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Big Epp

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Posts posted by Big Epp

  1. Surf Fishing Carolina Rig?

    in Fishing Tips

    Posted

    Whiting, not mullet. I'm reading up on it a bit, and haven't found too much outside the pompano rig. Might try a heavy jig with a twister tail.  Charter fishing won't be an option, as that's way outside the budget. But I read the the speckled trout move inshore and up rivers (doesn't help me, but it's interesting).

  2. Surf Fishing Carolina Rig?

    in Fishing Tips

    Posted

    Hey all,

    I'm going down to Gulf Shores Alabama between Christmas and New Years. This year I plan on fishing from the surf and also in the sound behind the island. From what I understand, the primary fish available in winter down there are mullet with the occasional pompano. 

    I'll be using a traditional pompano rig with bait from the surf most of the time, but thought I might throw a couple small crappie size jigs out too. Both mullet and pompano have fairly small mouths, so my thought to get small lures out to them is to make a carolina rig with maybe a 2 ounce egg sinker.  Anyone ever try something like this?  Any other tips or ideas?

  3. Small Business side of this...?

    in Soft Plastics

    Posted

    I have been making baits (mostly carved lures, not plastics) and other fishing related stuff for about 3 years.  One of my goals is to make the hobby pay for itself.  I have a sole proprietorship, so I can operate legitimately.  I've found farmers markets and local vendor markets to be a great way to make the money I need to cover my materials and keep growing my collection of equipment. Its been a really fun process. I've learned a lot and met a lot of really neat people.  At some point I might focus more on profit margin, but I figure as long as I make enough to pay for the hobby and take my wife out to dinner or get her flowers I'm doing alright!

    • Like 1

  4. Favorite Powder Coat Supplier

    in Wire Baits

    Posted

    $7ish for 2 ounces or $10 for a pound seems like pretty easy math. I don't know if I'll be pouring and painting enough to justify the larger amount though. Maybe I'll buy a pound of what I like most and then small jars for accents or more unique colors. There certainly are a lot of options! Thanks for your feedback!

  5. New to Bass Jigs...

    in Wire Baits

    Posted

    Hey guys, here's my first jig. I used wire this time because I forgot to bring thread with me. Not sure about the wire, it's coated steel and seems kind of brittle. I used 24 gage. Either way, I think it looks alright.  I had to think it over a few times to not put the colors upside down. Gotta remember a jig's not a crankbait.

    20211025_205921.jpg

    • Like 1
    • Haha 1

  12. New to Bass Jigs...

    in Wire Baits

    Posted

    Good ideas guys, thanks for the insight! I'm going to tie some up and try them out as the water cools. Thanks for sharing those patterns.

    There are 3 primary bodies if water i fish locally. One has very stained water but gets a ton of pressure (lake Shabbona, in Shabbona, IL), another is a local pond that is also stained and pressured. The third is an old quarry thats 60' deep at its deepest point. The quarry also gets a lot of pressure.

    The best (and only so far) bass I've caught out of the quarry was on a bluegill colored jig with a 4" white twister tail trailer.  I've caught a ton of bass out of the pond with spinnerbaits and plastics, but haven't fished a jig there much. Lake Shabbona has some good fish, but they get hit really hard throughout the summer. I'm hoping that throwing something different there might be helpful.

    @JD_mudbug I love the idea of trying some really natural looking plastics in the quarry.

    @smalljaw, I think I'll build my first bunch on 1/4 oz heads.

     

  13. New to Bass Jigs...

    in Wire Baits

    Posted

    I'm really not good at fishing with bass jigs, and can probably count on one hand the number of bass I've caught with one.  I know this is a major area for growth, and I'm planning on working on that the rest of this fall and moving forward.  I'd really like to tie up my own bass jigs.  Where do you get your skirt tabs from?  Granted, I saw the thread on here about how hard it is to get skirt tabs right now...

    Is there a color pattern you would recommend starting with?  I think I'd like to start with a bluegill pattern, as that's what I've caught fish on so far.  I also fish some really clear, high pressured waters.  What tabs would you use to make a pattern like this?  I found a YT channel by Smalljow, and that's been really helpful.

  19. Inline spinner, blades won't spin

    in Wire Baits

    Posted

    I have been able to stack French blades as well, but not had the same success with Indiana or Colorado. This one uses either size 1 or 2 French blades. I had one with 2 size 1 Colorado blades that would spin some if I bounced them like @toadfrogsaid. The one I made with 2 size 1 Colorado blades wouldn't spinn no matter how many beads I put under it. I'm going to try it again with stacked French blades.

    I've used the double clevis from LPO. They are sized well for muskie spinners, but nothing smaller than that. I might try them with some size 4 blades for bass, but they'll probably look silly. Blade style makes a big difference there too though. I tried one with double fluted Indiana blades (size 7 I think) and couldn't get it to spin no matter what I tried. Must be a physiological impossibility.

    Also, I saw a guy makes a clevis holder that looks sort of like .22 brassica slots cut on both sides. I don't have a picture though, so you'll have to use your imagination.

    20210817_112107.jpg

  20. Lip punch

    in Hard Baits

    Posted

    I've been making small (~1") lures lately using aluminum for the lips. Initially I was using clippers to rough cut the shapes and then filing them to the final shape. The process was very tedious. I just bought some hollow punches and the little circles it punches out seem to work pretty well. 

    Someone suggested I could get a punch made in the shape I prefer (I had been making square bills). Where would I go to get something like that made? A tool & die shop?

  21. Christmas lures

    in Hard Baits

    Posted

    I took my 3 older (6, 4, 2) boys fishing today in a local quarry turned lake. Wasn't long before they were digging for clams in the gravel bank, making rock castles, and finally splashing and basically swimming. By the time we were headed home my 6 year old was telling people they had been Scooba diving.

    • Haha 1

  24. Patterns for Wooden Hard Baits?

    in Hard Baits

    Posted

    good call with using cardstock! I often draw my patterns on paper, then if I like it I'll glue it to hard plastic to cut the pattern. A while back I re-sawed some PVC deck boards. The hard plastic on the top and bottom are excellent for patternmaking...and they shouldn't fade for 30 years...

    20210726_084553.jpg

    • Like 1
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