Now that plugfest is over and fishing season around the corner.... what is everybody working on to round out the building season?

Myself.. I'm working a some Pikies for a swap, instead of going with my usual size/pattern, I'm working on a slightly different body...both straight and jointed... so what up?

I actually started building rods but got back into plugs after viewing the plugfest thread.

I'm basically trying to refine my work so it looks and functions better with fewer blems.
I'm also re doing some stuff like the eelies, which I'm now making out of pine instead of fir and doing a bunch of slope headed stuff as my bravery grows....right now I have four giant pikies ready for primer, some eelies with sloped heads, and some 5.5" conrads. Also adding grommets to everything as I like the appearance.

This am I test swam about 15 plugs and did some tuning too. The eelies are going to be deadly...:fishin:

I was listening to Stiff Tip talking to somebody at Plugfest and overheard him saying "Se This big plug here.....beautiful Plug....ain't caught Chit on it, All the bait has been small the past couple of years"

So I went home and made some small canal style pencils and howdy's....the small pencils are almost ready for some paint. Weighted them 2 different ways to see which I like best.

Ive been busy. building a 7" danny, surfsters, atom jr, small needles due to all the sand eels everywhere last year and some old school and oddball stuff, like a predator, nike and some vintage replicas with new twists.

its crazy how much time and effort everyone puts in to plugs, its great and keeps me sane in the winter.

Its getting close guys, already caught my first freshwater fish, a crappie, 3lb largemouth and 5.5lb largemouth and not ice fishing either, was on saturday fishing rapalas before work, great way to start the day.

Unfortunaltely.......NOTHING at the moment. :fury: Soon, very soon....:soon:

I've got some little stuff for albie's I'm wrapping up. Then there's a few pencils I turned last year that I finish, after that I've got a big bucket of rubber to mess around with..

Swap Pikies :)

Finnishing up some needles and maybe a slim swimmer if I get around to it.

Pikies, straight and jointed and bottles under 4"s. Can't stop turning these two styles.:screwy:

4 inch surfsters and some 6 inch Lefty copies.

I was listening to Stiff Tip talking to somebody at Plugfest and overheard him saying "Se This big plug here.....beautiful Plug....ain't caught Chit on it, All the bait has been small the past couple of years"


I didn't hear that there but was actaully going to start a thread on that .. I did talk with PM about the subject .. Last year little stuff ruled .. 5 3/4" cordell pencils ... My small needle .. even out at BI ,,, small sand eel size baits . Also some plugs were off .. My jiiggy spook was not my got to,, savior for the first time in 4 yrs. I was wondering with the popularity of that plug if every fish up and down the coast has seen it .. Then what Flaps thinking was at the end of last season ... Just try to throw something different than everyone eles .. To answer the question I'm making all small stuff .. with the exception of large predators and darters .

just took my first attempt at surface poppers out of the val oil and finishing up some metal lips for a swap in april....test swam a flaptail, my first one, i was psyched at the action...

Building a few juniors now that I have them figured out. Also working on replacing a bunch of my fishing supply that I have traded and given away. Finally, like at the end of every building season I'll build some one off stuff to try fishing this season.

I am working on a GooGoo from an original a friend had and would like a copy of.

Musso medium lipless swimmer
Musso large BD next
Masterlure big mouth popper.
Bluestreak large popper (real sweet plug!).
Musso Maple Sr and maybe a Conrad Sr or two.
Only a few of each.

Then I got 2-3 rods I wanted to build and a plug bag to make......but that ain't likely. Start trout fishing Sat :smash:

no time for plugs yet:( busy building boxes, but that's a good thing.
one of these days I'll make something

Musso large BD next

George, i have one of those if you need it for reference. An eastender named Lu should have it pretty soon:). Then its scheduled to stay on the eastend with a master BD builder, but if you need it let me know and it will make its way up to your place.:jump1:

Kindest,
Billy

Long and skinny anythings, proportionaly. Sandeely looking stuff. Needles, dannys, pencil looking pencils. Dunno why, just have a feeling.

Just finished up these Pikies and Have a bunch of other plugs waiting to be finished. It is raining here way too much for finish work though. Need some good California sun to get back at it hard.


http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/curves/misc/navbits_finallink_ltr.gif

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/members/winchmaster-albums-lures-picture697-imgp0496.jpg

George, i have one of those if you need it for reference. An eastender named Lu should have it pretty soon:). Then its scheduled to stay on the eastend with a master BD builder, but if you need it let me know and it will make its way up to your place.:jump1:

Kindest,
Billy

Thanks, Billy. Someday I'd like to get my mitts on it, but for now I'm planning to just wing it (at least until I ho one off Lu :uhuh:).

I will send a clone up to you quick George.I will be trying to finish some swap pike and a jointed pike. Their is a proto that i have been on for over a year now that i am making specifically for the canal and i think its time to get er done. I just left the tool room trying to get lu tools done and then start on the next batch of tools (wire benders) the request for them has been brisk.:smash:

Im finnishing of a cedar plug w/ a few shots of paint, leaving the wood to show threw.
top is GOLD it Blends in to the wood, you have to look at it to see the color.
belly is wood an DAB of RED an some CREAM.
GOOD LUCK GOOD PLUGGIN:biglaugh:

Since the fest I've dabbled in some different styles .
A few small pikies inspired by Lower
some needles ..Ihad some maple just needed to work out weighting.
a couple of surfsters
And a whole bunch os smaller dannies and spins .

I have so much crap going on I'm not even sure but everything will go aside so that I can finish the needles I've been working on.

heres most of my batch for the season . about 25 total this year.
GF

Neat. Thanks for showing them.

Been working on a variety of plugs. Half day at work today so I sealed a batch of stuff. Some freshwater plugs like 3/8 and 1/2 oz atoms, two sizes of jitterbugs, and 3/4 oz pikies. Striper stuff included 1 1/2 and 2 1/4 oz bottles, 1 1/4 and 2 oz bottle darters, 1.4 and 2 oz pikies, 2 oz needles, various sizes of atom style plugs, some eel types, and a few spooks cause you can never have too many :hihi:

Jigman

I wanted to bring some of these to the plug fest, but I couldn't make it due to work. Here are some pics of what my friend and I have done this year. Some spooks, Dannies, and different size pencils. I was able to make over a 100 plugs this year. I plan on giving a lot away to friends.

Today I worked on some 6" pikes, and some MONSTER jointed pikies. Will post them when i'm done.

Working on a couple rods for some friends and going to make a proto of a needle with a large center section, with a big eye dadoed large to make it thin in the side . Kinda like an offset turning w/o the turning I guess.

some stuff is starting to get finished. Lots more to go and plenty that won't be :uhuh: I think you can tell what my favorite pattern is

Very nice Prof, you do your favorite pattern well!:uhuh:

any chance of seeing that paint template?
Please.
GF

Atom jr's and 54b's...

some stuff is starting to get finished. Lots more to go and plenty that won't be :uhuh: I think you can tell what my favorite pattern is

Are those conrads the 5.5" or big ones? Also like the danny plug up top w/conrad style lip. Nice stuff as always.

Thanks Mike, Jr. conrads, yes. I got one for you. There is a slope head one in there too. The danny, large Pichney,has the original style lip in it. A low slot pikie 3 lip with bent up sides. No one sells the lip with that slot location so i put one in where Pichney put it. Hopefully someone will make some:uhuh:. Not saying it has any advantage over the regular slot pikie 3 lip but I like to be true to the original builder as he is probably a hell of a lot smarter than I when it came to plugs.

As far as the template i am keeping that for myself for a while longer. Everyone has to have a couple secrets. You can do the same with several products and Mike from M&D's sells, or uses, some sort of stuff to do I think that he posted or showed at plugfest.

George, i have one of those if you need it for reference. An eastender named Lu should have it pretty soon:). Then its scheduled to stay on the eastend with a master BD builder, but if you need it let me know and it will make its way up to your place.:jump1:

Kindest,
Billy

Hi Billy.
The BD has been handed off to Lu.
Thanks so much for letting me hang onto it.:)

PatrickD

Hi Billy, also. Maybe by the weekend. Test swim today. Also a stray BD in there.

OHHHHH AHHHHH love them lipless.

Cool lipless swimmers!

Jigman

Hi Billy, also. Maybe by the weekend. Test swim today. Also a stray BD in there.

Nice job on the bodies... question is can you fool a sea robin with one?