Confessions of a Modifer - Rooster Tail spinner

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I have a confession: I'm a tackle modifier. Some guys tie bits of feather and fuzz into "flys." Others use only live bait - 'fishing jewelry' isn't for them at all. I like that stuff, too, but I also like to modify existing tackle in different ways.

Here's an example. This is an old 'Rooster Tail' type spinner- worse for wear when I got it. The treble hook was rusted to crumbles, the hackle trailer was little more than shreds. This spinner had some rust spots peeking through the chrome finish. This one was perfect for modification.

1. Originally painted white, w/ black spots, I applied some bright orange nail polish to the body.

2. I cleaned up the rust on the blade and covered the former rust with a white enamel stripe. A couple of black dots were then daubed on the stripe.

3. Nipping off the crummy old treble hook, I added a # 8 Sproat to the rear eye.

Note: The front and rear eyes were off-kilter, i.e., not tracking in-line. So I twisted them 90 degrees; the rear one now rides vertically and the front rides horizontally.

4. I bent the front eye upwards about 30 degrees.

Note: One problem with inline spinners is they tend to twist your line. This old bending trick makes the spinner "ride" in one position, so it's tendency to spin and twist your line is minimized. I still use a swivel, of course, but this helps.

5. I added a loop tail grub as trailer.... with several useful "tricks" thrown in for good measure. You might want to try these on the next rubber worm or grub you rig.

First,run the soft plastic grub all the way up on the hook, so the nose of the grub covers the hook's eye. Now, push a piece of stiff monofilament (25#) through the soft nose, passing it through the eye of the hook and out the other side. This keeps the grub from sliding down on the hook - no super glue required! Last, the mono is bent back and pushed into the grub body right next to the hook. This forms a loop in front of the hook and helps to make the trailer less attractive to weeds! Finally, nip the ends of the mono loop flush with the body.

Bonus: The grub is pushed onto the hook with the tail oriented down - this also helps minimize line twisting.

Is it going to catch bluegill? I don't know, we'll soon see.

MODIFIED IN-LINE SPINNER

[Leo Nguyen]

*LOL* That's one bass attractor right there. Forget gill, you'll cull the entire bass population with that.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

You drag that in the Pasquotank River and I'm sure it would get hit David....I like it!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Yeah guys, it may be a bit large for bluegill now that I think about it. It's a little over 2" long... I should have put something in the pic for scale.

But if it gets "hit," well that would be fine, too!

PS If you like this one, wait til you see my secret gar lure.

[dick tabbert]

Nice job David looks like and old shyster. Reminds me when in the 70's here I go telling my age again when I use to make mepps look a likes. I never could find exactly what I wanted so I made my own. Back then I used lots of inline spinners small ones for the pan fish and larger ones for bass and pike. I think when I walk in bass pro and cabelas it seems like I still have a hard time finding what I want. It's really hard in the pan fish section there is 1 or 2 isles but if your a bass fisherman they have isle after isle. Anyway great job don't let them old bait die. I think I may have a can of old stuff in the barn if your interested, mostly bass stuff. 

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Im always interested in reviving old tackle, Dick! Nothing I like better than to to see some old, forgotten piece of fishing tackle renewed.

And Even when an item can't be resuscitated, it can be disassembled for it's parts. I was jut thinking tonight, in fact, that the bodies from broken spinners could serve as low profile sliding weights for bottom fishing rigs.

So if you don't want that can full of junk, I'm sure I can bring at least some of it back to life.

[chris]

Nice job.

Nothing better tha giving an old lure new life.

Im always looking on the ground for old lost lures. You never know what you will find

or what you will be able to make from the parts.

 

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

You got it bud!