stumpy

I see it done several ways by commercial spinner makers. I tie bucktails directly onto my hooks so the way I have added a second hook and some weight is as follows: First I bend a closed loop in a 3" piece of stainless wire. I add as much extra weight as I want via an egg sinker slid on the shaft. Next I tied a good base of kevlar thread on hook shank #1 and leave the thread attached. I then lay the weighted wire along the shank of the first hook and through the eye. I bend the excess wire back along the shank of the hook and bind it down well with the kevlar thread. After I have it secured I coat it with head cement or super glue and leave it to dry for a few minutes before beginning to dress the first hook shank. This allows me to attach anything I want to the back of the first treble via a split ring to the closed loop wire. Sometimes I add a second dressed hook or even a second blade with a ball bearing swivel or a stingerhook with some plastic. Right or wrong I have no idea cause I just started doing muskie bucktails this winter. Maybe I should load test this setup before I loose a monster.

Alumacraft Lunker 165 with a little Honda..Pennsylvania has lots of limited HP lakes. Actually too many. PA likes to protect us from ourselves.

Thanks for the reply boomer. I also tried the hemostate thing and found it a pain. Went to my local tractor supply and found some cheap medium sized pliers that work fine. Also got some spring open xtra fine long nosed pliers that work great for loading hooks in a hot mold. I will just be carefull with the powder and free up the swivel before I cure the paint.

I'm thinking of molding a few pony head jigs. Anyone have trouble powder painting these without messing up the crane swivel? I have had no trouble with painting jigs and bladebaits with powder but am afraid of these swivels. Any ideas are appreciated .....Thanks

Kiwi............I've shopped both Jann's and Stamina for blades and such. Both are excellent IMO. Janns just updated their website for easier shopping. I don't know who would do better on an international order. Jann's delievery always seems a few days faster than Stamina for me. I have used lot's of different wire forming tools to make in-line spinners for everything from trout to muskie. The only difference I find is in the speed and quality of the loops. Last winter I started making bottom bouncer forms and I bought the Hagens wire former. I'm still low on the learning curve with the Hagen's. Overkill and expensive for sure but capable of doing a lot more if I desire.

I am about to cast some L shaped bottom bouncer weights in 1oz to 3oz. I plan on making the twist loop for my snap swivel first. Second I will make the kink where I want to cast the weight to keep it from slipping. Would there be any advantage to making the R bend after I cast the weight or should I do it first? Thanks

If you know someone who reloads shotgun shells ask them for a source for chilled shot. I used up my supple of scrap lead so I broke open a bag of chilled shot I use for skeet shooting. I think I paid $12 for a 25# bag. Worked fine for the 1/32oz jigs I cast last summer. Didn't really smoke much even though it has a graphite like coating on the shot.

Gentleman, thanks for the replies. I was out today for steelhead. Landed 5 out of 8 hooked. Broke one off where the styrafoam bobber clipped on to the line. This has happened to me more times than I can count. I would like to design a float specific for steelheading. I fish both streams and still water. The float doesn't need to be very bouyant as it only has to support a 1/32oz jig and maybe a BB size splitshot. It needs to be heavy enough to cast long distances and visible in rough water. Small enough to detect light strikes. The float I am using is 2/3 the size of a walnut. Basswood or cedar maybe? I even have a good bit of mahogany laying about. And it must not pinch the line. A slip float will not work because of the light weight jig. Adding weight to the line robs action from the jig on a dead drift. But most of all I'd like it to be unique to our area. Something to make that other guy ask where I got it. I agree the Europeans are very into their floats. I must do some reasurch. I will try to keep this board updated as this winters project progresses. Thanks again......Mike

Does anyone here make or can direct me to information on making wooden floats. I know this may not be the right place being the hard bait forum but this is as close as I can get. Lots of info here on painting wooden lures should apply to floats. I've got the woodworking tools, desire and a long winter to spend time learning. Just need pointed in the right direction. i did see some nice examples of custom floats in the gallery but my search for more information has dried up. Thanks

I tie marabou jigs for family and friends. 1/32 and 1/64 oz are their favorites with a bit of sparkle from flashabou or the like. Steelheads seem to gobble them pretty good. The bait shops sell them for $0.89 to $1.00 each. My price is $0.50 each or $5.00 a dozen. But if they don't stock up and get caught short while on the water it's a dollar a piece. Plus they got to buy lunch! I use nickle and gold plated jigs at $0.20 each so I am hardly covering cost. I think I can tie about 18 jigs a hour. At 40 cents each I can't see how you are breaking even. I just started tying bucktails for walleye 1/8 and 1/4oz. That's a lot more difficult a tie than working with marabou IMHO.

Hello, I've sniffed around this site for some time. Lot's of good info to be found. Thanks........ I need some help on selecting a mold for tying bucktails. I cast barbed collar heads for plastic and collarless heads for tying marabou for crappie and steelhead and live bait. I want to cast some 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 jigs for bucktails for walleye fishing. Do the Do-it ball collared jig molds simplify tying bucktails or could I just modify the barbed collar jig heads? Most bucktails I tie on collarless heads come out looking like a golfball on a tee...Thanks for the help