Unofficial Poll

Started by NJNick, November 18, 2019, 06:35:31 PM

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NJNick

Hi All!
I'm new here and wanting to make some lures,  I have a few questions and would appreciate your replies and advice!

1. What do you think is the most important aspect of a lure?  Color? Action? Flash? What? Multiple answers in order of importance would be helpful.

2. What colors work best for you?

3.  What type of lure works best for you most of the time?

Thanks!

Capt. BassinLou

What baits do you specialize making?

NJNick

#2
I can make unconventional inline spinners, spinnerbaits, topwater poppers, snakes, and bottom lures. All are unconventional!  I dont make soft plastics but am interested in what colors work best. . 

I see that you like frogs.  I'm going to try to make one!

Thanks!

bigjim5589

NJNick, first welcome to UltimateBass and to the Tackle Box forum! Glad to have another tackle maker here with us!  ~c~ ~c~ ~c~

Frankly, your questions are so broad, as for as many folks that might answer, you may get a different list of choices. 

I make many different types of lures too, and for each type, some of the answers to your questions will be different, so  wouldn't be a blanket statement to cover all lures.

For your question # 1, action may be the most important aspect of any lure. Then, again it's going to depend on the lure, what might be next in importance. There are many variables, such as weight for both casting and sink rate, profile, and colors. For making them, the components are important. For example spinnerbaits are usually better when ball bearing swivels are used, but not all such swivels are of the same quality. Then it gets into prices. I make some for my own fishing with roller swivels instead of the ball bearing, simply as a cost savings. I know they may not turn as good, but also know they'll still catch some fish.

Question # 2, that depends too on the lure types. I can honestly say that over many years regardless of what type of lure, I've had the most success with black, white, and chartreuse. But I've used many colors, and here again it relates to the type of lure and sometimes where I might have been fishing.

Question # 3, that's easy, the type tied to my line!  lo  Here again difficult to make blanket statements. Different types of lures are better for some situations or conditions than others. If I was restricted to the lure type, I would probably use a jig, because they can produce in many situations & conditions. Other folks may have a different choice. I enjoy tossing topwater lures the most, but not always the best choice or even practical sometimes.

Your reply to Lou interests me!  :-*  How "unconventional"?  I know a lot of folks who make lures, and there's something unique that each one does but a lot of similarities too. I enjoy seeing the variety! Some folks are artists too! I think everyone who makes lures has their own style in what they make.

Please post some of your lures here in the Tackle Box if you will! I'm sure most here on UB would love to see them!  ~cf ;D
Fanatical Fly Tyer & Tackle Maker!  It's An OBSESSION!!  J. Hester Fly & Tackle Co. LLC.

NJNick

Thanks for the reply!

Im working on making a frog but Here are a few of my lures.


zippyduck

1 Action is the most important. Move a jig differently and you just might get bit when you thought no fish were there.
The lure itself will give a particular action but adding to it through rod or reel movements will get extra bites

2 Colors for me are black, white, and natural in clearer water. No need for all the others.

3 best lures are the ones I have the most confidence in. Jigs, small swimbaits, anything t-rigged, and jerkbaits. Until it gets weedy then its a punch rig and frogs.

Those lures look like they would catch walleye real well.
3rd place 2017 UB IBASS 377.75"
AOY 2018 IBASS Cool Casters  369.00"
AOY 2019 IBASS Cool Casters  362.50"

NJNick

Thanks!

I've never fished for walleye. I don't even know if we bave them in NJ?  I'm in the  most southern part of NJ, Cape May County. 

NJNick

Frog.  I didn't tighten it up so It's loose. It's large and won't float but now that I figured out how to do it I can make it smaller and make it float.

Cuervo Jones

Not sure about lures for fishing. But you've got a good career in the jewelry industry if this whole lure making thing doesn't work out.
Quit reading this and go fishing!

bigjim5589

Quote from: Cuervo Jones on November 18, 2019, 10:38:08 PM
Not sure about lures for fishing. But you've got a good career in the jewelry industry if this whole lure making thing doesn't work out.

That's for sure! You weren't kidding when you said unconventional! Very cool!  ~c~ ~c~ ~c~

Thanks for sharing them!  :)
Fanatical Fly Tyer & Tackle Maker!  It's An OBSESSION!!  J. Hester Fly & Tackle Co. LLC.

NJNick

#10
Quote from: Cuervo Jones on November 18, 2019, 10:38:08 PM
Not sure about lures for fishing. But you've got a good career in the jewelry industry if this whole lure making thing doesn't work out.

lo you don't know how funny and sad that is to me!  I'm taking jewelry apart to make lures because no one is buying the jewelry!  Lol!  It's nice jewelry!  The problem is that you can't get the full effect of the way these crystals sparkle in a picture and the shoppers don't look at videos. 

I had about 100 pieces of jewelry on for 2 months and no one bought any of it. Literally 100's of views.  I had a video in the listing showing the amazing sparkle.  A few days ago I looked at the video to see how many views.  3 views, 2 of the views were me. 

Now I'm making lures.  I'll probably have the same problem if I decide to sell them. 

The way these things sparkle underwater is amazing!  Hundreds of sharp, bright, intense, continuous, long distance flashes in all directions that flash the seven colors of a rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.  You can see some of and the number of flashes in the first pic that I posted.  That's one camera flash from one angle.

I'm a nut!  I have some crazy lures that I can't find for sale anywhere.  I have to test them more before deciding if I will sell them or not.  Its not the best fishing here especially this time of the year.   I really cant test until spring.  I don't want to promote them here yet and won't sell any unless I become a sponsor but I think these things are going to catch fish like crazy.  But then again anyone making lures will think that. 

Cuervo Jones

Pro tip:
Confirm these things catch fish before calling them lures. Do you bass fish?
Quit reading this and go fishing!

NJNick

Where do you get your "Pro Tips" from?

Yes I fish for bass. Largemouth and Stripers. 

Fish will hit just about anything some things better and more often than others depending on conditions.  I haven't "caught" any fish with my "lures" due to the fact that I test without hooks and count hits!  The finished lures have all gotten hits!  My inline soft tail has gotten the most hits. 

The Video at this link is a guy fishing with a plastic Trump doll or should I say Trump lure?  He caught a huge Peacock Bass so I guess we should call it a lure?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60uaGB1GCtk

saltystick

#13
QuoteWhat do you think is the most important aspect of a lure?  Color? Action? Flash?

First and foremost are a fish's super sensitive senses of sight and vibration detection.
Next is the sequence of events that cause a fish to become aggressive towards an object - living or not. In line with that, does a fish think a lure is an animal? I don't know what my wife thinks, so how would I know what a fish thinks or if it is even capable of thought. (example: Mepps spinner - nothing in nature moves nor looks like it yet it is attacked.)

Lure action is dependent on lure shape, size and whether hard of soft. IMO there are absolutely no other lure attributes than a lure's action and the three things that determine it that are of primary importance. Presentation, line size, etc. are secondary.

   We have favorite lures we can count on - confidence, first & foremost, a key factor. But have you ever watched favorite lures in the water to see how they compare to other lures in the same category? The slightest difference in a lure's action as compared to others is what makes it superior along with its action profile.

QuoteWhat type of lure works best for you most of the time?
How versatile a lure is, is important regarding when, how and where it can be used though some lures excel using a few presentations. When it comes to versatility, soft plastic lures can be modified more than any other lure type. In fact a soft plastic lure's shape, size and action can be modified transforming it into something completely different. Whether those changes make a lure more effective is in the eyes of the angler casting it, like anything else lure related.

Quote2. What colors work best for you?
Better question: 1. what colors don't you like or have zero confidence in and 2. what factors determine individual color preferences?  (note: flash/sparkle is not a color and falls into the category of light reflection same as a spinner blade).

As for myself, I experiment with different colors to see which work regardless the conditions of water clarity and color, background color and sky brightness. (note: I never consider matching a lure color or anything else lure-related to fish prey.) Once I catch fish on a color, I always carry it regardless how unnatural it looks or how the lure moves.

But consider this: clear/ colorless lures catch fish much of the time as do lures of color. I've used various crankbaits and soft plastic lures made of clear plastic, the same for clear spinnerbait skirts that had only a slight amount of glitter and caught bass and other species. But are clear transparent lures truly colorless? No, they can't be because of the physics of light passing through transparent solid objects emphasize curves,  make transmitted background colors lighter and the reflection of light off a lure's upper surface.
The simple fact that fish strike clear lures supports the concept that fish don't have a clue what they're striking.

I've posted many photo examples of the above in support of my reasons for using certain lures. The proof is in the catching.








NJNick

Saltystick thanks for the detailed reply! 

I've been testing these lures without hooks and getting lots of strikes.  It doesn't matter what wacky design or color I get more strikes than my friends. None of my lures have skirts.  I test with friends who are using lures with hooks.  I've been getting more strikes than any of them But I'm still not sure why.  I'm thinking it's the flash that's attracting them but I'm not sure.  If I dangle them in an aquarium the flash can be seen on the walls outside of the aquarium.

These things do flash 7 colors simultaneously all around the lure up, down, right, left, front and back.  They also flash UV that we can't see but bass can see.  They all so flash in very low light. 

I've made so many wacky designs that aren't on the market or I just haven't seen or been able to find them for sale.  I have inline spinners and  spinnerbaits that are hinged aka two parts.  The hook part moves independent of the eye that gets tied to the line.  I have inline spinners on stainless leader cable that are totally flexible.   Topwater poppers on flexible stainless cable.  When you stop jerking or reeling the eye/ front half floats and the back/hook half dangles below the surface.  I made some do the opposite.  The tie end is slightly weighted and goes to the bottom and the tail/hook end floats. 

Now I'm waiting for beads that are curved and should spin on the shaft and beds that have a slight magnetic field. 

NJNick

The pic is a suncatcher.  It shows how crystals flash.  It's a little bit larger than a quarter.
 

NJNick

Here is a pic of some of the lures.

1. Double inline
2. Spinnerbaits for plastics
3. Topwater popper
4. Bottom with floating hook
5. Inline with Crystal wings
6. Hinged inline spinner.
7. Hinged spinnerbait

NJNick

#17
A couple more with silver plated chain.  These things are crazy action in the water!  The other pics are some of the beads that I posted about earlier. I'm thinking that they will rotate/spin on the shaft but won't know until I get them and try.

loomisguy

unconventional, I'll say that.

Capt. BassinLou

Curious to see how you do with these baits when Spring arrives for you. Love to see some pics, of the bass you catch.  ;PHO)

Good luck with your creations.

NJNick

#20
Thanks Bassinlou!  Ive been getting strikes on all of them but I dont know whats actually hitting them because im not using hooks.  I'm in the Southern most County in NJ. Probably the worse bass fishing in NJ here.

I gave some of the lures to a friend who is mailing them to a guide down your way in Florida to test them out.  I don't know where the guide is, I never asked. 

All I needed to see was a multitude of underwater videos of bass spitting out lure after lure after lure to remind me of a formula that I used long ago.  I mix a concoction soak shoelaces in it and add a small piece to the hook.  I actually caught numerous fish (not just bass) with just a few inches of the shoelace and a hook.  I think, actually I'm sure that the Fish devour instead of spitting.  Lol! The things that I do but I have a good excuse!

This is one of the videos of bass spitting out plastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W5SHYBijL0&feature=youtu.be

saltystick

#21
I've finally met someone more of a fanatic than I am when it comes to thinking outside the box! You and I have proven that lure action is important and that unconventional shapes and actions do provoke fish to strike. Regardless of the reasons anglers claim fish strike, IMO more to the point are specific lure actions coupled with shape, material a lure is made of and size.

You might consider these ideas for a wacky rigging that involve mini-soft plastic lures:


Note the following:
1. you can fuse the parts of soft plastic lures using a candle flame. A part may be a segment of plastic worm or grub fused to the tail of something else. The first composite lure (chartreuse) was made from fusing two grub bodies together after the curl tails were cut off and wacky rigged using a light ball head jig. The other blunt tails I added were from an injection mold.
2. note the number of species that attack the mini-wackies including this catfish:

3. note how many fish were caught on clear plastic lures (zero color or flash)

4. Note: you don't have to wacky rig a mini-wacky:

5. all of these caught fish (note color variety):

...proving that action speaks louder.
6. the two halves don't have to match:

....and the ends don't have to be tapered:


This mini-hybrid stick caught this 7.5 lb channel catfish:


Get yourself a candle and scissors or razor blade and get to work !!!! No soft plastic lure is beyond consideration.

(There are others if anyone is interested.)



NJNick

#22
Saltystick that's cool as hell!  Especially the catfish!  I grew up on the pennsauken creek.  Caught a lot of catfish on some real smelly stuff.  I would never have thought that a cat would hit a plastic that doesn't smell. 

I have a cnc machine but resist machining anything. It takes so long And I would think of so many things to make molds.  In your case molds of parts that could be melted together! 

Real cool!

Give me some ideas.  I posted a pic of my best seller.  I machine in wax then pour 2 part silicone to make a silicone mold then pour 2 part epoxy to make the hard white plastic that I sell.  People use them to push into casting clay to leave an impression in clay and then pour molten metal to make a copy.  For a soft plastic lure I would cut the wax and pour 2 part silicone to make soft plastic.

saltystick

#23
Thanks Nick.

The parts used were taken from Mr Twister grubs, Kut Tail worms, bass craw claws added to grub bodies, parts from a Sweet Beaver, etc. Only the tapered clear tails were from an aluminum injection mold. I've made over 2 dozen copies of lures in plaster of Paris coated with lacquer and have over 20 aluminum molds - some top pour/some injection such as this flat tail grub mold:

Rage Tail Craw in plaster (2 part mold):                 Uncle Josh #11 pork frog:


Here are more composite (hybrid) lures that have done really well:
Sweet Beavers don't impress me so I use parts taken from them:


The claw added to a grub body (caught 6 species this summer):



Head of a craw bait added to a thick grub body:


Crappie Magnet tail added to a thick grub body:


Joker Grub tail added to a tube body:

Joker tail added to a soft stick body:


Flat tails and spike tails fused to Brush Hog bodies:

Flat tail added to a grub body:


BTW, I've caught over a dozen catfish (channel cat and mud cat with my creations) weighing between 1.5 - 7.5 lb.:


.....as well as this 4 lb sucker:


Frog type bait using a table spoon as the mold and adding flat tails that were hand poured on a floor tile and cut to shape:


NJNick