Results 1 to 15 of 15
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Rainbow River
    Posts
    6,403

    UL Spybait challenge.......plz be gentle.

    UL Spybait Challenge


    I got an email from a buddy who asked if I could make a UL version of a spinbait for trout fishing in the mountain streams of North Carolina. It seems that Duo Realis discontinued the spinbait 60 and now only makes an 80 and 90mm version. I couldn't even find a 60 but I remembered that I had one. I am a jig and spinnerbait guy, I've never made a hard bodied bait before. I took on the challenge because I felt if I was successful, I'd have a hell of a bluegill/bass bait for my own pond on my property in NC and the rivers I fish here in Florida.



    How I went about it: I'm not ashamed to admit I made a 1pc mold of the 60 and cut it down to the length I wanted and sanded it to the necessary profile I was looking for. I made both a 1 5/8" and a 2" body.






    But with that came the issue of properly weighting it so that it would fall flat horizontally with that sexy little shimmy. I needed to add weight to a solid body, not a bait I could assemble from two halves with spots for the weights molded in place.



    I molded about a dozen bodies and then had to experiment with weighting the baits. I needed the bait to do two things........swim straight without wobble and fall perfectly horizontal with that sexy shimy like a Senko. I drilled a series of small holes ahead of and behind the belly hook and filled them with tungsten powder. I got really lucky and pretty much nailed it with the first two baits I made. Next I mocked up a bait with the screws and hardware I would use to complete the bait to test it.







    I swam some of the baits in the pool and found that they blew out and rolled if fished too fast. I simply bent the paddles of the lead prop the opposite of the tail prop and this was instantly corrected. The bait fell exactly as I wanted it to and it swam great. I would decide to use Decoy single hook's on the 1 5/8" bait and Gammy trebles on the 2".

    At about the time I was knee deep in the project, I read on Tackle Tour that Duo made the Tetra Works mini prop which is a ul version of the Spinbait. Despite the bait being rather difficult to acquire, I managed to get one and here is a comparison photo with the 1 5/8" bait I made.






    Here a few smaller ones @ 1/8oz ready for clear coat.




    2" baits are about 3/16oz. I was going for small in the sense of length and profile. A slightly heavier bait in moving water or deeper water like the quarry pits I fish could be a good thing.







    These are essentially the finished baits in both 2" and 1 5/8".



    A couple were also specifically made for deep water.





    Here is a family tree of the 90mm,80mm, 60mm and 48mm baits from Duo and a couple of mine.

    Question everything!

  2. BBC SPONSOR
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Russellville, AR
    Posts
    1,745
    #2
    Looks great to me! Wish I had your skill set!

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Rainbow River
    Posts
    6,403
    #3
    I painted these baits with a copic air brush, you snap in special copic markers rather than change bottles of paint.
    No clean up, no mess, no fuss.
    I really appreciate the comment, I've never thought of it as skill, compared to the amazing stuff many of these guys produce.
    Last edited by earthworm77; 08-26-2018 at 01:19 PM.
    Question everything!

  4. BBC SPONSOR
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Russellville, AR
    Posts
    1,745
    #4
    They look great to me!

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Canton,Ohio
    Posts
    224
    #5
    they look great! how to they run? do they still have a good listing action to them?

  6. Banned
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    16,186
    #6
    Aw huh..

  7. Member IBHUFFY's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Amarillo
    Posts
    3,588
    #7
    I'd be proud to own a couple.

  8. Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Wallingford, CT
    Posts
    921
    #8
    very, very nice work, you are an artist!

  9. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Rainbow River
    Posts
    6,403
    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by basscat28 View Post
    they look great! how to they run? do they still have a good listing action to them?

    I caught a bass on one on its third cast, first day trying it. I sent a few to various people on another board who have reported that they are crushing smallmouth bass and panfish on light tackle with them. I'm pretty stoked. They flutter on the fall and run straight without much side to side movement on retrieve. I made them a little heavier to fish in current or get down deep. Once I figured the props had to be bent in opposite directions(front and back) they ran true without spinning.
    Question everything!

  10. Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    NW Georgia
    Posts
    32,810
    #10
    Praying for a Cure

  11. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Omaha, Nebraska
    Posts
    2,862
    #11
    Nice work! When the prettyness of the bait meets fish catchability you have a winner!

  12. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Canton,Ohio
    Posts
    224
    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by earthworm77 View Post
    I caught a bass on one on its third cast, first day trying it. I sent a few to various people on another board who have reported that they are crushing smallmouth bass and panfish on light tackle with them. I'm pretty stoked. They flutter on the fall and run straight without much side to side movement on retrieve. I made them a little heavier to fish in current or get down deep. Once I figured the props had to be bent in opposite directions(front and back) they ran true without spinning.
    That's awesome man! You may just get me started on tinkering around doing the same thing. I use the 80 a lot but it gets expensive at time on lake erie...

  13. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    chester virginia
    Posts
    4,129
    #13
    Pretty work

  14. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Rainbow River
    Posts
    6,403
    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by basscat28 View Post
    That's awesome man! You may just get me started on tinkering around doing the same thing. I use the 80 a lot but it gets expensive at time on lake erie...

    They are really easy to mold. The weighting wasn't difficult to figure.
    I've even made some without the tungsten powder. I used the suspend strip and epoxied over them, no uneven seams, they just kind of disappear into the bait.

    I am considering giving a LC RC .5 a shot next If I can figure out the wire.
    Question everything!

  15. Member Capt Ray's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Panama City Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,348
    #15
    Very cool.