making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Questions about Making Your Own Lures

making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Postby rrw » Tue May 27, 2014 10:54 pm

Larry, I want to make a soft pastic sole imitation for small-med lingcod (5-20 lbs). I want it to have a paddle tail like a swim bait and "swim" with minimal imparted action. My goal is to fish it with a large single treble behind 3-4' leader and a mooching sinker with a large treble on the white underside hooked mid body to act as a rudder. I am thinking a two or three part mold with two mixes of plastic with the tail being soft alumisol and the body 3/4 being flex 30 (will it work to mix?). I want a two tone with the belly being white/glow and the top being dark brown or metallic brown.
Can you help with the design of the mold including materials for the mold and plastics to try?
Thanks,
Rich
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Re: making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Postby dahlberg » Wed May 28, 2014 6:53 am

Sure can, that's what this part of the forum and Makelure.com are all about!
First i'd suggest you check the lure gallery on makelure for the flounder lure one of our entrants made. it's very cool and looks great in the water.
In answer to your question, unfortunatley, alumisol will not "bond" with other materials like the Alumilite hard and flexible and foams will bond with each other. That means if you're attempting to unite the two you have to create a means of locking the two materials together. The easiest way is to make some kind of barbed or corkscrew wire to secure the soft plastic to the urethane.
Some makers use super glue to bond the two, but i'm not a fan of that method 'cause it's usually a pain.
If you make the tail portion just right there's a very good chance you can achieve your tail action with flex 30. If it gets ripped off, you should be able to put the body back in the mold and simply pour a new tail.
Mold should be quite simple, just a two parter that's seamed along the sides with pour and vent holes on the top.
I'd use high strength 3 for the mold and would suggest using alumisol for the entire lure to begin with.
The colors you want will be easy to achieve. Pour thin bottom layer of alumisol mixed with glow powder, followed by what ever brown or bronze you are looking for which can be achieved by combination of alumidust and dye (i'd mix a tiny bit of red or orange with brown dye plus a bit of "bronze-ish" alumidust powder.
It's unlikely that one treble with be heavy enough to provide adequate keel on a lure of this shape, so you might need to imbed some lead or tungsten along the center of the belly.
Regardless of all of the above, the first step is to create your master. Either cast a frozen live one or make one out of skulpy clay.
The procedure for the mold is explained in detail on the makelure site.
keep us abreast of your progress, and don't hesitate to ask here on the forum if you need more help, or you can call tech support at alumilite.
good luck!
best,
L
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Re: making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Postby rrw » Wed May 28, 2014 9:30 pm

Larry, I can't find the pics of the flounder imitation that was entered in the lure contest. Could you help me find the pics?
Also, I can't find the "glow powder" to go into the alumisol. What are you referring to?
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Re: making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Postby dahlberg » Fri May 30, 2014 7:43 am

I just got this email from mike:
They are still on there ... when you go to the build off page ... look right up at the Contest Details ... just to the right of that is 2012 Submissions ... click that ... http://www.makelure.com/BuildOff_2012.cfm then scroll all the way to the bottom. In the second to last row on the far right side you will see Watchhiller’s mini flounder looking bait.

Unfortunately watchhiller took his video down from utube, but the pic is still on the page.

best
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Re: making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Postby rrw » Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:31 pm

Larry, I have looked all over for the screw lock "eye" you pictured in one of your "Mr. Wiggley" videos and I can't see where to buy them. Can you help me?
My imitation sole prototype is pretty cool. I've taken some from Mr whiggley and another commercial bait and added my own. I'll see if I can put together a video in motion once I dial it in.
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Re: making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Postby warpsyrhead » Tue Jun 03, 2014 7:25 am

Hey R-DUB,

Have you watched the video for the Advanced Mr. Whiggley? Larry uses a tube, which I'm pretty sure is available from the MakeLure.com store along with the eyes he uses in that same video.
Hope that helps a little.

Thanks,
Brian
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Re: making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Postby rrw » Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:06 pm

Warpsyrhead, I saw he used the tube to connect the eye to tie off to. He also has a video on making Mr Whiggley where he uses a screw lock eye that seems easier for a medium sized lure. I'd like to try it out.
thanks though.
rich
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Re: making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Postby bennie » Tue Jun 03, 2014 7:40 pm

Check on ownerhooks.com centering pin spring or ebay.I use these pins to rig my Homemade plastic worms but in my experience the Harness from the advanced video works better on mr. wiggley.
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Re: making an imitation sole for bottom fish

Postby Fomen38 » Wed Jun 04, 2014 7:45 pm

I have watched both video's by Larry. The eyes he uses are available on the makelure.com website under "Mold Making and Casting Support Products". There are 3 sizes of eyes (15mm, 12mm, and 8mm). The shaft on the back of the eyes has sets of ridges on it. This allows it to hold fast when inserted into a plastic tube. Larry also uses super glue to hold the eyes in place once he inserts them. This is double protection to prevent them from coming out. Remember, Larry is VERY methodical when he makes a lure. He knows EXACTLY how big or small each piece needs to be before starting the fabrication process of a lure. He knows exactly when and how to bend the wires, and how long to cut the components. So long story short, the eyes aren't screw in because they aren't "threaded". They are corrugated with ridges on them to add texture/surface area so they don't slip out. If you shove them into a piece of rubber tube that is slightly smaller in diameter than the largest part of the shaft of the clear eyes they won't pop out. Larry is catching GIGANTIC muskies and wolf fish and things like that, so he needs to reinforce the adherence with super glue. But in most cases just shoving them in there will suffice. You can get the tubing on makelure.com, or in the plumbing section of your local hardware store. Just bring the clear eyes in with you and see which diameter of tubing fits them best. It's pennies per foot (literally). If you have trouble getting them to slip into the tube, slightly warm it (the piece of tube) with with a heat gun or hair dryer, then try shoving the shaft of the eye in. It will slip in much more easily, and when it cools and returns to it's proper solidity, the eyes will hold fast and not come out.
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