Sunday Morning Plug Talk Thread!
 

I am headed out to my shop to mill some wood for my winter turning! I will be milling wood for my "Beastmaster" pikie! Gonna turn on WZLX and Blues on Sunday and make some sawdust! What are you going to be working on this winter?

This past Spring I reverse engineered a Habs Needle (large and small) and a Habs Night-n-Gale. I made one of the large exactly like a Habs large. It worked great. I'm gonna do a bunch of each this winter.

Stubbys, Wadds style and my slim and super slim Pikes. Have the stubbys turned and sealed. Some are for skinning w/groove and rest w/eyes. Doing wadds style needles in walnut and stubbys in birch. Pikes Are AYC. I had a order of birch misinterpreted and had 4 8' 5/4 lengths sent. I wanted 1 to share. It's premium birch which is 5/4 in 8' lengths, approx 7" wide in shop. Will mill to your diameter in squared lengths either 1' or 4' lengths. Full board 7" X 8' length approx 70.00.

I will post a few pics later to kick this thread up a bit and I encourage others to do the same!! Lets have fun with it!

Here are a few pics of the "Beastmaster" during build and completed!

You've been "busy". Looking good. Like the round nose.

I'm still fishing.

At some point this winter I need to build some 1.5 oz pencil poppers as I threw my last white one away (along with my elbow) trying to reach 12" fish and I'm left using ones in colors I never should have painted (like flo green or redhead/yellow body). DUMB.

Time to try and build some magic swimmer swimbait stuff, since watching he who shall not be named outfish my plugs 6:1 is soul crushing.

Need to build some more small scale stuff to better match the fish we'll be fishing on the next few years.

George....curious to know how you found the fishing this season? I had a dismal season in the salt but I am curious how you found the quantity and the quality (size) of the fish this season or lack there of?

I have some small needles on the lathe now, DZ gave me one from his late buddy zekes stash, it's a little bigger than an a pocket rocket but has belly hook.

Got 18 9.5" pencils sealed up and ready for primer/paint this week
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The spring was slow for me but the early-mid summer good (even though I managed to lose most of the real large fish I hooked).
The fall has been disappointing so far. Plenty of tiny fish but finding anything of quality (say 20# plus) has been a lot of work.........meaning that I have to take out Paul just to see one.

On the other hand I had great black sea bass fishing, caught some cod, albies, and a solitary bonito (that hit a butterfly jig in 117 ft of water, go figure). I fished in some manner (often just for schoolies) almost every day and weather was good so I'm not complaining.

That sounds promising. I threw the SS show special needle for awhile but per usual it sinks too fast for me.

I had a great time fishing metal lips this season so I'll be making more of those in a variety of styles. Deep diving, sub surface and surface swimmers all produced well for me this year. I also want to make some more 9" needles in heavy and light versions as they also produced some good fish for me.

Not really sure I'll have a lot of time to experiment with new designs this year but if I do I may try a large or smaller metal lip and maybe a jointed swimmer or some kind. I've made a bunch of prototype jointed swimmers and some swim nicely but I haven't really fished or worked on trying to duplicate any of them.

Topwater take......or a metal lip rip?? Which one is your favorite way to catch? Its a tough call for me as I love the topwater action, the visual of the hit and the thrashing......however I must say I love the moment when I am working my metal lip swimmer, feeling it thrum as I retrieve and the line just goes tight and the rod bends!!!! Thats my choice!:uhuh:

Exciting for sure surface takes. Since I don't have much chance to fish top water, dead sticking darters in anticipation of a strike at the end of sweep is my hot button. Don't get me wrong having continuous fish hitting a popper amongst a blitz whether easy or not is a blast. Today I'll be out of the dungeon. Blow leaves, then to my neighbor's to mill birch. I'll have more 5/4 cut and planed if anyone needs some. My next spin is wadd style needles. Birch for sinkers and AYC for surface cruisers. I finish a couple mahogany needles which weigh is a 1/2oz heavier than birch. Finished natural w/system 3.

Pretty much got all my stock cut up for the upcoming season. I do it at work as I don't have a band saw and work has a nice one so up till now no need but I am finally wanting to get one so I can do more fixtures and leave set up, as I can't leave stuff set up at work. so I am looking for one. I have gotten some things turned so far, needles, 2 size darters, eelskin Conrad Jr.'s. Dannies and my large darter are next. I will also be trying to finish up some promised plugs from years past, sorry to whom I have strung along, and some very small runs of stuff I always wanted to try like the Kuzia Hippo. Next step is to start thru drilling at work what I have turned so far. Lots of enthusiasm right now but by the time March comes I will be struggling to finish half of what I intended.

I am also going to make a new spray box with a new, old, fan.

A pic of the Kuzia Hippo

My sentiments exactly Larry. I not going to be able to build while away this winter so I'm turning as much as I can now and will finish when we get back next Spring.
I am sooooo addicted to needles, I'm hardly turning anything else. But I will turn a couple dozen metal lip swimmers.

While not wood, my foray into making my own plugs this winter will be casting resin using silicone molds.

Finally got my first mold done last night and had some issues with the release agent so now the 2 part mold is a 1 part mold... shouldn't be a problem.

I'm going to start by using some existing plugs I have which are near impossible to get my hands on anymore and if I like the finished product, move into making my own to cast.

If I get in front of a computer tonight I'll post some pictures.
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Got around to doing some handcarveds which is something I haven't done in quite some time. The small blue over silver is actually silver leafed. These little guys are probably my most productive plug over the years.

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...pswgyyu01x.jpg

I have a few more in the works both some Ive done before and have been decent fish catchers especially the redfin copy. The other is loosely based on a Maverick.

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfo1ba2lp.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps70oei0yw.jpg

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...pshccu18av.jpg

I have also moved to liking a lighter smaller pencil which more suits my needs. These will be totally sealed with a couple canal style and the rest full round. The white one in the middle of the pic is a resin pencil I have been messing around with. I really like the plug and it casts and fishes extremely well. I pour these with the weight in place then pull the rod I pour them on leaving the through hole done and weight in place. While I really like the resin stuff its just too much time for me right now.

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps5imvqwr8.jpg

Looking forward to seeing what everyone is doing.

Awesome stuff. What kind of resin are you using for the popper?
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For those who do not look at the DIY forum, I highly recommend getting the 4 foot LED shop lights from BJs or Sams Club. $36.00. I put five in my shop (replaced three fluorescents and added two) and it is a much better working environment.

I might be able to get some plug building time in late December, but am currently slammed with a major built-in project for the local library renovation. Then back to back kitchen renovations beginning Jan 2. Meanwhile my kitchen is ripped out and I need to start putting those cabinets in....

But I would still be interested in swapping master plug profiles, just as they come off the lathe, ends on and marked for eyes, weights, and hooks. I have a couple dozen spook bodies turned in same state for swap.

It has been way too long since I have finished any plugs.... This is just what I need. Thanks for lighting the fire in here Larry!

I have to find the name of the stuff Im using now as it has slipped my mind. I have used Alumilite, stuff from MPK enterprises and smooth on. Its all very, very similar unless you get stuff with micro balloons already added like featherlight. Even looking at msds sheets and spec sheets its all extremely close. Only reason I switch to other stuff is price. The stuff Im using now i have a gallon of and it was very much less expensive than Alumilite. I will find the business card and let you know.

Sweet, any source of reliable low cost resin is a win in my book.
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Posting for my Son Bradley.
He has been carving some plugs out of sticks but now thanks to Chris blondeterror he has some more appropriate materials to work with.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y25...ps6pmjuadm.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y25...psypdowlan.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y25...psuorcdpuw.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y25...ps3acwdudi.jpg
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Is that last one the plug he made next to the stick he made it from?
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Yes exactly
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That's awesome, kid has some talent
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Been working on some big pencils.

I call em jumping pencils, they work really easy and you can make em jump and skip if you work em quick

9.5" and 3.75-4oz, using 4/0 4x vmc hooks and two .57oz tail weights. They sit almost vertical in the water.

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/...pskpzxuxrk.jpg

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/...psgms5p2di.jpg

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/...psqzbxffuj.jpg
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Hoping to get em sanded and primed by the weekend

Got a few odds and ends I'm finishing up, some assorted atom jrs, 3oz pichney darter clone, small pencils, needles and metal lips. Only a handful of each. Hoping to finish them all up before I start the lathe up again.
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Pichney clone. My fav.