Spinnerbait Making Kit, Worth It?

[(='_'=)]

hey, i recently found out about lure making, and i think i would like to give it a try... since i really enjoy fishing spinnerbaits, and they seem as the easiest to build, i thought about beginning with those....

i found this kit:

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fishing-lure-making-kits/032590000009.aspx

is it worth it?? i thought about buying it to see all the parts i need and get some experience... i tried picking each item individually but got lost with the huge amount of items i could pick from, specially regarding to sizes...

so, is it a good idea to purchase the kit, and after i build the 10 spinnerbaits included, begin purchasing parts individually??

or is there a better kit to begin with??

[cadman]

I guess you have to start somewhere, so for the price, it doesn't look like a bad kit. I can't see the quality of the blades and the ball bearings, however once you get the feel for all the components that are needed, you can start there and if the quality isn't what you expected, you can then break out different components and buy and make your own. The only drawback is, that you are stuck with their colors.

[scaleface]

I use to make spinnerbaits. I have a mold. It was fun for one winter.What I dont like about the kit is you cant adjust the arm length, from the head to the hook tie.

[Siebert Outdoors]

In most kits I've found has sub par parts or a lot of parts I never will/would use. For 22.00 I'd order the stuff I wanted separate.

[(='_'=)]

thanx everyone for your input...

i tried ordering everything separate, but for example, when i got to the clevis selection, i found these options:

Description Availability 1

100 pack 5

100 pack 10

100 pack Quantity (001) Size 1,Used on Inline Spinners

In Stock $3.89 $16.65 $27.50 (002) Size 2,Used on Inline Spinners, Small SpinnerBaits

In Stock $4.15 $17.80 $29.40 (003) Size 3, Used on Inline Spinners, SpinnerBaits

In Stock $4.79 $20.35 $33.70 (004) Size 4, Used on Inline Spinners, SpinnerBaits

In Stock $4.99 $21.40 $35.40 (006) Size 6, Used on Pike & Musky Lures

In Stock $6.99 $30.00 $49.60

so i dont know if i need size 2, 3 or 4....

same goes for the swivels, i see sizes 14, 12, 10, 7, etc, but i dont even know which one is bigger and which one is smaller....

thats why i wanted to get a kit, to know for example, how a size 12 swivel looks like, and based on that, next time i will know if i need a bigger or smaller.

[Traveler2586]

Hi (='_'=),

I have used Jann's Netcraft for a long time now, it's a nice winter time hobby.

Go to their web site and look on the left of the screen, there's a box that says "Ask The Experts". There's a lot of good info there.

Download the size chart PDF and print it out; you can hold actual parts to it in order to determine their size numbers

If you still have questions PM me, or you can call Jann's directly; the people there are great and will answer all your questions.

Tip: get the better quality Round Nose Pliers to bend the wire, and get the better Ball Bearing Swivels.

Before you know it you'll be making your own skirts too, it's quick and easy, and a lot cheaper than buying pre-made skirts.

I think it cost me a little under $1.50 to make a spinner bait. I'll make so many that I freely give them to friends.

[(='_'=)]

Hi (='_'=),

I have used Jann's Netcraft for a long time now, it's a nice winter time hobby.

Go to their web site and look on the left of the screen, there's a box that says "Ask The Experts". There's a lot of good info there.

Download the size chart PDF and print it out; you can hold actual parts to it in order to determine their size numbers

If you still have questions PM me, or you can call Jann's directly; the people there are great and will answer all your questions.

Tip: get the better quality Round Nose Pliers to bend the wire, and get the better Ball Bearing Swivels.

Before you know it you'll be making your own skirts too, it's quick and easy, and a lot cheaper than buying pre-made skirts.

I think it cost me a little under $1.50 to make a spinner bait. I'll make so many that I freely give them to friends.

thanx!!

so the .pdf comes in scale 1:1 ?? thats will be a good help....

and regarding skirt making, i saw this video:

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/skirts-material/

so basically skirt making is just getting the skirt material sold here:

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/skirt-making-material/

and cutting the ends??

when i was a bowhunter, we used something very similar to skirt material as noise/vibration reduction devices....

it seems skirt making is very similar.... if so, i already know how to do it.... in fact i was thinking about trying archery cat whiskers on a jig,as you see in the video, the material is a little more rigid, so maybe on the water it will stand up and move as tentacles.... and it comes in several colors normally found in jigs, such as yellow, black, green, brown...

[Traveler2586]

thanx!!

so the .pdf comes in scale 1:1 ?? thats will be a good help....

and regarding skirt making, i saw this video:

http://www.jannsnetc...kirts-material/

so basically skirt making is just getting the skirt material sold here:

http://www.jannsnetc...aking-material/

and cutting the ends??

That's it, it's so simple. Try the skirt making kit, you'll get everything you need to get started.

[(='_'=)]

thank you Eric!!

i didnt find a "skirt making kit", but as i understand all i need is skirt material, there are several to choose from, and, the rubber bands or O rings to attach the skirt to the head?? i think i prefer tying them on, i have some nylon thread that should work fine and i can find it locally very cheap....

[Traveler2586]

thank you Eric!!

i didn't find a "skirt making kit", but as i understand all i need is skirt material, there are several to choose from, and, the rubber bands or O rings to attach the skirt to the head?? i think i prefer tying them on, i have some nylon thread that should work fine and i can find it locally very cheap....

IMHO tying a skirt onto a jig, spinner bait, or buzz bait is old school; you can't change the skirt out while fishing. At times I'll be fishing a bait and feel good about the blade setup/combo or what ever, but may not think the skirt color is working for me given the water color/conditions - so I'll change it without removing the bait from the line. It's like fishing a TX rig worm and changing out the worm until you find what the fish want.

It's all personal opinion, do you want to change out the bait or just the skirt or blades. BTW, spinner baits have ball bearing swivels with snaps so you can also change out the blades to meet conditions.

Here's the link to the kit http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/skirts-material/036625000002.aspx

[(='_'=)]

IMHO tying a skirt onto a jig, spinner bait, or buzz bait is old school; you can't change the skirt out while fishing. At times I'll be fishing a bait and feel good about the blade setup/combo or what ever, but may not think the skirt color is working for me given the water color/conditions - so I'll change it without removing the bait from the line. It's like fishing a TX rig worm and changing out the worm until you find what the fish want.

It's all personal opinion, do you want to change out the bait or just the skirt or blades. BTW, spinner baits have ball bearing swivels with snaps so you can also change out the blades to meet conditions.

Here's the link to the kit http://www.jannsnetc...6625000002.aspx

well, i have never changed skirts in the water... i have replacement skirts that i have changed to replace old or worn out skirts, but i do this at home... if the spinnerbait im using is not working, i will change spinnerbait, not just the skirt. and i have had several spinnerbaits get naked at the first or second cast because the rubberband is not tight enough... right now some of my most used spinnerbaits have a small zip tie to hold the skirt in place.... but im about to get a small vice and replace the zip tie with nylon cord... so, since i dont change skirts until they get thorn, i dont have a problem tying them....

and thanx for the link!! but i dont think i need that tool.... all i need is the skirt material to begin making skirts...

[(='_'=)]

ok, i just picked some items to see if im missing something. here is my preliminar selection:

25 willowleaf blades

25 Indiana blades

100 wire clevises, size 3

bead assortment (around 200 beads different sizes)

20 painted spinnerbait heads (10 ea. chart/white and chart/black)

25 split rings size 0

1 round rubber sampler pack, including 10 strips of 1" x 1 foot

25 swivels, size 10

what am i missing?? with these i could make 20 baits and still have a lot of supplies, specially beads, skirts, clevises and blades.

is this everything i need? or did i miss a component?? also are the sizes correct??

[Traveler2586]

ok, i just picked some items to see if im missing something. here is my preliminar selection:

25 willowleaf blades

25 Indiana blades

100 wire clevises, size 3

bead assortment (around 200 beads different sizes)

20 painted spinnerbait heads (10 ea. chart/white and chart/black)

25 split rings size 0

1 round rubber sampler pack, including 10 strips of 1" x 1 foot

25 swivels, size 10

what am i missing?? with these i could make 20 baits and still have a lot of supplies, specially beads, skirts, clevises and blades.

is this everything i need? or did i miss a component?? also are the sizes correct??

Don't know that the bead assortment is necessary, I would opt for the correct bead pack. See the chart here: http://www.jannsnetc...pinnerbaits.htm

[(='_'=)]

Don't know that the bead assortment is necessary, I would opt for the correct bead pack. See the chart here: http://www.jannsnetc...pinnerbaits.htm

thanx!! i see i had a couple items sized incorrectly... thats good info i hadnt seen, thank you!!

[cadman]

There are a lot of variables in making spinnerbaits. You can start out with .035 or .040 wireforms. The .035 is thinner than the .040. The thinner the wire the more vibration you get from your spinnerbaits to attract fish. However the more vibration the more torque you have, from the blades turning, which in turn many times weakens the wireform, bends the wireform or snaps the wireform. There is a tradeoff in everything. So there are charts on Lure Parts On line that for the average person, gives you the correct wire to size for the correct spinnerbait weight. The chart is just a guideline on what most people use. Doesn't mean it is correct. Clevices, beads are sized according to wire diameter. In another words you can not put a clevice that is meant for .035 wireform on an .040 wireform. It will not fit. However the opposite is true of putting an .040 clevice on an .035 wireform. Blades are personal choice, again sizes are based on weight of spinnerbait head. Charts for this also are available on Lure Parts On Line. Willows run deeper and cause less vibration, Colorados lift the spinnerbait and cause more vibration. Size of blades is another story as far as which top blade and which secondary blade you use for which size spinnerbait weight. Ball bearing swivels, I mainly use size #7. There is a whole science to making a good spinnerbait, and then there is a whole science on why some spinnerbaits catch fish and some don't. It is not about slapping on some blades on a spinnerbait body and start casting away. You should do some trial and error when you build these, and take very good notes on what you build and how you built it. Go out and fish it and see what the spinnerbait does. Is it tracking straight, is it rolling at fast speeds. Do the blades turn at slow speeds. Do the blades rotate on the drop.

Now with all that said and done, all the info above is just a guideline. Many people use smaller blades or vice versa. Some guys use really big blades to get down deeper and slow roll spinnerbaits. Guys also flip the ball bearing around to get more vibration. You can buy wireforms that are piano wire, that are tuned to perform better than std wireforms. This is just some of the things that when you get into actually making a good spinnerbait, to take into consideration. But I'm probably swamping you with way too much info. I sent you a PM to discuss further.

[(='_'=)]

thanx for the really good (and long) information!! its a lot, and some things are really advanced for a newbe like me who has never even done one spinnerbait, but im sure i will understand this better when i begin making them, and im sure a lot of members on here will benefit from it...

now, since im buying the heads already with the wire, i dont think i have the option to select wire diameter... and i really dont want to pour my heads yet....

i answered your PM... and would appreciate your catalog....

meanwhile i just got me this today:

i have several spinnerbaits i fixed with zip ties, tonight after work i will tie them properly to test the thread i already have and see what know works best... maybe i even share a couple of them tomorrow...

thank you!!

[Traveler2586]

What are you going to use that for??? You wont need it for spinner baits, IMHO. Just keep it simple (it a lot of fun) until you get the feel of what you want.

BTW, when you place an order to Jann's ask for their catalog.

[(='_'=)]

i got it originally for dressing treble hooks but thought i could also hold spinnerbaits in place...i used it tonioght to fix a skirt that was all messed up and it worked OK...

for tying skirts, how do you do it?? i tied some tonight by hand but those had the rubber band in place, and i removed it after tying.... i think tying one without the rubberband will not be so easy...

[Traveler2586]

i think tying one without the rubber band will not be so easy...

No, it wont. Many years ago I made Buck-Tailed Jigs from scratch, we used them trolling striper's on the Bay. You start out with a good hook vice that will hold the jig head steady, i.e. http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fly-tying-vises/042030200005.aspx ; then you start wrapping thread on the neck of the jig using a tying bobbin, i.e. http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fly-tying-bobbins/042044100001.aspx , then take some hairs and hold them to 25-50% of the neck and make some wraps with the thread, and repeat the process until you have the look you want; don't try to put all the hairs on at one time until you gain some skill with your fingers. I've also used Floral wire that you get in craft shops, but you have to leave a tag end sticking out to twist the wire ends closed.

BTW, the spinner baits that have loose rubber bands that let the skirt slip down or fall apart are the result of the manufacture not matching the band material to the skirt material to prevent chemical interaction between the two. Basically, the oils in the skirt material leach into the rubber bands and soften the rubber which allows them to stretch out of shape. So, when buying skirt supplies you have to ask are the bands compatible with the skirt, i.e. silicone bands for silicone skirts, rubber bands for rubber skirts.

[(='_'=)]

thanx!!

yesterday i dressed my first treble hook... it came out OK for being the first one, but theres a lot of room for improvement... the vise i posted worked good, but it needs to be fixed to the table to be better, if i wasnt careful it moved... i didnt use the magnifying glass, in fact i removed it.... i placed all the hairs at once, so that made it difficult... i was also working with a smalle treble hook, a bigger one will be easier....

and regarding the spinnerbaits, i didnt know that about mixing materials... yesterday i also fixed 3 or 4 of them that had the band to loose, previously i had put a zip tie, but now i removed them and tied them.... hoplefully this weekend ill be able to test them with some fish....

[Traveler2586]

..........................................hoplefully this weekend ill be able to test them with some fish....

Sounds good, go for it and good fishin'

[the rod tosser]

Your inital start up may be kinda spendy but after theat it can pay off. you can genraly find blades on sale or buy in bulk with a friend and split the colors and sizes . here is a good guid to make your own tackle .

http://www.luremaking.com/catalogue/download_guide.htm

[(='_'=)]

thank you!! i had forgotten about this because i got involved in sme other things... but i think ill have to try this now the weather is getting colder every day...

BTW i couldnt try my tied spinnerbaits.. i went fishing but all they wanted were senkos... i tried to catch one with a spinnerbait, but no luck... my new spinnerbait rod is still a virgin after 3 trips =S