Just say No to Needles ( Masterlure jointed)

[numbskull]

OK,OK. Granted needlefish are great lures, and if you love 'em and know how to use 'em, you don't need this plug. But if, deep in your bones, you're a metal lip junkie who craves something that throbs in the dark of the night, then this is one you should build.

The original was made by Masterlure, a company with paint adhesion problems of their own, out of birch. Years ago I made some copies out of maple. The first two were magic, the next two seem too heavy and haven't been as effective. I still have one good one and it has taken me numerous 20-30 lb fish casting, from a boat in the day and from the shore at night. It has neutral bouyancy and suspends on retrieve. It is tuned to come in about a foot or two down, and has proven particularly effective in the fall (even with herring around). These plugs are fussy and not very stable in moving water, but they cast better than you'd think and I have as much confidence in them as I do in a medium Danny, which says alot in my book.

If you choose to make one I'd probably suggest birch instead of maple since you can always add a little weight (towards the back of the front section) or up your hook size to get it's bouyancy right. I've also read (in an old Frech article about the same plug) that you can make 'em out of pine, but I haven't tried it so far. They also made a bigger version, and I built one 12" out of maple which weighs a ton, looks promising, but is tiring to cast and I've yet to find something big enough to eat it. On the smaller maple ones, I've cut my own lips out of thinner than usual steel to keep the weight down. I think a small "lefty" style lip would work, however. I'd also suggest you forget the tail hook and use long saddle hackles under scant bucktail to give the plug a more sinuous action. This is an easy plug to make, a little trouble to tune, but get it right, retrieve with your rod tip high, and I think you'll like the result. Good luck.

Specs.
Front half. 7/8" wide, 3 9/16" long.
Back half 7/8" tapering to 5/8" at the tail, 3 1/8" long.
Front hook, 1 3/16" from nose.
Rear hook, 5/8" from joint.
Lip slot, and front rounding taper 1/2 " long.
Lip 1 3/8" long. 1/2 " at base, 3/4" at first bend (1/2 inch from base), 15/16 at 2nd bend (7/16" from 1st bend), and then curved with a 7/16 radius from the 2nd bend to the tip. Wire hole is midway between the centerline and bottom of the plug.
I use small swivels (and have had one ripped out) and 1/0 hooks to keep weight down, but with birch you might get away with 2/0's
Paint- original is white belly, silver sides, with olive bands down back and upper half of each side. They didn't seal their's, but I'd suggest you do.

[numbskull]

Here's a shot of the lip.

[pops]

I rebuilt this one and its as you say great lure....

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by pops

I rebuilt this one and its as you say great lure....

Neat. Is that a bigger one? And is it pine? I don't think the small one I have is weighted, and the ones I built swim fine without weight.

[Slipknot]

would I have to make my own lips for these George? or is there a lip available that works?

thanks for posting this way back when

I'd like to use cherry for some of these

[Backbeach Jake]

After seeing those mojo scars how could I resist building some?

[Karl F]

wow, how timely, have an original on my bench... that I am going to atempt to duplicate..along with a couple other original old timers...

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by Karl F

wow, how timely, have an original on my bench... that I am going to atempt to duplicate..along with a couple other original old timers...

A self portrait plug?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[numbskull]

Mike's has a small lefty mid slot lip that is very close to the original and works well. If you want to get exact, shave a hair off the rounded part of Mike's lip and bend it up a bit.

This thread shows a larger hybrid version that has worked well for me also. http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...inted-how.html

[Karl F]

thanks George.. went thru my lip drawer and found one of salty's.. ( not sure which one, but it is almost spot on)...

will check out the link to your other thread too..


Nebe.. yeah... I'm slimming the profile on the original first..

[go4broke44]

measurements sound similar to a hab's stixx except with a joint maybe?

maybe similar to my interpretation of the stixx that I eyeballed from pics, I also used a pikie3 though, went DEEEEEEP.

Great thread though numbskull, I thoroughly enjoy your threads with all the specs on a certain style of plug. Maybe its my engineering background...

[JohnR]

Moved to Plug Favorites at request of OD Mike