Mushroom-Style Tail Weights

[Eric Roach]

I made a lead mold in red oak to create a "mushroom-style" tail weight for the back of some small bluefish skippers.

I'm wondering if anyone makes/sells this style of tail weight(?)

[Slipknot]

I don't know of any commercially available.

I finally got to make some myself as Paul finished the mold in the spring. I'm not sure how much it helps the aerodynamics but it sure can't hurt.

[ProfessorM]

yup finally finished a mold last fall. Slip and I poured a bunch early this spring. There are 5 sizes in the mold. I have not made any plugs to put the lead in yet, done making knew stuff this year. Capesams poured all the ones in the Tupperware for me for lending him the mold. If all goes right i will never have to pour any myself.

sorry for the redundancy, i did not read above post by Bruce.

[Eric Roach]

That's a great mold and exactly what I wanted to do if I decided this style made a difference.

Thank you both.

[Slipknot]

Paul , I have tried some of the ones we made from that first batch by re-wiring some pencils, now I need to redesign my pencil bodies to see if it helps.

[ProfessorM]

are you saying there was no noticable difference with them than the regular scheme?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Slipknot]

Hard to say since I don't really have any 2 that are alike to compare but I think it helps a little. As far as wobble, I have to work on body style to eliminate that I think.

[Tagger]

nice Musso's Paul ... think you'll ever finish them .. ? ''' DZ wants to go to ZPZ if we're going ... let's go ..

[eskimo]

Goodies! ...let's see some clones.

That mold would be good for liquid candy too
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Tagger

nice Musso's Paul ... think you'll ever finish them .. ? ''' DZ wants to go to ZPZ if we're going ... let's go ..

LOL. I finish nutin. Look at my bench , a complete cluster fucc. actually going to wire up some Musso darters today,a few anyway.

.Yes I do want to go, you know I do Tell me where and when and I will make it work. Lupo's I think , right?.

[Charleston]

Nice job on the mold, Paul. The weights look good. Those weights would be pissa in the tail of a few cutty hunks.

[vineyardblues]

Stan Kuzia tail weights 101

[gone fishin]

Originally Posted by vineyardblues

Stan Kuzia tail weights 101

And he goes heavy!

[Eric Roach]

I found that modifying a lead egg sinker for the occasional mushroom weight a lot easier than firing-up the smelter and pouring into a 3-part hardwood mold.

I used a screwdriver as a skew. The lead shaved off in ribbons so there wasn't any dust.

If you try this, I wouldn't recommend sanding lead -- especially without a N100 mask.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Just a thought, but wouldn't the lead be too soft to get a tight tailwrap? I would think you would dig right into the lead as you kept turning....wouldn't you still need to put some metal piece there for wrapping?

[Raven]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Look at my bench , a complete cluster fucc.

Well then, your not playing the right MUSIC !

but neither am i .........as mine is worse....

i take solace in all the unfinished projects

[Eric Roach]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Just a thought, but wouldn't the lead be too soft to get a tight tailwrap? I would think you would dig right into the lead as you kept turning....wouldn't you still need to put some metal piece there for wrapping?

Thanks for bringing this up.

In the picture, you can (barely) see that I have a nose grommet in the opening (to the left). Although I've tail-wrapped without a grommet, you do get a tighter wrap with one. I had to drill the opening a little to get the grommet in.

A grommet also helps in another way: This weight was used in the back of a bluefish skipper and I wanted a swivel at the attachment point. To accomplish this I ran wire through the swivel ring and crimped the wire and the ring flat, then thread the wire through the plug backwards. The body of the swivel seats nicely in the cup of the grommet. I "tail-wrap" at the nose of this plug.

[ProfessorM]

Kevin the wrap is even better than against a grommet. I can make it really tight. After fishing the heavy small canal pencils I have been making for the last several years and using the new tail wgts. the last 2 seasons I can honestly say they are fantastic and fly thru the air better than an equally weighted regular one. They work on top even better too. I took several large fish on them this morning and took my largest canal fish last year with them. I luv em

[blondterror]

Kev- I will show you a few I made with the mushrooms when we are at cutty... in fact... I have a canal pencil with your name on it...

[Eric Roach]

Originally Posted by Eric Roach

...A grommet also helps in another way: This weight was used in the back of a bluefish skipper and I wanted a swivel at the attachment point. To accomplish this I ran wire through the swivel ring and crimped the wire and the ring flat, then thread the wire through the plug backwards. The body of the swivel seats nicely in the cup of the grommet. I "tail-wrap" at the nose of this plug.

Here's a picure of what I'm trying to describe. It's a 4" Ranger-style bluefish skipper made from Ipe. Weighs about 1.4 oz.

[blondterror]

Eric... that is a great design.. have you been using that design for a few yrs or is it new for you this season

[nightfighter]

Originally Posted by Eric Roach

I found that modifying a lead egg sinker for the occasional mushroom weight a lot easier than firing-up the smelter and pouring into a 3-part hardwood mold.

I used a screwdriver as a skew. The lead shaved off in ribbons so there wasn't any dust.

If you try this, I wouldn't recommend sanding lead -- especially without a N100 mask.

This I gotta try! Thanks for the photo, too.

[Grapenuts]

back in the 50's they use to mold the swivels into the lead and place flaptails on them.The lead was then placed into the tail of the plug w/the wire for through wiring.

[ProfessorM]

your old

[Eric Roach]

Originally Posted by blondterror

Eric... that is a great design.. have you been using that design for a few yrs or is it new for you this season

I've been using the plug design for a couple of years, but the swivel in the rear is new this season -- I have about 20-25 blues on it and so far it hasn't bent to all hell -- it's still tight in the grommet (I really cranked the wire when making the nose-wrap).

The swivel makes a difference when landing the blue by holding the plug (as it labors to de-glove my fingers).

[Eric Roach]

Originally Posted by Grapenuts

back in the 50's they use to mold the swivels into the lead and place flaptails on them.The lead was then placed into the tail of the plug w/the wire for through wiring.

If I ever get around to having a custom Do-It mold made, this is the way I'd go -- with a nice, heavy-ringed swivel casted directly into the lead.

[Grapenuts]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

your old

no... ..tought myself a new trick today....

[Eric Roach]

Originally Posted by Eric Roach

Here's a picure of what I'm trying to describe. It's a 4" Ranger-style bluefish skipper made from Ipe. Weighs about 1.4 oz.

Just FYI: Two swivels have broken off while using the plug to land blues. Both broke at the ring that was crushed to slide the swivel into the mushroon weight. I think I might have to give up on this, or at least wait until I get around to having a Do-It mold made for this purpose.