02-22-2016, 05:30 AM
Many years ago I was introduced to using a yellow Mr. Twister yellow grub rigged on a yellow jig head. I did great for smallmouth in my local river and from that point on assumed that plastic baits must have an action tail to catch fish. A Mr. Twister 6" purple Phenom worm with pink tail also did well for bass.
Funny how we assume things without questioning the logic of why something works and worse when we take an advertisers or pro angler's word what lures to use and when.
The lesson I should have learned from day one is that a bright yellow grub and a purple worm with pink tail are not even close to being realistic or suggestive of a real prey species. The curl tails of each move like nothing that swims underwater. But I do have to applaud those that have designed those lures and many like them that have helped anglers catch tons of fish over the years.
To be fair, another design I started using ten years ago is Lunker City's Fin S Fish. (The forked tail is for the angler's benefit - not for the benefit of the fish.) The elongated body does look and move like a minnow and maybe for that reason gets hit. The only problem is that it only works half the time if at all.
Late last year I just happened to fish a grub that looks like a bullet in reverse. I don't remember making it (I pour my own soft plastic baits) or putting it in my tackle box. Yet it caught many fish in different waters - even after Xmas day!
This is what the prototype looks like (the middle one):
![[Image: action%20tail%20removed_zpshx4sn6ja.jpg~original]](http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j36/senkosam/Fishing/Spoon%20Minnow%20tail%20and%20dipped%20creations/action%20tail%20removed_zpshx4sn6ja.jpg~original)
It doesn't look like much, but the action of this tailless lure is a slight body wobble that fish notice and strike on a slow retrieve. The first fish it caught was this yellow perch:
![[Image: stubbie%20grub_zpsfoeag4oj.jpg~original]](http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j36/senkosam/Fishing/Spoon%20Minnow%20tail%20and%20dipped%20creations/stubbie%20grub_zpsfoeag4oj.jpg~original)
I've decided to go nuts and use parts of other plastic lure to create non-action tail baits. As you can see by the upper photo, where the top lure is a detached Trick Worm tail and the bottom lure is a grub with the curl tail removed.
Why not expand to Sassy Shad and Fin S Fish lures? :
![[Image: dipped%20sassy%20shad%20_%20stub%20tail_...g~original]](http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j36/senkosam/Fishing/Spoon%20Minnow%20tail%20and%20dipped%20creations/dipped%20sassy%20shad%20_%20stub%20tail_zpsb1xwh16l.jpg~original)
The Fin S Fish with fork tail removed, like the above Sassy Shad's, were dipped in clear plastic to increase thickness, create more light reflection and show off colors better. Sometimes no tail is better and I'll prove it in late March when the water temp starts to rise into the mid 40's.)
![[Image: dipped%20S%20Shads_zpspgirdkfo.jpg~original]](http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j36/senkosam/Fishing/Spoon%20Minnow%20tail%20and%20dipped%20creations/dipped%20S%20Shads_zpspgirdkfo.jpg~original)
I also believe that if a lure basically looks and moves like a real prey animal (minnows and shads), it is more easily accepted by a fish that strikes it as something familiar and easily consumed. On the other hand, Strike King's three-legged Joker grub is anything but natural looking and it caught over 40 monster crappie last fall in a shallow school.
![[Image: tri%20tail%20grub_zpsuxzzuume.jpg~original]](http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j36/senkosam/Fishing/Spoon%20Minnow%20tail%20and%20dipped%20creations/tri%20tail%20grub_zpsuxzzuume.jpg~original)
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Funny how we assume things without questioning the logic of why something works and worse when we take an advertisers or pro angler's word what lures to use and when.
The lesson I should have learned from day one is that a bright yellow grub and a purple worm with pink tail are not even close to being realistic or suggestive of a real prey species. The curl tails of each move like nothing that swims underwater. But I do have to applaud those that have designed those lures and many like them that have helped anglers catch tons of fish over the years.
To be fair, another design I started using ten years ago is Lunker City's Fin S Fish. (The forked tail is for the angler's benefit - not for the benefit of the fish.) The elongated body does look and move like a minnow and maybe for that reason gets hit. The only problem is that it only works half the time if at all.
Late last year I just happened to fish a grub that looks like a bullet in reverse. I don't remember making it (I pour my own soft plastic baits) or putting it in my tackle box. Yet it caught many fish in different waters - even after Xmas day!
This is what the prototype looks like (the middle one):
It doesn't look like much, but the action of this tailless lure is a slight body wobble that fish notice and strike on a slow retrieve. The first fish it caught was this yellow perch:
I've decided to go nuts and use parts of other plastic lure to create non-action tail baits. As you can see by the upper photo, where the top lure is a detached Trick Worm tail and the bottom lure is a grub with the curl tail removed.
Why not expand to Sassy Shad and Fin S Fish lures? :
The Fin S Fish with fork tail removed, like the above Sassy Shad's, were dipped in clear plastic to increase thickness, create more light reflection and show off colors better. Sometimes no tail is better and I'll prove it in late March when the water temp starts to rise into the mid 40's.)
I also believe that if a lure basically looks and moves like a real prey animal (minnows and shads), it is more easily accepted by a fish that strikes it as something familiar and easily consumed. On the other hand, Strike King's three-legged Joker grub is anything but natural looking and it caught over 40 monster crappie last fall in a shallow school.
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