[20]
BUYING, MAINTAINING & TUNING LURES
Of everything involved in lure fishing, actually
buying lures might seem to be the simplest.
If you want to buy your lures both in a cost
effective, and a fish-catchingly effective
way, then there are a few guidelines well
worth following. When buying mail order there
are some things to beware of. If there is
a colour picture to show the patterns available,
then all well and good. If not then you might
easily be misled by the names used because
patterns and pattern names do not match from
one manufacturer to another. This is further
confused by dealers who rename American patterns
in a more European way. I wish they would
stick to calling a shad a shad and not re-naming
it a roach. I might not recognise a shad if
you slapped me round the face with it, but
I have a good idea what a shad pattern plug
looks like! Manufacturers also vary in the
ways they measure their lures, and so confusion
can arise. Some work on extreme length, including
the lip which might be half the overall length
of some deep diving baits. Others measure
just the body length. This latter method seems
to me to be the correct way to go about things
as it is the body that makes the lure look
big or small. Beware, too, of quoted diving
depths. Not all of them are strictly accurate.
If a maximum depth is stated it might well
refer to that which can be achieved when the
lure is trolled, which will be considerably
deeper than you will ever reach by casting
and retrieving the lure. This is because,
when retrieving a lure, the angle of pull
from the rod will start to lift the bait before
it has achieved its maximum depth. Dragging
it on a long line behind a moving boat allows
it to keep on diving until it can get no deeper.
You can see that you have to know what you
are doing to buy lures sight-unseen. As soon
as you look through a lure catalogue you will
see how bewildering the array of lures and
their colours is, and you'll realise how easy
it is to get carried away by it all and buy
loads and loads of lures, just because they
catch the eye. Looking good to the angler
is no guarantee that a lure will look good
to the pike! From time to time you will see
photos in the press of a "lure expert" proudly
displaying his huge lure collection. The range
of types and colours is vast, surely enough
to cover any eventuality - and a few besides.
What is often noticeable in these photos is
the lack of duplication. Rarely are there
more than two colours of any particular model,
and almost never is a lure duplicated exactly.
There is, almost certainly, a large proportion
of the lures on display that have only been
used once or twice. Bought on impulse their
hooks slowly rust through neglect. There is
an element of the stamp-collector mentality
about a lot of lure collections. Some people
seem to take great pleasure in a kind of one-upmanship
when it comes to having hard to acquire lures,
usually U.S. imports. There is often little
consideration for what the lure does, though.
In the final analysis, all a huge collection
of lures usually proves is that the owner
has bought a lot of lures!
Occasionally, though, you will see a photo
of a sensible lure collection. There are at
least three samples of each lure, and maybe
considerably more, even with two or three
of a particular pattern. It will also be obvious
that, while there is probably a wide range
of lure types, there are very few actual models
of lure. This angler knows what works for
him, and is cashing in on the success of the
patterns he uses most. This is the kind of
lure collection you, too, should be aiming
to have. The total number of lures need not
be very high either. If all the waters you
pike fish are under 10 feet deep there is
little point in having a large range of ultra
deep diving plugs, for example. Try to remember
that lures are essentially tools to do specific
jobs, and buy them with that in mind.
Whenever
a lure takes my fancy I consider carefully
what it is designed to do. Have I got a use
for such a bait? If the answer is, "No", then
it stays on the rack or in the catalogue.
If the answer is, "Yes", then I buy one to
try out. Should it prove successful, then
I will buy a couple more in other colour schemes
(or repaint them) and see how things go from
there. Were one particular pattern to prove
extremely successful, then a back up or two
might be acquired to cover any losses that
occur. Another way of having back-up lures
is to buy lures designed for similar purposes
from different manufacturers. One firm's minnow
bait, for example, will behave slightly differently
to the next firm's. Duplicating colours in
these differing baits gives an added range
(one may run slightly deeper than another,
or have more wobble to it) while being close
enough in times of emergency should a taking
lure be lost.
Such
is the way that the large lure manufacturers
work these days that classic lures can suddenly
go out of production. Often this is a rationalisation
process after a business takeover. To the
men in suits there is no point in one company
producing two similar baits, the least profitable
one gets dropped on the grounds that the remaining
lure will sell more due to decreased competition.
For some reason it always seems to be my favourite
bait that gets the chop! If you get wind of
this happening to one of your all time favourites,
buy as many as you can before they disappear
altogether! I have missed out once or twice,
and have lived to regret it. As soon as a
lure becomes difficult to get hold of its
value rockets, and collectors who won't use
the things buy them. This is a real waste
to my mind, depriving anglers of the opportunity
to fish with a favourite lure. There is nothing
wrong with collecting lures for the fun of
it, I suppose, but what it has to do with
fishing is beyond me. As far as I am concerned
tackle is for fishing with. By all means retire
a lure, reel or whatever when it is past its
best - so long as you have something to use
in its place - but I can see little point
in shelling out good money for an old piece
of tackle that is only going to sit on a shelf.
Most
lures on sale these days are of excellent
quality, and are one hundred percent reliable
in their fittings. Even so it is worth checking
them over for faulty hooks or split rings
when you get them home. If you are in any
doubt ask for a replacement, or fit new hardware.
This split ring wasn't up to a tussle
with a couple of double figure pike. Needless
to say, it was swapped for heavy duty
hardware on returning home.
I cannot remember buying a lure in recent
years that has suffered from poorly seated
hook attachments, but I don't buy my lures
from the bargain buckets. There are plenty
of cheap and cheerful lures still on sale,
mostly in the small sizes and aimed at the
occasional lure angler. Steer clear. One fault
that is hard to detect until you are fishing,
is the leaking body. To locate the leak try
pushing the lure down in a bowl of hot water,
the heat expands the air in the lure and forces
it out through the hole. This is a tip I picked
up indirectly from a non-angling model maker,
and it works. Even the best hollow plastic
lures have been known to leak at times. Either
complain to your supplier, or dry the lure
thoroughly (even drilling a hole in it to
empty the water through) and seal the leak
(and the hole!) with epoxy.
Almost
every book you read on lure fishing mentions
somewhere that plugs might need tuning to
run true. This one is no exception! If a plug
refuses to track straight, then carefully
and gradually bending the loop, or eye, that
you clip the trace one way or the other should
rectify the problem. The aim is to centralise
the loop along the centre line of the bait's
lip, so that the water pressure is equal on
both sides of the vane. To check if a lure
is tracking straight, cast it out and point
the rod directly down the line. Then wind
the lure in with a steady retrieve. Any deviation
from a straight retrieve will soon become
apparent. If the lure tracks off to your right
(the lure's left) bend the eye to your left
(the lure's right). True tracking baits are
easier to fish with and essential for trolling.
Not only crankbaits and minnows are affected
by an off-centre line tie, other bodied baits
can be too. Jerkbaits, for example. The same
procedure applies for tuning these lures.
When buying lures with metal, or other non-moulded-in
lips, check that they are centrally placed.
If the lip is off-line then there might be
nothing you can do to it to get it back on
the straight and narrow. Short of refitting
it, or even reshaping it. Neither line of
attack is recommended as these operations
can all too easily go wrong, and once you
have tinkered with the lure it is unlikely
that your supplier will accept it for replacement.
Send such lures straight back where they came
from.
Certain
plugs come fitted with split rings on their
line tie, while others do not. I frequently
add a heavy duty split ring to the ties on
my baits, especially those with small nose
loops, as it makes the use of larger trace
snaps far less fiddly. On a similar note I
have found that the action of the Creek Chub
Pikie can be increased by doctoring the split
ring on the lip. Quite why the following procedure
acts as it does I don't know, but the difference
is remarkable. Turn the split ring so that
the two ends of the wire are behind the lip.
Then either epoxy or solder it in place. If
soldering take care not to overheat the lip
or it may begin to melt the body of the lure
and possibly cause it to leak. The increase
in wiggle is quite dramatic.
The hook hangers themselves are worthy of
attention. Moulded in loops are pretty foolproof,
I have yet to have a problem with one but
if one was to fail it would be just about
irreparable. Screw eyes benefit from removal
and replacing with a coating of epoxy. This
not only improves the strength of the fixing,
but in wooden baits helps to seal the hole
where water could easily get in. The same
applies to the type of hanger that is held
in place by two screws.
The Creek Chub on the left is as it comes
out of the package, and next to it one
that has had its split ring fixed as described
in the text.
Plastic
plugs suffer very little in the way of damage,
the paint might chip or wear off, but little
other harm comes to them. If this worries
you, then coat the lure with rod builder's
epoxy. Rod builder's epoxy is recommended
over other types as it is not only crystal
clear when cured but it is also designed to
flex with a rod, whereas some other epoxies
are quite brittle. Be warned, though, that
this will alter the buoyancy of the lure making
it slightly heavier. Sometimes this improves
a lure's performance, particularly on lighter
baits that might become almost neutrally buoyant
after a coating of resin. The odd leak caused
by a pike's tooth puncturing a lure is treated
with five minute epoxy as already described.
Wooden lures are another matter, and just
about every finish I have come across will
chip, crack or flake in time - the more so
the more pike you catch. My answer is a simple
one as I don't worry too much if my lures
look worn, so long as they still catch pike!
Minor paintwork damage is treated with clear
nail varnish. More severe injuries are given
a liberal coating of epoxy, covering any bare
wood and the surrounding paintwork.
There
are lures available that come with patches
of reflective tape on them, and very successful
they can be too. Unfortunately the tape has
a habit of peeling off at its edges. Here,
prevention is better than cure and the whole
of the tape and the lure should be coated
in a clear epoxy. This is the procedure I
have always followed, but it occurs to me
that running some five minute epoxy (which
is quite clear enough) over just the edge
of the tape might be just as effective.
All lures should be stored away from damp,
and left to air dry on returning home from
a fishing session. Proper care in this matter
will protect the lure's finish and its fittings,
ensuring that it lasts well and won't let
you down. The advantage of plug pipes and
hanging lure boxes is that they allow for
a good flow of air around the lures. Leave
the lid of the box open for a day or so to
thoroughly dry the lures. Silica gel or some
other desiccant can also be sprinkled in lure
containers, but don't forget that this too
needs drying from time to time or its usefulness
is lost. Rust and rot must be kept at bay.
Spoons
and spinner blades need care and attention
too. Regular polishing never goes amiss. Swivels
and clevises should be kept free of weed and
so on. The same goes for propbait blades and
lures with spinning body sections. A pin or
needle comes in handy for this task, which
is best performed while you are fishing. Anything
that rotates around a shaft, such as buzzer
blades, should have the shaft checked periodically
for straightness or the spinning will be impaired.
Similarly, check the alignment of spinnerbait
arms to keep them running upright and to maintain
their weedlessness.
It
is true that lures can be used in ways that
they were not intended to be. This is not
to be recommended as a general practice, though.
If you don't have the right lure for the job,
then by all means improvise, but should you
begin to encounter the same situation regularly
get some lures to do the job properly. I have
heard of an angler trolling a propbait on
a paternoster rig. Why use a surface lure
in this way? To prove it will catch fish?
Far better to troll a spinnerbait I would
have thought. However, there are times when
it is worth modifying a lure to make it perform
in a completely different manner. I describe
a few ways of altering the buoyancy of hollow
plastic baits elsewhere, and wooden baits
can be doctored by drilling holes in them
and filling them with lead. This is a tricky
operation as it is easy to overdo things and
completely ruin the lure. Wrapping lead wire
around the hook shanks is quite a good way
of effecting a temporary alteration in lure
buoyancy. I say temporary as the act of gripping
the hook with your pliers to unhook a pike
soon makes a mess of the lead.
More
drastic techniques for altering a lure's action
include cutting and reshaping the lips of
deep diving plugs. This never keeps the original
action of the bait and is also a very tricky
operation to get right. It is all too easy
to end up with ten quid's worth of wrecked
lure! Butchering lures in this way is something
that I have no time for as there are plenty
enough shallow to mid depth crankbaits and
minnows around to my way of thinking. Repainting
lures, on the other hand, is something I am
completely in favour of. It has to be said
that some of the lures you can buy have paint
jobs that are little works of art. The problem
is that the pike couldn't care less! If you
aren't particularly artistically inclined,
don't worry. You will still be able to produce
patterns that will catch plenty of pike. In
fact I have a distinct preference for patterns
that are simple and bold. The only things
that you need to remember when painting lures
is to get a good base coat of white on the
lure to start with, and then to add the lightest
colours first and the darkest last. Always
allow each colour sufficient time to dry before
applying the next one. This prevents colours
running or crazing as the two coats react.
Car spray paints are the easiest to use, but
if you have a mixture of acrylic and cellulose
based paints the acrylics must be applied
first. Metallic finishes also don't take kindly
to overspraying and unwanted reactions will
occur. To seal the final paintwork use either
a few coats of polyurethane varnish (watch
out if coating a metallic finish) or rod builder's
epoxy. Epoxy is not easy to use, requiring
the lure to be continuously turned for a perfect
finish. However, it can be hung from one end
for a while, and then from the other to even
the coat out. Practice makes perfect. Not
only can plugs and so on be repainted, but
so too can spoons and spinner blades. Use
your imagination, the possibilities are endless.
