Rigging The Redfin

[Champ188]

And Worth Every Penny.

+1

[Quillback]

Guys I posted a while back on the red fin,don't know if you read or tried this, but it works very well for me. Take off the split ring on the nose and just put a small clip with no swivel, it works wonderful for me. Have not had no problems.

I did that with my fins and still had one run goofy. Maybe it's just a really bad one.

[Champ188]

I did that with my fins and still had one run goofy. Maybe it's just a really bad one.

HAMMER TIME

[kjackson]

I think that it's experiment time. I'll load up the split rings, snaps, hooks, feather trailers, Suspendots, pliers, lighter and maybe three rods and trundle down to the dam on the pond to do some playing. I have a few Fins, a couple of jointed Rapalas, a couple of the big floating Rogues, two Luhr Jensen Sea Bees, and a Buckeye for comparison. I could also add the old Storm Thundersticks.

My guess is that I should lighten the nose on the baits, free up the tail, unless it moves too much (that would mean adding trailers) and then maybe bend or re-bend lips a bit more.

But I"m also wondering if squaring a bill would help. I know that the gurus say the squarebill crankbaits that are hot right now have more kick--so would the same thing work on a wake bait?

[dtrs5kprs]

[que name=Bill Babler" post="284671" timestamp="1370648365]

And Worth Every Penny.

[Quillback]

Hmmmm, braid. I have a reel spooled with some but I believe it is 65#. Worth a try, I was always worried braid on a surface bait would spook the fish.

[rps]

I threw the Buckeye in my (large) box of lures in disfavor. I call it the box of shame.

I ordered a Jackall Mikey Jr. from Tackle Warehouse. At under $20 it was a bargain!

[Quillback]

I've heard of those Mikeys, I'm hoping that it works for you on the Rock. If it does, send me a PM, don't let the other guys know

[dtrs5kprs]

Hmmmm, braid. I have a reel spooled with some but I believe it is 65#. Worth a try, I was always worried braid on a surface bait would spook the fish.

Hasn't so far. Tried some 65 (ahhh the a-rig joys), but the 30 and 50 throw better. ML St Croix premier crankbait rod, almost bends to the button.

[kjackson]

In an update of the testing, I found a couple of interesting (to me anyway) things: First, I could take a stock Redfin, remove the front hook and get it wake on the surface perfectly. Don't know if a hookless Fin is going to help me catch fish, though...Second, I have a few Poe's cedar minnows that, once the bill is bent down a bit, also wake quite well. They throw a mile, too, and that is a benefit. A large, jointed Rapala also wakes well with the bill bent down.

Finally, the Redfin that sort of waked but would often pop and roll got the reverse treatment. Instead of heating the bill and bending it down even more, I bent it back toward the eye--it is now positioned about halfway from the standard bill position and the eye. I thought that it might be too much resistance to work well. In doing that, I discovered that the bill was off center a bit, so I tuned it while it was soft by centering it on the line tie. With a Suspendot near the tail of the beast, and with the rod held at the right elevation and turning the reel handle at the right speed, it waked without the popping, rolling business of before. It needs more work to run in what I think is the correct way, but since I'm new to this waking business, I'll let the fish tell me what I need to do next, if anything.

Also, I did remove all split rings on the eyes of the lures and used a snap instead. I also changed hooks and rings where I thought it would be appropriate.