TUBEDUDE'S LURES

[TubeDude]

[cool] As promised, here is a scanned pic of my Perch Urchins and some of the spinoff hammered sinker lures. I started with prism tape on Kastmasters and worked up to painted lead sinker jigs. I am now playing around with Glow in the dark and glitter paints, with good success.



The bait bugs and Roadrunners below are the best colors through the ice, and during cold water periods at other times of the year. Most of them have bodies of "Craft Cord" from the Plastic Canvas section of a hobby and craft shop. If you copy these pics to a photo editor and enlarge them, pay close attention to the new rainbow colors I have been using. DY-NO-MITE




These jigs are especially designed with short tails, to be used with bait. I use a small piece of worm, wax worms, meal worms, fish eyes or fish meat. They can also be effective fished with a small tube jig hooked through the tip and fished "wacky worm" style.

Be happy to offer help for anyone who wants to take a crack at doing their own.
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Bad form to reply to your own post, but I happened to remember a site for some new glow in the dark material that looks fantastic. It is a powder that you mix into clear vinyl paint, or other colors, and apply over a white coat. It is supposed to be a lot brighter and last a lot longer than any of the paints I get through Janns or other outlets. I'm ordering their trial package, which includes the hard to find BLUE stuff. I have heard some great reports on glow in the dark blue for macks under the ice...as well as nighttime fishing at other times of the year.

Here is the link [url "http://www.extremeglow.com/glowpowder.htm"]http://www.extremeglow.com/glowpowder.htm[/url]
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[BryanE]

Great stuff, Mr. TubeDude. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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[Teroy]

Are those first 4 or 5 first spoons for sale TD?
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[plecopterahopper]

Are those road runners made with a swivel molded right into the lead? Those look good TD.
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[TubeDude]

[cool] Yes, the jig heads are made in a special mold that has a slot to include a small #10 or #12 "crane" swivel. After painting...and tying, if you dress the jigs...you first get a size 0 split ring started on the blade of your choice, and then (using needlenose pliers) start it also on the outside loop of the crane swivel. Then you gently rotate it around until both the blade and the swivel are fully inside the split ring.

I also make several other kinds of spinner-decorated jig heads. They were originally intended for bass but work for just about every species I have pursued in both fresh and salt water. Here's a couple of pics of some of the spinner lures I make, both for fishing bait and plastics.



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[TubeDude]

[cool] Yes and no. The Kastmasters, Cleos and Krocodiles are for sale everywhere. The prism tape and eyes are also available from many sources. But, do I sell them put together? No.

However, as a few folks have already found out, I will send the detailed instructions for making and fishing them, by email or PM on this site.

The good news is that the prism taping thing is not hard. You start with 3/8 oz or 1/2 oz Kastmasters...bigger for macks. Buy a couple of packs of prism tape and cut it into long strips, of the width you want to use. Then, measure off the length you want to apply, and cut the strips to that length. Note: you will have two different lengths on Kastmasters.

Next, before removing the backing from the sticky surface, trim the rectangular pieces to the approximate size and shape you need. Then, using the point of a knife blade, lift the top edge of the covering off the sticky edge and peel it back. Try to keep from touching the sticky coating too much with your fingers. Carefully start the top edge and progressively stick the tape in place.

I use a sharp craft knife or razor blade to trim the "hangover" around the edges. Your first few attempts may not look great to you, but the color and flash they add makes a super lure for the fishies.

Oh yeah, the eyes. I usually paint my own, but you can find stick on eyes in the same place you find prism tape...sometimes. Try Jann's Netcraft if you can't get them elsewhere. You can also glue on some of those little craft eyes from hobby shops. The pupil rattles around and may add extra fish attracting noise. You can use either white eyes or chartreuse. I have also used some with hot red. Bright colors are good in murky or cold water...and in deep water or low light conditions.
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[PescadorUtah]

Does adding red hooks help?
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[TubeDude]

[cool] I haven't tried colored hooks. By the time you decorate the jigs with a piece of "flavoring", and with the flash and vibration...and color of the basic lures...colored hooks might be costly overkill.

I know guys who use colored hooks on their worm harness rigs for walleyes and claim to notice a positive difference. They may also improve the strike attraction for fishing worms, eggs and bottle baits, especially when the hook is partially exposed. Wherever fish are subject to a lot of angling pressure, it can be a good thing to show them something they have not seen before. I have had a mental picture of big smart old fish watching a lure going by and saying to each other "That Whatchacallit #4 in Firetiger finish is what got Big George last summer."

Despite what some "experts" would have us believe, I personally feel that many fish are sensitive to subtle shades of different colors. Anyone who has ever been skunked while fishing "the wrong color" lure or bait, right next to someone else who was knocking them dead on the right color can relate to that theory.

In some instances, it is more a matter of what is most visible under prevailing light and clarity conditions. Fish are easier to attract if they can see your offerings better. And, "natural" colors may sometimes be the worst choice, if you want to get bit. That's why I always carry "attractor" colors, such as bright white, yellow, chartreuse or hot pink. Don't know why fish get excited over these colors, but I'd rather catch a few fish on wild colors than blank while "matching the hatch".

If you wanna decorate my little jigs with colorful hooks, you just go head on 'til your head hurts. No patent or copyright infringement here.
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[FishFearMe]

You should always try the cooks food before adding salta and pepper though.
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