Can you ID these tuna lures?

[Pitch Pocket]

I “inherited” about 40 tuna lures from a friend. They don’t look like any I’ve seen or can find on the web. Can anyone can id them? There are two basic styles in two sizes each.



These are weighted resin heads with a skirt. The large ones are 9” overall and they weigh 3 ounces unrigged. The small ones are 6-1/2” overall and they weigh 2 ounces unrigged. There is a made in Japan sticker is on one of the new ones.





These feathers have a weighted head with a red jewel eye. The small ones are about 6” long and weigh 2 ounces and the large ones are 3 & 4 ounces. Made in Japan stamped on the side of the heads.

[Badger]

If you're a made-in-USA only kind of guy, I'll be happy to give them a try next summer.

[Mark Mc]

The ones on the bottom are the early vintage tuna feathers. We used them a lot in the 70's. I still have some; they'll still catch fish. That style jighead is often known by a particular name that I would not use myself because it sounds a little, well, racist. So I'll just call it a "Japanese Head" jig.

The ones on top I believe are the true squid imitations to troll for bluefin & other stuff. I'm sure Marty would know more about them.

[Reel Creel]

No clue.... but i'll bet they fish. What a score.

[Pitch Pocket]

I looked at the No Alibi tuna feathers and I think it's a match. Just older version I guess. Thanks Threemuch.

The squid imitations are still a mystery. Can't wait to drag them around.

[Chukrchaser]

The lead heads were always known on the commercial jig boats from San Diego as "*** Heads" -- these look like they have some age on them -- that should be a fish skin wrapper holding the feathers on-- The plastic skirts are faily new -- but that head is interesting -- what's it made of?

They should fish for sure

[Pitch Pocket]

Half a dozen of the feathers have fish skin, the rest are plastic.

The squid immitations are made of lead and clear resin with sparkles and four colored panels imbedded in them. Here's a close-up



They have what appears to be a replaceable skirt. I'd like to find the replacements so I can have a few spares. I suppose any brand skirt would do, but the ones I've seen don't look like they are made for this type of head.

[Albacore Tuna Captain]

Pitch Pocket,

Those skirts look like hootchies..

But I think you came across a sorry deal here. Those jigs will never work for you. You might as well toss em. But if you'd like to save on your trash bill, just give em to me at the next tunaholic meet and I'll dispose of em for ya. :grin:

[Pitch Pocket]

Albacore Tuna Captain:

Thanks! I didn't know what I was going to do with them. You've got the answer and I hope to be able to make the next TA meeting to discuss a fair settlement.

Tuna virgin that I am, I'm gullible. Maybe the landfill will take them?

[KingFisher85]

In the last two pictures, I have a bunch of them I got from my grandpa.

[Onokai]

Pitch Pocket. Those look like there's lead in them. Lead is a poison. I work with nasty materials in my line of work and can safely handle those babies.
1st step drop into padded box
2nd step seal up
3rd step address to me. my web page has the address

I will at no charge to you test them for hazard bearings compounds. also do a water test with them. At no additional charge I promise to see how certain fast speices of fish react to them. I will post all results as soon as finding are KNOWN. Mark

ONOKAI

[Salmonator]

Mark, I didn't think you were old enough to use those lures back in the 70's?? I'll bet you got carded well into your 30's :smile:

[Mark Mc]

Salmonator (it's Joe, right?), yea, I started real young....by the time I was 17 I knew a heck of a lot more about fish than I knew about girls (which is still the case). And then eating so much fish for all those years, I think has kept me looking youthful, but the mercury is taking it's toll. I got carded about 2 years ago (at 41) at Albertsons by the little old lady checker...what a flirt.

[kamloops]

Pitch Pocket


Looks like we need to do a tackle swap, might even let Mel in on the action.

I still have a whole fleet of the chrome head jigs with the jewel eye, and they do catch fish.
Hang on to the white ones for later in the summer. :grin:

[Threemuch]

The ones on the bottom look like No Alibi tuna feathers, the ones on the top I am not sure of. I bet they will fish.

[edsr]

Kamloops!! -- What a great idea -- How about a tackle swap at the T/A meeting on the 24th?

edsr

[kamloops]

EDSR

I think it's a great idea, I don't want to rain on Rod's deal though.

[edsr]

Kamloops - I'll bring some stuff and if the opportunity presents itself then fine if not O.K. too.
edsr

[Miss B Haven]

I think I've seen those top ones for sale on ebay before. Don't remember waht they were called though.

The bottom ones are good old Tuna Feathers. The white ones were the hot ticket for a couple trips last summer. Too bad I didnt have any on board. Of course that's not as bad as Kamloops who discovered he had a ton of them on board (hidden under a buncha hand lines)AFTER we got back to the dock! :blush:

[Pitch Pocket]

Not sure I'd feel comfortable swapping any of these because of the way I got them :depressed: ........... Unless they don't catch anything! Then I'll be wanting to swap them all.

Mel, the closest I've been able to come up with are Wahoo lures. Can't find the exact thing, but the jet heads are similar to the larger big game lures.

[ 01-12-2004, 04:05 PM: Message edited by: Pitch Pocket ]

[BaitStop]

The jigs on the bottom look like the type you could buy in boxes of 12 from Englunds & other places. They fished well until the feathers were chewed off. Once in awhile they cracked where the head narrows down. They were repaced in time by chrome plated 2 piece brass heads w/redeyes. The jig screwed together & allowed the skirts to be changed. The color selection was pretty awesome & they fished very well.

[Pitch Pocket]

None of these feathers screw together, but some of the really banged up ones have been re-feathered using a fine wire to hold on the new plumes.

[kamloops]

Pitch Pocket

Don't do what I did, some of my White jigs were getting a little off color.
My genius mind thought that maybe a little bleach would work. It kind of melts the feathers.

Next I found some liquid Blueing, old stuff that folks used for bleach long ago, well that did not do anything either. It's hard to find.

If you think of it, can you give me the specs on the S.S. wire you use. Looks like 26gu or smaller.

[Pitch Pocket]

Kamloops,
These all came to me rigged just like they are. Most are rigged with heavy mono. Some have a plastic coated twisted wire and one has been strung with 4 feet of .036" spinner wire. The mono looks pretty old and I plan to re-tie all of those. Not sure what to do with the wire rigged ones. Do you guys use spinner wire to rig your feathers? Probably wouldn't lose too many that way.

[kamloops]

The s.s. wire is the wrap for the feathers around the base of the jig head.
I was going to retie some jigs.

It does not look too difficult to do.
I don't have a clue where you can get the old dried cod skin they used to use, looks like the later models went to plastic skirts.
Hey, I live in Seattle, I'll go to Ballard.

[ 01-14-2004, 03:46 PM: Message edited by: kamloops ]

[Pitch Pocket]

Oh, that wire. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

It mics at .015". None of the re-tied ones have the codskin, just plastic.

So what do you think about using spinner wire instead of mono to rig these babies?

[kamloops]

That's a darn good question.

Tell ya what I'm thinkin this year is to convert most all jigs to Flurocarbon leaders, if I can afford the price.
I am damm near at my breaking point on the Miss B. Mel kicking my butt on Tuna.
I need to find an edge and stick with it.

I was using 200lb mono on my jigs and 130lb on the ceadar plugs. My reels are both 65lb tuf line and 50lb mono. When we'd rig up a rod we would put a swivel than attach a pre tied jig w/200lb mono, soo I'm going lite this summer.

[Mark Mc]

If you're using rod & reel for tuna, there are only 3 reasons I can think of where you NEED heavy (i.e. 100 to 200 lb) leaders:

1) you want to lift the fish in the boat by the leader without gaffing;

2) you want some insurance in case you hook a bluefin

3) you want the same leader to last all season

For albies, 50 to 80 lb leaders are more than adequate. Even 40 is fine; I use 40 lb fluorocarbon leaders on my swimbaits for trolling, and have never been sawed off, not once! Fluorocarbon is well known to be more abrasion resistant than mono of equal size. Gotta be careful with the knots though. Keep it wet, and go slow on the final lock-down.

[kamloops]

ALL of those are good reasons but, you forgot the main reason, we are way too lazy to retie jigs onto the rods. It's always easier to retreve a pre tied jig and attach it to a swivel. :blush:

The summer before last I did lose a number of jigs and fish on handlines using 100lb test.
They broke off above the hook eye crimp.

We never had a crimp fail last season with 200lb mono. But I also was not happy with my numbers.

[Mark Mc]

I hear ya Kamloops. I know some guys like to thread the line from the rod right through the jig & tie a hook, but I never do that. Always a fresh leader. More frequent leader changes if it is light, a little less frequent if it is heavier. Like maybe 2 or 3 trips on an 80 lb leader, if it has been catching fish. A 40 lb fluorocarbon leader lasts one trip if it has caught 4/5 fish or more; maybe 2 trips by cutting off a few inches & re-tieing. The Izoreline fluoro I use is $13. for 13 yards, so $1. for the 3 ft leader. I don't think that's too bad, considering how much we spend on all the other paraphenalia.

[Rodbender]

The 9" lures are killer colours for the South Pacific-YFT in Fiji would kill for them-the 6" as well.
They look like something like Yamashita skirts but the colours in the pictures aren't on the Yamashita site http://www.yamaria.co.jp/~expinfo/
I'd definitely lose the trebles on the 6 inches though-a good sized YFT can flatten those hooks and even if he's hooked unhooking him can be a pain.
Smaller Japanese Feathers that have beaten up feathers can be revived by slipping an Octopus-sized Hoochy over the head.After cutting a small piece off the head to allow the Hoochy to fit just use some liquid soap to ease the skirt over the leadhead.
Then rinse thoroughly and allow to dry then use some dental floss to secure the Hootchy-a drop of super glue isn't a bad idea but isn't usually necessary.
I like contrasting colours for the Hoochy-Blue over White, Pink over White, Red over White/Yellow.

[ 01-19-2004, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: Rodbender ]

[Pitch Pocket]

Thanks Rodbender, Good instructions on Yamashitas site for replacing the skirts. I'm planning to retie all the set-ups before I use them. I think some of the mono is 20 years old or more.