Going For A Minnow

islandbass · July 15, 2010, 01:32:56 AM

Going for a Minnow – First Attempt To Make A Minnow-Type Bait

After what I humbly call a successful venture in the making of a crankbait from balsa block to finish, I decided to give making a minnow style bait a try.

This is my ugly but inexplicable fish catching crankbait.

Just as I did with the crankbait, I started with a small, rectangular block of balsa. I outlined the shape of the minnow type body. After whittling, carving, and sanding away the unneeded material, I eventually arrived at the desired shape.

The slot for the lip and the hole for the lead have been made. If you're wondering, I accidentally drilled completely through the minnow's body. Fortunately, it is repairable and should not negatively affect the lure.

I took a sheet of lexan and carved out a lip. Since taking this picture, I have sawed off the two vertical angled sides with a coping saw rounded the top with sand paper. It didn't dawn on me to use my Dremel tool make the cuts. Doh!

Also like the first successful crankbait, I am doing this "on the fly." In other words, learning as I go. I am relieved that with the weight and lip in place, the bait lists upright in the water.

I plan to use the through wire method. A couple things still undecided is whether to make it a floater or suspender and its color scheme. So far, so good; I hope this works.

Bassinkorea · July 15, 2010, 05:27:32 AM

Good start IB, I'll be following this thread until the end where it catches it's first bass

islandbass · July 20, 2010, 03:36:42 AM

July 19, 2010 – Got through the thru-wire and lip.

I finally got around to shaping the lip into its basic form and forming the through wire body.

Although I was initially apprehensive and reluctant to use 5-minute epoxy (I use 30- minute as a clear coat but didn't want to "waste" any of it for securing the lip and thru-wire. It's getting harder to find in my area), I am relieved to now know it is great for use in holding the thru wire in place and gluing on the lip. 5 minutes is plenty of time to secure the thru-wire and the lip.

The next step is to secure the lead ballast and belly hook to the minnow bait, after which I will fill in the belly and hole on top with wood putty.

I am open to any suggestions or ideas for a simple color scheme. Let me know.

islandbass · July 21, 2010, 02:32:57 AM

July 20, 2010 – If it floats your boat

This is always the, "I sure hope it lists upright and straight in the water," part for me. It would definitely be a major let down if this minnow didn't float upright. I plopped the body into my low-tech testing tank (A CD case lid. Hey, it does the job!).

I think that I am getting the hang of getting the right amount of lead for the bait. It seems to be getting easier.

After filling the holes with wood putty, adding the wire for the belly hook, doing a final sanding and priming the bait comes the hardest part for me... Painting!

Oh the irony; I work hard to get this far, and I only have the skills of a first grade art student when it comes to painting.

Bassinkorea · July 21, 2010, 06:39:11 AM

It's floating really true, great job

For minnows, I like a simple color like silver with a black back, which is my favorite minnow color as it copies most bait fish in our waters.

bigjim5589 · July 21, 2010, 08:27:46 AM

Islandbass, looks like you got some talent! Nice work!

I've bought factory lures that didn't sit that nice!

I agree with Steve on colors, when I tie baitfish flies, or jigs, basic white with a dark back is what works best for me. I like a black back, but also like olive or gray. All of them will imitate most any baitfish species in freshwater or salt!

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished minnow!

Lipripper · July 21, 2010, 04:25:53 PM

Looks good Islandbass

Can't wait to see the finished product

islandbass · July 21, 2010, 05:22:16 PM

Thanks, guys! I will be going with the black top, whitish bottom. It seems to be the most recommended color combination suggested.

The other reason choosing it is with my elementary painting skills, I think I can handle painting with those two colors.

islandbass · August 07, 2010, 06:20:18 PM

July 30, 2010 – Initial Field Test and Painting

Went to a local lake to make sure it worked properly or there would be no point in completing the paint job and top coat. Relieved to see that it works just fine. The action is pretty lively. Not as lively as a Rapala Floating Original, but still very nice.

The black back, silver body color scheme was the recommendation that received the most votes, so I went with it. Big M suggested using the foil method, which I tried to the best of my ability. Throw in the paint and a substandard airbrush and my minimal, practically non-existent painting skills, I managed to produce another ugly lure.

August 6, 2010 – Project Completed

I used Dev Con 2-Ton Epoxy as the topcoat and I can say that this task is done. I hope to fish with it today but the honey-do list is long this weekend.

I need to give a well-deserved and huge thanks to Big M for his help. He gave me a step-by-step process to do this.

Bassinkorea · August 07, 2010, 08:35:46 PM

That looks great IB, I bet you'll catch a bunch of fish on it. I'm looking forward to reading the fishing report after you use it

islandbass · August 08, 2010, 03:37:39 AM

Steve,

I am still is a state of disbelief.

Update 08-07-10 – Success!

August 7, 2010 – In One Word – Unbelievable!

I got the green light to go fishing and headed out to the lake. It rained all day before which was a few steady days of dry, weather. I arrived at about 7:50 p.m. but didn't break it out until it was much closer to sunset. I chatted with folks on the dock as I worked a Rapala Skitter Walk.

At 8:30 p.m., I put down the rig with the skitter walk and grabbed the one with the minnow lure. It was time for the trial. A couple I was talking to was hoping to see it catch something before they left. When, they were leaving, the lady said, "Just wait, you're going to catch one right before we leave." I was hopeful, but also just a wee bit doubtful.

This is going to be hard to believe, but right when they got to their car, I felt a hit. I didn't take any chances, so I winched it in as if I were pulling a pig from the pads and swung it over the dock's rail as you would into a bass boat. They saw the whole thing and were polite enough to cheer and send kind words my way before taking off. I am glad she was right and I was wrong.

I also just remembered just how sharp VMC hooks are. My effort to remove the treble from the bass' mouth and it's wriggling combined to make me drop the bass onto the dock. Yikes! Unfortunately, it caught the rear treble on the way down as shown in the picture. It stayed still long enough for this shot and for me to grab my pliers to remove the treble. I am relieved that it was not bleeding.

Bass number two came a few casts later, and it was much bigger. However, I reacted way too quickly and yanked it out of its mouth. Although the lure was a good 60 ft. or so away, it came flying back right at me. I moved to the side to avoid it and watched it whiz by me. You know those sentiments you feel and thoughts that run through your mind when you screw up and lost a fish is the result? Then I need not say more. Argh!

Bass number three came a few minutes later. This little, bad boy slammed the living dickens out of the minnow. Upon reeling him in, I found the belly treble in its mouth and tail treble right where you see it. This one preferred to play dead and that made it much easier to remove the hook and release him.

I was in a state of utter disbelief. I could not comprehend the minnow's productivity. The little minnow went two for three. In baseball, that is a nice statistic, and on my home lake, where catching just one bass is the norm, going two for three is practically unheard of.

I will concede that until now, the black back, silver body, and red splotch throat color scheme has not been a player in my arsenal, despite the reputation that precedes it, as it is well affirmed by so many. After today, you can bet that I am now a member of that group. Thanks to everyone who recommended that color scheme and a very big thanks to Big M for his help. I still can't get over the whole experience. Thanks and praise the Lord!

-ib

tsmith35 · August 08, 2010, 03:53:21 AM

I know what the fish were thinking... "I've never seen a lure like that one before. Must be a real minnow!"

Bassinkorea · August 08, 2010, 05:24:09 AM

Great story IB and congrats on a successful evening. I bet you'll be making a few more of these minnows real soon

I can't see the pictures on my phone, but I'll take a look when I get home.

bigjim5589 · August 08, 2010, 08:40:32 AM

Congrats on your successful endeavor! Great story! There's nothing like the satisfaction you get from success with a lure or fly that you made yourself!

You do know that you're hopelessly doomed forever now!

Next time you walk into a crafts store or see a kids foam toy, your brain will go into over drive & you'll be asking yourself, "I wonder what kind of lure I can make with that material!"

Happens to us all!

Welcome to the addiction!

GermanKnight · August 08, 2010, 08:59:38 PM

if you are getting into lure making, invest in a small air brush, and you will be thankin me for that one hehe.

You can get a really good working one for 25-50 bucks. or if you got the dough spend 400 and get yourself one that is just bomb diggity.

Anyway, good lure for only having a little experience. And, its not the tools, its the fisherman

but in your case, its both. I think how odly it was painted (the small mistakes) kinda made it a better lure in that case. no bait fish i know of has a perfect color job either. Great job.

My room is a converted tackle making room, and custom rod making shop lol. it gets too dusty, i dont even sleep in there anymore, i hug the couch unless i have a girl come over then its clean up real quick and hope she dont complain

tsmith35 · August 09, 2010, 01:47:21 AM

If you want to improve your painting skills, don't do it on lures. Find any kind of junk you can (old plastic parts, junk from work, pieces of equipment found in trashcans, etc). Paint that. Don't worry about doing anything pretty. Just paint. Play with colors and techniques. Use a sponge as a brush if you want. The more you paint, the better you'll get. And when you make up another lure, you won't sweat the painting.

I got this advice years ago (too many years) when I started building plastic models. I think the guy that gave me the advice was 15. He had a TON of very well painted models covering everything from warplanes to ships. He got the advice from his dad and passed it on to me.

islandbass · August 09, 2010, 02:22:28 AM

Thanks for the great advice, gentlemen. I am eyeing an Iwata for sure. The Harbor freight airbrush is all I have right now.

TS, I can't believe I didn't think that try it on other objects for getting better.

You'd think I would have thought about that.

I will defintely pass that tip on too.