INNOVATION LEADS TO SUCCESS
The fishing world has always been a place of constant innovation and creativity. It’s a big part of the fun, and a big part of the industry. Whether anglers are looking for a competitive edge, develop something to more suit their situation, or just like tinkering, lure customization and creation is always in motion. If you look at the variety of fishing lures we have today, it’s hard to imagine that angling all started with just a straight, plain hook.
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
I try to stay on top of tackle innovations as best I can, largely to keep my competitive edge as sharp as possible. Over the last few years, one thing I’ve found that’s better than waiting on a new tackle release, is to customize lures yourself. You don’t need to have a full tackle workshop to customize baits to better suit your needs. Here are a few tips to customize your lures without specialized gear.
CUT AND GLUE
The simplest way to customize your own soft plastics is to turn the scissors loose on them. A few years ago in March while I out fishing for lake trout, a friend and I talked ourselves in to teeing up a bit of a fish fry that evening. Not wanting to harvest any lake trout, we hit a nearby crappie lake to pursue our meal. We had almost no crappie tackle but did have one tungsten jig. I sorted through my trout tackle and came to a bag of “Z-Man Finesse Shadz”. I simply cut the tail off of one of the baits, and the most effective crappie lure I have was born. I was likely the only person in the ice belt using it, and it suited my needs as well as any lure I’ve used.
That’s just one example, in a pinch, but I’ll often sit down and custom my plastics on almost every bait.
FINE TUNING YOUR PRESENTATION
The Z-Man Hula Stickz is a prime candidate for a cut down. Commonly, seasoned anglers will knock off the tip 1/4”-1/2” of the worm to make a more subtle presentation. Another trick is to flatten the nose of your Jerk Shadz when adding them to a jig head to give a more streamline look to the package.
More and more anglers are now using super glue to keep the plastic on the jig head. This results in increased efficiency and can save you a pile of money on soft plastics. Lures like the BT Smeltinator have keepers designed to accommodate super glue and will extend the life of any soft plastic bait. It’s a minor hack, but you won’t find a competitive angler without a tube of glue on board.
TIE IT ON
Tying your own lures is not just something that’s reserved for fly fisherman. There are so many things you can do with a simple vice and thread that will get you some bites. The most common DIY tie lure in Central Canada is the Marabou Jig. By adding seemingly weightless feathers around a specially designed jig head, you can have one of the best bass and crappie catchers the world has ever seen. There have been so many marabou jigs tied by anglers in Canada, that BT Fishing made a custom line of “B-Jigs” that are specifically designed for tying hair jigs. It can be rewarding to catch fish on your own lures, and a great winter past time.
Another simple tie-job is adding feathers and flash to treble hooks. You can customize it anyway you like, attach it to your favourite topwater or jerk bait, and have a look that is unique to your lure.
MERGE
In my short lure-designing history, I have found that the best way to gain a competitive edge is to merge components and lures together. Simple ideas like adding a buzzing frog to a buzzbait or putting a swimbait on a spinnerbait are just a couple of examples of things you can do to achieve a different look and set yourself apart. I like to think of what benefits I can add to a technique without taking anything away.
WHAT IS A CLEAN JIG?
One product that resulted from heavy tinkering is something I call the Clean Jig. I developed this lure a few years ago while I was fishing for largemouth bass on Lake of the Woods. I was catching some fish on a swim jig in heavy vegetation, but only about 1 in 3 casts were effective as I was constantly catching grass and reeds and getting hung up.
I tried topwater frogs and weedless swim baits, but the fish only wanted sub-surface lures. That week I spent some time in the garage and developed the Clean Jig. The initial design was rudimentary, but I made it work. Until recently, my tournament partners and I have been the only ones on the water with this odd-ball design for the last couple of years.
THE FUN PART
To me, part of the fun in fishing is developing new ways to increase your catch rate. Whether you’re a weekend walleye angler or a full-time tournament angler, there are always little tweaks you can make to catch them better than your buddies. My best advice for lure customization and tinkering is to not try to re-invent the wheel. Often times these small tweaks are all it takes to generate a few more bites, and over time this will significantly increase your on the water success.
Clean Jig – www.btfishing.com
Clack Shot www.btfishing.com
B-Jig www.btfishing.com