Lure Modifications 2024

whitwolf reply :

In the past and as recently as this morning I have seen several things that people do to modify their baits. It got me to thinking It might be a neat Idea to have a dedicated thread just for this purpose.

I think a big part of this forum (bassresource as a whole) Is It's a place to learn and with the amount of people, from experts to the guy/girl that Is just starting out, we can all learn something new, or at least new to that person.

There are no rules here In that even the smallest of modifications might be something someone else has never seen. So, fear not, post what you have, and have fun!

Bluebasser, ShaneJ, and and deaknh, have all thrown out great Ideas and hopefully them and many others will share In this post!

OkobojiEagle reply :

Sharpen and kirb my hook points... most of the time I file the barbs off as well.

Jaw1 reply :

When fishing a chatterbait type lure add a spring type keeper to the head so you can texas rig the trailer of your choice for a more snaggless presentation

hatrix reply :

How would a keeper make it so you can t rig a trailer? Wouldn't it be on the outside of the bait and not threaded on the shank of the hook? I can't seem to envision it any other way.

KDW96 reply :

Not really a bait mod, but take those tiny dropshop hooks and put them all on a safety pin. Much easier to get,and wont scattter as easy.

Senko lover reply :

I've heard you can shave the edges of a deep diving crankbait to make it go deeper.

Sam reply :

Whit, the best modifications are the ones the pros do to the lures that they do not tell us they do.

KVD is one of the best lure modifiers and Ike is a close second.

But you will not hear them tell us what they do to their baits.

Timmy Horton got into trouble when he told an reporter how he modifies his Senkos with a propeller.

Pros were made with Tim as they had kept that a secret.

But, having the guys throw in their two cents may help us all.

Good post.

bigbill reply :

I use mister twister 4" split double tail grubs as trailers on spinnerbaits.

I change my treble hooks on some inline spinners to the next size larger dressed treble hook with flash besides a color.

I bend the smaller spinnerbaits (1/8oz) arms with the blade closer to the hook.

When I add a hook to the 10"/12" plastic worms head I push in a rattle. When we jerk the worm head it rattles.

I use double rattles on my 3/8oz jigs and larger.

Jaw1 reply :

On 10/19/2015 at 6:31 AM, hatrix said:
How would a keeper make it so you can t rig a trailer? Wouldn't it be on the outside of the bait and not threaded on the shank of the hook? I can't seem to envision it any other way.

Yes your trailer (I use swimming flukes) will not be threaded down the hookshank it will be rigged in line with the hook. Front of trailer threaded on the spring keeper back of trailer texas rigged on the hook. I've fished them this way for a few years now,works good for me.

Ski213 reply :

Years ago I read about modifying a spook. The ones with the brackets holding the hooks. You remove them. You then use screw in type eyes and a split ring in their place. Downsize the trebles and add one for a total of three. Drill a hole big enough to insert bbs into the lure body. Start dropping them in and shake till you get the desired sound. Then epoxy all the holes from removed brackets, etc. He said you can also move the line tie up a little to change the walking action but I've not tried that particular mod.

I've had good luck with these. They now make one off the shelf that essentially has these mods. I really don't feel like it performs the same though.

hatrix reply :

On 10/19/2015 at 9:15 AM, Jaw1 said:
Yes your trailer (I use swimming flukes) will not be threaded down the hookshank it will be rigged in line with the hook. Front of trailer threaded on the spring keeper back of trailer texas rigged on the hook. I've fished them this way for a few years now,works good for me.

I figured that's how it was. It just seemed odd to be that way and going over the outside of the skirt. I wouldn't doubt it works though and has worked for you. I find chatterbaits to be pretty darn weedless snag less already as they come.

I will say you were on to something by adding that screwlock to hide a hook point. There Is a way to make almost any bait weedless with screw locks. But like was stated it would be one of those pro secrets and I have said enough.

Jaw1 reply :

I like to pitch a chatterbait into some pretty gnarly stuff sometimes and pop it through the limbs and brush. This technique helps with the lost bait syndrome this scenario creates. I will take the skirt off and just use a fluke sometimes

buzzed bait reply :

it's not really a genius mod by any means, but often overlooked.... i like to take the skirts off of some baits like spinnerbaits and buzzbaits and replace with my favorite soft plastics

BassWhole! reply :

I'm in the mad at Timmy Horton camp on this one. I hardly fish any baits without mods, sometimes its a little thing, and sometimes its FrankenBait time.

whitwolf reply :

Keep It up gentleman, this Is great!

zeth reply :

I really don't like to modify much but I will modify almost every treble lure I get by upgrading the hooks to Owners or Decoy Quatro hooks. Another thing is to add a second split ring to your rear treble hook on crankbaits.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

Adding color to some baits is easy mod. Here I dipped a Damiki Hydra in some JJ Magic that skirt really pops on sunny days in the clear water I fish.

Big C reply :

Often overlooked, but dressing trebles on crankbaits gives them awesome extra action. I use straight marabou, feathers might act like rudders on smaller cranks.

Dwight Hottle reply :

Take a floating Rapala and pinch the line tie closer together than original then bend the line tie down towards the belly of the bait. This will increase the side to side wobble of the bait and make it run a little deeper.Try it in small increments & watch the action change boat side.

webertime reply :

On 10/20/2015 at 9:33 AM, Dwight Hottle said:
Take a floating Rapala and pinch the line tie closet together than original then bend the line tie down towards the belly of the bait. This will increase the side to side wobble of the bait and make it tun s little deeper.

Bend it down or up also changes depth. This is a really good old school tip.

Dwight Hottle reply :

On 10/20/2015 at 9:37 AM, webertime said:
Bend it down or up also changes depth. This is a really good old school tip.

I guess I qualify as old school.

MIbassyaker reply :

Selectively trimming or cutting appendages on plastic baits can create new designs and change the action. This is especially useful in clear water when you want something a little more subtle. I'll sometimes cut the side "flappers" off a brush hog to make a double-tailed worm, or split the claws down the middle on a big-clawed craw bait to turn the flapping motion into more of a "dancing" motion. Wide curly tails on grubs can be thinned to make a bit smaller, slinkier profile. And cutting a diagonal slit into one side of a flat paddle-tail will make it undulate more like a curly tail.

hatrix reply :

I'll participate I guess.

You can put a jighead totally inside a hollow belly swimbait and it will be totally weedless except the tie of course.

Some hollow belly swimbait have a outer layer you can peel off to get more action even at super slow speeds.

A hot knife will melt ripped baits back together amazingly and can be superior to mendit and works instantly.

Some hollow body frogs like a scum frog you can push the nose in and it will stay that way and now you have a popping frog if you don't have one.

Put some split shots inside the hole on the bottom of weedless hudds and it will fall parallel like a normal hudd. I personally think they fish better like that.

Put a little piece of tubing or a split ring if you have the right size over the bend on spinner baots and you can use a snap.

Take a lighter leash for lighters and fix it to you pliers so they are always right there and retract back when your done using them.

That's good for now I guess.

Bluebasser86 reply :

On 10/18/2015 at 10:55 PM, Jaw1 said:
When fishing a chatterbait type lure add a spring type keeper to the head so you can texas rig the trailer of your choice for a more snaggless presentation

I make one with a swinging football head and screwlock hook just to get a bait I can fish through timber easier. Works well through any emergent weeds that don't jam up the blade too.

Jaw1 reply :

That's a good looking bait. I do pour a double hook/double weedgaurd jig sometimes and add a blade to the front that I fish a little deeper. It's 1/2 and is something a little different. I'll see if I have a pic later to show y'all

Brayberry reply :

I'll share a few of my top secret modifications

1) Instead of using a rattle on my jigs, I go to the craft store and buy small metal jingle bells. They will slide right on the hook, and I'll hold it in place with a piece of Berkley Power Worm. Now I've added a different sound then everyone else is doing, and I've added a small amount of scent/taste (Powder Worm) on the hook.

2) When I make my own jigs, and powder coat them, after dipping them in the fluid bed and they are starting to cool down, I'll push my thumb into the back of the jighead. This imprints my fingerprint on the back of the jighead, giving the head a textured finish, that I believe gives off more or a different vibration then a normal jig. It's possible this is just a confidence thing, but I believe it works better.

3) When I buy a brand new crankbait, I'm not a fan of the bright colors, so I leave it in a window for a few weeks, so dull the colors. When it's "done" it looks more natural.

4) If I'm fishing heavy cover with a square bill crankbait, I'll clip off the front facing hook on the treble on the front and back. This keeps the bait from getting snagged, but still catches fish.

Jaw1 reply :

Here's one of the jigs I make

Jaw1 reply :

A few more

Jaw1 reply :

Didn't take the first time for some reason

Scarborough817 reply :

i normally make sure my rivet on my buzzbait is completely flat maybe file them if they are painted

upgrade hooks on certain cranks

i also have a couple square bills that no longer have bills this one wasn't really by choice but i hit the inside of my boat while casting and it kind of shattered.

duff75 reply :

I will sign my name on crank baits, jerk baits, top water baits just about any reaction baits with a sharpie various colors.

This kind of breaks up the appearance and gives it a different look, Good when fishing stained to muddy water!

bigbill reply :

We would cut pieces of nails and push them into the ends of shorter senkos for more wacky rig action.

BobP reply :

A guy named Crankenstein years ago on another site kept a bass aquarium and fed them threadfin shad. He noted that dying shad began to sink backwards and they were the first baitfish the bass would attack - an easy meal. His mod (The Deadfall Rogue) was to take a suspending Smithwick Pro Rogue and apply suspendots (or any lead adhesive tape) behind the 2nd treble until the bait sank slowly backward. Deadstick the bait in front of a bass and it's game on. I've done this through the years with several Rogues and it works great. Bass are very susceptible to this presentation in the fall when shad are stunned by a cold snap, but it really works year round. I liked it enough that I stripped the finish on a couple of Rogues, applied the lead tape, then refinished the baits in a shad pattern so the mod is invisible.

Senko lover reply :

Don't think this has been mentioned: swap out the back hooks on a popper to make it float differently and have a different popping action.

scaleface reply :

Other than basic changing hooks , blades ... I cant recall ever making modifications that improved the bait . I tried shaving the bottom of a pop r mouth but it didnt improve it any ,I trimmed a bunch of weed guards on jigs exactly like some "Pro" recommended and wound up with a bunch of jigs that were no longer snag resistant .

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Lure Modifications 2024

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