Tip - Idea - Question

For ifishers from out tip contest:

- Tip: Get a couple of the approximate 2" by 5" lure tape sheets, one in chrome mylar and one in flame red (or other good colors such as chartruse or cerise pink). With the skinoil washed off your hands, carefully remove the backing from both sheets and carefully stick them together, trying to smooth out any lumps or bubbles; and pressing it all well together. Then cut varying sizes of torpedo shaped pieces - about 1 1/4" by 1/4". Then punch or slit a small hole up near one of the tapered ends and then put your egg loop leader hook thru it and let it dangle from the lower bend in the hook. Put your egg cluster on. You now have a tiny 'flicker' spinner hanging off your bait that flashes from chrome to red. Flickers more if the eggs aren't hanging over it, but still works a bit if they do. Good for driftfishing and tailout swings - and great for backbouncing! Make smaller ones for clear water silvers/steelhead and larger ones for colored water or chinooks. Just bring the compressed sheets and small scissors along to adjust sizes for conditions.

- Idea: Another idea I have but haven't had time to try yet is find a way to secure a very small sardine filet to the underside of chinook spinner blades to both slow it down and put out the great fresh bait scent (as with Kwikfish). Maybe small dental rubber bands could do this? Or perhaps thread wrapping the small filet, or other bait piece, onto the treble hook shank could help productivity. If you try those with success let me know .

- Question: I have tried using the smallest wiresnap at the end of my jig leaders to facilitate the quick changing of jigs to work a hole. Of course this allows it to hang more down than level (as Cowfish mentioned above), so is not as productive of rigup. Can anyone think of a way to have a quickchange rigup and still have the jig stay more stationary level? Maybe Cowfishes superglue gel trick would work with the tiny wiresnap for this? (Assuming the the drop of hardened glue scrapes off easily enough).

[Snagly]

I like the flicker tip -- happen to have a few square yards of the lure tape anyway. However, I think you're over engineering your jig system when you start putting a snap in the equation. It takes 30 seconds to cut off one jig and tie on another, esp. if before the trip you cleared the paint out of all the jig eyes and sharpened the hooks. I didn't see the specific tip about superglue but that's a second best solution.

My real criticism, however, is an absolute distrust of snaps. I don't know of one serious saltwater guide in Australia who uses a snap. Big fish open up snaps. (I know pluggers have used snaps very successfully for many years, so maybe those Hotshot snaps are something special but I'd not be surprised to learn that these snaps can open up, too.)

On a related issue, several top Ozzie guides take a few seconds and remove the stainless steel split ring that comes attached to the eye of many minnow-type plugs. These rings cost you fish in one of two ways. If the ring isn't 2H strength and the right diameter, it can pull out. Even strong rings can ruin you by allowing the cinched-down knot to work its way onto the ring and, in a prolonged battle, eventually come off. I actually did this once: lost a fish, reeled in my knot and nothing else! Once burned was enough. If you need a connection that allows the lure to wiggle freely, tie a loop knot.

"Throw out the hardware/ Let's do it right" (Steely Dan, "Aja") [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Up-4-Air]

Regarding adding sardine to a spinner blade: A couple weeks ago I posted a description of using tape backed velcro on my kwickfish to hold sardine scent. I use the stiff side of the velcro because it will hold the sardine meat when you smash it into the nap of the velcro. The sardine slowly washes out of the velcro giving a good scent trail. It works great on a kwickfish and it doesn't effect the plug's action. You can make the piece of velcro any size and add it anywhere on the plug. I have planned to add velcro to some of my spinners but haven't gotten around to it yet. Clean up is easy. A couple strokes with a brush cleans all the remaining sardine out of the nap of the velcro. It saves a lot of time compared to cutting and tying chunks of sardine on a plug. You can freshen the velcro with a small piece of sardine (1/4 inch square) any time you pull the plug or spinner in to check for grass, etc.

If you try it, I'll be interested to hear what you think. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Fishplay]

OK Jenny you asked for contributions and Im in a sharing mood today!

Try this tip RT [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
I build my own spinners and have found a simple method of applying scent. I use scent pads. The first time I tried this I used the buffing pads from a dremmel set, they are the perfect size for fall Chinook blades. I now buy buffing pads from a local floor care store and use a punch to cut my own. It's much cheaper and I can very the size. I like to place one ahead of the blade because I beleive the action then disperses the scent. I have also alternated them with beads or corkies to make up the body of the lure. I have an early morning low light special made of glow in the dark white w/ pink dot corkies. Injected with scent and flashed its a SLAMMER [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]
Donated by Fishplay Tackle Co. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Pitch Pocket]

When fishing Kwikfish, I put a small piece of velcro on the belly near the back hook and attach strips of mylar to it. The action of the Kwikfish "swims" the mylar and the flash and additonal movement seems to drive em wild. If you bead chain your treble(s) you can lengthen the mylar and get even more "fish tail". I like to hide the hooks in the mylar. Strikes are vicious.