Modifying factory lures

[Ted Bateman]

I have seen many repaints on factory baits which look better than the original factory paint job and that alone is a modification or change to the original bait. But how many go a step futher and actually modify the shape of the lure or shape of the lip or in other words actually change the physical aspects of the bait. And if you're willing, share the modification and how it changes the baits action and perfomance. I'm a tinkerer at heart and love to mess around with various lures. Something as simple as changing the hooks, size or even just the brand, can change the depth at which a suspending bait actually supends. You can pick up a small scale that will weigh very small weights and them you can see how different hooks change the way a bait acts.

[BobP]

I'll add or subtract bb's in lipless crankbaits to get different action and sound. Shave the sides of lips to get more roll and softer action (aka a Timmy Horton Fat Free Shad). Add ballast to the chests of wood baits to get deeper. Resection a 2 hook Spook by removing 1" of body between the hooks to make a "Shorty Spook" with the same diameter body as the original. Sand the bottom lip on a popper to make it spit more than chug. Cut the lip off a so-so 1/2 oz factory crank and install a wire buzz bait in the front. Weight Pro Rogues so they sink slowly backwards like a dying minnow. Cut the downward pointing barb off the belly treble of a Bandit 200 and bend the tine backward so it makes the bait jump over cover instead of snagging. Drill a hole in a Bandit 100 so it fills with water and has a different action. I've probably tried other mods, but these are the ones that come to mind and seemed to work as advertised. Yep, I'm dumb enough to try ANYTHING once!

[Ted Bateman]

Wow. you're way ahead of me . All I have done so far is like I said, mess around with the hooks and shaved a few lips and popper bottem lips. That Spook sectioning thing you do sounds real interesting to me. What action does it have after the mod and what type of glue do you use to reatach the halves. Oh, and where on the lure do you remove the section from, ie... exact middle or more toward one end or the other?

[Snax]

I can remember back when I was around 12 years old I cut the lip off a giant Rapala and weighted it so it would work as a side to side jerkbait. It became my most successful lure ever until I had a monster Pike swallow it and my entire leader and bite me off!

[BobP]

For a Shorty Spook, you want to remove about an inch of body between the two trebles in an area where the body has the same diameter, so when the two halves are rejoined it will match up. I used a Dremel fiber reinforced cutting disk after drawing lines around the circumference of the bait. After separation, sand the cuts so that the bait is straight and the halves touching all around when glued. I rejoined the halves with Oatey PVC/CPVC cement (primer and glue) from the local home center. It's available anywhere for joining PVC pipes. The primer comes in either clear or with purple dye (the clear primer is not sold in all states) Get the clear if available because the purple will leach through your paint job, leaving a ring around the finished bait. While I had the bait open, I added a ball bearing to make the lure sit in the water at 45 degrees versus laying flat on the water. IMO, that makes it easier to walk, plus the trebles are closer together for better hookups. And the tail down attitude seems to present a more desirable target to bass.

Edited December 8, 2008 by BobP