09-23-2009, 11:26 AM
[cool][#0000ff]Ray Johnson provided an interesting chapter in the history of Utah fishing. He is a "focused" (maniacal) fishermen who works hard to catch his targeted species and is not happy until he catches (and records) a state record. He relentlessly pursued a record brown trout from Flaming Gorge Reservoir back in the late 70's, but saw the record go to someone else. He lived in caves next to the lake during the coldest part of the Utah winter and would fish only at night in his small boat...trolling endlessly along steep rocky shorelines where the big browns fed at night. He caught many BIG browns, and even developed his own line of lures...that did not work as well as Rapalas. After his quest for browns, he went after other records and got some for mostly the less desirable fish in Utah...like chubs and suckers. He is still "around" but not much is heard from him or about him.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]FLIGS. I have been using some form of floating jig head for many years. Before the development of commercially made floating jigs I used to make my own by simply adding a piece of styrofoam or other closed cell foam to a hook...regular or jig style. I used them both for presenting natural baits, to keep them above weeds and mud on the bottom, and to float plastic baits up off the bottom for special applications. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Last year I found some packages of popper foam in my supplies. I used to use them for making small floating flies and poppers for our bass and sunfish. I had been making painted body flies and jigs and reasoned that I could do the same with the floating foam, and have a painted body lure that floated. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have made and tried them in a variety of colors (see pics) and sizes. I am still experimenting with new waters and different methods of rigging and fishing them. No definitive treatise in the works yet. But I will say that there are no species of Utah's fresh water fish that have refused them...so far. And, they have proven to be the ideal system for catching some species under some conditions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Rather than start a post on the lure making board at this time, I will gratify your curiosity by including some labeled pics on this post. I hope you can derive enough info from them to answer your basic questions. Feel free to ask for clarification if needed.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Once I have the foam glued on the hooks, and properly shaped, I paint them. I use the same CS components vinyl jig paint that I use on lead jigs and some of my hardbait lures. It does not react with either the foam or the hot melt glue. And, once dried, it is flexible enough to withstand squeezing when removing a deep hook. Very sturdy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The foam I use is very buoyant and will float a surprising amount of bait or plastic. And, when being slowly trailed behind the float tube, the lures dive and wiggle as you move along. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]FLIGS. I have been using some form of floating jig head for many years. Before the development of commercially made floating jigs I used to make my own by simply adding a piece of styrofoam or other closed cell foam to a hook...regular or jig style. I used them both for presenting natural baits, to keep them above weeds and mud on the bottom, and to float plastic baits up off the bottom for special applications. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Last year I found some packages of popper foam in my supplies. I used to use them for making small floating flies and poppers for our bass and sunfish. I had been making painted body flies and jigs and reasoned that I could do the same with the floating foam, and have a painted body lure that floated. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have made and tried them in a variety of colors (see pics) and sizes. I am still experimenting with new waters and different methods of rigging and fishing them. No definitive treatise in the works yet. But I will say that there are no species of Utah's fresh water fish that have refused them...so far. And, they have proven to be the ideal system for catching some species under some conditions.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Rather than start a post on the lure making board at this time, I will gratify your curiosity by including some labeled pics on this post. I hope you can derive enough info from them to answer your basic questions. Feel free to ask for clarification if needed.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Once I have the foam glued on the hooks, and properly shaped, I paint them. I use the same CS components vinyl jig paint that I use on lead jigs and some of my hardbait lures. It does not react with either the foam or the hot melt glue. And, once dried, it is flexible enough to withstand squeezing when removing a deep hook. Very sturdy.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The foam I use is very buoyant and will float a surprising amount of bait or plastic. And, when being slowly trailed behind the float tube, the lures dive and wiggle as you move along. [/#0000ff]
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