Bent Blades -- Long before Lonnie Stanley founded Stanley Jigs, he was a lure tinkerer. He bends the trailing edge of a willow-leaf blade out 90 degrees to give the lure a crazy flash and unique thumping action. The bent blade also provides lift to keep the spinner near the surface on a slow retrieve or allow it to slowly helicopter down when the retrieve is stopped. Another trick to keeping a spinnerbait riding higher or making it fall slowly is to add an extra skirt.

Cut Blades -- Stanley also takes tin snips to a Colorado or Indiana blade, cutting it down the middle to the halfway point. Bend each half in the opposite direction to create a propellerlike blade with lots of lift, similar to the old buzzbait blades like Burke's Dedly Dudly.

TUNING TOPWATERS

Topwaters are fun to fish, even more so when you tune baits for special attractions.

Tail Weighting -- Some topwaters are built so the tail hangs below the surface with the head above. This enables the lure to “walk” back and forth during the retrieve, an irresistible motion at times. Tail-weighted prop baits rock back and forth, adding to their turbulence. Eddie Nuckols of Float 'n' Fly fame switches to a heavier tail hook to get the bait deeper and give the tail prop a different sputtering action, also letting it work in one spot longer. Speaking of tail action, replacing the standard rear treble of prop baits and walkers with a feathered model adds the same teasing action that makes poppers so deadly.

Nose Jobs -- Texas veteran Jack Lewis makes a minor alteration in baits like the Zara Spook and Baby Torpedo by bending down the line tie slightly and adding a split ring. This causes the nose to dive more as the bait is pulled. It adds a darting action and keeps the bait working in a productive area longer.

Zell Rowland and Rick Clunn were among the first to alter Rebel's Pop-R, to create more spit and a faster, more-frantic action. They shaved the lower lip of the popper mouth and removed about 1/16 inch of plastic with a knife and file to increase spitting action and side-to-side motion. To increase buoyancy, some anglers also sand the 1/4-ounce body, removing all the cross-hatching from the original Pop-R. It adds bounce to the bait, but makes it fragile and difficult to cast with a baitcaster. Several manufacturers have, of course, shaped their poppers like an altered Pop-R.

Groovin' -- Baits like the Zara Spook walk more crisply if the line is tied to the bottom of the line tie. To keep the knot from slipping, Georgia pro Jackie Hambric files a groove in the line tie with a carbide or diamond file.

Continued - click on page link below.