Thread: My DIY Projects and Great Adventures

We have been getting tons of rain lately. Rains every afternoon as per our normal Summer pattern, but also raining in the mornings. I can’t go today but the Sun is shining nicely. The lakes have risen quite a bit as the water attempts to drift downhill.

Been making baits again.



On the right hand side are two examples of curly tails. The top right jig is a Bobby Garland Stroll’R. I like that bait as it catches fish pretty good. The issue I have with it is that the makers ( not made in USA ) are not setting their machines correctly, nor are they employing quality controls on what is being shipped into our country. The two colors do not exactly cement themselves together. The tails pop off, fall off, and even come off when attempting to slip them on the jig head. So I end up gluing them together and that just shouldn’t be happening. I understand it could be a plastics temperature problem, but multiple packages from different suppliers and the same issue exists. I thought that they were ripping them from the molds and tearing them, but after reading a little about how plastics are formed, it’s probably temperature related.

The bait performs well though when it can keep it’s pants on.

Just below that bait is a new one for me. Crappie Magnet Slab Curly. As you can see it has a fat belly. I like the fact that it has that shad profile and the tail is longer and whippier. The Stroll’R has a knob on the end of it’s tail and this bait does not. When using a wire bait keeper, this bigger gut helps as the Stroll’Rs sometimes get a little thin with those. The Slab Curly also has a segmented section near the section where the tail attaches and that is presumably to provide more waggle action. The tails are on solid.

I have taken to skipping the wire bait keepers when I pour jigs because I don’t feel they are all that efficient. Once the bait gets pulled they rip free leaving a nasty gouge. The wound is fatal I am afraid. So I skip that and after painting I will apply a tight thread wrap down the shank, followed by a spaced out, corkscrew like wrap back up and whip stitch. This works great for these smaller baits. I thread the bait on the hook, ensure allignment and spacing, push it back down and slather some Gorrilla Gel glue using the brush. Dabbing a bit on the head of the plastic. The trick is to shove the bait forward in a single progressive push. Stopping along the way does not work out. Quick and suredly gets it done. Then I hold the head against the jig head and give it a few seconds to secure itself.

That may seem silly, and it kind of did to me too. I mean seemed like a waste of time but actually it is a time saver. A valuable time saver in that the time it saves is while I am fishing. I can land fish and cast right back out without having to adjust the bait. Works great when the bait is on the end of a long pole. I plop the fish on the deck, and most of the time they spit the jig, I can quick cast right back out and be fishing a hot jig right away. It also gives me confidence that the plastic hasn’t slipped down, forming a curly ball twisting in circles ruining my line.

My spinner design is great in that the wires are rock solid and I am able to adjust the angle towards 90 degrees to accommodate larger blades, or bend them forward to bring smaller blades in closer. Forward or backwards moves the blade forward or backwards as well. I do check them for alignment though to ensure they run in the vertical plane. Had one that I adjusted (tuned) on the boat.

I like to read past posts and can see where folks have discovered just about everything already. However, modifying their older ideas slightly can pay big benefits to all of us. I encourage you to do likewise. Seems there are many paths towards being successful, so it isn’t necessarily which you choose, rather how you walk what you’re on. Adding spinning blades was important to me even if the stupid fish are not always impressed. LOL

I like these new baits the Slab Curly design. I made some 1/32nd ounce heads and some 1/16th and 1/8th sizes to affix to. Many of these also have spinners as the baits look great that way. The lakes I fish are shallow and murky so I am thinking that the baits should ride high and loud. Get that lateral line involved.

I also am fascinated by the fact that the larger heads directly behind the boat are catching the bigger fish. To that end I bought some 4” curly tail grubs and attached those to the 3/16th FreeStyle jigs. Some with spinners some without. I plan to drag one spinner, one no spinner and see if the really big fish are impressed. I can see where a man could think a bigger bait means bigger fish, even if bigger fish are landed on smaller baits, too. I just love to see that rod bent way over and know it’s a hawg on the line.




Here they are.

So I plan to drag the 1/32 - 1/16 - 1/8 - 3/16 ounce sizes at different lengths behind the boat. I discovered the big fish in close pattern, and now wish to discover some other patterns. See what happens when I play with the order of things. I understand there are folks that have already figured these things out, but they figure for themselves. We all must find our own way.

Originally Posted by Micanopy

Thank you.

This sport teaches all sorts of lessons. Most seem to revolve around the concept of humility. I see it all as a means to being closer to my creator…….Big Sky out there, and it is gorgeous. I try to be thankful every trip.

Moon phases and weather studies, there really isn’t any surety to any of our attempts. Except that some seem to go ….. just flat out expecting to catch what would be most folks best day ever….. even on days most sane folks stay home.

Yes- some guys can catch fish in a mud puddle in their driveway. Others have to work hard to get even somewhat close. I am a worker type. Fishing just happens to be the only thing in my life that I have any patience for.

I have so much humility now.

Started January and may have been a little too focussed.

Nah….. just kidding. Here we go.


Attachment 406444

!/4 -1/8 - 1/16.

The wire has different angles moving the blade’s leading edge further forward as they get lighter….and smaller. This allows a too large blade to fit nicely and still make a compact bait. The length is easily managed by bending wire forward as needed. Move forward makes shorter. So I can set my distances in two directions. I can tune the bait. Blade in closer in or out some more- and also blade more forward or rearward. Bait longer. Bait fatter. Adjust to find best profile. Look to trial and error fashion, and hope to discover the profile they actually expect to have wander past.

Play with blade designs, shapes, color, etc to try to dial in a best choice for each weight and hook size of jig. All the while testing plastics to see which ones do the best synchronized swimming with these heads and their whirring ….. blades - o - death.

The modification to the mold is so sweet that I can suggest that 99% of you guys will be able to pull this off just fine. You have to look hard to even see what I did. Look at the hook shank channels of the 1/4- 1/8 - 1/16 sizes and see where I slightly filed away some material. Compare contrast to the sizes in between. There is a curved slot for a wire bait keeper, but just under that is where I filed very gingerly and with purpose, a few swipes and slightly widened the channel to allow a wire to also lay in there tight, right alongside the hook shank. My concern was lead spashing/flashing through any weird widening of the jig’s cavity, where the shank channel exits, and fouling any future scenes.

I am happy to report it never happened. The mold isn’t especially for fine details or anything. It is after all a Do-It mold. The cleanup on these FreeStyle pours involves the hook eye area, with lead rising up the eye’s shank. The head shape is aspirin so when the proper eyes are affixed it yields a round head jig. Perfectly, too I might add. Take a look at the modification.

Attachment 406445

Can you spot the three areas where I filed ?

Even if you never want to add an under spin, the hooks lay in so much easier and better. The wire bait keepers as well.

I am using the Do-It Hammered Spoon Lure wire forms in the 3/4 ounce size. I found that I can cut that wire form in half, and lay the looped end right atop of the hook, and close the mold and make a perfect pour. The smaller size jig heads the loop became too large, so I cut it away and bent that end with a very slight 90 degree angle bend. Either produces a wire extension that can be bent, formed, or made any length or angle.

The swivel gets cut and the blade added and swivel bent into repair leaving a loop still. Slip other end on wire extension, bend wire closed and done.

I used small files I bought a set of at Harbor Freight. Be certain to use a file that sits down into the channel pretty good. Don’t use a too large file or you might make an excess cut. PM me if you want to turn your mold into a under spin. I can imagine just about any of them can and it’s easy to do.

Made a bunch of my light weight- way backs - with a 1/16th white head and brightly colored warts. Neon fashion colors even. Spotted cow.

Attachment 406446

Most have regular 3D eyes. Some frog, some holo, some lizard.

I am afraid that I am straying ever further away from tying materials to create, to manipulating what has already been made into something that works. Plastic baits have my full attention.

The blade is a cross between a willow and a colorado. A fat willow. Lots of vibration. I don’t need sparkle as water is dirty. Shiny might still matter some- never know.

I can’t wait to get my latest plastic baits.

Nice lures and likely very effective! Can I ask from where did you source the wide willow blades?


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Originally Posted by cgc1productions

Nice lures and likely very effective! Can I ask from where did you source the wide willow blades?


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com

Amazon

Dr Fish

Easy to find and inexpensive. You do surly get your money’s worth, no matter what you choose, and these are cheap things. I happen to have them as I am learning about sizings and shapes and sculps, and harmonics and metallurgical considerations. Samples mostly. It is how I will learn best. Ease in and wade about and pay attention.

Willow blade swings wild more than it spins. Seems to me so. Colorado blades aggressively swing out wide. Spin cycle for Colorado blades seems to be about the same no matter size. Likely very noisy as they pass in review, with lots of added “sonic” waves and such like.

OTB dazzled like that. How proud I would be to fall victim to this man’s creations. LOL

So…….I have made a few new variations to test. I am spending all my trips trying to discover and learn. Well dedicated to fishing trips…… I do that anyways.

I am unable to provide you guidances. The little insider tricks and discoveries the pros know. You can always check in here as I am gonna continue to tell folks what I am seeing. I think bladed jigs have their days when nothing else comes close. I know they have their days when the fish just hate a blade. An arrow in my quiver is all.

I am disappointed that this was never considered by Do-It. The wire falling out. Even so it lended it’s best towards me figuring out this modification. The wire doesn’t wobble about and I suspect many molds can be modified to work in this fashion. The end product allows long tail baits to be used in conjunction with a blade. Tons of sound, vibration and color going by at 1.0 mph.

I think long lining beats spider rigging on my lakes.

Just as an FYI to anyone new to spinner blades. Colorado are the thumpers and give out the most vibration. Willow blades are best for grass, like fishing in and around Hydrilla.

These are my 2 favorite, but I do also like the Indiana blade like Blakemore uses as their imprinted blade is a tiny bit thicker.

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I am unsure of the fruitfulness of either design.
I am sure that there is a difference.
And that there are all sorts of differences that may actually concern me.

Hydrilla is a show stopper for my jigs anyways. Willow Leaf would succumb just as rapidly as any of it’s challengers.


I understand why you would mention that one offers us thump, the other more of a glide.

I read a little and it seems opinions do abound. However it seems that Colorado bladed jigs run more shallow and are somewhat resistant to being trolled . That willow bladed jigs will run smoother and deeper. Less resistance to rod tips.

Hmmmmmmmm….depth differences.



I already present a variety of colors. Wouldn’t it then easily follow that I also present a variety of sights, sounds, and vibrations as well? An assortment of sorts.

Thanks for the reply.

BTW- I am going to experiment some with blades. Do you have suggestions that might interest me.

I have trolled Roadrunners in and around Hydrilla since about 1980 and when the lake has has issues like the last few years and the HYdrilla is down or gone, it's missed here a lot, lol! Since I troll so slow even the Colorado work well for me. Of course the Indiana also works, but I have done best with the Willow, brass when stained and Nickel when it's clear.

IMHO Hydrilla is the best thing that ever happened to this lake.

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One lake I fish, the hydrilla stands at 6 feet in six feet of water. You can see it just under the surface. I have to motor at speed to get thru. I don’t like that but slowly builds a huge ball and that stops the boat. All sorts of creatures live on the hydrilla, and that attracts critters. Offers oxygen, shade, cover to both hide and to ambush. Fry have a great chance of survival hiding in the weeds. The state sprays something on it to try to lessen it’s invasion. They actually use pontoon boats with huge grinders/choppers on them to whack away at the stuff.

My lures strike hydrilla and there is a string of it left on the jig after it has broken away. I hunt for water that has less weed.

Tomorrow I will go and test my new lures. The Dawg Days of August in Central Florida are like a sauna, and the water temp is around 90 degrees. The lakes are shallow with a few pools or holes where it might get up to 9 feet deep. I’m dragging shallow, which is why I liked what you wrote about Colorado blades providing lift. The shad are everywhere and they run just under the surface. The big crappie swim up and grab one every so often. That means I need to stay near the surface as best I can.

So my two way back lines will have 1/32nd ounce jigs, and two medium distance 1/16th ounce, and the two big boy sets at 3/16ths. I will start early in the day and drag about looking for fish. My sonar is all but useless for anything other than depth and speed. The cone is skinny minnie at those depths. Maybe a foot in diameter. Two feet at the most. Like peering through a five gallon bucket looking to see if I have passed over a stupid fish.

The depth thing isn’t huge because I can simply adjust the amount of drop back or the speed or the jig head size and gain depth, or go the opposite way with those and lose depth. Out of everything involved, speed is what I focus most on. 1.0 being where I start, go faster later if need be, but adjusting drop back a little at a time, while sustaining same speed, seems to afford me a straight forward way to discover the best depth.

I wish to have different styles and sizes of blades as surely one will be preferable on any given day.

You have dialed in on a jig that works. You know about what depth it is running, speed, all that. Once a man makes that cut, he has got it made. I ain’t there yet. Finding my own way.

We use to have Hydrilla matts in 20' of water and the shallows was full of it, but usually lots of areas in under 10' of water we could pull over it even going show since we use 1/32 Oz baits. We love that stuff! There are always edges to the Hydrilla too and fishing the edges was fantastic!

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