Makin tuna lures (1st, 2nd, and 3rd try pic)

Threemuch · 08-13-2003, 09:36 AM

So now that I cut my teeth on a few halibut harpoons on the lathe and mill, I intend to make some jet heads with my new skills. Tie some feathers and bucktail on in the appropriate colors, and I am ready (readier) to fish!

I will post here my results!
KB

[ 08-19-2003, 11:57 AM: Message edited by: Threemuch ]

bait boy · 08-13-2003, 09:40 AM

Kurt, You may check with bait o' and edsr. I think they are coming up with some designs already but I don't think they have the metal fab going yet.... Their cedar plugs look good from the paint side I just need to get them wet. Roy also had a prototype leadhead with a mylar tail that caught fish for them.

Mr. Fisherman · 08-13-2003, 09:46 AM

COOL! I can't wait to see them...

Threemuch · 08-13-2003, 09:57 AM

Actually, I could rework Roy's cedar plugs to stay together pretty easily with the lathe. Cut a small collar on the head and a small hole in the wood, that will stay together.
KB

Pete · 08-13-2003, 10:09 AM

I strung together some feathers, stuffed an egg-sinker inside a hoochie and ended up with these prototypes I hope to try soon.

bait boy · 08-13-2003, 10:14 AM

Speaking of which.. I don't know how often roy checks in over here but this whole lure building thing has been pretty hush hush. I don't know if Roy will be marketing his new creations on his website or not. There is definitely a local need for the gear at least 3 months of the year. I don't know what design programs are going on behind the scenes here but I know that we have the Skilled people in all the right industries for making this gear. I have no idea if any of this is cost effective for the makers of their "special one of a kind" tuna lures... but when has cost ever been a factor for the true tackle Ho'. There are engineers, metalworkers, plastic fabricating folks all watching and thinking about how to make that next new tuna lure so what are the chances that you folks will come up with a good piece to try or use.

BUGLEMAN · 08-13-2003, 10:28 AM

Hey Pete!

Why pay 8 bucks for something that you can make for 2. Looking good, those will fish. I have had half a mind to do that myself. Just no time to put my hoochies together. How did you work the feathers up in that there hoochie? Inquiring minds want to know. I was thinking of glueing the feathers to some small diameter tubing

Bait O' Eggs · 08-13-2003, 10:50 AM

Kurt
I have been thru a couple gyrations on making plugs. Each time I use them I learn something, and the current design seems to hold together fine and looks good. Some of the early designs didnt hold up well (lead heads broke off), and am glad I have given most of the early ones away

I have yet to catch a tuna on a cedar plug so I am not convinced they are the ticket.

So far all the fish I have seen come on feathers or some close version of a feather. (note: wiggly tail)

After having drug a few feathers in the water, I have a different design in mind that will weigh a little more and probably work a little better. Gonna have to wait till winter, as I am done fishing and am gearing up for hunting season for the next several months.

I have some lures I have played with that I made from shreded Mylar in various colors. The mylar (pom poms

) looks good in the air, but tends to want to clump up in the water when I have a complete mylar tail, so I am thinking a lot of mylar is not the best as it doesnt move/breathe like I thought it would. Some mylar mixed in with feathers, or maybe some broom tail type material would look better in the water is my latest guess.

The metallic mylar does reflect a lot of color which does look good, I just need to get it to wiggle in the water.

I keep hearing the hot producing color changes from day to day, but so far with my limited data points it looks like green and yellow is a mainstay. I would like to make the plug a bit like Pete did in his picture so you can change out part of the lure to get different color combinations. Having 100 + lures to get several color combos is expensive and takes room. I would like to make a plug that can be have one color of tail, and a different color body, and mix and match the components to get variations.

After Pilar told me about his yozuri divers, I priced them at $25 a pop and it seemed kind of expensive when you need a couple of them. I took a chunk of 2x6 and made a diver in about 15 minutes that roughly looked a bit like the surf board diver.

It actually caught one of our 9 fish Sunday

I wish I would have made it a little different so I could adjust the attachment point, it was diving about 15 or 20 feet on a 90 foot handline. I needed to move the attachment back to get it deeper but didnt even know if it would go down when I made it having never used one.

Still kicking around a couple other different ideas to catch tuna, more research needed.

Next year I will have enough stuff to either fill a landfill, or wipe out the entire population of tuna on the west coast

Miss B Haven · 08-13-2003, 12:25 PM

BOE- I don't get it cause my Cedars have been outfishing everything else. Last Sunday we had one that got hit 4 times in a row, the last 3 times was as it was getting let out. You shoulda seen Fishbaits face when he had the outrigger clip in one hand and a Tuna in the other, THREE TIMES!!! :shocked: :grin:

Everything I had out last Sunday got hit but the Cedar still got hit more often. We talked about putting a second one out in the spread but everybody was too tired to deal with more fish coming to the boat! I hate it when that happens!

Threemuch · 08-13-2003, 01:09 PM

Just finished the first brass prototype. Concave head, 6 smoke holes, and a collar for tying feathers/plastic/etc to. Brass sure machined easy, but will probably corrode quickly. SS is so slow and hard on tools. I intend to try some out of brass, and some from aluminum.
KB

Pete · 08-13-2003, 01:42 PM

Bugleman wrote:

Quote:

I was thinking of glueing the feathers to some small diameter tubing

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">I had some narrow tubing. Cut sections about 1 � inch long, wrapped the feathers on the tube with kevlar thread, soaked the wrap with pliobond adhesive, then trimmed the tube to about � inch and slid it up the leader into the hoochie.

BUGLEMAN · 08-13-2003, 04:28 PM

Pete sounds like you have yourself there a polyencased 'bullet'

proof tuna feather.

KB where are you shaving your metal? I am sort of hoping you have a CNC in your shed. :grin:

[ 08-13-2003, 05:28 PM: Message edited by: BUGLEMAN ]

Threemuch · 08-13-2003, 04:55 PM

CNC is not required. Manual machining tools, at my work. Learning valuable job skills, you know?

Bill Monroe · 08-13-2003, 07:45 PM

Capt. Kujo the other day was using a kind of cylinder noise maker, although I don't know it worked any better than those without...anyone else use them?

edsr · 08-13-2003, 11:30 PM

I am not sure that the lead head has to be attached to make an effective lure.

Some of the lead to cedar connections that I put together have not held up to being dropped. The experimetns tht Roy and I did with the lead inside will be more durable.

Some additional tuna time will be needed for testing.

edsr

Threemuch · 08-13-2003, 11:38 PM

I think the heavy head on a cedar plug is essential for the action. And yes, they do catch fish. They also tangle like crazy.

My intention is to make some jet heads, and tie feathers and bucktail to them in the appropriate colors.

Orca · 08-14-2003, 07:25 AM

Threemuch, I was planning to do the same using some aluminum rod and some judicious drilling and shaping. Can't wait to see how yours come out. You planning aluminum or stainless?

Threemuch · 08-14-2003, 09:01 AM

First attempt. My buddy Steve tied the feather and bucktail, we will be making some mods to that (longer feathers).

KB

[ 08-14-2003, 10:32 AM: Message edited by: Threemuch ]

Mr. Fisherman · 08-14-2003, 01:15 PM

Hhmmmm How you gonna rig that?
Looks cool. I'd like some in black and purple and mean green...
Oh yea, and a Pink one in case I get to fish with Popeye... :grin:

[ 08-14-2003, 02:16 PM: Message edited by: Mr. Fisherman ]

Threemuch · 08-14-2003, 01:56 PM

It's a bad chugger jet! Line down the center to the hook. Should smoke like a fiend.

pkg40 · 08-15-2003, 11:37 PM

Pete,

Your jigs look good. The center one should be a good color combination. IMO the twin hooks are not the way to go. More expensive, Harder to get into the fishes jaw, more likely to put the extra barb through your hand. Nothing but single hooks for me.

PK

P.S. I catch at least 1/2 of my fish on the single cedar plug I run in the center far back position. No paint is necessary natural cedar works just peachy.

Threemuch · 08-19-2003, 09:27 AM

Two more Jet head jigs tied up by Steve.

Mr. Fisherman · 08-19-2003, 12:22 PM

Kurt, those will work, I can feel it.
Lets go prove it next Thursday. I'm feelin a case of bachlorhood coming on strong. Only cure is to get thos lures wet with a couple of my finest friends...

Must find tote....

Threemuch · 08-19-2003, 01:20 PM

Ray, I am out until August 31. In-Laws in this week, on call at work from then til the 31st.
Boo hoo.

08-19-2003, 03:13 PM

Blue and white cedar plugs were the hot number last weekend. About 3/1 over the rest of our spread of 9 handlines and 3-4 rods. I thought we had "Bill" or a bluefin Saturday on a Kona Clone way back, but it was "ONLY" another albacore :grin: