I think I'm getting the epoxy routine down now..., and I finally like the shape I'm turning. Now it's figuring hook placement, size, weighting, etc. to get the most wiggle without much wobble....

The bottom one's from Nebe. A beauty for sure!

I don't have a nebe danny. You holding out on me? :p

Nice stuff John. Top one has nice color blend too.

I like the top one but it's missin a hook.Middle one looks like a sea robin.Halloween plug.Verry Nice.I'll send u the yellow one back an u can send me the top one.U've come along way.
Well done.

Nice stuff, and you've got talent to burn, but I suspect you will find that shape floats too high and wobbles too much at all but the slowest retrieve speeds. At the risk of hijacking your thread (though I suspect you're as interested as I) I'd be curious as to what other people think is the ideal setup for this popular plug. In the conditions I fish medium Dannys (daytime, boat, casting, rocks, 10-25lb fish) it has been my experience that the best plugs have a slower slightly S-shaped action. I seem to get this when the plug has hook damage and picks up weight, and also with a pair of 3/0s instead of the standard 2/0's on the belly. I cut off the shank of my tail hooks as well. For comparison purposes, here is a picture of the best one I've owned. Once again, nice stuff and thanks for showing it.

Salty, Thanks. You've been a big help along the way.
Nib, How about I send you one with two belly hooks, same paint job?
NS, Some one whispered the same 3/0 hooks and tail combo. yesterday Sounds like a good set up... Nebe's herring danny thread really got me thinkng. Great discussion over there. Let's keep it going!Feel like hittin' the Cave and turning a bunch of them today!

I fish mine under similar conditions and also two spots where there's quite a bit of current. Still learning if they need to be set up differently for both sets of conditions.

Hi Steelhead, great Danny's by the way ! Your quite talented. If I may add my 2 cents about Danny action. What I have read about the history of Dan Pinchney's Danny is this. They can wobble or wiggle. Both are good things and add to the versatility of this style plug. The old masters use to like the "roll" of a Danny when they were fishing the "carpet" (I like this term) or that flat foamy water that appears after a wave has broke and flattened out. But, they also liked the "wiggle" from a Danny when they were working the backside of a swell.
With this known, how do you control these factors ? Several ways can give you these 2 different actions. For a shallower, wider wallowing roll bend the eye and /or lip down. For a more wiggling action bend the eye and/or lip up. There are other ways to cause different actions from not only Danny's, but all surface swimmers. We think that the light stuff was only used to make these surface swimmers, but to my surprise was that they use to make them from a variety of wood such as Cedar, Pine, Poplar and even maple and birch. All with different actions and castability potential.
I find the history of the Danny plug and other surface swimmers fascinating and more complex than I ever imagined and understanding there origins has helped not only my plug building hobby, but my fishing tactics as well. If you want to learn more about the masters of surface swimmers namely Pinchney and Musso, do a search for "Surf Plugology" by Russ Bassdozer(great pictures). I hope this helps...Long live the Danny Plug !

MM

:btu: MM

They are nice.Good work.

Thanks Montaukmaniac .. yes I've seen old adds advertising a plug as having great roll . Its amazing how many versions of the same plug there are . John I think the paint on that top ones is pissa..

Very nice John. that middleone is my favorite :D Also, i like the tail hook you tied for the plug i sent you.. matches nicely :kewl:


Numskull, last year was the year of the danny and darter for me.. for the dannies, i found the best hook combination is 2 3/0's and a snipped tail hook... great minds think alike;)

I had a large Lupo danny sloped headed swimmer in my hands yesterday and was amazed at the size of the belly trebbles that they used back then- the hooks had to be 7/0's or even 8/0's... I guess that was to get around not using a belly weight.

Steelhead- Pics coming tonight of the saddle hackle you sent me :D

Thanks for the compliments guys. Got a long way to go still :-)
MM, I remember reading that thing on Bassdozer's site, now that you mention it. Got to go back and check it out again! Tagger, I like that top one too. I want to try fogging something over the stripe or under it the next time. See if I can make it more subtle.

Very nice John. that middleone is my favorite :D Also, i like the tail hook you tied for the plug i sent you.. matches nicely :kewl:


Numskull, last year was the year of the danny and darter for me.. for the dannies, i found the best hook combination is 2 3/0's and a snipped tail hook... great minds think alike;)

I had a large Lupo danny sloped headed swimmer in my hands yesterday and was amazed at the size of the belly trebbles that they used back then- the hooks had to be 7/0's or even 8/0's... I guess that was to get around not using a belly weight.

Steelhead- Pics coming tonight of the saddle hackle you sent me :D

I like a 3/0 front an a 2/0 rear hook on my danny's for some reason that combo gives me the best of both worlds.I gotta try some wit a skinnier tail.

Hey Nebe. Looking forward to the pics! I'm covered in saw dust right now! Cave loks like a bomb went off :-) I love it!