James RickardLure Modification
October 2nd 2007 00:19
Anyone who reads my posts very much probably thinks I use artificial lures all the time. Far from it! It’s just that there are so many of them around that it’s hard not to say something.
I never thought about it until now but, it seems that it’s always something when it comes to lures—wrong color, dives too deep, or wobbles the wrong way. On the other hand, a minnow or worm wiggles around or you can cast out cut up fish or chicken livers and hope something picks up the scent.
I’ve mentioned "tweaking lures you make but, there are also things you can do to lures you buy that will improve their performance whether they’re brand new or spent the past few seasons at the bottom of your tackle box.
The first thing you can do is “tune” your lures so they run straight upon retrieve. This is pretty simple. Just bend the tie on point SLIGHTLY in the opposite direction of the way the lure is running. If it pulls to the right, try an bend to the left. I can NOT over emphasize the word “slight!” You’re probably going to be bending metal so, you don’t want to weaken it any more than necessary. If it takes FOUR tries to get thing right, that’s better than going too far to begin with and then having to bend it back! The idea here is to get the lure to run straight when you reel it back in. This may also cut down on snags because if you have a pretty good idea of where your lure is, you may avoid trouble by simply moving your rod tip a little to bypass snags and floating debris.
Another thing you can do is play with the scent of your lures. You probably already know that some lures come with attractants in one fashion or another. However, what about those cheap lures we all have? It’s not a bad idea to let them lie in a bed of garlic powder for as long as possible.
What if you have a lure you like but it runs deeper than you’d like? You can shorten the diving bill to make the lure run shallower but, beware, shortening the bill usually means moving the tie on point also. The easiest thing to do in this case is to use a screw eye bored directly into the lure, often at the junction where the lip begins protruding from the lure. To prevent later weakening, anchor the screw eye with a strong epoxy cement.
Painting lures may be another way to go because we all have at least one lure that fish seem to like, investigate, and sniff at, and yet, they never seem to bite. Your best bet in this undertaking would be to use any of the spray paints that are on the market. If you like your results, you may want to try adding scales to your work. This is accomplished by covering the lure with a mesh cloth and then applying a light coat of paint that will contrast with the base coat.
Although lure alterations can be easy, enjoyable, and definitely a way to pass the time when the weather won’t let you fish, be careful! Always try a lure both in the spring and fall as well as the dog days of summer before you decide it doesn’t work. After at least a year, it is PROBABLY safe to do as you please.
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
I never thought about it until now but, it seems that it’s always something when it comes to lures—wrong color, dives too deep, or wobbles the wrong way. On the other hand, a minnow or worm wiggles around or you can cast out cut up fish or chicken livers and hope something picks up the scent.
I’ve mentioned "tweaking lures you make but, there are also things you can do to lures you buy that will improve their performance whether they’re brand new or spent the past few seasons at the bottom of your tackle box.
The first thing you can do is “tune” your lures so they run straight upon retrieve. This is pretty simple. Just bend the tie on point SLIGHTLY in the opposite direction of the way the lure is running. If it pulls to the right, try an bend to the left. I can NOT over emphasize the word “slight!” You’re probably going to be bending metal so, you don’t want to weaken it any more than necessary. If it takes FOUR tries to get thing right, that’s better than going too far to begin with and then having to bend it back! The idea here is to get the lure to run straight when you reel it back in. This may also cut down on snags because if you have a pretty good idea of where your lure is, you may avoid trouble by simply moving your rod tip a little to bypass snags and floating debris.
Another thing you can do is play with the scent of your lures. You probably already know that some lures come with attractants in one fashion or another. However, what about those cheap lures we all have? It’s not a bad idea to let them lie in a bed of garlic powder for as long as possible.
What if you have a lure you like but it runs deeper than you’d like? You can shorten the diving bill to make the lure run shallower but, beware, shortening the bill usually means moving the tie on point also. The easiest thing to do in this case is to use a screw eye bored directly into the lure, often at the junction where the lip begins protruding from the lure. To prevent later weakening, anchor the screw eye with a strong epoxy cement.
Painting lures may be another way to go because we all have at least one lure that fish seem to like, investigate, and sniff at, and yet, they never seem to bite. Your best bet in this undertaking would be to use any of the spray paints that are on the market. If you like your results, you may want to try adding scales to your work. This is accomplished by covering the lure with a mesh cloth and then applying a light coat of paint that will contrast with the base coat.
Although lure alterations can be easy, enjoyable, and definitely a way to pass the time when the weather won’t let you fish, be careful! Always try a lure both in the spring and fall as well as the dog days of summer before you decide it doesn’t work. After at least a year, it is PROBABLY safe to do as you please.
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
| 42 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
