on lures and pouring hot plastic into molds to create many different soft plastic shapes, colors and sizes. The sequel to that is making new and unique shapes by lighting a candle, cutting parts off of two different lures, melting their ends and holding them together long enough to become one. I call them hybrids. Some do very well for all species and fish sizes from 3.5" - 7 lbs.
Of course, a light ball-head jig is key for most of fish I catch on soft plastics.
Keeping a photo journal for 15 years has been my digital memory and very necessary considering the loss of short-term memory as I get older. Looking back, I noticed fish caught on lures I should really start casting old reliable such as Pop R's, Floating Rapalas, the Zara Spook and diving crankbaits. (Speaking of crankbaits, I took a bud along and he suggest we should troll them for crappie in this one area of the lake. Sure enough, we caught a doz. - some nice ones to boot! (Still not my thing.)
Another lure that did well was the Beetle Spin design. Some might say it's nothing more than a spinnerbait and they'd be wrong. The lure is unique in the small blade sizes used, the jig attached that swings back and forth and the large number of different soft plastics that catch fish when rigged on the jig. As we know when it comes to lures, action speaks loudest and the blade adds vibration to the lures attached - especially 4-6" plastic worms with no action tails. Even an itty-bitty Crappie Magnet grub has more action when rigged on the spin. The nice thing about the B.Spin is that it's easy to make. All I need is 23g wire, small blade, two split rings and pliers to attach blade and swivel, Thin-nose wires allow for the wire to be shaped as in the photos.
The other lure I happened to find on the ground a few weeks ago was a Micro Chatterbait. Never used the full size Chatterbait and didn't think I'd ever use the micro. but man was I glad I did! The first fish on 6 was this bass that attacked it on a 4' flat:
Like the Beetle Spin, the Chattebbait blade vibrates back & forth fast and imparts a crazy fast shimmy to the worm. I've even caught crappie and perch on the rig using a smaller worm than the Kut Tail shown. Now I know I can make them for less than half the price.
It's always a blast catching fish on new and old lures, and especially those I make. Lure action says it all!
