Changes?

[skeetbum]

I’ve been a member for a while, and not very active for no real reason. Been down sick for a few months and just now beginning to feel somewhat like my old self. I’ve learned something from most everyone and remember some of the older guys like Attica and Ledhed who I think of as kind of professors of the craft. My ties are mostly self serving and I don’t experiment too much anymore. A gray ghost or a dark colored fuzzy bug looking jig finds my line more often than not. Boring to some folks, I’m sure. I fish the St Johns River a lot and seldom go outside of the bluegill and crappie box. Bass fishing just doesn’t get my heart rate up anymore after years of watching it decline and tournament bass guys getting more rude and inconsiderate every trip out. Flies and jigs are on my line for the most part and some bass are the by catch, some of them real good.

I’ve been around jigcraft and CDC since about ‘07 and should be better about adding content and input. Like everyone else, work is a big factor for me with 10 to 12 physical hours a day, and there’s times I just do t have the energy. With changes in my future after this bout with I’ll health, my available time may be increasing and I’ll do my best to help in keeping this site active. It’s a great resource and I’ve enjoyed it a lot. Thanks to those standing up to keep this around, I’ll do what I can. Should some jigcraft stickers ever become available, I’d be interested in some to ride both my boat and pickup. See y’all soon……Skeet.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

First off, glad to hear of your recovery!
I don't have any suggestions when it comes to increasing forum activity. It seems the content is mostly about tying jigs and flies and little about soft plastics. Call it superstition mixed in with the truth, but most lure casters believe - or want to believe - that they are using the highest strike-potential lure(s) possible. My superstitious-based beliefs know no bounds which seem to be confirmed when I catch many fish on various lure design shapes and actions! You've seen the many photos I've posted to confirm my superstition-based facts.

That said, I can understand the little interest shown on any fishing forum regarding the various lures I show while taking into consideration that on most forums lure modification or unique lure creation isn't a priority like it is mine. So lacking relevant replies or any interest in those posts, I don't see a reason to post much except to help others. JiggerJohn was the only angler that not only showed interest but was enthusiastic to try every lure I sent him. His fishing reports with photos pretty much confirmed my success catching fish locally with them.

I would never say that various hand-tied jig materials and colors don't make a difference, but from where I sit the action produced is the same
regardless and no doubt catch fish. But as with any lure that consistently catches fish, why bother changing it? Variety is my preference plus the superstitious belief that in some areas of a lake and/or at a certain time of day, trying another design might be key in getting inactive fish interested enough to provoke aggression vs staying with something that stopped working. On top of that, fish attack different lures differently - sometimes with a Wham Bam! strike followed by many attacks on the same retrieve; at times only a slight line-transmitted tick and no second chance.

Color may be relevant to a lure's success, but in my experience, a few will do and not based on hue so much as color brightness. Even no-color has proven as effective as any color depending on environmental factors and time of day. My superstition is supported on experience-based facts.

When no or few relevant replies exist showing that no one is on the same page regarding my superstition as it pertains to maybe - just maybe - why fish bite certain lure actions better than many others, I guess I'll just have to keep it to myself.

Frank

 

[Bigjim]

I tried pouring plastics for my jigs. There is not enough hours to do everything. Colors countless , action endless, Would a 8 day week with 30 hour days work????

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

Jim, I'm not just talking about pouring baits - I rarely do that even though I own 40 molds. I'm referring to the modification of soft plastic lures you already own. Today was an example of a recently modified lure that caught over 14 fish doing better than one other lure that worked. Total catch in 3 hours was 24 fish - not counting midgets.
1. I had small crappie tubes laying around I never use
2. I found a plastic grub body that I attached three of a tube's tails using a candle flame.



It caught small bass, a crappie and mostly sunfish 7-9" long.
The day was sunny and windy after the passage of a cold front the night before. The water was clearer than in summer and only 59 degrees. Finesse lures - the smaller the better (1-1.5") - got bit; others only got nipped. A light jighead (1/32 oz) was necessary to work the lure slowly in 7-8'. The tube-hybrid got slammed! I'll use the other tails to copy that design to stock up.

Now, anyone can do what I did as well as copy many other modifications I have posted that have done well. It took only a minute to make.
This lure saved the day, most likely because of the slight tail action and the darting of the lure when rod tip twitches were applied. So in effect, the above was about more than just making a lure - it was about proving to myself that it could out-produce other lures under less-than-ideal conditions.

 

[hookup]

Just like malls, boards like Facebook is slowly killing allot of the special fishing boards out there.

I fish for anything with fins and luv to catch them on baits I've either poured or made. Bass still get's my heart beat up when I hook one. I could give a rats about tourney's or pro-Bass anglers. I fish because I like it and want to.

I miss reading all the posts on this board. Why they left? Not sure. In my little fishing world I've lost many fishing buddies to either bad health or worse yet, death. I cherish those who I fish with now because the pool is getting smaller.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

I fish for anything with fins and luv to catch them on baits I've either poured or made.

Same here or I wouldn't fish. May as well use live bait under a float, use the same lures over and over or continually buy more stuff I don't need.

 

[Bigjim]

THUMBS UP!!!

 

[hookup]

May as well use live bait under a float

The only time I use live bait is when I'm taking a child out to fish. Nothing like crickets under a bopper to keep a kid entertained

Oh, and in salt water on head boats.

 

[Hawnjigs]

What's a head boat ?

I fish the same few tested and proven plastics so I don't have to buy stuff I don't need.

But whatever boats your float is your ticket to enjoy.

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

No comment ; )

 

[hookup]

What's a head boat ?

It's what we call 1/2 day or 3/4 day ocean going boats with 50-60 anger capacity. Term's widely used in CA. Each angler buys a ticket until the boat's full

 

[SPOONMINNOW]

"anger capacity"?

Guess I would be pissed shoulder-to-shoulder on a crowded boat.

 

[hookup]

"anger capacity"?

Guess I would be pissed shoulder-to-shoulder on a crowded boat.

That's why they call them head boats

And when you get into a hot bite, it's madness. I've seen people drop down with a heart attack and other pull a gun when someone tries to "take their spot"

But you're not going to catch this unless you either venture out or pay huge bucks for a private charter

 

[Hawnjigs]

Wow, nice mahimahi, did you eat her? Just got back from a vacation on the Big Island, and fresh local caught pelagic fish was so expensive I chose not to indulge. Did enjoy a cupla tasty meals of shoreline caught moi and to'au tho.

Got so used to fishing alone here in NE 2s a crowd nowadays.

 

[hookup]

Fish was a bull - male. Check out the nose. Females have a bump on the their forehead.

Yes - grilled up fresh fillets for dinner that night, then made mahi mahi omelets for breakfast the next day

I haven't been to the Islands in years and can only imagine how expensive they are now. Since I traveled to CA I left the rest of the fish with my buddy. He paid for the trip so all I had to do was show up and buy a fishing license.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Man you got generous buds. I've cut loose every fishing partner prospect here cuz they take without sharing. No so in HI as my new bud there lent me his spare car for a whole month. Will pass on my bizness stuff and gear to him when I can no longer use em.

In Hilo gas $5.04 here in Ogallala $3.29.
Shipped groceries are expensive in HI - grapes $5.99 a # and $1.68 here at Walmart.
But in a tropical climate fresh picked delicious "strawberry" papaya only $1 each at farmers markets - enjoyed one every day.

Never caught one, but think you got the mahi sexing reversed.

SPECIES PROFILE: The Brilliant Mahi-Mahi

Mahi-Mahi: the fish so nice, they named it twice. Scientific name, Coryphaena hippurus, also known as dolphinfish or dorado; the Mahi-Mahi is one of the most sought-after fish in the sea by fisherman because they are downright beautiful, valiantly strong fighters, and they put on a show of...

pelagicgear.com

 

[hookup]

Man you got generous buds. I've cut loose every fishing partner prospect here cuz they take without sharing.

I've done the same with many friends. Especially when they expect me to pour, tie & send jigs with out even a thank you

In this case it's a high school buddy. And he got to keep all the fillets since I was traveling and what would I do with them?

Never caught one, but think you got the mahi sexing reversed.

Very well could be? I'm no expert. Just going by what all the deck hands were saying on the boat. "That was a very nice Bull"

 

[JigCraft]

I love some Mahi filets!

 

[hookup]

Heading back out to CA in a few weeks. Reports are showing the kelp beds are full of cod, sheep head, and snapper. This time I had to pay for the boat LOL

 

[Pup]

Just ketchin' up with posts. I hope to be tying again soon, as I've missed it. Been through a divorce and a family fatality. Have a newer job with a career that I love. For the old guard who might remember me, I believe that you know that I'm relatively prolific with post submissions when active. I really hope to become prolific again sometime soon. Sorry to read that JiggerJohn passed.