Thread: Experimental and Opinions Acceptable

I got two things, to me in my experience and testing sickle hooks are just plain inferior, I’ve tested them I’ll never fish a tournament with a sickle tied on, I like a good straight point ever so slightly bent out and with a cutting tip, #2 a stroller has that side wobble and while they do catch fish I prefer a bait where I can have the tail set so it kicks evenly from left to right, I make a triple tail 2.5” grub that has the best action and kicks at slower speeds than any ive ever used, it’s my go to, holler at me if you want a pack

I revisited the crinkle head stuff. It was so fascinating to see the results and I found a few minnow heads tucked away inside a box to amuse myself. I painted them and placed in oven and noticed that the paint runs at 175 degrees. It is very quick and done in no time though. So yeah different ovens will provide different results, unless you set your oven to 175 and wait, then turn it up to cure them at 300. Perhaps. My old oven did not work at all, I do know that. Results much better with new oven. The thermometer I placed in there tells me the dial is off at least 50 degrees.

Different head shapes yield different results too it seems. The paint seems to run best on curves. The edges around the concave eyes seems to get the best results. Flat areas not much movement. I have considered painting them and then applying a hair dry gun to see if I could blow the paint about.

I imagine JungleJim has about 50,000 done up by now. I suspect he is selling quite a few but holding back the ones he is in love with. LOL

The 3d eyes has been great and I am grateful DrNip talked me into using them. I spend a little time with each of my creations, why not add eyes and make them look really special. My first order of Chinese eyes came and the sticky backs stuck pretty well. My second batch came and they are falling off the plastic sheeting all by themselves. Before I could stick the eyes on the painted jig, and then apply UV resin and done. Now I am having to apply glue to hold the eye, then the resin.

The resin makes everything smooth and nice. I squirt a daub into a piece of plastic trash, then use a small paint brush to coat a thin layer on the eye and up onto the painted area, making a film to seal it. Then I hang it on a rack, and hit them with the UV flashlight. Then a second layer, this time heavier and onto a piece of styrofoam trash, and out onto the deck to cure in the Sun. I learned to be certain that the hook eye does not get dribbles from excess resin.

I found a silicone spatula in my kitchen drawer and I extracted the handle and the brush eases up inside so nicely. No light can get to it and being contained the resin doesn’t dry out. Perfect. I also found a small bottle with a micro spout. I painted it and filled with resin. It allows for an exacting manner, which is always nice.





I had been using a large lead melter with a two pound ladle and that didn’t work very well for small jigs. So I got a bottom pour melter, and guess what….it doesn’t work too well either. So I bought a small ladle and that works.



I definitely have been taking way too many jigs with me fishing. Having a large number under my feet kind of keeps me from wanting to swap out as I go. Last trip I only took two small boxes and was swapping pretty good. I have them whittled down some more, to just one small box now. The other boxes will be in the boat, but stored away. My lakes don’t steal my jigs anyways as I have only lost two since starting crappie fishing in January.

My plan for next trip is to run 16’ and a 10’ rods out the sides up front, and two planer boards from the back of the boat. I can see the boards better than trying to watch the rod tips both up front and in the back, and the extra separation with the boards is always nice.

Been reading about depths of various jigs and such while being trolled. So many variables affecting the depth that I fail to see how using a chart found on the internet could be of much value. I mean 8-12 feet…..6 lb test……0.75- 1.2 mph… these are all just guesses. I understand that a couple of guys donned scuba gear and waited for a boat to troll lures past them and all, but that really isn’t indicative of anything for me. What size rods were they, how high into the air were they, was their 6lb test .007 or was it .009 diameter. Was it stiff line or supple. Was their jig a round head. Was there some sort of flapper tail thingie on it. There are just way too many variables to have a ready made chart for all of them, ready for me to purchase and then trust. I could be trolling about quite assured that my jigs were at 6 feet and they be steady at 4 or 8. So I am going to avoid buying any apps that promise to tell me my jig’s depths. I see videos where the man describes his lure’s depths with such pride, but really how does he truly know ? He would need to troll his lures past someone’s scuba guy or their sonar to see for sure, and I bet he would be off at least two feet no matter which.

I don’t know that a precise depth even matters. Maybe just troll some and let out some line, reel in some line, adjust the speed, and kind of fiddle with it that way. The fish will move up and down in the water column pretty regularly anyways. I troll with 12 lb test so the precision chart stuff wouldn’t ever be for me. I know I can troll shallow until I see the rod jiggle and know my depths, but I fish in Florida where there are weeds on the bottom growing upwards. 12 feet deep might really be 12 feet deep with three feet of weeds growing up. My jig would be diving at 9 feet with me thinking it is 12 feet. Uggghhhhhh…..

My lakes are all shallow anyways, with me trolling mostly in five feet of water. So I am short line trolling. I have added long curly tail baits to my spread and whirling blades and other things, so there will never be a perfect solution for me.



I spent too much money buying fly tying stuff. Kind of upset that I have all this junk and have decided that a stupid little soft plastic bait will probably outperform my best efforts. Live and learn I guess. I mean I do enjoy tying jigs but really it isn’t necessary, or even an advantage. Still better than spending the money on soft plastic bait pouring. Man that looks expensive. Every time those folks want to try something new…..they have to buy a new mold for $200. Well two bills buys a pile of already made baits that are not experimental in any way. I would have just ended up giving away my creations anyways. “Here….take this large bag of baits….please. No really, take them with you. Make them go away.” Then there is the mess everything makes.

I did not consider that the spinning blade might encounter the hook and render the entire lure useless. Hmmmmm….didn’t see that. Maybe it will maybe it won’t. I’ll have to set it in the water alongside the moving boat and watch closely. I can always make new ones with smaller blades.

So I needed to make up some more jigs anyways. I prefer the Bat Jig over the Freestyle, so just Bat Jigs this time. That FreeStyle leaves a jig that needs attention trimming. The Bat does too but if I must clean one, I would rather the Bat Jig. I made the smallest size (1/32), the middle size (3/32) and the largest (3/16). Made a dozen of each of the three sizes. This in an effort to take some control over this depth issue.

I can alternate just the jig weight, and leave everything else the same, and know that I am deeper. Same speed, distance back, etc. Still will not now the exact depth but I see this as more straight forward than line counting reels and expensive trolling motors. Change just one thing at a time. This is the best choice.

The 1/32 should run very shallow. Which is good for my lakes. If I need more depth, go to 3/32. Need more again, switch to 3/16. Adding a whirling blade will provide more lift and have it running very near the surface. The fish in my shallow lakes are used to feeding just under the surface.

All 3 sizes were poured onto Eagle Claw Pro V Lil’ Nasty, and all in size #1. Not too small, not too large. The mold had been modified to accept 90 degree hooks. I have some size #2 hooks with the 60 degree eye coming, but like this hook just fine. The point is well above the horizontal from the eye, so should engage in an aggressive fashion. These hooks do well for me, but the earlier advice to avoid sickle hooks will be in the back of my mind. Sounded like he knew something about them that isn’t well known.

Decided that I would paint four colors. Orange, yellow, green and white. All are highly UV light reflective. Added 3d eyes, glued in place and two layers of resin to seal. 3mm - 5mm - 7 mm sizes. These will be paired with soft plastic baits, and blades that go whirrrrrrrr.

Nice write up and observations, Micanopy. Thanks.
Bob

Alas failure again. The spinning blades did not spin. Tested two versions. The blade sat still. Oh well. I fastened up another one using a much smaller blade when I got home. I figured the others either contacted the hook preventing rotation, or the jig head blocked water flow. Anyways not giving up just yet.

I used my Bobby Garland Stroll’Rs today, and they did very well. I was onto fish immediately. Mostly smalls and mediums with just one decent fish. 13 1/2” but fat.



I was able to get the baits to flicker their tails at slow speeds. Action looked better than a curly tail grub.

Lost several fish including a bruiser. I am thinking the Wacky hook isn’t for trolling. I plan to rig up all new baits on the new jigs with Size#1 EC sickles. The action of these plastic baits is fabulous.

Today I thought about colors some. Normally we have three colors,head, body, and tail. I am adding a fourth color. I place jig in vice, make tight thread wraps down to the tip of the hook roughly. Then back up, back down and most of the way back up using loosely spaced wraps. Then ca couple of quick wraps of chenille, then whip finish, then brush glue on threads, then add soft bait and ease it over the threads and touching the chenille. This shoves glue into the chenille. That secures the bait in place. Easy to do and baits are secure.

I practiced with my rods a little, six out the back. Seems to me that I can run light jigs on a pair, medium on another pair, and heavy jigs on another pair. This will allow me to better find the fish. Today they had a favorite color but the other colors caught some, too. Different sizes means I can lock into a speed they like and keep it. So distance is an easy cast out the back, which is close to equal for all.

O Dark Hundred was gorgeous this morning. Very calm day later as well.




Then my family and I visited a local State Park. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. She was a yankee moved down to an area known as Cross Creek. There she wrote several books including The Yearling. Her house is pretty much the way she had it and the staff give good tours. Be advised though they are stingy with the tours and don't like to do them on demand. Beautiful boat ramp right there going into Orange Lake.

Porch where she typed by oil lamp.



Then we ate at the restaurant, The Yearling Restaurant. No bad I had gator tail sandwich $12 with fries. Inside is decorated with history and blues musicians often play while you eat.

Box half full. I plan to add more of the midrange size. I also plan to make some new colors for the heads. I really liked the way the fish went after these Stroll’Rs. That little tail flapping must make a sound, and of course there is a vibration to feel and something wiggly to see. I also like the shad profile.

The chenille allows me to keep the bait a little further back on the hook shank. This gives more activity to the bait. Freedom to move about. The short shank hooks worked great for that too, but the fish were coming unpinned at a rate that screamed problem. Nothing like seeing a fat one ease up alongside the boat and then poop there goes the jig one way and the fish another. These hooks should remedy that issue. If they do not then I will want to try the ones previously suggested.

My wife has all the ones I have made previous to these here. Art project. Funny how each time I make something new, the ones that I thought were so cool lose their appeal. They become tainted somehow. Oh sure they would still catch fish, but……I don’t want to fish them. I reckon that is one of the symptoms of lure makers that drives them to expend their entire allowance on junk.

I am at the six month point in my crappie experience. Learned a lot. There really was no single reference that I found that would have saved me the efforts, let alone the money that has been wasted. Kind of plodded along blindly, fumbling for solutions to issues that may never have ever existed. One day I will write a beginners guide of sorts to save the others from the traps.

So I am going to continue to use plastics as I see that as the best way forward. You can select from some really nice ones. They have the profiles, the action, and the colors. I can make the heads and of course adorn them with accessories and such, and no doubt will. I want to carry just one box of lures and have every one of those lures be an excellent choice.

I’d be careful with that rubber on that foam, it will eventually “eat” into the foam, also I should get to the post office about Wednesday to mail your baits out