I have a lot to finish before the end of April: Solder/paint shad flutter spoons, paint shad darts, make pencils and big spooks for the area river herring runs, etc. I also need to knock out a bunch of bluefish skippers and poppers for a family trip to the Cape this June.

Right now I'm waiting for the sealer to finish curing on a run of small needles so I can get these out of the way -- I need to concentrate on making stuff in the order I'm going to use it!

What are some of you guys working on?

Good luck to you. I finished up painting for the year yesterday. Large darters and small poppers. Not going to get to my run of small, 1.5 oz., darters but I got plenty from last years batch. There is always next year. My spinner has been going every nite for a good week or so and I should be all done with epoxy by end of upcoming week. Then its onto working on my cottage, much to my wife's liking.

Those look awesome Eric... I am in the same boat, stuff to finish, stuff I want to make, but feeling the need to focus on other gear & make sure my *cough* plastic lures have fresh or sharpened hooks as well.

I turned a jointed eely this AM for a friend, came out awesome but I'm recessing the joint to decrease the joint width.. will have to see if it works ok.

Still have a dozen and a half needles to finish but it should go quick.

Here's some 8.25" needles, gold eyes are 2.3-2.4oz finished, red eyes are 2.6-2.7oz finished. I think the "purple cow" pattern is going to be the one. I found out that this particular needle took on an additional weight of 0.10 oz of epoxy from my question earlier in the build year. I did well last season on this style needle during the last and first two of high tide in certain locations because it works a deeper water column, then switching to a wadd style after these bottomed out.

Those look really nice -- love the purple cow paint on that needle.

Looking forward to seeing the jointed eely.

I've seen the term "wadd needle" a few times, what does that mean?
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I think it refers to a nickname derived when Don Musso made some 12" fat needlefish by request and somehow that nickname got around, but to me it is any needlefish that is predominantly fat in the mid section. Salty's has a wad kit needle that I like.

maybe some others here know more about it.