Building the double J.. - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Rockfish9 · 03-19-2009, 10:02 PM

now using a dab of 5 minute epoxy secure your belly gromets, this could have ( should have) been dont prior to wireing, but I am trying to keep things in related fields for the purpose of simplicity...

the eyes... one of the few problems I ever had with envirotex was on ocassion I had foaming of the eyes, it was a randome thing, after much head scratching a nd a little reading, i figured out the problem, seems the tiny divit made by the forshner bit trapped an air pocket in the plug, my spinner is heated with apair of 40 watt light bulbs, as the trapped air expanded, it caused micrscopic bubbles, much like an areator to from, I could hit them with the torch and they would disappear, but, seeing as both my spinners have timers, I like the Ron Propeal approach... set it and for get it!... so, now using a wooden q tip that I have sharpend the wooden endon, I apply a thin coating of 5 minute epoxy to the eye hole, smoothing it along the whole eye socket, one it becomes tacky, I apply the eye... no more eye rabies!

now we need to revisit the prior post on mixing epoxy... I have found, 6 teaspoons ( 3 each of hardener and resin) is enough to apply a good flood coat to 6 meduim to large plugs...

once each plug is coated, I like to look at each plug as it spins under different light and agles, checking for "holidays" or bare spots, last year, I started "flaming" each plug using a small propane torch, the carbon dioxide ( just like when you exhale on them) breaks the tiny gas bubbles, thsi is not entirely nessary, most of the bubbles will disapear on their own, but by flaming the plug ( 4-5" away or you WILL catch them on fire) it gives the finish a glass like look, also if you should discover a bad spot when the epoxy first starts to thicken, a light application of heat will alow you to repair the spot... this can be done for about the first hour.. it depends on the temp in the room ( or spinner)

Rockfish9 · 03-19-2009, 10:08 PM

allow the plugs to cure for 24 hours before you mess with them, yes they will be dry, but full cure on etex is 72 hours...

to make the fins and tail..

I start with about a 2" section of .030 stainless wire , I wrap it around a 00 phillps and wind it up...

I cut ach "fin:" to about 3/4" and the tail about 1"...

start by ch#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g a fin (or tail) "bone" in the vise, wrap the shank with thread secure with a half hitch and coat with sally hansens hard as nails...

Rockfish9 · 03-19-2009, 10:25 PM

start by cutting a small amount of bucktail, less is more... gently pinch it between your fingers and thumb as you roll it onto the "bone", make two loose wraps around the bundle and gently tighten the thread , if done correctly, the hair will roll arond the shank coveering the entire "bone".. make two or three more wraps and secure with a half hitch, trim the excess hair on a taper then finish wrapping the thread.... I'm no going to explain a wip finish here,so secure with three half hitches , cut the thread and apply tow coats of sally hansen hard as nails...

For the tail, long saddle hackles work best... prepare your "bone" and secure your thread, find 4 saddle hackles approx. the same length and strip the fuzzy fiber away from the base... in a simular manne to the deer hair, arrange two hackeles on each side, shiny side out, make two or three tight wraps around the stipped base of the hackles, secure with a half hitch... check that they are straiht and lay along the shank, once the are,trim the base of the hackle and wrap in a simular manner to the bucktail ,making a nice taperd finish.. secure and coat...

the fins should be installed mid body in line with the hook, I secure them with tiny SS open eye .eye hooks ( purchased from stamina tackle) a pilot hole is drilled and a dab of 5 minute epoxy is applied to the screw eye for sealing purposes... the tail is affixed via a split ring...

on this plug, I prefer to use cut hooks, I cut my 2/0 VMC's with a dremel, after crimping,I apply a small amount of silver solder to the "wound" to help ward off rust...

Rockfish9 · 03-19-2009, 10:31 PM

that comncludes the tutorial, I have other pictures that I left out in the interest of keeping it as short as possible, if something was not qute clear,I'll be happy to post supplemental pictures, this plug has caught me alot of fish, some real brutes at that, even it's predesessor was a fish killer, often times outfishing the real thing.... Enjoy!

Tight lines all

Roc