Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

The following ideas have served me and others well for decades, and though theoretical, put me into a mindset of lure designs and presentations that get fish to strike more often. </p>

There are many reasons to modify lures and since most lures can be modified, one may ask :
are they more successful at catching fish?

In my mind there are basic reasons fish react to lures that simulate life or in other words artificial life objects:
1. something about a lure that's seen and felt by the lateral line triggers a strike
2. fish try to kill objects moving a certain way and at a certain speed
3. fish, to conserve energy, usually suspend, watching the world go by until something provokes them

Even in semi-clear water, fish senses are uniquely capable of seeing and feeling real or artificial life. They have no way of knowing the difference between any moving objects except that they move and look differently. This is not to say that anglers that believe fish ID a lure as some particular prey species and strive to match it are wrong, but omitting that step and concentrating on the following gets to the nitty gritty why some lures work much better than others.

In fact lures that move and look different may still catch fish in the same area and in the same hour, though some maybe better than others. But what is it that separates the modified lures in the photos in the post that follows from each other, yet makes them all equally capable of catching most species of fish?: a combination of lure action, shape, size and sometimes color.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Lure body and body part actions matters</span>:
The fine legs and tail quiver with the slightest lure movement, but so do the thicker, side flappers which add the most visual body part action and bigger profile. Time-in-place motion is extremely important at times when fish will not chase a lure and need that extra-subtle stimuli to provoke the killer to kill. The drop shot finesse technique uses a thin worm that stays horizontal to the line and quivers with the least forward motion of the sinker on bottom. A light jig does the same thing when rigged with soft plastic lure, feather or fur because it can be allowed to stay in the strike zone (once found using the lure), longer than say a floating crankbait.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Size matters</span> (in this case - smaller):
Modification also includes shortening lure length. Even and extra 1/2" may be to large for a fish to consider the object easy pickings. A thicker 3.5" French Fry may do much better if shortened to 1.5" and then rigged on a 1/32 or 1/16 oz ball head jig.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Profile matters</span>:
Adding a thin tail to a thicker grub body (top photo) gives the appearance of a more meatier target challenging a fish's space. To large a profile, same as length excess, may not provoke a suspended fish.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Color <span style="font-style: italic">can</span> matter</span>:
Any of the above may do fine using certain colors - the range being quite large. But light does things to color as does water clarity and the only way fish see a color's real hue is in clear water and in bright sunlight. Other than that, color brightness (contrast) contributes to lure profile and varying degrees of contrast may matter depending on background to the side or against the bottom.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Plastic softness <span style="text-decoration: underline">always</span> matters</span>:
Take note of the cone tail grub in the photos below. The design may seem lifeless, but the use of softer plastic that makes up the cone does wonders for the quiver that drives fish nuts! It definitely matter with most finesse or non-finesse worm designs: too little and the worms is nothing but a stick. Even Senko-like sticks must be of a certain softness to display tip quiver on the drop. Adding a soft part to a firm plastic part is fine as long as it's the tail that's soft.

Do yourself a favor and go through the hundreds of soft plastic baits you've owned and not used for decades. Get yourself a candle, (I also use a battery powered soldering gun to smooth the seam), chose parts of lures you think when combined will make something unique and fish-provoking in action, melt the ends and hold together for 4 seconds. You never know when that combination will blow away most other lures you own.

Other than that, consider shortening a lure that has good action but fish are too finicky to attack or adding a bit of silicone skirt by using a wire loop to pull it through the plastic. <span class="edited-wording" /></p>

Pictures to follow in the next reply.
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RE: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Many of my stored plastics haven't done well since I bought them or worked only a few times of year. If a lure can't catch fish, it can't <u>find </u>fish. Sonar can find fish but not necessarily those that will strike.

As mentioned, when it comes to any lure design, what matters most is lure action. If a lure can not exhibit subtle movements on the slowest of retrieves, I've found them to be limited in use. Some lures must move at a certain speed or the action part is dead in the water and though fish will bite them, not when the lure is almost stationary.</p><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td class="author-content" style="width: 17%" valign="top"><span class="small" />
</td> <td class="post-content" style="width: 83%" valign="top"> <div class="post_inner"> <div id="body2">All you need is a candle, some plastic lures and a bit of an imagination. Many of my stored plastics haven't done well since I bought them or worked only a few times of year. If a lure can't catch fish, it can't find fish.

When it comes to any lure design, what matters most is lure action. If a lure can not exhibit subtle movements on the slowest of retrieves, I've found them to be limited in use. Some lures must move at a certain speed or the action part is dead in the water.

Here are some ideas to wet the imagination:
full-4706-207073-mys61zh.jpg
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The lures below were assembled using parts from each other or from other lures:</p>

Note the combination of lure parts swapped between the lures shown:
full-4706-207079-zh5syjw.png


Top photo is of two lures parts were taken from:
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... lures made from those parts:
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parts taken from a lizard:
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The parts added were mostly from the hand poured molds they were poured from:
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In the photo below, the lure on the left was the original design and <span style="text-decoration: underline">never worked</span>. I replaced the tail using flat and thin tail designs and immediately caught bass spring and then in summer.
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I rarely use Mr Twister Grubs but now I do with this mod. into a straight tail which has made a big difference. (Spike-It dye used for a visual effect)
full-4706-207098-fi2hqtz.jpg


Candle or soft plastics glue can be used to fuse parts together, but certain plastics don't allow glue to work. I also use a battery powered soldering iron to fuse the seams that result thereby making the junction stronger.
full-4706-207099-07ybo8c.jpg


There will always be a mystery why fish strike lures <span style="font-style: italic">but not why they won't</span>. Modifications that improve the success rate is the first step in understanding the effect they have on fish senses and is basic to choosing lures. Modifying lures is instructive and frees the mind of perconceptions regarding color, lure shape and action. Of course I could chose a few lures in a few colors and be confident 100% of the time they will catch fish, but lure variety reveals secrets of the strike that dispels limitations no matter what the authorities suggest. <span class="edited-wording">
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RE: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Here are some others:</p>

Some more:
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RE: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: collincountytx</div><div class="ubbcode-body">"Cool ideas!

One of my best producing lures is a Frankenstein.

Step 1. Choose a lure where you have the most confident in the body design

Step 2. Choose a lure where you have the most confidence in the appendage(s) design

Step 3. Combine the body of lure (1) with the appendages of lure
"

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That's the very process I use to evaluate the use of parts from different lures!!! What's more is catching fish on different Frankenstein mods <span style="text-decoration: underline">sold no where</span> at any time in the past or present. The originality of the lure and the shear luck that fashioned it borders on the <span style="font-style: italic">unnatural</span> !

As far as looking or acting <span style="font-style: italic">natural</span>, I've learned by catching fish on all those pictured that fish in general are <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">unable</span> to care less</span> what the object looks like that provokes them to strike. That little <span style="font-style: italic">quiver</span> of a lure or lure part is a <span style="font-weight: bold">prime</span> lure feature and that which a strive to create in every lure.

Fortunately I have a pond in my backyard that I can watch a lure in action before I fish it. If it lacks <span style="font-style: italic">quiver</span>, I destroy it.

The more you create that catch fish, the more you realize how many designs work well - especially originals you create yourself and in colors you never would have thought wouldn't deter a strike (IE bright pink, fluorescent chartreuse). But I have to admit that I am partial to certain color combinations for certain lures such as a <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">pearl</span></span> cone-tail added to a grub body:
full-4706-207212-iotwiw8.jpg

(Kind a looks like a mini-Ned rig which <span style="text-decoration: underline">always</span> catches fish.)

Other than adding parts to a lure, just <span style="font-style: italic">shortening it</span> and rigging it on say a <span style="font-style: italic">very light jig</span> head can make all the difference! It's something I do when fishing shallow water in spring or early morning in summer.
A <span style="font-style: italic">shortened</span> Slider Worm caught this 7 lb catfish:
full-4706-207215-fb3vzru.jpg


Also, making a lure longer is fine as long as it doesn't compromise its action:

full-4706-207214-63tffpi.jpg

I added the hand poured paddle tail for more action with a twitch & fall retrieve.
 
RE: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

In conclusion, the whole reason for using finesse lures or lures that can be used at the slowest speed is this:</p>

<u><font size="4">Quiver !</font></u></p>

Look closely at the above modified lures and note the part or parts that quiver. Quiver is the one of the greatest fish provoking actions of any lure made. Other than quiver, any subtle action of a lure gets and holds a fish's attention and if it stares at the lure long enough, is often provoked to attack it - almost as if the object is trespassing in its zone of reverie where it is suspending. I believe that fish spends most of its life suspended, rarely going berserk attaching a school minnows.</p>

Those of us that have punched jigs through heavy cover and caught bass know what I mean. There's not a whole lot or room for bass to attack a bunch of prey and therefore is hanging out until something comes by to awaken its aggressive nature. How many times have you caught bass in shallow water an watched the wake of a charging bass torpedo towards your surface lure? That bass was hanging out IMO.</p>

The great thing about suspending crankbaits it the subtle action you can apply with a simple rod twitch. Granted the action is a slight waddle & suspend, but that's all it takes sometimes for a bass to hit the lures as soon as it moves forward. The same floating lure does the same except creates subtle rings on the surface easily detected (tickling) the lateral line.</p>

Take everything above with a grain of salt based on your experience or lack of, but provoking fish to strike is as easy as a simple twitch of the rod tip transmitted to a lure that irritates fish to strike by design. The great majority of lures I own are limited by these features:</p>

1 time in the zone is to short because a faster retrieve speed is needed to get lure action
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2 at times not subtle enough</p>

3 the wrong shape (profile), size or action</p>

4 the plastic is too firm (as in the case of Senko-type sticks and finesse worms (forget tip quiver on the drop)</p>

5 at times too much flash (blade too large)</p>

6 a color that may be too dark to display #3</p>

Do yourself a favor and start making few Frankenstein lures. You may be pleasantly surprised what a little imagination can create, reducing the need to buy more lures every year that might not work half as well.
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benchwarmer

New member
RE: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Thanks for that article was very interesting. I already have had some success tinkering with the plastics.
 

Nauticman

Active member
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Interesting info ! Thanks for posting it !
 
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

At my age and retired, I have a lot of time to think about things that I've experienced in 40 years and relate them to why fish bite and put it to use formulating and evaluating lure designs. Makes the time go faster in winter until I spend time in Tn with family that moved there recently. Does anyone still fish in Jan. in Tn. ?
 

Nauticman

Active member
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Lots of fishermen on Chickamauga and Nickajack in January.
 
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Can't wait to fish in Tn. this year and thereafter! I'll bet the crappie and sunfish are humongous!!! Hope boat registration and fishing license costs aren't too high for those out of state. I will own a house, but maintain my NY residence status.
 

spuds704

New member
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

If you own a residence here, you should be entitled to buy a resident license. Thanks for the post, I'm going to alter some crappie jigs for a little more quiver on the tail.
 
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Quiver is what gets them every time and more often than not! It's comparable to us swatting at a flying insect that gets too close to our nose - in the dark.
 

richg99

New member
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

I paid $99.00 for my annual non-residence license last year, I believe.

With regard to " If you own a residence here, you should be entitled to buy a resident license."...I'm not sure that they would sell me one without a TN drivers license. I have owned a full sized house here now for 4 years, but my legal residence is Texas. One can only have ONE Homestead, and mine is TX. I spend 6 months in each State.

I tried to register a vehicle in TN (that vehicle spends 12 months a year in TN) and they wouldn't let me do it. As long as I feel that some of the $99.00 goes to improve the hunting and fishing in TN. I am OK with paying it.
 
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

I had a feeling it was like that. Can't say it's worth it staying only a few months in Tn per year - if that.
 

richg99

New member
RE: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Well, my $99. included a Trout tag. Take that off and it is less.

It is a great State in which to fish. Stripers, Muskies. LM Bass, smallies and more!
 
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Thanks Rich.
Now if I can only find someone to fish with.... LOL.
 

richg99

New member
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Well, where are you going to be?

I fish Melton Hill; Watts Bar; and Chick. often.
NOTE! I did not say CATCH often, I said FISH there often. Ha Ha

We live, in the Summer, in Fairfield Glade-Crossville. A long way from most of the folks on this site.
 
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

We're looking at houses s.w. of Nashville near Clarksville, but we're open to suggestions.
 

Nauticman

Active member
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Clarksville is northwest of Nashville. Fairly close to Barkley and Kentucky Lakes — great fishing there.
 
Re: Lure modification can make all the difference - enter 'Frankenstein' soft plastics

Good to know about the fishing. I'll be registering a boat and trailer in the state once we've found a place. I REALLY want to catch some big crappie and panfish and find small public lakes and ponds like I have near where I live in NY.
 
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