Whiggley

[RhettWheeler]

Got my mr whiggley design dialed in. I'm getting ready for cape cod in June. I wanted to bring a bunch along to dominate the stripers. Here's my attempt:

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj23 ... 49d277.jpg

does the action look correct?

http://youtu.be/IsU0xT8QCHw

[Shaane]

Wow, that looks really good in the water, you should catch a lot of fish with that action, thanks for the video. Are you so dialed in that you don't need tungsten in the belly, i didn't see any black along the bottom.

[RhettWheeler]

I actually pour about half the mold then drop in some steel shot for the belly weight (roughly a dozen). Saves me the trouble of having to pour two kinds of plastic.

[dahlberg]

You've got it rhett! Look out fish! Try rod with much stiffer tip, burn, stop, twitch, twitch, burn, stop, burn, stop!! Also semi spastic half turn snaps with the reel handle as you're cranking along with short bounces with the rod tip.
For stripers super long casts, medium burn with twitches while reeling, fast burn 100 feet out, dead stop at 60 feet out, pause one second, resume twitch and burn.
As fish closes on boat and you can see it, (and unfortunately it can see you also) try to "read" its' attitude as you vary your retrieve. Try to figure out what it takes to get them to react by observing their reaction to what you do with the lure.

Nice work!
L

[RhettWheeler]

That is super useful retrieval info, Larry. Thank you so much! I can't wait to test these bad boys out. I'm working on about a 4.75" whiggley right now as well just for some variety. Had one design finished but wasn't satisfied with the action so i'm on my second version right now. Trying to get the action similar to this large one.

This bait is roughly 12" maybe a little better than that... what size treble would you recommend? 4/0 or bigger?

-Rhett

[Fogeljazz]

Looking good, Rhett! Nice action on your Whiggley. Gotta work on a new prototype and get it to work like that. My last one crashed and burned

[dahlberg]

Regarding the hook it depends on what you're after. I'd use a 5/0 minimum on the foot long version.
best
L

[RhettWheeler]

Got it! Thanks Larry, appreciate you! One more question: What color pattern do you like to use best for the cape cod stripers?
So far I've made pearl, blue herring, redhead, orange/pearl red tail

[RhettWheeler]

Fogeljazz wrote:
> Looking good, Rhett! Nice action on your Whiggley. Gotta work on a new
> prototype and get it to work like that. My last one crashed and burned

Really focus on making that head shape conical. when you get the head shape with the correct taper it's magic. Took me a long time to get it correct. Almost a year lol.

[Fogeljazz]

RhettWheeler wrote:
> Really focus on making that head shape conical. when you get the head shape with the
> correct taper it's magic. Took me a long time to get it correct. Almost a year lol.

Thanks for your help, much appreciated. Larry said something along those lines as well. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions on the dimensions of your Whiggley? You said your Whiggley is 12" long, How high and how wide is it? Also, your head is tapered not only top to bottom, but also side to side? To create a more cone shaped head? Lastly, what Alumisol/softener mix do you use?
I hope you don't mind me asking these questions. But your Whiggley has the exact action I'd like to achieve

Brgds
Emil

[RhettWheeler]

6cm tall by about 3cm wide.

the majority of the taper is top to bottom, but I also do it side to side to form a cone. So Yes.

I use roughly 4:1 on alumisol to softener.

[Fogeljazz]

Thanks a lot, Rhett.
That means that the hight of the bait is 1/5 of the length and the width is 1/10 of the length. If that's a good ratio for the dimensions (and judging from your video, it is) then my versions have been to skinny. Maybe that's why they don't swim properly. Maybe the body is too thin to exert any force in the water and it only goes straight as an arrow?

I'll try making a new master and use your dimensions as guidelines. Will report back with an update later.

Thanks again!

Brgds
Emil

[RhettWheeler]

Let me know how it works!

[thefinnishminnow]

Hey Rhett,

Your whiggley is really 3cm wide at the head? as in, over an inch thick? Reason I ask is that I am thinking about starting a whiggley project and I wouldn't have thought to make it that thick

Thanks
pat

[RhettWheeler]

thefinnishminnow wrote:
> Hey Rhett,
>
> Your whiggley is really 3cm wide at the head? as in, over an inch thick? Reason
> I ask is that I am thinking about starting a whiggley project and I wouldn't have
> thought to make it that thick
>
> Thanks
> pat

No, sorry it's 1.5cm thickx 3cm tall. Thank you for asking that, I totally put the wrong measurement up. Sorry about that fogeljazz!!! <----use these dimensions! Wow that was a major error i had dimensions for something else written nearby and looked at the wrong thing.

[thefinnishminnow]

Ya, just didn't seem right those dimensions, ha
your whiggley looks awesome though. definitely some good craftsmanship there

[Fogeljazz]

RhettWheeler wrote:
>
> No, sorry it's 1.5cm thickx 3cm tall. Thank you for asking that, I totally put the
> wrong measurement up. Sorry about that fogeljazz!!! <----use these dimensions! Wow
> that was a major error i had dimensions for something else written nearby and looked
> at the wrong thing.

Hehe, thought it seemed kinda thick so that explains it
No worries, it happens. Nice to know that my originial dimensions wasn't too far off, even if it didn't work.

[RhettWheeler]

Yeah that would have been waaaaay too thick. Thanks again for catching that! Good luck you guys, post some pics when you start getting your designs dialed in!

[topwater]

Cape Cod in June: pearl, herring (blue over pearl, some pink in the sides), and mackerel (green or blue).

[RhettWheeler]

topwater wrote:
> Cape Cod in June: pearl, herring (blue over pearl, some pink in the sides), and mackerel
> (green or blue).
Awesome, thank you so much for the tips! I may dust up some mackerel colors in the mold then take an alcohol based marker to get in there and draw in the mackerel lines.

[Fogeljazz]

I think I've finally got my Whiggley-design dialed in. Larry, Mike and Rhettwheeler, please check my video and see what you think.
It's about 9,5" long and this version has 8 grams of lead in it, right under the head.

http://youtu.be/Z1xTfSE7y24

Btw, I called it "Larry" in honor of it's original creator

[dahlberg]

You have got it! Congrats! I'm honored, and flattered1! The only thing I've had named after me prior was a small pet turtle belonging to Zoey and Cooper, who belong to a friend of mine!
L

[RhettWheeler]

You nailed it brotha! Great work man!!!!

[Fogeljazz]

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Did a little fishing and testing yesterday. Caught two somewhat decent pike at around 6-7 lbs on the "Larry". They totally hammered it, even though I retrieved it quite fast and it was only 4 degrees celsius in the water. So it really seems to be working.