Test Them Guys!

[wrikerjr]

Larry,

I usually spray my 1st prototypes with solid vibrant colors from spray cans. Yellow, White, Orange this way I can concentrate on roll and action very easily rather than bare wood as sometimes I have issues seeing the wood clearly with the glare from the sun.

It also helps when you take notes, (i.e., yellow plug, white plug, etc.).

Kindest,
Billy

[Swimmer]

The river at the bottom of my street iced-out two weeks ago and I have been swimming plugs I turned just about everyday. It adds quite a bit of time to the overall project, but it has its benefits as well.

I love my neighbors looking out thier windows, watching me carry my 9'er down the street towards the water. Elderly lady next door was driving away with one of friends yesterday, and I received the strangest of all looks.

A lot of brush along the river banks was making it difficult, but an old tree fell across the river and I walk out on it and cast down stream, and swim the plugs back into the current. Those Nikies dive fast.

[bspice13]

I see alot of newbie plug builders who are doing some beautiful visual work! Just really eye popping stuff and its impressive! I also see several of their threads where they indicate they have turned the plugs and put so much time into them to make them look great......but they have not tested them in the water yet? Then after all the effort.....the plugs do not swim as they had hoped? I find that a shame! I may be out of line here but I feel it needs saying......take the time to water test your plugs before you finish them so that you know when the fish arrive.....that your plugs which you have worked so hard on making look pretty will do what they were supposed to have been designed to do! The end game is to put your creation on the fish and if you can do that with a beautiful plug which at the same time performs as they should.....then you will have something that you can truly be proud of! Sure you can catch fish on any old stick of wood that just splashes around in the water.....but if you take the time to design and craft a plug to perform as you envision in your mind and it catches better than any old piece of wood, then you have achieved something special!

[Diggin Jiggin]

Originally Posted by wrikerjr

Larry,

I usually spray my 1st prototypes with solid vibrant colors from spray cans. Yellow, White, Orange this way I can concentrate on roll and action very easily rather than bare wood as sometimes I have issues seeing the wood clearly with the glare from the sun.

It also helps when you take notes, (i.e., yellow plug, white plug, etc.).

Kindest,
Billy

If you are checking for roll, take a sharpie and draw a line along the top of a primed prototype, make it run down the length of the plug.
It makes roll real obvious, not that all roll is bad, but minimally it will tell you which ones to paint solid colors and to leave blind. Nothing like eye up, eye down, eye up , eye down.

[Lower]

I just give the ones that don't swim to Ernie . You do make a great point Larry. I actually really enjoying messing around with the testing. Only tough part is when your playing with a new design in the dead of winter and the closest open water is an hour away...that sucks.

[wrikerjr]

Originally Posted by Diggin Jiggin

If you are checking for roll, take a sharpie and draw a line along the top of a primed prototype, make it run down the length of the plug.
It makes roll real obvious, not that all roll is bad, but minimally it will tell you which ones to paint solid colors and to leave blind. Nothing like eye up, eye down, eye up , eye down.

Thanks for the sharpie tip, I have always concentrated solely on the eyes with someone video taping from top of a bridge in certain spots.

You learn something new everyday.