Thread: Roadrunners

Solid chartruse 1/4oz tipped with a crawler is my #1 walleye setup.

The one problem I'm always seeming to experience is that they paint the swivels. This causes the blades not to rotate at all, or not at slow speeds. I use to chuck the blades in a hand drill and buzz it a few times to free it up. This has given me better results, but you'd think that with the popularity of this lure, that the manufacturers would pay more attention to this detail? In any case, rain has prevented us from going out several times this week, so we'll give these a whirl next time we are able to go out and not get wet!

Love especially the 1/32 marabou, have fished it spring and fall long line trolling since at least 1979! All I use in spring is Roadrunners that I tie for my self. Actually I do go to a regular jig for tight lining in summer. We have so many trees in this lake that I doubt trolling would work well in summer, but I have not tried it then either.

Originally Posted by Crestliner08

The one problem I'm always seeming to experience is that they paint the swivels. This causes the blades not to rotate at all, or not at slow speeds. I use to chuck the blades in a hand drill and buzz it a few times to free it up. This has given me better results, but you'd think that with the popularity of this lure, that the manufacturers would pay more attention to this detail? In any case, rain has prevented us from going out several times this week, so we'll give these a whirl next time we are able to go out and not get wet!

As far as I can tell they don't cure that paint either and why I paint and tie my own. I make sure to protect the swivel when painting which is not the easy part of this and I am good as long as the half the swivel works. If the one connected to the head is painted stuck and the other end is free it will still do it magic! I put tin foil over the swivel before painting and take the tin foil off before I cure the paint.

Attachment 170078Attachment 170079 Pink and chartreuse and black and chartreuse

One thing Iv'e noticed was a lot of the 5 pack heads I got from Walmart would sometimes have a poor,dull,chalky type paint job and the finish would come off very easily.The 14 pack heads I get from Monk's have a bright,epoxy type finish.He also has the pink heads which around here are hard to find.

X2 with Skip on covering the swivel - I know others have different methods but his one works well for me. On another board one of the guys used an alligator clip over the swivel and I might try a few that way, but still think powder is going to get in there? We'll see. I pour my own and even after curing check the swivel to make sure both ends are spinning. Sometimes all it takes is a razor blade knife and a couple of easy scrapes against the top wire of the swivel to have both ends spinning really well.



200 - 1/32nds with #6 Black chrome sickles


50 1/16th oz with #2 Red Sickles

I don't know of anyone else that gets Roadrunner heads unpainted in bulk like I do, but that lets me paint them what ever color I want to and I know mine will not come apart on me. I also know my paint will be cured properly! The swivels are a pain to deal with, but they can be done well enough that the blade will turn and they will catch fish. The 1/32 oz Roadrunner is all me and my neighbor use in spring and I do mean the only bait!