05-19-2003, 11:58 AM
[cool][size 1]Hey folks. I have been looking for some small strips of something I could use to decorate my "baitbugs" and Roadrunners, other than bait. Sometimes you run out. Sometimes you just don't got none.
Uncle Josh makes some little pork "fly strips" that are the right size for small bait bugs, but they are costly and they dry out if you leave them out of water very long. There are also some synthetic strips that you can cut into your own special shapes.
The other day, I was cruising through a favorite craft supplies store, looking for some thin white leather or other material from which I could cut some strips to substitute for bait. As i walked down one of the aisles, I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a large display of stuff called "Rainbow Felt". It was suitably thin, made of synthetic (nylon ?) and cheap. Only 19 cents for a square foot of the stuff. And, talk about "Rainbow". There were almost every color you could imagine. Several whites, with different sparkly colors sprinkled in...reds and hot reds, yellows and chartreuses, blacks, blues. There's not a color I use in my creations that was not represented.
I blew 19 cents on a square of the"Snowfelt White"...with little flecks of pearl glitter all through it. Took it home, got out the scissors and cut out some different shapes and sizes to try last Saturday. Good news. The fish voted for it. I caught several of my biggest fish Saturday on bait bugs adorned with the new synthetic stuff.
It is a little stiffer than pork, but it adds bulk, color, flash and porosity...to hold fish attractant longer. It helps the jig fall slower, when the fish are finicky, and it flutters enough to increase the action when jigged. The surprise was in how tough it was. I thought it might tear apart easily, after being cut into small pieces. But, after several aggressive fish worked it over, I still had to work to get the stuff off the hook. I actually had to crimp down the barb on the jig to remove the strips.
I plan to blow at least a dollar on several more colors to try. I especially like the idea of adding a chartreuse strip to black jigs...and maybe some hot red on the back of white. I'm betting trout will jump all over that one. I also think a small bit of orange, on the greenish metallic bugs will be a great offering for smallmouths, in fresh water, and for surf fishes of all kinds. Heres a pic of the material, cut into strips and then into shapes for fishing...and how I attach to my jigs.
![[Image: SCOU1712CustomImage2047975.jpg]](http://web.ecomplanet.com/SCOU1712/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/SCOU1712CustomImage2047975.jpg)
TubeDude [/size]
[signature]
Uncle Josh makes some little pork "fly strips" that are the right size for small bait bugs, but they are costly and they dry out if you leave them out of water very long. There are also some synthetic strips that you can cut into your own special shapes.
The other day, I was cruising through a favorite craft supplies store, looking for some thin white leather or other material from which I could cut some strips to substitute for bait. As i walked down one of the aisles, I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a large display of stuff called "Rainbow Felt". It was suitably thin, made of synthetic (nylon ?) and cheap. Only 19 cents for a square foot of the stuff. And, talk about "Rainbow". There were almost every color you could imagine. Several whites, with different sparkly colors sprinkled in...reds and hot reds, yellows and chartreuses, blacks, blues. There's not a color I use in my creations that was not represented.
I blew 19 cents on a square of the"Snowfelt White"...with little flecks of pearl glitter all through it. Took it home, got out the scissors and cut out some different shapes and sizes to try last Saturday. Good news. The fish voted for it. I caught several of my biggest fish Saturday on bait bugs adorned with the new synthetic stuff.
It is a little stiffer than pork, but it adds bulk, color, flash and porosity...to hold fish attractant longer. It helps the jig fall slower, when the fish are finicky, and it flutters enough to increase the action when jigged. The surprise was in how tough it was. I thought it might tear apart easily, after being cut into small pieces. But, after several aggressive fish worked it over, I still had to work to get the stuff off the hook. I actually had to crimp down the barb on the jig to remove the strips.
I plan to blow at least a dollar on several more colors to try. I especially like the idea of adding a chartreuse strip to black jigs...and maybe some hot red on the back of white. I'm betting trout will jump all over that one. I also think a small bit of orange, on the greenish metallic bugs will be a great offering for smallmouths, in fresh water, and for surf fishes of all kinds. Heres a pic of the material, cut into strips and then into shapes for fishing...and how I attach to my jigs.
TubeDude [/size]
[signature]