My buy it when you can modify it?

[Spoonminnow]

Modification isn't new, many of us modify skirts, paint jobs, blade size, etc. So why not modify soft plastics? A little imagination and some simple tools go a long way and believe it or not some of the best ideas come from your kids! Look at the first example.



I've held on to these 3" Reapers for over a few years and found them a bit boring. So, with a straight edge box cutter blade and a hard surface (smooth ceramic tile or glass) to make some slices, I've modified the tail three different ways.
The next mod uses a thin wire to pull silicone rubber strand through grubs. The wire is sold at a dollar store or anyplace that sells wire to hang pictures.



The resulting action is similar to a tube but the body and skirt has texture. The skirt action IMO is superior to that of most tubes sold and lasts forever. You can also replace a tube skirt by cutting a plastic worm into a 1/4" section, pulling skirt material through it, super glue the front ends and then inserting the plug into the tube.

I'm sure many of you are like me and buy crap on sale when cabin fever makes deals too good to pass up, only to discover our midwinter fantasies were unnecesaary drains on our wallets. At least now you can justify all that impulse buying and enjoy non-fishing time with fantasies of lures you've created based on lure characteristics you or your kids come up with.

(BTW, my 12 yo granddaughter gave me the idea of using the razor blade to cut the reaper after seeing me shape a tail for my spoonminnow grub seen below.)

[slipfloater]

Thanks. That gives me some good ideas for including my grandkids to help me modify. not to mention helping to curb my impulse buys.

[pondhopper]

Now that's what I like to see . Someone thinking outside the box.

[skeetbum]

Good work, top one looks like a wooly beaver, and lot's cheaper.

[BIGG ANT]

Me and the wife have also been modifying our baits as well for the past month or so.....its alot cheaper and you can make the baits the way you want them.

[Gamblinman]

We pinch the tails on flukes to make the tips longer. That longer tip moves like its breathing when deadsticking those baits. Made a big difference in the number of bites we'd get.


Gman