I hope someone can help me.

Last winter while the fishing was quiet I made a batch of timber lures (carved them with a box cutter). I had many failures due to the tow point not being in the exact place on my bibs. 56 in total and only 20 successes.

Does anyone know if i can buy pre cut bibs. or if i can get my own patterns cut out somewhere?

Much appreciated. Dicko

Many yrs ago Halco Lures used to be in Narooma NSW, at the time they made a lure called the Halco Combat a 50/60mm 2mtr+ diving lure with a solid bib integrated into the lure.These days the Combats I've seen have a clear bib,maybe if you contact Halco you may be able to get the bibs you need . Unfortunatly I don't have a contact address - but it's an option

Hi Dicko - If you regularly get the time to make and create then I'd persist on the basis of those 20 successes. There is nothing more satisfying than catching fish on your own creations. Remember the tow point is only one factor, you also need to consider the bib angle. Placing a pre-fab bib in at the wrong angle, regardless of tow point may not give you any greater success. Have a look at some of your favourite purchased lures and and immitate the angle and tow point. I also made my own lures for a few years and they worked well at certain times. I experienced my most frustration when making deep divers as although they tracked straight they blew out at any speed. Good Luck. Cheers

Hi,

I've seen packs of alternative bibs for stump jumper lures in one or two tackle shops, they are of a 'click-in' design. Not cheap but may solve your problem.

Rob

Thanks everyone, I will drop halco a line, and yes my next batch is modelled on those 20 lures (which caught heaps of yellowbelly and a couple of nice cod) Garn thanks I did look in depth at the bib angle in that last batch. I have improved the way I plan my work to cut the slot more accurately and i'm just copying the angles of the ones that worked the best. I've made them to go dead slow so I actually haven't tried them at any speed except through river current which had them going all over the place anyway. I also made a lefty and a righty which I use depending on which side of our weir I'm fishing on. they swim off at an angle and effectively head into the current towards the wall keeping them in the primary strike zone for longer. They effectively swim straight back to me in a straight line as if there were no current. I had a couple which I had to re-carve the lure body to be straight compared to the bib. Thanks westie good idea but I need to be able to rivett the bib in so it can't come out as my tow points are all coming from the bib themselves. I might try one or two with a lure head tow point and try something similar.

This year I'm going to try two different types of wood to the same patterns and see if it makes any difference. I discovered that I really need to plan it properly If i'm to get a good finished product.

Thanks for your help Dicko....

(Edited By dicko at 13:16:31 27/06/08)

If you tow from the lure body and not the bib you wont get as much depth. if you catch something on one of those custome models that track against the current then give yourself a pat on the back. I'm not familiar with your region but have fished strong weir currents before. My best take was getting smoked with a red flash (jack) on a reidys little lucifer. My best catch was a barra (only small) on a home made, wobble where you want, Repco white and silver, bottom tray last resort lure. You mention rivets - tried a one piece stainless wire frame saw cut and epoxied into the carved lure body? The leading edge of the wire frame can be mounted thru' a small hole in the bib to secure it to the lure body. Use 24 hr epoxy - stronger than 5 minute stuff.

Thanks for the tips garn, I have caught heaps of yellowbelly on my custom jobs and about 20 or so cod the biggest would have been about 30 pound or so but most of them were around the 8 pound mark. we had some good rain patches late last year and that always made the yellows push up onto the weir hoping to get upstream. 24 in 1 afternoon was my best day and they were such healthy fish. I always let em go on the top side of the weir just to give em a hand.

My lefty lure seems to get smashed by bigger fish when it's in the heavy white water close to the wall. I didn't know why untill December when I had to go in to try to save a young kid who got washed over and sucked under by the white water. I found him doing circles in the rolling water right up close to the wall. Everytime we got sucked under, if we got into the fast water on the bottom and were pushed out and once we came up a bit we entered a corridor of calm water although pushing us back to the wall it was very calm compared to the surrounding water right up to where the water landed. I can imagine fish sitting right there able to inspect every thing that came over the wall.

We were all right by the way, the boys dad got there and helped untill some other kids threw us a plastic raft. Gave the lungs a good rinse and taught me (among other things) a bit about where the fish might like to sit.

G'day mate,

Do you happen to have any photos of these lures as I wouldn't mind having a look at them?