Chamois tails.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160775_zps7tysquz6.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160775_zps7tysquz6.jpg.html)

Since the down turn of Uncle Josh and the termination of the striper
strips. The last couple seasons have been a bummer.

I love bucktailing and am a huge fan of the Uncle Josh products.
The ones I still have ...I have been hoarding like a weirdo.

Frankly, I do not like the synthetic strips.
Yes, its nice to not have to take them off your hook,
but they do not move like pork.

I think its fair to say that I prefer pork strips over the synthetic,
and lets face it, most of the time the natural is just better material.
both for its action and it is a responsible material to use.
Pork is biodegradable where plastic is not....well, at least in our lifetime.


Two years ago, I thought of using pigskin as a substitute....but never
bought any. I have also thought about making pork rind myself....
I am too lazy.

I got into fly fishing and some guys use Chamois which is an
automotive product. It is goat skin and some guys use it in strips for
making worm patterns. Natural Chamois is too thin for dressing
bucktails.

So, I am poking around that material and notice this artificial chamois products.

What??? It has the thickness and feel of pork strips.

So, I buy some and fish it last fall, side by side with pork.

The Fish didn't seem to care.



Here is the deal: This stuff is made to absorb water,and when it does
it gains the attributes of pork strips.

The bouyancy...the movement....etc. It is sort of a commonly
desirable attribute of lures...a neutral bouyancy, which is not an
attribute all the synthetics share. Pork and this material seem to have
it. Because most of its mass is water...it acts more like a living thing in the water.

uncle josh #70
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PorkRindVidFrames_zpsfywhzea3.gif (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PorkRindVidFrames_zpsfywhzea3.gif.html)

chamois tail look alike
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/ChamoisVidFrames_zpsf6jxhgor.gif (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/ChamoisVidFrames_zpsf6jxhgor.gif.html)

You can see in the video. They do not move exactly the same but pretty close.
The synthetic chamois is a little stiffer and does not have the two
tone so there is less visual motion.

I have not done it yet, but you could soak/store the stuff in a scent.

Because it was designed to be a chamois for drying cars...it is a pretty
strong material. It also seems to have some sort of mesh
reinforcement at its core.

The the material I use is called "The Absorber"...hahahahaa. Perfect!!!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160749_zpsnfu3fpkv.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160749_zpsnfu3fpkv.jpg.html)

They cost about 11 dollars. They come in a 27" X 17" sheet.
You can make 170 - 5.25" x .5" strips out of the sheet....@ 6.5
cents per strip. You can call that a lifetime supply....for what a single
jar would cost.

No more dollar a tail.

You can buy the thing on amazon, walmart, and just about every
automotive chain around.

Here is how I make them.

The sheet comes in a container. Make sure you store the sheet in
there. It is packaged with some light moisture that makes it easier to
work with. When it dries out it is no longer soft it becomes rigid and
you will need to wet it to cut it, which might be messy.

I measure out and cut 5.25 x .5 inch strips. Of course you can make
em however you want. I just use a utility knife on a cutting board that
I can cut into.

first cut out a 5.25 x 5 inch rectangle...and put the rest back in the container.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160751_zpskgnol7ue.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160751_zpskgnol7ue.jpg.html)

then cut out half inch strips.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160754_zpsbm9dbwbz.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160754_zpsbm9dbwbz.jpg.html)


When I taper them, I draw the knife to the tip of the tail. You will want
to keep your straight edge on the mass of the strip so that it doesnt
move around.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160760_zpsdlynautm.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160760_zpsdlynautm.jpg.html)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160762_zpsyky06z32.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160762_zpsyky06z32.jpg.html)

I tried some with a pre-made hole and some where the end was
dipped in glue to make it more rigid.

My advise, skip both modifications and just push the bucktail hook
point into the Chamois tail. The hole will not get bigger and it will stay
in place better. You do not need to take them off, so it would take a
while for the hole to get bigger on its own.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160764_zpse0eygzfb.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160764_zpse0eygzfb.jpg.html)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160767_zpsonpraaer.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160767_zpsonpraaer.jpg.html)

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160769_zpsqunrwzvm.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160769_zpsqunrwzvm.jpg.html)

Walmart and auto part stores seem to carry it.
The strips come in a lot of bright colors. I have used red mostly, but
bought the natural and aqua. I am looking for green and white but it
seems hard to find. Red seemed the thickest, but that might be just
variation in quality control.

If you find white or green somewhere....help a brother out and grab
some for me....hahahahaha.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160790_zpsenpgkwlx.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160790_zpsenpgkwlx.jpg.html)


Its a game changer for me. If I can get pork I still prefer it. And there
are a few new companies that are selling it. It is sort of liberating to
find a synthetic product that is better and cheaper than the commercial synthetic strips.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h240/puppetFish/PB160779_zpsdzznxnnq.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/puppetFish/media/PB160779_zpsdzznxnnq.jpg.html)

Awesome Steve!!! I'm gonna go grab one and try it. Looks almost identical.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Huge contribution! Now this is a post!!! Thanks Steve

Breath of fresh air for sure..... Thanks
And I'm in on this one, take that Josh! ..... :-)

that’s brilliant.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Great idea Steve!

Clean Tools "The Mini Absorber" on amazon for $14.88. It says colors may vary, but you can ask for a specific color in the order notes. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mZkzKJpIL.jpg

Thank you, Steve!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

very inovative

Very helpful.
Well done!

Seem like a nice way to save a few $$$ too. Thanks

very clever!!!

I have not bought a new jar of Uncle Josh in some time. I was unaware there was a downturn? Are they going out of business or just less production?

very clever!!!

I have not bought a new jar of Uncle Josh in some time. I was unaware there was a downturn? Are they going out of business or just less production?

I dont know all the details. They are still in business, but are no longer making the pork rind products.

My general understanding is: America's demand for pork shifted to
a younger more tender pig. The younger swine has a softer hide and
Uncle Josh's suppliers only had access to the softer hide but
required a tougher hide for the durability in quality pork rinds. For
the last 3 years the rinds were pretty weak, and customers
noticed....so they pulled the plug.

Great idea - I do something similar with felt. If you have some old pork striper strips make a template of one out of cardboard and trace it onto the material.

Come on guys you're supposed to be sportsmen. I want to see someone start raising their own hogs just for the skin.

Come on guys you're supposed to be sportsmen. I want to see someone start raising their own hogs just for the skin.

Why don't you do it on your palatial estate in Tiverton!!!

Come on guys you're supposed to be sportsmen. I want to see someone start raising their own hogs just for the skin.

On that topic - many years ago there was a NY surfcaster that started a company that made rigged eels and trailers made out of shark skin which we all know is tough as anything. He sold them in bottles of brine and they were called Gizmo's. Very effective but the idea didn't take off. I'm sure some of you have access to shark skins at seafood dealers.
Who knows, maybe dogfish skins would work.

Great post Steve! Thanks!!

Great stuff right there!

Come on guys you're supposed to be sportsmen. I want to see someone start raising their own hogs just for the skin.

It is really too temping just to put that pig over a fire and have some of that skin when it is nice and crispy. Better than crack......

Nice job puppet
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

What project files did you dump out in the office to take video of bucktails, pork rinds and sham wows swimming in cooler water? HAHA

Awesome post! I've always been impressed with the surfcaster's or boat angler's willingness to buy something inexpensive or not and destroy it for the sake of finding a new way, be it less expensive or simply "a better way" to do something.

Thanks for the tip, great idea.

That's awesome! Thank you!

great post gonna get some and put them to the test on the yak this coming season .
ML sr

update.

I still have uncle josh pork but no longer use them.

I have been using this absorber thing for a season and a half now. It works really well.

I,ve been doing descent with .all soft plastics .but have good luck with REd or green glitter in 7" F/W worms ……… & a ton of guys are using gulp & b not just for bottom fish

I,ve been doing descent with .all soft plastics .but have good luck with REd or green glitter in 7" F/W worms ……… & a ton of guys are using gulp & b not just for bottom fish

I have moved away from soft plastics...mostly because they are not very robust. They do catch like crazy and sometimes they outcatch everything else....sluggos and hogies.

problem I find...they tear too easy and sometimes get free of the hook. Sometimes one violent bass can shred a 9 or 12" sluggo.

this is interesting too....and I am sure striped bass may end up with the fate as noted below. Its not like the chamois is a lot better, but it is more robust than soft plastics.

https://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/skinny-fish.html


http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/topic/343041-found-this-interesting/

Nice idea not sure if otter tails are a good replacement for buck tails.. like a darters I cant catch anything on a bucktail
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device