Made some lead fish today

[Bob9863]

While fishing today I heard the fishing was going really good at the weir, only trouble is the water is so high and fast nothing regular will hold still long enough in the current long enough to get a bite. 

Fellas have been using lead fish, basicly fish shaped sinker between 1oz and 2oz, you rig it like a tassie devil and jerk it off the bottom as it makes its way down current. 

Only trouble is only one shop is selling them and they are pretty big, not that well made and cost $4 each. 

Solution, make my own. 

I bought some long flat sinkers, 28gn and 57gm so right in the butter zone. I then cut some stainless welding wire, twisted a loop with a treble hook with some red heat shrink on it. Put the sinker on, then made another loop and put a swivel on. 

Then I squeezed it flat in a vice and bent the base to add a little movement. 

Everyone uses them plain lead which work but look a little rudimentary. So I made some like that and then powder coated some with hot dip jig paint. 

I think they look alright, not to see how they work. 

Traditional style finish

 

New hopefully improved style. 

[Bob9863]

This is pretty much the style folks are using. 

 

[Hweebe]

Don't have to worry about snags / losing lures now that you can make them cut price

 

[Bob9863]

You loose a heap of gear there, I've lost 6-7 lures there in a single afternoon. 

But as they say if your not getting snagged then your not fishing in the right area. But you tend to loose less lead fish, the main problem with other lures is they get carried away in the current and into bad areas. 

But I'm going out again today with a medium and heavy rod to see how they go. 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Good luck, those lures look nice!

[Angry51]

Before long you'll be into the

manufacturing business

[Bob9863]

I got out after work for a couple hours flicking the home made lures out. 

Ended up confirming they are the biz with a 4lb 1.25oz Brown. 

There's something really satisfying about catching good fish with gear you made yourself. 

[ellicat]

17 minutes ago, Bob9863 said:

There's something really satisfying about catching good fish with gear you made yourself. 

Very satisfying.

[Old Scaley]

That’s fantastic @Bob9863. Please keep your reports coming. They are really interesting for those of us that don’t do the unusual things you do.

[Bob9863]

I like to play with new methods and techniques, that way wherever you go you can usually figure out something that works. 

Besides, always doing the same thing gets a little mundane. 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Great trout!

[Drop Bear]

Nice one mate. Well done. 

[Hweebe]

On 19/08/2022 at 5:04 PM, ellicat said:

Very satisfying.

Had a mate that got into making some stick baits and he gifted me a couple to use in the bay. He was over the moon when I sent him a photo of his 1 of kind lure hooked up to a longtail.

[Bob9863]

They would work great for a lot of fish, anything you can use a flasher on should bite, on these just as, well.