Custom Baits - Forum
Soft Plastic Bait Making => Articles and Videos => Topic started by: Partycrasher on 02/11/14 13:21 UTC
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For any of you that are blade bait freaks like me, I have a new video on my blog that is a supplement to the current article in Midwest Outdoors Magazine. I got a little windy and it turned into a half hour, so I apologize. I guess, "don't get me started talking blade baits".
Thanks,
Marc
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Got a website? I'd like to watch it. ;)
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whats the link to the website?
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Here's a link to the site.
http://thelureofthefish.blogspot.com/
nice work as usual Marc.
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Great video Marc did you get a chance to use the other blade bait
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Thanks Jerry for putting the blog website up here. Forgot to add that.
Walleye Wacker, yes I did. In fact I popped a nice steelhead on it the day after you gave us those at the gathering. It has a great wobble and a really nice flutter on the fall. That size is perfect for what I do. Nice work on that one.
Thanks,
Marc
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Marc, great video! Have you tried pouring the blade baits with tin? The rod lift should get the same vibration; but the drop speed should be slower; or do you think the tin would drop to slow to fish most deep water? Another idea I will experiment with this year!! Muskygary
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Hi Muskygary,
Yes I have tried the tin. There is a fine line with the blade baits. I have also milled out an old Zonar mold to fit the medium blade in the 1/4 ounce (lead) cavity... Should work, right? Not so much. Like I mentioned, there is a fine line to having enough weight to stabilize the bait on the retrieve and losing control of the vibration. If there isn't enough weight they vibrate wildly and almost start to helicopter. To use them vertically, they were ok, but to cast and jig them they were a bit out of control.
As you saw in the video, my best solution has been to take a side cutter and nip off some of the belly end of the lead to try to get it close to 3/8. I'd like to see Do-It engineer a 3/8 body for the M size blades.... (hint hint...). I don't think that I am really at 3/8ths when I trim off the lead. Maybe 7/16th. But the problem I describe above may be the reason that they don't make the 3/8th for the M blade. Jerry or Mark may be able to comment on that.
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Have you seen the Fuzzy Dunit? It's a musky size blade that has seen some success. I would like to find a blade bait in the 4-5 inch range for stripers, musky and northerns. A good size would be about a ounce and a half (hint hint) Bet the salt water guys would like that also.
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Partycrasher glade you caught a fish with it. I have caught many a walleye, white bass and just about anything that swims fall pray to It's vibration. The willow blade force you to work it at a slower speed or it will wonder to the side. The one you have is 3/8 oz. I do make a 1/4oz. One. And also have Do-It shad blade in1/2, 3/4 oz. 8)
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I like your tag line for the article: "There are two types of fishermen, Those that love blade baits, and those who haven't figured out how much they love blade baits." How very true.
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Musky Gary, Yes I have used (worn through...) many Fuzzy Duzits. Its a good bait but it takes quite a rip to get them vibrating. It encouraged me to start cutting out my own in a shape very similar to the Big Dude or Zip lure. They vibrate very easily on a short lift. I have made them from 4-5" up to probably 8" or so. I use them in late fall (November) for Musky. I tend to jig them vertically while I drag big suckers. Even if they don't hit the blade I feel like they are attracting attention to the suckers. I will take some photos tonight and get them on this thread so you can see them. They are monster blades.
For stripers, Pike and even musky, (Lake Michigan Salmon too) Do It made a large Zonar-type blade. I had one along to the gathering to ask Mark about. He recalls it well but they didn't make many of the molds and it's been discontinued for quite a while. I was doing a little lobbying to resurrect that mold. It made a blade about 50-60% bigger than the M size. I have about 3-4 left. I never had the mold but I had some samples from Do It from 20 years ago. Its been good on Lake Michigan and deep breaks for Pike and Musky. You will catch a Largemouth or big walleye on them here and there too. Its that perfect size that it can catch a 15" bass but still can attract a 40" musky. I'll get a picture of those too for those of you who weren't aware of them.
Walleye Wacker, that 3/8th that you gave me is perfect.
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(http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo209/twinsplusoneDIS/IMGP4629.jpg)
The one at the top is an original Fuzzy Duzit. The rest are my home brews. The three in the middle are my favorites. They wobble/vibrate much easier than the Fuzzy.
Also note the Do-It blades on the bottom Right of the bigger blades. The one on top is a standard size M blade 1/2 ounce. The one below is the bigger mold they once produced. Its probably an ounce or so, 3 1/2 inches. Great bait for larger game fish. I'm all-in if they resurrect that mold.
Marc
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Im with you, I would buy a larger mold also. I really like the looks of your mold and the way you attach the wire leader! Im going to have to try that.
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Muskygary, on those big blades that I use vertically, the rigid wire leader eliminates fouling which is a problem with the normal flexible leader I would use for other lures. Its .041 wire with a loop on each end. I only do that for these big ones.
Marc
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Those are great Marc. Adding that wire is a piece of genius too.
If you don't mind....what gauge is the brass sheet?
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(http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo209/twinsplusoneDIS/IMGP4629.jpg)
:o :o :o... Those are BEASTLY!!!
Also note the Do-It blades on the bottom Right of the bigger blades. The one on top is a standard size M blade 1/2 ounce. The one below is the bigger mold they once produced. Its probably an ounce or so, 3 1/2 inches. Great bait for larger game fish. I'm all-in if they resurrect that mold.
I think I'd be interested as well. 8)
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Beastly... I like that.
I'll mic the brass tonight. I cant remember off hand. I know I copied the gauge of the fuzzy.
So... Final Jeopardy question O' the day.... who can identify the body on these beastly blades???
I gave one of these giant blades to a guy who was going to some remote Lake Trout water in the far reaches of Canada... The big Lakers pounded it !!!
Marc
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Lake Trout.....I have a coho, a looper and a lake trout in the smoker right now. Just checked it and it'll be coming out in about an hour. Gonna be some tender vittles tonight watching the boob.
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OK, I got some sheet metal from a hobby shop and am enlarging some photos of the do-it blade to use to make a outline. I have the stuff to make a mode and will use clay to minic the lead body. Going to try to make my own blade baits!
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My brother found some large blade baits while working in Chile ( Could have been Peru ) that were used as trolling lures. They were big as well. One weighted 6 oz. They trolled them along weed lines and drop offs. A number of the small panga commercial fishermen used them.
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The brass I used is .032.
Marc
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PJMCLA, that may have been this "Braid Runner" from Braid Lures (primarily off-shore lures). They look awesome but are all very heavy. They make them for a different world that what I live in. They want them to stay down while trolling 20 knots!!! I looked at them in the Bass Pro in Orlando once. I geeked out till I saw what they weighed.
The big ones I make for Musky are all under 2 ounces.
(http://i376.photobucket.com/albums/oo209/twinsplusoneDIS/th7.jpg)
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Great video!!! I've got the old blade bait mold (Silver Buddy style) and I love it!!!!!!!!! I've scoped out buying the blanks from a bunch of different companies but it's still expensive!! Don't have the expertise to even attempt to make my own.
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So, you have the one that made the large blades? If so, what is the model # on the mold if you wouldn't mind looking.
Thanks,
Marc
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marc
The mold is the ZR-4-24 It makes 2 - 1/4oz and 2 - 1/2 oz. The 1/4th takes the ZB-S Blade and the 1/2 takes the ZB-M Blade.
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OK Thanks. That's the one most of us have. I was hoping to find someone that owned the mold that made the large blades that were available years ago. The one I am speaking of is the chrome one in the photo on the right directly below the standard "M" size in a firetiger pattern. That one has been the Holy Grail for me. I've looked for years with no luck.
Thanks,
Marc
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Where can you buy bigger blade blanks than the M size made for the do it molds?
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No where that I know of.... I have to hand cut them.
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Do-it should run a question in the new molds forum to see how many of us would be interested in that mold and also some giant blanks. Lots of people fishing for salmon, lakers, and even muskies with blade baits. I would buy a mold if available.
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Yes, They made that mold briefly. At our visit in January I spoke with the operations man (Mark I think...). I brought one along and he remembered it. So I think the engineering is there in the archives somewhere. But honestly, I'd like them to go to a completely different shape if they did a bigger blade bait mold. I have found some other shapes better if you start getting bigger.
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So... Final Jeopardy question O' the day.... who can identify the body on these beastly blades???
Marc
That's a bottom bouncer mold... I use it for making my drop shot weights and Jika rig weights. :P
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These Lucky Craft models look amazing...
(http://www.thedailycrank.com/wp-content/gallery/spinboard-studio/_a5e4293.jpg)
(http://www.thedailycrank.com/wp-content/gallery/spinboard-studio/_a5e4269.jpg)
And look at these Bonehead Tackle Blade Shaker
>>> http://anglersprotackle.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1235
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Anyone here try a Flitterbait? It's a cross between the blade bait and a lipless crank..
http://www.smacktackle.com/catalog/flitterbait.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqPL-FTJAck
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Another great blade bait is the steel shad. The are big sellers at Kentucky Lake area. I will try to find a picture to post. I have some, but they are in my boat 130 miles from here. They are about 3/4 oz size. They are real fish catchers.
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http://www.steelshad.com/purchase.html
I hope this link will open, to show a picture of the steel shad bait.
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Good looking bait!!!