smalljaw67

The bass aren't getting it. The regular whopper plopper 90 that I use actually has been one of the better hooking topwaters for me. I only lost 2 fish on it and I probably caught more than 50 on it. I did notice that the misses are practically all the same as they blowup right directly behind the bait. They don't miss it by much which makes me think they either are trying to chase it away or perhaps kill it by making it sink. I found wake baits like the Storm Arashi wake cranks or the Yo-Zuri 3DB Wake bait do really well when they are missing the bait right on top.

If you are using .035" wire you should be using a size #3 clevis, if you are using a stirrup or easy spin clevis. Folded clevises work well on line and on in-line spinners but not so much on a safety pin type spinnerbait. When figuring out what size stirrup clevis you need just remember, .035" wire and up you will need a size #3 and anything below .035" you need a #2. You will see that the holes on a size #2 clevis is .035" in diameter, you will get it on .035" wire but it won't spin freely along the entire wire as there are small variances in the wire. You also have to make sure the cupped side of the blade is facing upward, I have had that happen when putting my baits together when I was distracted and not paying attention only to make one cast and see the clevis blade just wobbling a little bit. I also know that using a size #2 clevis on .035" wire will not let smaller blades spin as they don't have enough force to get the cleivs to rotate on the wire, and larger blades spin at a much slower rate.

I make my own wire forms because I make technique specific spinnerbaits. I like using different dimensions as well as wire sizes for different baits so making my own works for me. That said, I use to but torsion straightened coiled wire but I got tired of cutting it and then having to straighten it using a drill, there are YouTube videos showing how to do it and it works but it is a pain. So now I buy 6" straight shafts, it is a little more money but not much and it saves me a lot of time. Another thing is a wire bender, there is a $25 dollar bender called the Little Blue Bender, it isn't blue either LOL. It bends R bend wire forms quick and easy, all you have to do is figure out the dimensions of the wire form so you know where to start and presto, you can make a ton of them really fast. I use my round nose pliers to form the swivel loop and the leg to hold the hook on the wire form. The only time I use my round nose pliers to make a full wire form anymore is for beetle spin forms and for the rare closed loop forms that a friend of mine likes to use. I've been doing it more than 20 years and making a full wire form with pliers isn't hard for me but it is still time consuming compared to the cheap little bender I mentioned. There is nothing wrong with premade wire forms and if they are made in the dimensions you want then it will make things that much easier but there may come a time when you need something different so don't give up on making your own as well.

With the split ring pliers make sure you get the Xuron!! The reason is you'll be using size #2 - #2.5 split rings and those economy ones don't work well with any ring smaller than a #3. Remember to pay attention to the wire diameter on the spinnerbait heads as that will dictate the size clevis you are going to use. If you wire is under .030" diameter you'll use a size #1 clevis, a size #2 clevis will work from .030" up to .032" and a size #3 clevis will work from .035" on up. A size #2 clevis has a hole diameter of .035" but you need the hole to be a little larger than the wire diameter in order for it to spin free. So if you have .035" wire you will want the size #3 clevis because the #2 clevis will be too tight. Just some food for thought.

A #2 Sampo or Worth ball bearing swivel will work on most baits from 1/4oz to 1oz. The proper way to gauge swivels is by the size blade, a #2 ball bearing swivel works well for blade sizes #3.5 up to #7 in both willow leaf, Indiana and Colorado and those are common sizes in the 1/4oz to 1oz range.

It is going to depend on your design and number of cavities. Custom molds can really vary in price depending on how much CAD work is involved but figure you are going to drop at least $300-$500 minimum.

Everything with fishing is trial and error no matter what you use. The spinnerbait is awesome, it is my favorite lure and one of the reasons is that it is effective no matter where in the water column you fish it. The spinnerbait is one of those lure you need to catch fish on before you gain confidence in it. So rather than wondering if you should fish it high and fast or low and slow try fishing it the old fashion way at a time when spinnerbaits should get hit. If you get out on a day with enough wind to cause some ripples and maybe a little overcast, that will be the time to learn the "old fashion way" and it will help you gain confidence. The old fashion way is all about clarity, you reel the bait just fast enough that you can just barely see the flash of the spinning blades, Jimmy Houston made a living out of fishing a spinnerbait like that. Now there are times when slow rolling a spinnerbait deep around rock ledges or deep weed lines will get you good fish. There are also times in which burning a bait fast enough to leave a wake will work best but you need to gain confidence with it. Once you start catching fish on it you'll begin to see how the fish react to it and you'll learn when to slow it down or speed it up. The spinnerbait is versatile but you need confidence and experience to get the most out of it. So just focus on fishing it one way for now and the rest will come in time, good luck!!

Blade spacing is used mostly for flash appeal but it can do a lot more. Most spinnerbaits will space the blades far enough apart so you have at least 2 distinct areas of flash. That also happens to be the most stable way for the bait to run because as the blades spin they create torque which is why a bait with large blades turns on its side when retrieved too fast. Now, you can use that torque to create different properties on the bait, for example, you have a 3/8oz spinnerbait on .040 wire but you want more vibration. Well you can shorten the blade spacing, when you bring those blades closer together you get more torque on a smaller section of the wire which will cause it to vibrate more. There is a downside to that however, the problem is putting more torque in that smaller space also makes the bait a little more unstable so it takes less speed to make it lean on its side. The advantage is when fish want a smaller profile you can use smaller blades and still get the same vibration as larger blades. It also allows you to make a more durable bait as you can use a slightly heavier wire without losing the vibration, like using .035" wire in place of .031". You can also go the opposite way, for example you have a situation that requires a lot of flash. Well you can use bigger blades but it makes the bait unstable so you have to slow it down, but if you have room you can space the blades out a little more you spread the torque out over a greater distance lessening the effect of it. I make a single purpose spinnerbait for burning, most off the shelf spinnerbaits will lean to the side or even roll over when burned because of blade spacing and big blades. My burner spinnerbait has undersize blades and a wide blade spacing, less torque from smaller blades and the force from that torque is spread out over a greater distance so I'm minimizing the impact the torque will have on my bait. I hope that makes some sense because Allen is correct, it is kind of hard to explain it without seeing it.

Your issue is probably related to the post spawn period and there are a few things that can help. The first is to try covering water, if you have decent water clarity a swimbait or grub fished on a jig head is a good bait to get fish to bite. Another tactic is working a lipless crank by ripping it and letting it fall but not to the bottom, this works well during post spawn if the water is too stained for the grub and swimbait. Try to find "push water", that is the water right before a riffle, active feeders will be in that spot so a moving bait will work well. Pools below a riffle and areas of slow moving water near a bank will be good spots for a ned rig, small jig or tube.

I'll buy that grey with blue highlight and small silver flake all day long!!! Seriously, let me know what you want Allen, that is killer!!!!!!

Try calling or emailing Susquehanna Fishing Tackle. I use to get 100ct bags of Berkley Power worms "blemished", They never advertised them and I don't ever remember seeing anyone else carrying them. I don't ever recall ever seeing a GYCB bait let alone a Senko being sold as seconds but it never hurts to ask.

This^^^^^!!!!!! I use a River Rock RR Stryker and the Keitech Swing Impact Fat 3.8, and just Like Bluebasser I use a spinning set up to fish them either on a 1/8oz, 3/16oz, or 1/4oz jig heads.

I thought I was the only one who like the Owner ST-36 but not the ST-41 for the same exact reason!!! I use the ST-36 on jerkbaits and I use a mix of hooks on cranks but most are Mustad 1X triple grips. I have the ST-41s on 5 heavily used baits that 2X strong hooks don't alter the action of the crank at all. The issue is losing fish and I noticed that I don't need to use pliers to unhook the fish that I do land, they pull out pretty easily.

Just for clarity, Nick Crème got the chemicals from DuPont. He also was learning basic chemistry along with instruction from the lead chemist who provided Crème with the chemicals in the first place. Even with that instruction and basic understanding of chemistry it still took over 6 months to get a working formulation. I'm just saying this because today you would need to have the right credentials to purchase the chemicals, so saying Nick Crème made his own is true but it isn't as simple as it sounds.

First of all you'd need to be a chemist. Then you'd need a facility in which to make it, I don't believe it is possible for just anyone to make from their home.

The replacement for them is the VMC 8540 #6, Lure Parts Online sells them. You could also use the Mustad 35647 but the VMC is a stronger hook with the same wire diameter.

Are you talking about the Zara Puppy? It is the 3" 1/4oz version and is a killer for pressured fish. I don't use it much but I always have it on river trips. There are times during the summer when Damselflies are all over and the smallmouth start feeding on them. When that happens they are reluctant to chase other baits but we found 2 that work extremely well when that happens. One of those is a Zara Puppy, we tried poppers and the regular Zara Spook, Super Spook, and Super Spook Jr. but none work for that situation. The Zara Puppy in black shore minnow and blue shore minnow work all the time but the blue is by far the best and we believe it is because the hue is similar to the Damselfly color. Sorry for rambling but I don't often see anyone looking or talking about that bait very much. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Heddon_Zara_Puppy_Walking_Bait/descpage-HZP3.html

My water is similar to Munkin's and both of us follow A-Jay's deciding factors for the most part. Sure, there are other considerations but for me, water clarity is a big one, but it also depends on what type of swim jig. For me, I make my own and I use what is commonly called a "Northern" swim jig. They are 1/4oz with a 3/0 - 4/0 medium wire hook with a sparse 35 - 40 strand skirt so it is more of a finesse type deal. I know some like using California style swim jigs that are 1/2oz or larger with 55 - 60 strand skirts with large hooks, if I was using something like that then water clarity would only be a small factor.

Living rubber isn't available in pre-made skirts, you will have to buy the material and tie it in yourself. The reason why is how it is made, it comes in roll and is about 1.25" wide. The piece you cut then needs to be cut slowly with tension in order to release the individual strands so it would be hard for companies to make money on pre-made rubber skirts. Now I'm talking about round rubber, you can make your own skirts easily with a cheap tool and old school square rubber since they now sell it in tabs like silicone but it is different than living rubber which is round. The way rubber is made is why even commercially made jigs with living rubber skirts are hand tied with wire rather than just having bands around the material to attach to the jig. Sorry about that but if you want living rubber you'll need to buy the material and tie it yourself.

Lots of other molds will take those hooks. There is another Arky mold but older in design so it has a ball collar so you will have to add a wire keeper to hold the trailer. Then there are a lot of molds that aren't Arky style but will work. Have you ever poured a bass jig before? I'm asking because you can go to Barlow's Tackle and look at all the different molds and once guys start making jigs they kind of know where to look for stuff. You are asking about hook brand rather than 60 degree regular eye or flat eye and there could be an issue as to what anglers will buy more of. So my suggestion would be to look at all the different weedless jig molds and find one that takes the Gamakatsu hooks you want to use, Tackle Underground can help with that. You will need to know wheter you want a 30, 60, or 90 degree hook and if you want a regular eye or flat eye and bronze or black nickel. You see what I mean? There is more to it than just saying you want Gamakatsu hooks, you have to have an idea of how you want your jigs to perform and it isn't always about the brand of hook.

Again, the Trokar version you could use the Gamakatsu 294 or 2034 if you want a EWG style or the 291 if you don't mind a bronze finish rather than black nickel.

I prefer the Trokar Arky jig and I'll tell you why. The first is that the mold will use most 60 degree heavy wire hook that are available. The second reason is the bottom of that Arky jig has a circular area that is completely flat as well as a flat front, it allows for an extremely stable jig as well as a good model to skip with.

Are you wanting pre-made living rubber skirts?

It depends on the waters you fish as to what you will use. A 1/4oz shaky head in my water means you will be breaking off an retying every other cast as it will be wedged in the rocks. I use 1/16oz to 3/16oz most of the time and 4.5" to 6" worms mostly, the lighter weight lets you feel the bottom just fine but you have to move it slower.

They will work well!!!! I've done jigs like that but only on jig heads without a ringed collar. That technique is great for keeping different color layers separate and for creating flare and yours look great, they will catch fish for sure!!