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[TonkaBass]

I was just wondering what you guys do to lures to "doctor" them to help you catch more fish.

[french_lake_kid]

Oh jeez where 2 start... theres hardly a bait I throw that I dont modify in some way shape or form. Ill reply in a bit when i make a list...

[Deitz Dittrich]

Spinnerbaits-

-I'll add a rubber core sinker to it to add weight if needed.

-I'll add a very small colorado blade to the 'o' ring of the willow so that the 2 blades hit.

-I'll trim the skirt

-change blades as needed

Crankbaits-

Some I have drilled holes in to add weight

some I have drilled holes in so they fill with water

Repainted

added a feathered treble to the rear hook spot

sharpened the bill so it dives deeper

changed the bill angle by melting it some

changed the bill shape

added rattles

removed rattles

Plastics-

changed their shape

molded 2 together

Jigs-

trimmed the fiber guard

trimmed the skirt

added bucktail

Theres more I am sure, just cant think of it right now with it all sitting in the garage.

[priorbass]

Deitz you know all the tricks

[mr walleye]

I started doing this last year.

remove the split ring on HUSKYJERKS and use a loop knot. they run 100 times better. no washing out or running to one side. I also started catching more fish. I think it changes the action just enough to get the rattle the way they like. and they also run deeper.

[Dooley87]

this reminds me, with the x raps i [jerk-bait] them so hard that the line slowly works its way out of the o ring then all the sudden on a [jerk-bait] it will just come off then you lose a $7 bait so i take off all my o rings on my xraps and replace them with those black snap clips, haven't lost one sence. before i would lose one or two every trip due to this. i even tried glueing the knot to the ring, didn't work, still came out.

[luckycrank]

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[st.crioxfishin]

Jigs

I trim the weedgard on my jigs in a stair step design, then fan out the gaurd to make it wider. I also modify the trailers that I use on the jigs.

Spinnerbaits

I've messed with skirts on spinnerbaits, but not a whole lot.

Cranks

I have swapped out stock hooks and usually add a red hook on the front.

Swimbaits

Here are some pictures of a paddletail that I have been messing with this winter (I tested it out today and think it will work well). These baits are much like any other soft plastic in the fact the they will tear easily. Paying close to $3.00 for one of these baits makes me cringe when knowing that I may only get 3-5 fish (if that) on one bait before its unfishable.

I inserted the middle part of a hollow cue-tip and glued it to the inside on the bait after drilling a hole through the bait. I then ran my line through the tube of the cue-tip and tied it to the split ring with a treble hook. This bait won't be as weedless as if you used a EWG hook. This would be more for open water situations. However, when a fish bites, the bait is going to slide up your line away from the fishes mouth, enabling you to catch more fish without it getting ripped up as much. I can't take credit for this modification, I read about it on a HSOforum, but I think its a great modification.

[Central Bassman]

Just use straight stock baits, right out of the package, no tricks or anything!!!!!

[Deitz Dittrich]

prior, there is still a ton of tricks I can learn.

Love the stuff your doing there Bob.. good stuff.

[TonkaBass]

Snag proof frogs:

Twist some lead wire around the hook inside the body

put glass beads in the body

fill the body with scent

Cranks:

Suspend dots!

lead wire around front treble

Shave the bottom of the lip (decreases life of the bait)

downsize hooks and spilt rings

red hook on front treble

Spinnerbaits:

trailer hook!

trailer

bullshot clamped on hook shank backwards or lead wire

paint the blade(s) with spraypaint

Buzzbait:

trailer hook!

bend the shank down do it clanks on the wire

drill holes so it makes a longer bubble trail

trailers

topwaters:

wax the line to make it float

add weight to rear of the lure

add feathers to rear hook

flipping jigs:

trim weed gaurd

trim skirt

bend hook outward

add stick on eyes

soft plastics:

spike-it

Not a drop shot guy at all but... once I was using this technique on a rock pile and kept getting snagged, so I used a spearing decoy snap and threaded a barrel weight on it so it would roll over the rocks better and it worked really well.

[french_lake_kid]

1 of my favorite... "scum-frog" Take off the body, get a northland buckshot rattle, rapit on the top side of the hook with power-pro, then add super glue, put the body back on and then insert 2 large glass rattles. Glass+Brass=Big Bass

[slipperybob]

Cranks:

Change jointed rap with grub tail trailer.

Color white crank

Upsize/downsize hooks

Replace belly hook with spinner blade

Big rap eat little rap (that's really two lures)

Little rap chases big rap (that's two lures also)

Sharpen the bill

Shave part of the the bill off

Feather trailer

stinger trailer

slide on tube body

glow paint

single hooks

double hooks

[ocf1]

 Originally Posted By: slipperybob

Cranks:

Change jointed rap with grub tail trailer.

Color white crank

Upsize/downsize hooks

Replace belly hook with spinner blade

Big rap eat little rap (that's really two lures)

Little rap chases big rap (that's two lures also)

Sharpen the bill

Shave part of the the bill off

Feather trailer

stinger trailer

slide on tube body

glow paint

single hooks

double hooks

Is that Legal? I thought you were limited to one lure.

[TonkaBass]

Those two dont seem too illegal if one lure doesn't have hook, maybe it would be considered an attractor??? The one that had me wondering was "stinger trailer".

[ocf1]

Yeah, if one didnt have hooks, then maybe.

I melt plastics together in the summer when i get bored and cant get out fishing.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm not 100% sure.. but I think I am correct on this... I talked to a dnr dude a while back on something similar to this.. Please dont try it yourself because deitz said you could..

but I think as long as you use a wire leader less than 3" long between the two lures you would be ok.

in WI you would be fine as you can use 2 lures over there.

[slipperybob]

If you try throwing two cranks with hooks on them, you have to do that where legal to do so. Also it's means that you're more likely to foul hook your lures often too.

I failed to clarify, that by replacing hooks. Like stinger hooks and tube body. Remove oem treble hooks, slide on tube body, snap on treble stinger hooks. Although I personally like using single stinger hooks much better. You only have to remove oem treble hooks and ring and clamp down the stinger trailer hook. Then you can tube, grub or beaver tail it all you want. Plus you make your craw crank this way soo much better, rig it weedless.

[ikeslayer]

that is no more two lures that a crawler harness. i think you would be alright i know tandem flukes or carolina rigging with a jig for your weight and a lure behind is taboo. but it does raise the question of where is the line. ike

[Daze Off]

I do several of the modifications already mentioned and will add drilling holes in buzzbait and spinnerbait blades, installing a hitchhiker on jighead to make a number of presentations easier (shakey head, jig/pig, etc.). Rigging things I do differently include Deitz's trick with c-rigging beavers and wacky rigging tubes.