smalljaw67

I've made spinnerbaits with .029 up to .041, any heavier and it belongs on a musky bait or a buzzbait. If you want a durable bait with vibration the .035 will be more durable than the .032 but will still give you vibration. Now, if you are buiding baits with 2 blades you're in luck as you can use the blade spacing to account for the heavier wire. For example I make a small arm 3/8oz bait that I call a finesse spinnerbait, I use the .035 wire and the frame size would normally be what you would see on a 1/4oz bait. The blades are #3.5 willow on the bottom and the swivel blade is a #4 willow, normally on that I would use a small metal sleeve and a 1/8" metal bead as the space between blades but I want it to vibrate like a smaller .032 so instead of spacing the blade with the sleeve and the bead I use 3 beads, it makes a difference of about 1/4" or so but it is a big deal. The reason is when the blades spin they create torque and that torque causes the wire to shake or vibrate, the blades are spaced far enough apart to even out the torque across the entire arm but when you use heavier wire you loose vibration and the only way to change it is to add bigger blades or change the spacing. Changing the spacing works because it puts the torque of both blades in a small area near the end of the wire so instead of having the torque spread out over the entire blade arm you are concentrating it at the top of the blade arm making it act like you are using a single large blade. With that set up you get the flash of 2 blades but the vibration of a single large blade allowing you to use a slightly heavier wire for more durability yet keeping all the vibration of the thinner wire. If you are using a single blade then just upsize the blade a single size like a #4 to a #5, simple.

I only use braid for frogs and heavy jig fishing and what I mean by that is putting the jig in cover that a MH rod and 20lb line is too light to fish it. So for that I tie direct, no leader and I hate flouro so if I'm not using braid it is a good copoly. I often throw jigs, worms, and soft jerkbaits into lilly pad fields, and once again, the pads have to be thick for braid use otherwise I'll go with 15 or 17lb copoly. I often am fishing in clear water conditions so that is why my limited use of braid and I hate tying leaders, I've done it, I used mono and flouro leaders and I didn't get any more bites or bigger fish than what I normally use and that is just the way it is so copoly in the appropriate size for what you're doing and 50lb braid for frogs and heavy jig fishing. BTW I'm in the north east, if I was down south it would be different.

I have the first Gen Vendetta, it is the cheapest rod I own but I really like it, I got it an an all purpose type rod and now it is primarily a spinnerbait stick. I have used it for jerkbaits, and senkos and even light jigs and you can't beat it for the price.

If you have a dedicated setup for open water only then it would be ok I guess, but around any kind of cover it isn't too good and forget rocks.

If you have a good sonar set up you can find the breaks, the edges of those are a good place to start as well as any structure off shore but you need to find and when you do find it a drop shot is a great way to catch them. Another way that works is a 3/4oz or 1oz jig with a hollow belly, shadalicious, or money minnow on it, you can work it on the bottom and it will attract a bigget bite but shaky heads and drop shots will be the best choice if the fish aren't in a biting mood. If you can find actual fish but you can find rock piles and ditches then use the shaky head to probe around, the drop shot for me is a vertical presentation to fish I actually mark but if I see possible fish holding then a shaky head will cover a little more water.

Barlows Tackle, LPO (lure parts online), Janns Netcraft, Hagens, Zeiners Bass Shop, and Lure Craft and Luremaking.com, that is just to name a few.

I only use silicone skirt material for spinnerbaits, what you probably heard is rubber material has more action, and it is true, rubber will "breath" on a stop and go retrieve much more than silicone and it seperates faster in the water but silicone flows better. What I mean by that is if you have a spinnerbait and you want to throw it in weeds the silicone is going to flow back and keep a slimmer more natural profile, there are pros and cons to both but the one thing I like best about silicone is you don't need special storage and you don't get the clumpy mess the first time you pull the jig or spinnerbait out of the box after the winter. I was on board with silicone when I found out it doesn't melt and clump together.

To flip you need a longer rod and if the cover is thick you should move up to a heavy power. I often fish pads with a 6'10" heavy but I'm roll casting from 30 feet away because of clear water but flipping is a long rod technique.

Suspending jerkbait or a hair jig, it just depends on water clarity and temp.

Very addicting and while I don't make soft plastics I do pour jig heads, spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, and I tie hair jigs with the jig heads I pour. I started with a little hot pot, a spinnerbait mold and some ready made skirts and blades and now I have 30 molds, a bottom pour pot, a pot just to melt lead and make ingots, thousands of blades, pound and pounds of skirt material and thousands of hooks. You will not save money because your free time will be consumed trying to invent the ultimate color of softness, you'll end up with more molds than you can count and you have every color of glitter made in every size available, you will go to sleep thinking about making baits and everytime you see a cool car color it will translate into how you can get that color into a wom, yes, you will get addicted and spend more money than what you would if you just bought your baits.

5" is the winner, I use them for smallies and a lot of guys that were using the smaller 3" and 4" have now caught on to the 5" as it is the perfect senko size. Reason being is the bulk and length of the bait will attract a bigger bite for sure but it isn't so big that it turns off the quality 14" - 17" fish from hitting it.

6'3" to 6'10" is the range for me when it comes to topwaters with treble hooks and jerkbaits because I tend to slap the water or side of the boat with a 7' rod. I also feel like I can control the bait better using the shorter rod but one thing is I tend to use a medium power if the rod is a fast action, and the reason is flex. A medium rod is more forgiving so it will help you out fighting a fish hooked on trebles, you can always go with a moderare rod but too much flex and you lose control of the bait so I like to stay with a fast action. A moderate fast action rod that is close to fast is a rod that I would use in a medium heavy just because you get the added flex along with the added strength so it works out but I think you can get a good performing rod for topwaters in the $100 to 150 range and if you aren't finicky you can get some decent rods less than a hundered. I have a medium 6'6" 1st generation Vendetta and it is awesome for topwaters, I use it as an all purpose set up in the jon boat were I can't take 6 or 7 rods so I use 3 rods and the vendetta is one of them and I don't worry about it breaking, that is the best part!

If you are going to be using like 1/2oz and under and like the shorter rod then look at the Fenwick Elite Tech smallmouth casting rod, 6'3" medium power, medium fast action. This rod is awesome for topwaters and jerkbaits, accurate caster and it has some surprising power that will let you work a 1/2oz spook jr with authority and still have the added flex to keep that barely hooked fish pinned. If you want a more powerful rod with a little more casting ability then look at the 6'10" MH - MF in the same Fenwick Smallmouth series, that is the rod that I currently use and it happend to be the most versatile reaction bait rod I ever used.

That is my favorite length, power, and action for spinnerbaits!! You can be super accurate with that length rod and if the sensitivty is ok, which I heard the crucials are preet good in that area, then you have a good senk rod. That length and power is what I call the "all purpose" rod but I use my 6'6" MH as a spinnerbait stick and another as my senko rod, I like it for clear water were I have to be back away from the cover to avoid spooking the fish so I'm too far for pitching yet I still need an accurate cast so the 6'6" is perfect for that kind of duty.

spinnerbaits are my favorite bait to use hands down day in and day out. After I learned how to really use the bait I could find one that had everything I was looking for so I started making them myself and it is what started me making lures. At first I tried the bullet and then the banana and the style H but it wasn't until I tried the Ultra Minnow that I found the right bait. The Ultra Minnow is one of the better designs I ever used, it comes through grass really well and it runs deeper than other baits that weigh the same. I can keep my spinnerbait near the bottom in 8' of water reeling as fast as I normally would go with a 3/4oz bullet head spinnerbait. The other attribute I like is the recessed eye sockets, I really believe in eyes on my baits and while they may or may not be the reason for a strike I still like to use them as I have confidence in baits with eyes. so I would say got with the ultra minnow mold, and if you need any help when it comes to components or any other question about building spinnerbaits, just let me know and I will be happy to help you.

Go with 4 power rod as it will handle your heavier jigs and T-rigs.

HookSetDon, you really can't make titanium spinnerbaits at home, at least not like a terminator. The reason you can't is titanium has to be tempered to get the "snap back" quality that a lot of anglers like because you never have to retune the bait. Think about it, if it snaps back then how do you bend it? The answer is you don't, and the same reason when you see a terminator with a loose swivel loop, you can't fix it, I used terminators when they first came out in an infomercial and I remember making a cast and the blade and swivel came off so I went to put a new one on and found out that you can bend them closed. The tempering process is complicated and requires high heat like that of a blast furnace so it is pretty much impossible for the home tackle maker.

My normal size tube for smallies is a 3.5" and that is because I like using them with the insert jighead. I will drop to a 3" when it gets tough and I even started making jig heads to fish a 2.5" and a 2.25" tube. I get my tubes which I believe to be the best tube I ever used from a small company called River Rock baits, they have a standard tube and a pro series that is super soft, so soft you could fish them on a snoopy rod and not feel the bite for 20 seconds and the fish won't spit it in fact it is the only tube I used in 35 years that you have to be careful as the fish will swallow it.

Depends on the use, I fish in cold weather and I don't trust the magnesium frames on reels like the MGX or the Steez. Yes, they are very good reels but I still like aluminum as I don't understand the whole magnesium, zaion and other forms of carbon, I hear guys that work in the business that say it is cost saving material so I don't understand the expense but it doesn't matter. Go with what you feel, if you want the magnesium and a more refined reel then go with the MGX, if you want a more conventional workhorse reel go with the Smoke. A lot don't care for Quantum but I have 2 Smoke reels for 2 years and I like them.

I can't say whether good or bad but from what I understand they all have slow actions and I really dlon't like work fishing with a parabolic rod.

Most of my rods are between $120 and $400 with my cheap rod being a $79.99 Abu Vendetta and I really like it, a good all purpose set up that I use in the small boat. That being said I found the villian on sale on Amazon for $117 but my friend told me not to do it and he let me use his....not good. I wouldn't call it junk but I like my cheap Vendetta a lot more, the reel seat feel ok on the Villian but I'm not sure it helps as there isn't much feel and it is heavy considering they claimed it was going to be mega light, it isn't. Quantum gets a bad rap from people, I even know guys that bust on the brand who never used it but I will stick up for them for a few things, in this case I won't, the EXO rod isn't what I would call fabulous, it does have better sensitivity and is light years lighter than the villian but over priced. If you can olny choose between the two the EXO would be a better choice, if you can choose something else then go that route.

X3!!!!

What is happening to you is all from improper heating and that is why I use a propane torch and I know the heat gun works better but for me the tourch helps as I can see the flame and where the heat is applied. What you need to do is begin counting in your head and remember what it was when you get one that comes out good. So, here you go from beginning to end, first, fluff the powder really well by shaking, grab the jig however you do it and hold over the heat while rotating it side to side and count, start with 5 or 6 and if you dip in the paint and find that it is stuck to the head but not glossed over then hit it with the heat and it will gloss over, then inspect it for areas that didn't take. A fluid bed helps a lot once you get the heat down, maybe it has happened or perhaps it didn't but eventually you will overheat one and get too much paint and when you cure it you will get a nipple on top of the head, a fluid bed really helps in preventing that. That is all you really can do, the rest is practice and time.

I thought only the shaky heads had the flat top? The football shaky head is the only mold I saw that uses a Trokar hook exclusively and that has a flat top, the regular weedless football head look like is has a recessed hook eye but no flat spot but I can't really tell from all the pics.

I agree with this statement, I was looking at the rods when Cabelas began selling the brand. This may get me beat up but cosmetics and balance are exactly what the Savvy offers, the blanks isn't great and for the performance it is way over priced. If you want to get into the Dobyns line then at least go with the Champion series, you can get the savvy performance from rods that cost a lot less.