Something to put the imagination to work when fishing is out

I've found soft plastic lures that can be changed together to alter body or tail shape and action. Whether store bought or poured soft, plastic lures designs can create using a flame and the parts of two different lures. Most move slightly different in the water and more than one different species of fish. You can always downsize or increase a lure's size while still keeping shape and action.

What has surprised me was how it seems hybrid lures - lure parts attached - caught fish better than the originals. Here are some examples: hybrids or just parts cut off of a Sweet Beaver. (Note the claw from the Beaver added to a grub body (above) caught this and a bunch more panfish):
https://i.imgur.com/VzSSrAW.jpg


One of my best discoveries: fuse the bodies of two grubs after removing the curl tails:
https://i.imgur.com/gFZ59We.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/g8jauhM.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/bc47gBY.jpg
Wacky rig a light jig or rig the usual way and FISH ON!


Claw of a craw lure added to a grub body:
https://i.imgur.com/zAc1ZZe.jpg


Two tails from an injection grub mold added to a worm segment/ wacky rigged:
https://i.imgur.com/hGBdgrH.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/opCTqYI.jpg


Kut Tail Worm tail added to a thicker grub body:
https://i.imgur.com/zB7hG2j.jpg[img width=291 height=600]https://i.imgur.com/9vm3rYd.jpg[/img]


Even small sunfish jump on it:
https://i.imgur.com/2gmCC1l.jpg


Added a tail spike to a grub body:
https://i.imgur.com/MXILxcs.jpg


Here I added the head of a craw lure to a grub body:
https://i.imgur.com/zwEknt4.jpg

Most of us have many unused plastic lures hanging around. The sub-hobby to connect the parts I've found catch fish when rigged on a light jig head. Fish sense lure shape, size and action even at night and much of the time strike these like no tomorrow!

It’s always fun to experiment with your different baits We have done this in the past can be very time consuming welding pieces together but it also a lot of fun to create something that you create it and catch fish on it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by snake River

It’s always fun to experiment with your different baits We have done this in the past can be very time consuming welding pieces together but it also a lot of fun to create something that you create it and catch fish on it.

---

So very true Bob ! But really, it's just a matter of having some different lures laid out on a table and choosing which parts might do well together - especially parts taken from your great action lure designs ! I don't go crazy trying all of them on the same day, but at least 6 or more to confirm how well and how often fish are p.o.'d into striking them.

So far I've taken a break from lure craft - at least until it gets closer to spring. Ice fishing is no more for me and definitely not for anyone considering the warm temperatures, rainy days and thin ice in many parts of the n.e.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

So very true Bob ! But really, it's just a matter of having some different lures laid out on a table and choosing which parts might do well together - especially parts taken from your great action lure designs ! I don't go crazy trying all of them on the same day, but at least 6 or more to confirm how well and how often fish are p.o.'d into striking them.

So far I've taken a break from lure craft - at least until it gets closer to spring. Ice fishing is no more for me and definitely not for anyone considering the warm temperatures, rainy days and thin ice in many parts of the n.e.

---

I agree with you on the warmer temperatures I don’t even go fishing when it’s 45 to 50° here I like the nice 75 to 80 in Hot to do my fishing anymore.

Key in any of the modifications posted is the ease that anyone can copy them and be guaranteed fish. Sky's the limit !

I have seen this done using an electric hot knife, by sliding booth pieces across opposite sides of the knife at the same time and then bringing them together.
looked to be quick and easy. I believe this was how a lot of the early hula grubs were made.

Cool write up.
Looks like you fish a lot rigged wacky style?


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Thanks.

Wacky mini-sticks are cool on the drop when used with a jig head. They don't have the weight of a Senko or other heavy plastic sticks.
This was the first one I ever made and observed in the water with only a small hook but it didn't have any action so I figured why not try it with a jig head ?:
https://i.imgur.com/rvB3fUm.jpg
Voilà ! - great tip twitch and body shake all the way down. First time I fished it it caught fish - crappie, perch and sunfish.

From that point on different colors were experimented with including all-clear plastic mini-sticks:
https://i.imgur.com/55Dm0O2.jpg

... and wacky-rigged joined grub bodies:
https://i.imgur.com/tBTsn1D.jpg
Same action / same strikes. It also caught fish rigged from either end as seen in the first post.

Don't get me wrong : the lure can be cast as far as you want and allowed to drop & quiver as well as vertically straight down from where you are.
Is it better than other mix & match shapes ? Not really - just another fun tool to catch fish with.

Guys, you really should try fusing parts together. You never know!!!

How long are those little guys Is the diameter of those the same as a pencil.

Between 1 3/4 - 2". The diameter is similar to Kalin grubs - some of which are Kalin bodies. Many different curl tail grubs on Ebay do well and have a thick enough front that is melted to another grub front for rigging the hook in the center.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

Between 1 3/4 - 2". The diameter is similar to Kalin grubs - some of which are Kalin bodies. Many different curl tail grubs on Ebay do well and have a thick enough front that is melted to another grub front for rigging the hook in the center.

---

I was thinking about making a mold hand pores but I can get some dialing in different size and cut them to length and to make the mold

I come up with something a little bit different this is a 4 inch you would fish at wacky warm style I think it would be good for smallmouth don’t know about the smaller guys.
Attachment 391906

4" is a bit big IMO Bob but definitely for bass. But then again, some 14" or larger crappie and big perch would have no problem attacking it. No lie!!
Rig a 1/8 oz ball head through the center and go catch em!

We will give them a try when it warms up repaired snow here all day and we have it for the next 14 days so whenever the temperature turns to 70 to 80° then we will be out there and give them a try.

Just remember to twitch the rod top slightly ever so often on the way down. Those little legs will wiggle like crazy !
Use a 1/16 oz ball head/ hook size #4 or #2 for a slower fall. Unpainted heads draw zero attention away from your twitchy stick.

Catch fish on it a few times and feel how aggressive the strike. (Can't remember if I caught fish with it using a float on choppy water - bet I did.)

I think AZ smallmouth would crush that color combo pined to my what's on the menu hook.

I have some smaller stinger style bodies that we will make up today but they will be a lot smaller than the above those might be ideal or crappie Will post some pictures of what I’m talking about today.

As I promised I would post today a smaller version we are using the alcohol lamp to weld the bodies together easy does it or you will have a fire in your hands just barely touch the flame and push the 2 baits together.
Attachment 391932
We are using a 1/32 oz. In the body.
Attachment 391933
We are using the 180 oz. in the body of this one I believe both of these are small enough to catch a wide variety of panfish.

Outstanding Bob !!!!!!! Excellent !!!!

Tip: the same lures you make and use for this design can be modified for body and stinger tail sizes.

Cut the thicker parts to be joined to shorten the body or

Cut the tails shorter and reattach to the body.

Both sizes you made will most definitely catch fish !!

Now it's time to fill a pail or the sink with water and see the action on the drop or twitched mid depth. You'll probably want to break the ice and try them out in your local lake! Be my guest if you want to sell this design and spread the pleasure to fellow anglers. You're in the business, I'm not and you can offer a range of nice colors and sizes. I've caught 6 species of fish on them.

Tip: next thing to try are the mini-sticks : 2 joined bodies minus tail/ diameter around 1/4".
https://i.imgur.com/GYbO79C.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/9zvC6mZ.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/tBTsn1D.jpg?1
Man do they catch fish with their walk-the-dog wag darting action !! Will also catch fish wacky rigged (see above) and like you showed.

Frank

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

Outstanding Bob !!!!!!! Excellent !!!!

Tip: the same lures you make and use for this design can be modified for body and stinger tail sizes.

Cut the thicker parts to be joined to shorten the body or

Cut the tails shorter and reattach to the body.

Both sizes you made will most definitely catch fish !!

Now it's time to fill a pail or the sink with water and see the action on the drop or twitched mid depth. You'll probably want to break the ice and try them out in your local lake! Be my guest if you want to sell this design and spread the pleasure to fellow anglers. You're in the business, I'm not and you can offer a range of nice colors and sizes. I've caught 6 species of fish on them.

Tip: next thing to try are the mini-sticks : 2 joined bodies minus tail/ diameter around 1/4".
https://i.imgur.com/GYbO79C.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/9zvC6mZ.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/tBTsn1D.jpg?1
Man do they catch fish with their walk-the-dog wag darting action !! Will also catch fish wacky rigged (see above) and like you showed.

Frank

---

I am working possibilities this is something totally new for panfish mine will be open water of course later in the spring and see how they worked out the stinger style will have a lot of action of course but we will definitely try to workDifferent sizes and shapes in the future might have to have a mold cut for this.

Looking forward to more hybrids you come up with. Always love sharing ideas with lure crafters such as yourself.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

Looking forward to more hybrids you come up with. Always love sharing ideas with lure crafters such as yourself.

---

Thank you for sharing I enjoy messing around with a lot of different stuff in the shop all the time It will be one of my projects

The rule of lure design differences no matter how small, is that using the same retrieve usually results in different lure actions no matter how slight the difference in design.

There are many distinct lure actions fish strike based on design. It's just a matter of finding them. The pictures I've posted on this site's forums are from a set of over 200 different lures that all look and move differently along with the use of different rigs. Most can be counted on to catch fish and have done well in many different waters over the years.

Variety is the spice of fishing.