Lure Customization

[RHuff]

Was organizing my tackle last night and decided to add a little flair to a couple of my baits. I have been getting some good bass on both jerkbaits and topwater baits (all seem to be with red feathered rear treble hooks) so I decided to put the two together. I added a little tail to one of my shadow rap shads and one of my bx waking minnow topwater baits. I also added one to my storm waking crank topwater bait. Anyone else customize their baits? 

[Crestliner2008]

I have no idea how/why a small section of red has such an impact on bass, but it certainly does, from my experience. You might want to go to a hobby shop and pick up a small bottle of fluorescent red flat enamel. What I've done is to paint a small section of the lure body near the rear hook hanger. It may just be the old confidence factor, but I swear it has always done well by me. JMO!

[bigbill]

On my spinnerbaits I only use a mister twister 4" split double tail plastic grub trailer with a trailer hook. I'm a firm believer in the Mann's classic spinnerbaits in white I use the blue glimmer skirt(they come with) I add the MT split double tail white trailer. With the Mann's chartreuse classic spinnerbaits I change the skirt to hot chartreuse and add the MT chartreuse 4" split double tail trailer. I do trim the 4" trailer to fit the smaller spinnerbaits.

 

Red or orange colors does attract bass more. Orange colored bottoms on crankbaits do catch more bass. I notice orange spooks are hot too.  A green shad worm.

[BuzzHudson19c]

Most of my buzzbaits are without a skirt. I'll put creature baits, grubs and my favorite, half a "senko" in their place.

[papajoe222]

About the only topwater bait I own that hasn't been modified is my only WhopperPlopper. Most get modified before they ever get wet. With buzzbaits, the rivet gets roughed up and crimped down, Spooks get a split ring and a splash of color, or sanded down and clear coated. Prop baits get the blade's hole drilled slightly bigger. 

Cranks get a splash of orange on the underside, oval split rings and a hook upgrade when I feel it's necessary.

Many of my spinnerbaits have had the split ring replaced with a swivel snap for easy blade switching and, like my jigs, they get a skirt trim for use in the spring, or I'll add a Kalin's  LunkerGrub.

The majority of all these modifications are done during those 'drive me crazy 'cause I can't go fishing' days of hard water.

[RHuff]

Replacing a skirt with a creature bait sounds interesting on a buzzbait.. What do you recommend? Or did you mean add it as a trailer??

[KTinman86]

Change out hooks, add feathered trebles, change split rings, build my own silicone and rubber skirts (different diameters of material) by hand tying some and using flair buttons on others... I also use different color skirt collars to add color accents without getting crazy. I modify frog legs using different sizes of rubber and silicone, add rattles, BBs, trailer hooks, fly-floatant on the first few feet of braid to help walk the bait better, and on and on. Add weight to hard jerkbaits (absolutely necessary at times), tie a loop knot when really snapping the bait hard (on walking baits too), I always use scent whether it really works or not..., I carry and use scented markers to doctor-up baits for whatever reason, put rattles in tubes (especially when snapping them).... Carefully remove glossy finishes from crankbaits to make them look more realistic, especially in clear water. I offset my flipping hooks when rigging my plastics and it's increased my hook to land ratio without question. I also don't peg my stopper right up to my sinker, I leave about a quarter inch and it helps hook more fish, too. There are so many things and these are just a few, so think outside of the box and you'll get a few more bites, especially on pressured bass. There are no rules in bass fishing.

[Bluebasser86]

I'm constantly tinkering with baits. A lot of them don't work out, but once in a while I'll knock one out of the park. 

[BuzzHudson19c]

23 hours ago, RHuff said:

Replacing a skirt with a creature bait sounds interesting on a buzzbait.. What do you recommend? Or did you mean add it as a trailer??

Right now I have one rigged with a Reaction Innovations smallie beaver and another with a Zoom brush hog (with the head cut off). Not as a trailer though, in place of a skirt. You can also cast them much further without the skirt.

[RHuff]

Do they run differently??

[primetime]

 save all my Keitech style swimbaits after they lose their tail, i have been throwing the MJ rig ever since I saw Timmy Horton doing it on TV through Hydrilla with a Senko.

 

Hitchikers are cheap, and you can get blades cheap cause you lose a few, but I love taking a Speed shad missing the tail & adding a Willow blade or Smaller blade the size that comes on a beetle spin or a smaller hammered willow. 

 

I often will put a blade on the back of a senko and fish it the same way I would weightless..Slow and lift and fall, they kill it some days when they are not hitting the worm..Not sure if it is the flash in stained water, or extra vibration, much more weedless than Underspins etc.

 

I also like to put dressed treble hooks on the rear of alot of hardbaits, A good breathable white/touch of red dressed treble on the back of a Jointed Rapala or Long A sometimes makes a huge difference especially on the pause.

 

I love to modify stuff, Most of the time even if it works I will forget to do it again, but i also put dressed trebles on my suspending jerkbaits like how the X Rap has em, key is getting someone who is into tying flies and streamers to make them for you. Maribou type dressing with a strand of Flash seems to be best but I think alot of mine have some kind of Deer or rabbit hair, and weird feathers.

 

Another good mod is taking a Finesse style skirting and making a short and thin punch skirt and putting it in front of a swimbait. It seems to catch bigger fish and clear skirt with red flake must look like gills cause some days it makes all the difference, I just like the skirt to be maybe 20 strands and really short.