Spinnerbait wire forming

[Bdnoble84]

I started making my own wireforms for spinnerbaits but i am running into an issue of the wire not being very straight once molded. It appears they are going to be hard to tune. Issues include the are bend being off alignment, wire out of alignment from hook. A bow in the wire. I am using afw hi seas coiled wire size 15. I will probably order premade forms in future, but for now i want to make this wire work. Suggestions would be appreciated.

[scaleface]

Make a jig by placing nails in some wood , where you want the bends to be . This will keep it flat .Once you get it how you like it all your forms will be identical . I did it with buzzbaits .

[Jigfishn10]

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

Make a jig by placing nails in some wood , where you want the bends to be . This will keep it flat .Once you get it how you like it all your forms will be identical . I did it with buzzbaits .

This is how I do it.

[Bdnoble84]

I started with a jig, but felt like it was easier after i got going to just use the round nose pliers. I think part of the main issue i have is i feel like the wire has a bend to it from being coiled up and i was wondering how to deal with that/ straighten out the wire before beginning

[Scott F]

When I was making spinner baits, I found wire that came in straight pieces instead of a coil. That helped getting a straight, finished bait.

[Bdnoble84]

21 minutes ago, Scott F said:

When I was making spinner baits, I found wire that came in straight pieces instead of a coil. That helped getting a straight, finished bait.

That is what i am thinking i will do next run, just wanted to see if there were any tricks you guys had in the meantime. Tuning some of these will be a pain. Oh well. Live and learn.

[Jigfishn10]

I can't really say that I had that much problems unless I really mangled the wire during fabrication.

[Bdnoble84]

2 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

I can't really say that I had that much problems unless I really mangled the wire during fabrication.

This probably has something to do with it as well as i had never bent wire for lures before so i was learning by trial and error

[Jigfishn10]

15 hours ago, Bdnoble84 said:

This probably has something to do with it as well as i had never bent wire for lures before so i was learning by trial and error

Are you using round nose pliers? I make the jig if I'm making multiple baits and want uniformity, but I need a couple of different pliers to "clean up" the bends. The R-Bend is a bend that needs "cleaning up". Usually you're making an overlapping bend and pulling back with the tag end to complete the arm.

 

As far as the natural curvature of the wire from the coil is concerned, I really don't worry about it, the bends on bass lure are minimal. Not gonna lie here, I do tune up the lure prior to use.

 

Good luck, would love to see some of your creations.  

 

This one started out as an inline but, as usual, my mind got carried away. Turns out to be a great multi-species bait. It flat out bird dogs fish:

[Bdnoble84]

54 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Are you using round nose pliers? I make the jig if I'm making multiple baits and want uniformity, but I need a couple of different pliers to "clean up" the bends. The R-Bend is a bend that needs "cleaning up". Usually you're making an overlapping bend and pulling back with the tag end to complete the arm.

 

As far as the natural curvature of the wire from the coil is concerned, I really don't worry about it, the bends on bass lure are minimal. Not gonna lie here, I do tune up the lure prior to use.

 

Good luck, would love to see some of your creations.  

 

This one started out as an inline but, as usual, my mind got carried away. Turns out to be a great multi-species bait. It flat out bird dogs fish:

Yes, i am using round ose pliers. I think practice will help considerably for me. I definitely share your creativity. Its impossible for me to stick with a pattern for multiple baits because my mind will go off on tangents and i will end up doing something completely different by 3rd bait. 

Ill be sure to post as i create more.

[Deleted account]

I use coiled wire to make spinners, beetle spin frames, mini A-rigs (and sometimes snaps to show off). I have a bunch from salt water fishing. What I find works (besides practice) is to cut the wire to the length you need, and then straighten it between thumb and index finger. Once straight, the trick is to bend it in 2 dimensions (flat) which can be accomplished with a jig or by paying attention as you go. The more you do it, the easier it gets, until it becomes second nature. If you are going to make a bunch, it's probably worth (ha) it to get a bender.

[Munkin]

Is there a reason you are hand bending them versus just buying the pre-bent ones?

 

Allen

[Bdnoble84]

Mostly because i’d never made a spinnerbait before and i like to do things the difficult way i guess. I’m sure next time ill buy prebent forms. I was able to make my first inline spinners though also. I kind of had that in mind when i bought the wire

[Bdnoble84]

So i have been using some of my spinnerbaits and i am having trouble with the tandem blases. The colorado on the clevis just planes along. The blades are 3 and the wire is .035. Couldnt tell u what size clevis is. Could this be an issue of clevis being too tight. Had the same issue with a #5 clevis on an inline

[Jigfishn10]

Not that this is your problem, but on some clevis parts I've used in the past were "spread out". Hard to explain, but instead of the holes being 90* to the wire, they were angled. Almost like a car wheel being out of alignment.

 

Without seeing your spinnerbait, it could be a spacing problem, the clevis itself, a kink in the wire. Weight of the spinnerbait head as well. If the head is too heavy for the blade then you'll have the "planing" issues. Too light and the whole spinnerbait will either rotate during the retrieve or do a 180*.

[smalljaw67]

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.

[Bdnoble84]

12 hours ago, smalljaw67 said:

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.

Thank you for the encouraging words. No chance im stopping lol. When i have time im going to have to experiment alittle. Next time i place an order to barlows ill have to consider the bender. Ive looked at it before but i was on a budget when i purchased the wire and what not. I will say i think im on the right path with the poisontail spinnerbaits. They have seemed to stabilize well in current so far. But i havent been able to test that fully due to the issue with my tandems. Answering jigfish10 my spinnerbaits are 3/8 oz and and blade is #3 colorodo.

the inline is a #5 blade with a1/4 bullet. Dont have any pics of the spinnerbaits, will have to post later.

[Jigfishn10]

@Bdnoble84, I think that #5 might be a little too big for a 1/4 oz. #4 for me is pushing it and I have to really concentrate to keep my retrieve as slow as possible.

 

Here a good starting point.

Spinnerbait Sizing Chart

Head	Colorado	Willow	Indiana	Ball Brg	Roller	Split	Wire	Folded	Metal
Size	Blade	Blade	Blade	Swivel	Swivel	Ring	Clevis	Clevis	Beads
1/8	1,2,3	2,3,3.5	1,2,3,4	#1	#10	#0,1	#2	#4	1/8-5/32
1/4	1,2,3,4	3,3.5,4	1,2,3,4,5	#1,2	#10	#0,1	#2,4	#4	1/8-5/32
3/8	2,3,4,5,6	3,3.5,4,4.5,5	2,3,4,5	#1,2	#10,7	#1,2	#4	#4	1/8-5/32
1/2	2,3,4,5,6,8	3,3.5,4,4.5,5	2,3,4,5,7,8	#2	#10,7	#1,2	#4	#4	1/8-5/32
3/4	2,3,4,5,6,8	3,3.5,4,4.5,5,7	2,3,4,5,7,8	#2	#10,7	#1,2	#4	#4	1/8-5/32

[smalljaw67]

On ‎6‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 9:51 PM, Bdnoble84 said:

So i have been using some of my spinnerbaits and i am having trouble with the tandem blases. The colorado on the clevis just planes along. The blades are 3 and the wire is .035. Couldnt tell u what size clevis is. Could this be an issue of clevis being too tight. Had the same issue with a #5 clevis on an inline

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. 

[Bdnoble84]

10 hours ago, smalljaw67 said:

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. 

Thanks guys for the help. I have a feeling if i play around alittle bit, im going to find the clevis is the issue here. I just used some random ones id bought for walleye harnesses. Im pretty sure they are #2’s. So i will start there. I had consulted that chart for the other stuff i bought jigman, so odds are the clevis is the issue. Ill let u know what i figure out

[Bdnoble84]

Do beads or other spacers have any influence on blade spin

[Jigfishn10]

 

1 hour ago, Bdnoble84 said:

I had consulted that chart for the other stuff i bought jigman, so odds are the clevis is the issue. Ill let u know what i figure out

cool im done here

 

pls show courtesy to others what you have learned, bc you don't show thx here

 

good luck

[smalljaw67]

12 hours ago, Bdnoble84 said:

Do beads or other spacers have any influence on blade spin

They can but only if there is no room for the clevis and blade to slide up to the bead freely. You mentioned the clevis as one you purchased for walleye harnesses, that sounds like you have a folded clevis, if that is the case and it is a small size then that is where your issues are, use the easy spin aka stirrup clevis in a size #3, that will fix your problem.

[Bdnoble84]

12 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

 

cool im done here

 

pls show courtesy to others what you have learned, bc you don't show thx here

 

good luck

Did i miss something, am i interpretting this wrong or are you saying im not courteous on here?

1 hour ago, smalljaw67 said:

They can but only if there is no room for the clevis and blade to slide up to the bead freely. You mentioned the clevis as one you purchased for walleye harnesses, that sounds like you have a folded clevis, if that is the case and it is a small size then that is where your issues are, use the easy spin aka stirrup clevis in a size #3, that will fix your problem.

Thank you smalljaw for the advise. Really appreciate the help. Hopefully thatll work because the smallies are going to start magnetizing to spinnerbaits now that we are getting some warmer weather.

[thinkingredneck]

I got a cheap jig spinner and straight wires with and without preformed loops on the end.  I made quite a few in-line spinners that worked fairly well.  With the price of them now, I think I will make some more. BTW, Brass bullet weights (and painted lead weights) work well for bodies.  Cheaper than some of the other stuff.  Fun stuff.  Thanks for posting this topic.