Topwater Modifications

[10,000 Casts]

What are some modifications that you guys make to your topwater baits? What mods are you thinking of trying? What are some of the crazy things that you have heard of people trying?

Just Curious,

John

[WallyGator12000]

Not much of a mod, but on pacemakers I clip the middle treble hooks off, so it is just the shanks...I still get the sound but I foul up a whole lot less

[B420]

I pretty much upsize all my hooks to 5/0 or 7/0 on my pacemakers, LOW riders, topraiders, helps hook ups a ton.

[Dano_the_jigasaurus]

I "T" the hooks on my topwaters to prevent hook rash especially on weagles and jackpots. I think that it increases hooking percentage too.

Dan

[eyehead]

Stupid question for ya Dano_the_jigasaurus, but when u say "T" the hooks. Do you mean you clip one of the three hooks on the trebles. Most of the paint jobs on my topwaters look pretty rugid from the hooks rubbing on them.

[Dano_the_jigasaurus]

Nope. You bend them to a T. You still have all three hooks they are just bent out so they don't rub. If you search on muskyfirst.com (maybe google), there are diagrams and instructions on how to do it. I will look for a link and post it on here for ya.

Dan

[Cooter]

Some great info in past issues of Esox Angler with Lee Tauchen going in-depth on 'tuning' topwaters. I can come up with the exact issues if you want to head to the local library and check it out. He covers tuning and some 'mods'

[T-water]

I drill a hole in the top of plastic topwaters and drop a sinker (adds some weight) or a few ball bearings. I reseal the hole with the glue they sell for replacing eyes on on rods, hot glue would probably work better. I don't like to throw topwaters without noise.

Think I'm gonna try the "t" bending do you think it effects hooking percentage + or -?

[10,000 Casts]

Quote:

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I don't like to throw topwaters without noise.

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I couldn't agree more.

This year I want to experient more with top waters.

On my prop baits I am looking for the "tink tink" noise. I love throwing pacemakers and I would like to get that sound and a little more, out of other topwaters.

I am thinking about attaching some really small spinners to the splitrings for a little more noise. I am also thinking about adding a nose screw (for lack of the correct term at the moment)to the belly in front of the metal prop and attaching a 7/0 hook shank for the tink tink noise.

On my walk the dog baits, I want to add a silver spinner blade off the back. Has anyone tryed this? can you work it correctly?

John

[WMRP Member]

I like to add hook spreaders to some of my lures. On some tally-wacker style baits I sometimes add a small clip-on sinker to the front of the bait to get a different sound out of it. This works well because it does not alter the lure permanently. If you don't like the sound just take it off or try a different weight. Have also used shrink tubing on rear hooks. Sometimes I add paint to lures or paint them a completely new color. If I have a lure with hooks that get fouled together a lot I use a real small rubberband to hold the middle hook tight against the lure body. The rubberband breaks easily when a fish gets hooked on that hook so its not a problem. On globe lures I sometimes add very small metal washers on the screws inbetween the blade and the head of the lure. When you put the screws back in leave them backed out a ways so the washers and blade are loose and have some play in them. The metal washers give the lure a little more of a rattling or clicking sound.

[RK]

Hiya -

You know, for the most part I really don't modify too many topwaters. I'll shrink tube the back hooks on tail spinning baits, and that's more or less it.

I will tune blade or prop baits though. You can really change the sound on some baits by increasing or relaxing the pitch of the blades. Sound really does seem to be key with topwaters, and getting baits sounding right can take some effort. Some baits just never sound right no matter what you do to them. They either have it or they don't. Some baits, like Topper Stoppers, will only start sounding good after they get worn through use. My favorite Topper has caught probably 50 or 60 muskies and it squeaks like mad - you can hear it 50 feet from the boat.

Someone mentioned the article in Esox Angler by Lee Tauchen. It's a really good one on tuning topwaters. It was actually a two-part article. Part I was in the summer 2005 issue, part II in the Winter 2005/2006 issue. Worth tracking down...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm