Fishing Forum

TD, I've been making a couple of in-line spinners and had a question.

When I bought the supplies, I only bought the 3/4 in. in-line blades (not the clevis type blade). Do the larger blades spin better in faster moving water? The spinners I make are really simple and work well when the rivers are running slow, but ever time I've been out with them after a storm or something, it seems that the blades are not spinning well.

Another question: When you do your initial white coat before painting any other colors, do you use the powder paint? My neighbor has a powder coating machine (and dedicated oven in his garage) and I could buy a can of white powder from Harbor Freight for like 7 bucks. Would actual powder coat work as well as the powder paint or the vinyl paint? I know that the powder paint is almost identical to powder coat, but the biggest difference is in curing temp. Powder coat is cured at 450 degrees for about an hour. With doing spinner blades or thinner metal, you could cut the cure time to 20 mins or so, but I was just wondering if it would work as well. The reason I ask is that I could powder coat a bunch of blades very fast (100 or so an hour, pending set up time). If this would work as well you could save a bunch of time on the first step to custom paint jobs.

I don't have any pics on my computer here at work of the spinners, but I'll bring some in to post tomorrow so you can see what I've got going on.

BTW, just browsing through some of the older posts here on the lure and jig making thread, and I got some really good ideas from the painting spinner blades post. Thanks for the pics man, I would be completely lost with out those. (Like my first batch of painted blades, that I painted with engine spray paint[shocked]).
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[cool][#0000ff]I like the inline blades, especially for stream fishing applications. But, as you have discovered, it takes some experimenting to get the right balance of size, weight, blade size, profile, etc. And, you will find yourself changing spinners sometimes as you move from slower to faster water or vice versa. In still water, the speed of retrieve is the main variable, but the depth you want to fish and how you want the spinner to act will influence the way you build them too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are no exact formulas. Make some up and try them in different situations. Make some casts and retrieves at different depths and speeds and get a feel for how the blade works for you. As a general rule, larger blades will spin better and create more drag and vibration than smaller blades will...on the same size body and with the same size and type of hook setup.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I don't use powder paint, but for white coating a large quantity of jig heads or spinner blades at a time, it is not a bad idea. I don't use powder for several reasons. Mainly because of having to work with the heat and then reheating to cure, etc. Also, I make a lot of fancy designs, using vinyl paints, and they tend to bond well with a white vinyl base coat...that I can apply as I wish. But, again, for quantity production, the powder paints might work better for you. Give it a try and make your own call.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Glad you like the past pics. Let me know if there is anything specific you are looking for. Chances are that I have a pic available in one of my files.[/#0000ff]
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Thanks for the reply TD, I'll make some more of them up and let you know how they do. I was going to post some pics of them for you to check out and critique, but the week I spent on Maui's beaches filled my camera full of sand, and it doesn't work anymore![mad] Oh well, Maui was cool and I've had the camera forever....


Maui Sunset!


I've been experimenting with different wire diameter's. The .020 I've used is kinda cool, with the wire being so plyable you can put a slight bend through the spinners and it gives them a kinda of a wounded fish spin, in addition to the blades spinning. I made up a bunch of blank .025 wire forms and I'll hook them all up with beads and blades.

Check out this Canadain site for bulk blades, pretty good prices as long as you order enough to keep your shipping prices worth it.
[url "http://www.luremaking.com/catalogue/catalogue-index/blades-index.htm"]http://www.luremaking.com/...dex/blades-index.htm[/url]

I don't know what the exchange rate is for the Canadian dollar is, but worth looking at I think.
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[cool][#0000ff]Bummer about the camera, but as good a way as any to finish it off. Good excuse to buy a new one.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Great link. I checked through their spinner blades and they have the best assortment I have seen. Prices are reasonable too. Since Cabelas has decided not to sell their bulk Colorado blades anymore, I have been looking for a good place to buy in 100 quantities...especially for making my Roadrunner jigs. Thanks.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You and I agree on wire sizes. I use mostly .024 for most spinners, but go a little lighter on some of the smaller models. I use much heavier wire for the jig spinners that I make into small spinner baits. You need more stiffness in the wire to keep the spinning blade away from the jig. (See Attached Pics)[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]By the way, you can rig those inline spinner blades on a spinner bait setup too. Just make a short sharp bend at the end of the spinner part of the wire shaft.[/#0000ff]
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Have you checked out the conversion rate for the Canadain dollar? I haven't had time to check it out, but I'll get to it eventually...

I was going to ask you, what's it gonna take to trade or buy some of those spinner jigs you make with your modified mold? Nothing painted, just the plain ole' lead.

BTW, I found a pic of one of them spinners I make but I'm not sure how well you'll be able to see it. The pic is the first fish I ever caught on my spinner! Gotta tell you though, when I caught this little tiger on the Weber, It made my week! Good feeling catching a fish on a spinner you design and make yourself!

I only reduced the size a bit on these. I wanted you to be able to zoom a bit and see the spinner. Not going to post it inline.
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[cool][#0000ff]Shoot me a PM for directions to my place and you can come over for a pouring session. We can make up a few in different sizes and styles for you to play with. Either bring your own hooks and wire or you can pay my cost on them. No charge for the lead and I work cheap.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I can also demo some of my painting designs and techniques. It might also help to watch some of my wire-working methods. You might say I have it down "Pat".[/#0000ff]
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Found this on the exchange rate from Yahoo:


Feb 20
US Dollar 1
Canadian Dollar 1.0168

Just barely over ours, not enough to worry about!
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks. I'm sure it changes fairly frequently, but it is not a great difference.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]More important is being able to find the type and quality of components you want...at any price. Hey...it's only fishing. Right?[/#0000ff]
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Hell, if thought about how much fishing really cost me, I'd probably have a conipition! Let alone if the little woman found out![unsure]
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[cool][#0000ff]Women are a lot smarter than we give them credit for being. They are glad to see us spending money on tackle because they can whack us over the head with that whenever we make noise about all the money they "SAVE" at the department store sales.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We have a 50 - 50 arrangement at our house. I get 50 cents and my wife gets 50 bucks.[/#0000ff]
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I will be doing my damnedest to never let my woman ever see the details of your 50-50 arrangment. She gets wind of that, and it'll be all over for me!![laugh]
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This may help, I use a glass seed bead from wally world crafts for blade bearings...actually placing two seed beads just under the blade or clevis works very well and spins easily without rubbing against a spinner body.
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