Maybe I should change my user name to Creature Man

As I've maintained before: variety is the spice of fishing and today was no exception, the satisfaction of catching fish on no-lure-bought.
Speaking of fused lures, a week ago it occurred to me to make use of small Slugo collecting dust for over a decade and since the French Fry worm segment has proven amazing with its ribbed all-flat sides, I melted the two together:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfnr8ui2

It must be something about the flat-sided body and the triangular shape of the Slugo stick. Lure variety is one thing/ variety of fish species another and today was no exception: crappie, perch, sunfish, bass and a 2.5 # catfish (what a bitch using a light action rod and 8# test braid!). Total: over 45 fish in water 2'-8'. I don't catch monster bass or pike, but I'll settle for 12" yellow perch. 9" sunfish and 14" crappie any day!
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfo47cw5https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfo3h1c4

Speaking of thin tails, I'm glad I bought the Mojo Grub mold and a few others like it a few years ago.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfodsvw6https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...=ii_ksfonk8w13


Thin-tail grub (from mold)
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfoha8w8

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfoijm09
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfoh3eo7
same grub minutes later from the above small lure (what a fight !):
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...=ii_ksfokz3l11


This 4" full round slug did good too (as did the wire weed/stump guard):
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...=ii_ksfoui4d14

French Fry segment body/ Crappie Magnet tail:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...=ii_ksfp0ci715

All of these were caught Aug. 17.

That name has a ring to it. Those 12" perch sure are some good eating. There is a thread in the Alabama board about how to catch more of them.

Pictures, perhaps?

I'm finally convinced that straight-tail grubs in general catch more fish. Not that curl tail don't do well, but by comparison straight tails can be worked more ways and slower - key in coercing fish to bite when fish aren't active. The only exception would be the spinner rig (crappie spin) where I might want a flashing blade and a curl tail wiggle - in combination - to cover water at any depth. But even with a spinner, I seem to do as well if not better using a straight tail like the one pictured/:
https://i.imgur.com/dWYuutY.jpg?2

All of these hand-poured can be counted on even on the slowest days:
https://i.imgur.com/gIBbGqH.jpg?1

...as well as spike tails, cone tails, Crappie Magnet tail, Slugo tail, Joker tri-tail, and thin, flat Claw tails.
Body shape and size are mostly important as targets for fish to attack (not that they don't nip the tails occasionally). Like spinners in general, curl tail lures must be retrieved at a minimum speed for the tail to flap - a speed that may be too fast for fish to become annoyed with such as the stationary straight-tail that displays a subtle action with the slowest or least horizontal travel.

Come to think of it, Gary Yamamoto made his millions from the Senko - a weighted, soft-plastic straight body stick with tapered ends. I designed one similar except much slower and those quivering tips do a number on fish as the lure drops.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

As I've maintained before: variety is the spice of fishing and today was no exception, the satisfaction of catching fish on no-lure-bought.
Speaking of fused lures, a week ago it occurred to me to make use of small Slugo collecting dust for over a decade and since the French Fry worm segment has proven amazing with its ribbed all-flat sides, I melted the two together:


https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfnr8ui2

It must be something about the flat-sided body and the triangular shape of the Slugo stick. Lure variety is one thing/ variety of fish species another and today was no exception: crappie, perch, sunfish, bass and a 2.5 # catfish (what a bitch using a light action rod and 8# test braid!). Total: over 45 fish in water 2'-8'. I don't catch monster bass or pike, but I'll settle for 12" yellow perch. 9" sunfish and 14" crappie any day!
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfo47cw5https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfo3h1c4

Speaking of thin tails, I'm glad I bought the Mojo Grub mold and a few others like it a few years ago.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfodsvw6https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...=ii_ksfonk8w13


Thin-tail grub (from mold)
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfoha8w8

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfoijm09
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...d=ii_ksfoh3eo7
same grub minutes later from the above small lure (what a fight !):
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...=ii_ksfokz3l11


This 4" full round slug did good too (as did the wire weed/stump guard):
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...=ii_ksfoui4d14

French Fry segment body/ Crappie Magnet tail:
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=...=ii_ksfp0ci715

All of these were caught Aug. 17.

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I am amazed at the things that you and others on here do with lure construction.

Alan

Heck - I'm still amazed after all these years!

Spoonminnow have you ever considered selling any of those? I would buy some.

Some neat creations there. And you're recycling too!

I my mind, many, many soft plastic designs have something of value whether body, tail or action parts. I've found that fish in general regardless the species, are never fixed on any one lure or design but that are in fact are sense-driven to attack what is in their world a big question mark.

Regardless of whether the target is animal or manmade, nature determines that energy be conserved especially when opportunity knocks and prompts fish to go-for-it regardless. Lures simply pushes on the same aggression switch as do live prey - sometimes better. Seeing as how the law of conservation of energy decides that fish are in an inactive state most of their lives, lures lure them out of that state and into a - what-have-I-got-to-lose condition, broken only by you or me taking them out of the water.

What else could have caused these fish to strike these totally unnaturally looking/moving lures?:

https://i.imgur.com/XYfCLAZ.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/FYfjlEJ.jpg?1

Talk about recycling, I have no use for these French Fry sticks even though they have caught a few bass. Better to use them as bodies with any one of the 7 action tails attached (see the photos in the 1st post) that do catch fish after fish:

https://i.imgur.com/ctz4Oik.jpg

In fact, when cut to 1.5"and rigged on a 1/16oz jighead, they still catch fish with no tail added.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bpenrod

Spoonminnow have you ever considered selling any of those? I would buy some.

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I'd rather send you samples - n/c. If some blow you away, we can talk. Selling lures requires uniformity in color when translucent, something that requires fresh plastic be mixed after plastic is reheated over 3x . No problem for opaque dark colors like black or dark blue. But then again a-few-colors-will-do for most designs shown.