I would give one a try? Maybe get a bunch of guys to make a few (must be tested) and all get together on the water someplace and fish and see how they work....maybe swap them?

yes... through trial and error I finally got one to do what I wanted with a tail weight( wlike the original)... I've got several on my bench in need of final paint... hopefully for plugfest...

Maple?

no sir.. WRC... I've tried them out of everything reasonable.. best results were with WRC.. the original was White cedar..they scrapped it when there was a WC shortage so they could continue to make more lucrative plugs like the Pikie...

I would be up for it... We should get some good dims from an original... Sarge has one in his "sighting scope" at the moment...

Chris

I have a primo specimine given to my by Old Goat..that's where I got all the info I needed..

That's what I like about you Larry, Always up to a challenge!
Plus I know you like Creek Chubs.

Morning all. Today I'll seal a few spooks for a friend and probably turn a conrad/slopehead again. My testing session ended in tradgedy Friday. After a few adjustments the conrad/slopehead dove to the bottom out of sight and hung up on ??? I tried like heck to dislodge it but even with 30lb fireline on a dead pull it wasn't freeing up. After it broke off I was tying on my cowboy to test and I look up and there is the conrad floating out with the tide. I quickly started to launch this 5oz Cowboy(soft maple) trying to snag the plug. After many tries the breeze and tide sent it off to a new home. It did swim great with a nice waggle and occasional sway when pausing the rod. It was down aroun 3-4 feet thats when I decided to bend up the lip to 90 degrees and turn the line tie up. By the way the Cowboy with the similar adjustment was scooping mud. This one is for a boat guy who needs a sea bass imitator to dive on local reefs. same specs as my surf casting ones except made with the soft maple.Oh well back to the lathe. Enjoy this fine looking day.

LOL. I am making a Sr. and Jr. Conrad slope eelskin for a friend and am hoping it goes to the bottom as that is what he wants. I may have to try a couple out of maple if he doesn't like the results.

Hey fellas, I keep having to miss these. A good buddy of mine came over to help me fix the drying wheel issues I've beem having. he's really good mechanically. He put together some cool bearings and a drive chain and used some cool goop to take the play out of the rotisserie motor, now just fabricating a threaded insert and she will be mint...No more balancing the wheel and if it works out i won't have to buy a new low RPM motor (although it was built to accept one if need be).

Hope building is going well for everyone!
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/a...download44.jpg
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/a...download43.jpg
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/a...download45.jpg

MS

Need to finish up some masters for the dupe, didn't get much done this week! I'm going to finish up some Nike's, Danny's, Goo Goo's and do a few large Pikie's for trade to bring to SurfDay. Need to get in the building mood and get back to work :wall:.
Still want to try the CC Surf Darter and have been watching one on fleebay but it looks like it's going to go for more than it's worth :confused:. Anybody have one and post some dimension pleassssse!!

Damn, makes my dryer look like a POS!
Nice work!

Paul, saw this on Friday....

The Conrad

I've been working on a few things for the new season. I made a couple new small profile gliders that had worked very well last year. They swim very naturally on a slow retrieve, but short taps really get them chasing their tail for a nice underwater walk the dog. They are maple, 4.5" long and 2.25 oz. The ballast weight is a .490 muzzle load placed just in front of the belly hook. The next is a darter for boat fishing with no current to speak of. It is 8" long and weighs 3.25 oz, with a ballast weight between the two belly hooks. I've found that this placement helps it dig a little better for my application. And the last is a carved popper. Oddly enough there are not many, if any poppers for Musky, even though top water lures can be a very productive presentation.

Douglas

And the popper, which is basswood.

Douglas

I started on some floating needles (thanks pbadad) and a batch of dannys this week, and started messing around with a scaled down version of frech's W-Y popper. Also came across a sheet of melamine while at the dump so I might start on building a duplicator, anyone have a delta midi with a homemade dupe? Would like to get some ideas on how wide to make the table.
Nice job on the drying wheel Muskyslayer

Douglas those are ridiculously beautiful. Darter shape looks perfect. I have not forgot our conversation about the darters either. Just real busy.

Ryan you can put a home made dup on anything. Are you going to plugfest? I will bring mine so you can see and we will discuss how and what you need to make one, sizes of table, tool heights, cutting tools , etc... Very simple.
If you are not going we can discuss here or PM's too. P.

Douglass

every time I see your work I am AMAZED. AWSEOME stuff:)

MS

I made some small panfish gliders a couple of years ago and ended up weighting them in front of the hook and behind. had good action but a little too much weight I think. Would zip and dance though at times almost kissing it rear :biglaugh:

http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_02060015.jpg

and poppers
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/a...0_02190005.jpg

In AWE of Douglass's work :jump1:

MS

A skunk pattern flaptail by friends request, will have to make more, really like the way it turned out and I'm thinking some fluorescent pait on the stripe may help the fisherman at night.

http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/DSCF2201.jpg
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/DSCF2199.jpg
http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/DSCF2196.jpg

MS :uhuh:

Douglas those are really nice!
Paul that'd be great thanks, I'll be there. I'll bring a notebook and camera this time

MS those are beauties too. I try not to compare anything I paint to Mr. Rowhunter. He is the Picasso and I am the Helen Keller of plug painting. Matter of fact I will not even look at his work if I am going to paint that day as I will never be satisfied:yak5:

sounds good Ryan

I hear you there Professor....It is it's own class of work ....CRAZY COOL!!

MS

Professor M,

Big fan of your work as well....thanks for always being willing to help (may need some inserts soon also) :uhuh:

Best,

MS

VINTAGE CREEK CHUB SURF DARTER WOOD FISHING LURE | eBay

:rotf2::rotf2::rotf2:

You have got to be kidding, amazing what people will pay!!

Whoah... $$40 for a plug that has someones initials whittled on the top is a lot of money...

I am seeing some awesome stuff posted here, nice work to all of you. :kewl:

I have a few plugs finished up. Some will be coming to PlugFest with me along with others I have to finish up. Although I cannot duplicate the kind of numbers of plugs some of you can produce with the methods I use, I have been picking away slowly at a bunch.

Some maple needles in mackerel, sandeel, yellow/pearl and herring paint. 6.25"
Attachment 50821

A new thicker bodied mack slow-sinking 7" jerkbait. (top) I will have a bunch more of these style plugs.


Attachment 50822

Some small-bait plugs for backwater or finicky bass. Small mummichog is 3.75" and larger one is 4.25", both maple.
Attachment 50823

Now let me find some more pics...

I also have some more peanuts done. Some are fully sealed. These are right around 4.5", maple and AYC weighted to sink slow in natural and wonderbread paint.
Attachment 50824

A large basswood spook in wonderbread and a maple needle in flo pink over pearl.
Attachment 50825

A 5.5" natural spook.
Attachment 50826

Couple more loose pics I have laying around.

A large "lipless" plug in basswood. Larger than my smaller ones I have had good success with. My tests so far have been ok. Slight tweaks needed.
Attachment 50828

A section of the plug wall with some of my newest stuff in the middle.
Attachment 50829

Yes, as you can see I use a lot of handtools in my plugmaking... :)
Attachment 50827

quality.. not quanity... nothing wrong with what I see here..
See you at plugfest..