Repairing the texposed part of a stick bait

[beardown34]

Do you guys have any great ideas for repairing the top part of a texposed stick bait? The part that gets damaged when you bury the hook point? 

 

I've come across strategies to save the head of the stick bait from getting torn up (barrel swivel, parasite clip, Damiki D-hold hook, screwlock hook).

 

But even if you are able to preserve the worm head, that top part of the worm where you bury the hook to texpose it gets torn up pretty much after 1-2 fish. You can skin hook the worm a little to the left or right, or keep burying the hook deeper and deeper, but that doesn't last much longer either.

 

I tried melting that area with a lighter, or brushing over that area with Mend-It, but neither of those really work.

 

You guys have any ideas?

 

I fused a fragment of an old/discarded worm bait onto the area with Mend It, with the intention of shaving it back down closer to being level with the top surface of the worm, but now that I look at it, I'm thinking of just leaving it as is, and burying the hook point into the new worm fragment, as opposed to back into the original worm.

 

(May make more sense if you check out the picture)

 

Thoughts?

 

I know stick baits are cheap. I get some people won't go through the hassle of trying to save one. I'm just curious if anyone has any ideas. Thanks!

[snake95]

I get it.  I'm cheap and my favorite Yum dinger color is not found in local stores.

 

This may be what you've already done, and maybe you are looking for something more sophisticated, but with that area of a T-rigged stickbait I use a dab of Mend-it and use a Q-tip to get it deep into the cut.

 

If you wanted to be surgical about it you could use a razor blade or x-acto knife to cut a clean slit in the bait, and spread the mend-it into the bait and over the cut surfaces.

 

Coincidental that you'd mention this because I just told a buddy of mine how I've used the same 4 dingers in rotation for the last 3 months by doing this very thing.

 

I have a routine after fishing them: I set them to dry overnight, then before heading to work the next day go out and insert a dab of Mend-it into each slit.  Hold tight for a minute or two to start the fusing process, and next time I go in my shop they are ready to fish again.

 

 

 

[A-Jay]

5 hours ago, beardown34 said:

Do you guys have any great ideas for repairing the top part of a texposed stick bait? The part that gets damaged when you bury the hook point? 

 

I've come across strategies to save the head of the stick bait from getting torn up (barrel swivel, parasite clip, Damiki D-hold hook, screwlock hook).

 

But even if you are able to preserve the worm head, that top part of the worm where you bury the hook to texpose it gets torn up pretty much after 1-2 fish. You can skin hook the worm a little to the left or right, or keep burying the hook deeper and deeper, but that doesn't last much longer either.

 

I tried melting that area with a lighter, or brushing over that area with Mend-It, but neither of those really work.

 

You guys have any ideas?

 

I fused a fragment of an old/discarded worm bait onto the area with Mend It, with the intention of shaving it back down closer to being level with the top surface of the worm, but now that I look at it, I'm thinking of just leaving it as is, and burying the hook point into the new worm fragment, as opposed to back into the original worm.

 

(May make more sense if you check out the picture)

 

Thoughts?

 

I know stick baits are cheap. I get some people won't go through the hassle of trying to save one. I'm just curious if anyone has any ideas. Thanks!

Turn it around.

Rig & fish the other end (backwards).

Sort of a two for one deal . . . .

A-Jay

 

[TOXIC]

First, use a thin wire hook.  Second, you might want to look at how you are rigging and note how you cover the eye of the hook and not stretch your bait is when you skin hook the nose.  If I want to preserve a Senko that has torn like that, I will carefully un thread it and roll it 90 degrees.  That can be done a few times before as has been mentioned, you can turn it around.  It's a little harder to thread since the nose is thinner but it will work.  And it works well for swimming under a dock past where you can skip to.  

[jr231]

Cut 1/4 off the bait and re hook... Do it all the time, start with a 5" and end up with a 3&3/4 " senko before I grab a new one. 

[Steveo-1969]

I don't use Mend-It (I've had it in my TW cart several times and always take it out, don't know why). But I try to get as much out of a soft plastic before using a new one.

 

1) I use a screw lock hook to help save the nose, specifically an Owner Twistlock Light hook.

2) As the skin-hooked area gets torn up I will keep rotating the bait until it's torn up all the way around.

3) Then I will bite a bit of the bait off at the head and start all over, giving me a fresh "skin hook area".

 

Oh, and love the screen name.  BEAR DOWN!!!!!!

Edited May 8, 2017 by Steveo-1969
Bears fan for life!

[Fishin' Fool]

I ordered those centering pin screws (CPS) from China on Ebay for like $3 for 40.  That way you can place them on the hook of your choice.  Also, are you sure your mend it hasn't gone bad?  Because my experience is that works pretty well.

 

I lied $1.69 for 50 free shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-Pieces-Fishing-Hook-Pin-Set-Fishing-Screw-Needle-Centering-Pin-Fixed-Lock-/272589885182?hash=item3f779f8efe:g:QNEAAOSwWxNYyB3f

[Kidflex]

I like to repair my senkos and trick worms(even though I get 20 for $4). After a few(5-6) uses using mend-it, it becomes too soft for me. Those get tossed in the pile for wacky rigging with 2 O-rings. I do the opposite if I started using one as a wacky set up it almost always gets torn in half. Once that happens I mend it together and then use them rigging it weedless. I get a lot of mileage for these types of baits with mend it. 

 

For the chewed up areas where it's been texposed, try brushing mend it on top and push some of the little "flaps" in with a tooth pick.