Soft plastic modifications RULE!!!!
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2023 2:23 pm
I have been using plastics for most of my many decades of fishing freshwater lakes and rivers. Bought lures did well for the first 50 years and then by accident I found a way to use the bodies and tails of all the crap I've stored to make new shapes and actions using a candle to melt the ends and a battery-powered soldering iron to smooth the seam. Anyone can modify plastics and you're welcome to copy my ideas. It has nothing to do with being cheap but everything to do with discovering shapes and designs no one has come up with that catch fish.
The lures have caught fish from 3" - 15 lbs. The key is the use of light jigheads with proper hook size to allow the best action on slow retrieves. Other than modifying, I cast some shapes in plaster of Paris such as the Uncle Josh Pork Frog in two sizes; reduce a lure's length or slim it down. Many soft plastic lures are multispecies - especially the ones I modify and different presentations work with them.
I have folders for each lure design showing fish caught on them. This way I can reproduce them when low in stock. In case you're wondering why I've used the name SpoonMinnow, it's because I used a spoon to stir hot plastic to make a lure. More on that later if anyone is interested. These are the categories depending on shape:
whiskers, light bulb, taper tail, thin flat tail, spike tail, fused grub bodies (no tail), (swimbait) boot tail,
double tail, hot dog (stick), carrot stick, claw, cone tail, Joker (lure) tail, Kut Tail/ Softie worm, curl tail, Crappie Magnet tail, French Fry stick segment with various tails and paddle tail.
A Sassy Shad type lure was modified by cutting a bit off the belly for better action:
This one used the claw off a craw lure and attached it to a grub body:
When nibblers bite my tails but avoid the hook, I downsize and use a super-finesse tail and small lure length.
But as with any lure, many species are caught on the same day on the same lure:
first a little bass:
...and then one much larger going 3 lbs.
One thing to consider: showing kids how to modify lures, seeing them catch fish on them and the amazement on their faces, gives them a sense of accomplishment and I bigger interest in fishing lures vs live bait.
The lures have caught fish from 3" - 15 lbs. The key is the use of light jigheads with proper hook size to allow the best action on slow retrieves. Other than modifying, I cast some shapes in plaster of Paris such as the Uncle Josh Pork Frog in two sizes; reduce a lure's length or slim it down. Many soft plastic lures are multispecies - especially the ones I modify and different presentations work with them.
I have folders for each lure design showing fish caught on them. This way I can reproduce them when low in stock. In case you're wondering why I've used the name SpoonMinnow, it's because I used a spoon to stir hot plastic to make a lure. More on that later if anyone is interested. These are the categories depending on shape:
whiskers, light bulb, taper tail, thin flat tail, spike tail, fused grub bodies (no tail), (swimbait) boot tail,
double tail, hot dog (stick), carrot stick, claw, cone tail, Joker (lure) tail, Kut Tail/ Softie worm, curl tail, Crappie Magnet tail, French Fry stick segment with various tails and paddle tail.
A Sassy Shad type lure was modified by cutting a bit off the belly for better action:
first a little bass:
Just fish