Fishing

[Flench]

fbWldcat , What's a Bottle cap lure ? Cool pic RedTop ..

[fbWldcat]

This is a bottlecap lure.



All you need is...

1 Bottlecap (preferrably without any plastic ring under it)
1-4 BBs depending on how much noise/how fast you want it to sink.
1 small Treble hook (8 maybe)
2 split rings
Scratch awl and Pliers
A piece of wood at least 1/4" thick.

OPTIONAL: Red Sharpie to draw the bleeding gills.
Waterproof epoxy resin to water-proof the lure and/or hold BBs securely if you are just using them for weight/balance. Resin can also be brushed on to give it shine or just give it another layer of protection (coating).


(You may notice the "pilots" to the top left of the photo... I am currently building a Model Stuka as well as the lures).

[fbWldcat]

Bump

[Flench]

That's cool fbWldcat , never seen one . How deep will it run on 10 pound test ?

[Vudak]

I'm going to be fishing for pike, muskie and possibly bowfin this spring. I know it's standard to use a metal leader but I was wondering if I could get away with some 15 pound braided line. Also, what size hook should I use, I was planning on using minnows as bait?

Bowfin eh?  Great choice! (one of my favorite fish to catch since I was a little kid).

Minnows are an excellent bait.  Generally the deader, the better around Memorial Day on Lake Champlain.  You can also catch them with a top water (popr's work well) or a spinner bait if you get it close enough to them to tick them off.  Fair warning - any lure a big fin attacks will risk being damaged beyond use.  They slam lures HARD.

I've found that they tend to be fairly brave fish, and I often see them swimming nonchalantly next to a moving boat or by the dock while I'm not being too quiet.  Also, handle them with extreme care...  They are aggressive and do not tire like other fish do (they breath air and they do not give up--they are true survivors).

As with everything else these days, the bowfin have a BBS dedicated to them.  Check it out here:

http://www.bowfinanglers.com/

[fbWldcat]

That's cool fbWldcat , never seen one . How deep will it run on 10 pound test ?

Depends. One BB and it won't sink faster. 4 BBs, and it will sink like a rock. If you seal it off completely, there will be air in it and it will not sink as fast. With 10 pound test, it will probably dive about as deep as you want it but with a slow/regular retrieve or faster, it should be about 15-17 ft deep.

[fbWldcat]

Don't bowfin have sharp defensive scales? I know they have teeth, but are they like gar where they have the hard, sharp scales?

[fbWldcat]

A Youtube video about the bottlecap lures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-kOYS6LaIU
This guy is hilarious.  

He also uses only one split ring and one snap swivel instead of two split rings.

[fbWldcat]

Found a spot of Elkhorn Creek that wasn't iced over in some way, shape or form. Just had a cold front going through and was only able to catch a few smallies and I hooked into something that I thought looked like a musky! 

Weird stuff. Fun as hell, though. 

[Flench]

Thaks for the info on the caps fbWldcat  . This turned out to be a nice thread that I never thought would make it .

[fbWldcat]

I had to keep it alive at times, but yes, it has been a nice thread.

[fbWldcat]

Bump.

I've decided to try to start making my own lures again. The problem is that the company that produced the sealant I used went under and I have to find something new. I was wondering if just a regular clear coat would suffice or if I will have to get some sort of resin/epoxy sealant.


Btw, I'm way too rusty to be doing this right out of the gate again, anyone here make their own lures and could give me pointers? I never wrote anything down and now it is coming back to bite me in the rear.

[TheBug]

  Last June I was an observer on a boat competing in Lake Ontario's ProAm tournament during the Orleans County part of the series.  The ProAm was being filmed for TV and is now being shown on the series "Angling the Great Lakes" on the Sportsman Channel.  So far they have shown the Niagara County episode and I believe next week they are showing the Orleans county episode.  

Here are two parts from Youtube of the Niagara county episode if anybody is interested.  It is not the actual episode, I am told, but is actually a good number of clips use to create the episode.    The second day was canceled due to weather, which I believe came to effect decisions next week in Orleans.  The first day contrary to weather reports turned ugly and since I think they didn't want to cancel again the boats ended up fishing through 7-9 ft waves.  Which was quite the ride for the smaller boats, one of which I happened to be on.  

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RrZsOuvB_Y&feature=related

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdQFKlUBcOc&feature=related

[fbWldcat]

Now for an important public service announcement: Cures for Cabin Fever will be available in approx 1 1/2 months.

That is all.


 

[fbWldcat]

Anyone ever needed to find that part for your reel that for some reason is entirely necessary to the damned thing to function?

I just lost an E-clip on my Quantum and now the bail won't work properly. Plus my internet is going out and I gouged myself in the hand with a hook.... At least I have practice removing one of the suckers now...

So yeah, without that e-clip, the poorly drawn up idea of putting a small plug in to make the entire bail work (the thing is MAYBE 2mm) is screwing me over right now.