Chrome lures

[Fisherman02]

hey guys
While cruising the shelves in kmart today (in the fishing section, where else?!?) I discovered chrome lures. I found two different chrome lures, one lure in which the ends were bent so that when retrieved it splashed along the surface and others which looked much like a lead pilchard (both made by Halco) Does the lure witht he bent ends rust? Does it work?
If it does work does anyone have a preference for what size is good to target flathead, and tailor (in the surf)
cheers jack

[clutter]

They do work and no they don't usually rust but the finish does deteriate over time, particularly with teeth marks from taylor etc. They are commonly referred to as "slugs", I have used from 10 gram to 65 gram for taylor but have never used them for flatties. You usually use them with a high speed retrieve and as such have never targeted flathead with them but am sure someone would have caught them with this type of lure. Cheers Clutter.

[blaze]

Hi
I have used the chrome(stainless) with bent ends and a flash up the side and a small red tag on the treble ring, 40 to 60 grams for samon, couta, pike, tailor and also caught wrasse on the odd occasion. when retreive the bent ends do create a small amount of movement but I don't retreive or trawl fast enough to get them on top of the water.
cheers blaze

[Fisherman02]

hey guys
what do you think of the, I htink they are called wobblers. They are shaped like a small fish and kinda look like a small spoon,and it says on the back of the pack that it creates a vibration that excites the fish. Heard of it?
(made by halco)
cheers jack

[clutter]

When they were first made they were called "Wonder Wobblers" as far as I can recall. I've had one for over 25years. Never used it much though but I have caught pike and taylor with it. I'm sure at some time or another most anglers would have had one in their tackle boxes. They came in different sizes too I think, 10 grams to about 40 grams. Cheers Clutter.

[Fisherman02]

hey clutter
yeah that rings a bell. Have you heard of them catching flathead and if so do you have a zise prefernce?
cheers jack

[clutter]

Have seen flatties caught by a mate on Wild Cattle Island up Gladstone way. Think it was around the 20 gram mark, about 40mm long without the hooks. I usually use a small swivel on the front of anything like that to minimise line twist. Clutter.

[J_Large]

Well as far as i'm concerned, you shoudln't go fishing without a wonder wobbler in your tackle box.

i have a 10g lure and i mainly bought it for salmon. but i've caught the odd flathead on it and the salmon just love it.

Thier shape hasn't changed 1 bit over the last 10 or so years and it doesn't need to. these lures have a great action in the water, even the small size lure and can be retrieved slow or fast.

i'd probably recommend changing the hooks on the smaller lures to stainless steel, rather than the brass that they come with.

[Fisherman02]

hi guys
clutter, Yeah I was thinking of getting a 20 gram one, not too big not too small.
J_Large, thanks for your help will go out as soon as possible and get one
cheers jack

[Fisherman02]

hey J_Large
mate I settled on a 10 gram one. What other fish have you caught ont he 10 gram one?
cheers jack
p.s by the way the trebles are stainless steel.

[J_Large]

either my memory is going or i bought the lures with brass hooks.

umm.. well. i haven't been fishing too much in the last few months as i've taken Surfing as my new found hobby.

they catch all the ranges of salmon, and i bet if mackeral or tailor were around they would be sure to catch them.

[Fisherman02]

Hey j_large
thanks, maybe you got the three pack I think they come with brass hooks do the lures have a red tag on the treble ring?
cheers jack

[J_Large]

nope. just the plain silver wonder wobbler.
i spose i was just too lazy to check out the lure to see if it really had a brass hook on it or not. my tackle box is 5 m away. brb, i'll just look.

yup. it does have a brass hook and it's preety rusty already.

[Fisherman02]

hey J_Large
oh well. Mate I am going to buy a three pack of wobblers can you use the 30 gram in the surf for tailor and do a fast retrieve or would it be better to go for a 20?
cheers jack

[J_Large]

why not get one of each size, they are only a couple of bucks each. that way you can chop and change lures and might catch more different species of fish.

remember the heavier the lure the faster you will have to wind it in

[Fisherman02]

ok, thanks mate :)
cheers jack

[fishy_phil]

the new types of 'wonder woblers' have nothing on the originals!!! the original 3/8 oz was the best for flatties and have seen a flathead about 18lb caught on one by my grandfather on 6lb line on a nigger rod no less!!!
i was out fishing for flatties on weekend and i was fishing with softies and my dad was using a 3/8 oz ww and he out fished my by 3:1 i ended up with 5 flatties up to 2kg. he had some up to 5kg!!!!
cheers
phil

[Fisherman02]

Hi Phil
mate do the original ones look like the ones today i.e chrome, have a split ring ont he front etc
cheers jack

[sooty_mad]

Jack

I have a friend of mine who swears by the old wonder wobblers. Said he used to do well with them on Saratoga up in the Territory. I didn't believe him until I saw him pull about half a dozen Saratoga out of a little gully in Hinze Dam. I have also seen him give the flatties a caning with them. They have a funny darting action that really seems to work on the Togas.

If you like to use metal lures, try Bumper Bars. These originated in NQ (I think) and from my experience will consistenly outfish Lasers or Raiders or any other metal lures. They come in chrome or gold.

They are great either casting, trolling or jigging and GT's, Queenfish and Cobia love them.

Regards... David

[Fisherman02]

hey sooty
mate can you get these in A mart all sports? What sizes are the best for just common fishing i.e estuaries, surf, offshore, bay
cheers jack

[sooty_mad]

Jack

I don't remember ever seeing them for sale down south. I go back up north (Townsville) 4 or 5 times a year and I usually take the opportunity to stock up on them.

For general fishing I would normally use the smaller size about 50 mm overall length. For jigging and casting around the rocks off the Islands of NQ for Queenies and GT's, I will go right up to one about 100 mm long. I don't know the weights.

Amart in Townsville sell them so they should be able to get them down south.

Regards... David

[Fisherman02]

thanks David
much appreciated
cheers jack

[sooty_mad]

Jack

Dropped in yesterday afternoon to see my good mate Doug at Doug Burts fishing tackle on the Gold Coast. (Labrador, opposite KFC and beside Red Rooster) He stocks Bumper Bars.

Regards... David

[Fisherman02]

hi sooty
will probaly be going down to Gold Coast this holiday so might see if I can pick some up
cheers jack

[Kerry]

I'm starting to feel old (and I'm not) but Wonder Wobblers now I can't even remember back that far.

Cheers, Kerry.

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

jack,
wonder wobblers (or spoons)& raiders (slugs) serve different purposes in your tackle box.
Wonder wobblers flutter in the water like a wounded baitfish. I've caught everything from flathead to coral trout on them. You work them accordingly (like a wounded fish), for flathead in this part of the world skip them off a sandy bottom in 1- 2m hops.
Slugs (like raiders) imitate a fleeing baitfish & are best worked at high speed retrieve jerking your rod tip to give more action. They cast better (up to 50%) than spoons of equal weight because of their shape & weight distrbution & are better for jigging in deep water for the same reason. For tailor fishing get yourself a Raider 45g- 85g with a blue & purple stripe & spraypaint the very front 1cm red. You have to work hard to keep speed on the lure. smaller raiders are great for tuna.
If I had to have only one lure in my tackle box it would be a wonder wobbler because of its versitility I guess but buy specific lures for specific uses & you'll use them more cause you'll see results. Kmart now stock raiders for $8 that's a good price for a strong quality Aussie Lure. Get yourself a small wobbler for flathead casting & a medium - large raider for your tailor (probably medium no bigger than 65g with your Gary Howard outfit).
seeyainthesurf,
chris

[Fisherman02]

hi chris
mate had a look at my wobblers and they are starting to rust :( not sure what to do was thinking of sparying them with WD40 as fish don't seem to mind it any ideas?
cheers jack

[Master_Jig_Builder]

Jack stay away from the WD 40. Use Canola oil instead.

[adriancorrea]

Hey there Jack 8)
Mate Amart do stock bumber bars, thats where I got mine from.
I have caught plenty of tailor with it down at the pin when there on.

Tight Lines
Adrian

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

jack,
i've never had a wonder wobbler that didn't get the dreaded red cancer. Chrome lures are a base metal with a thin chrome coating on them. Wonder wobblers are a steel pressing so they rust when you get little cracks etc in the chrome. Raiders are a bronze base so they don't rust as such.
As steve said keep WD out of your tacklebox its a great product for your boat & motor but not for your tackle & reels.
To keep your chromes in good order store them seperately in your tacklebox so they don't bang together & DON'T double the treble back onto the lure body to make them fit in a small space. Rinse them after use under the tap.
Honestly jack get yourself a Raider lure - they are the best tailor lure I have ever used - i'v got six of varying sizes.
chris

[Fisherman02]

Thanks guys
I'll see if I can get a Raider then from Kmart, im strapped for cash at the moment and the nearest Kmart is in Toowong. Was thinking of making my own, I saw in a book about making a wobbler and tailor lure out of a teaspoon by cutting where the spoon meets the handle then drilling two holes in the handle and the spoon for treble and split ring. Plus they don't rust!
cheers jack

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

jack,
give it a go - why not? Just don't touch the old lady's good silver.

That's how spoons got their name. Ask any old salty mackeral fisherman & I'll guarantee they all used to troll a spoon bigger than a teaspoon though - more like a big tablespoon size, they were one of the originals.

Tailor will hit anything at times - I've got them on the cardboard from an IQF pilchard carton put on a gang & jerked around after we ran out of bait one morning on south straddie.

chris

[Fisherman02]

hahahahahahah
cool
yeah, mum has a couple of cheap spoons that i can use if not ill get some froma s ecnd hand store
cheers jack

[SteveCan]

Of late I have been making these out of Brass. I have recently used them spinning for Tailor off the rocks and for bonito off the boat with results I am completely satisfied with.

Reading this post I think the most science goes into the wonder wobblers, but the raider style for high speed spinning does not have to be picky at all I reckon. (would be interested in hearing if any feel different about that - and why)

About the only allowance for 'action' in the water is that I have sanded the opposite corners to create a bit of 'work' as it moves through the water - which works fine. I have been speaking with some others who make their own metals and they tell me you don't need to be even that fussy for the tailor. See the post about 'Bait or Lures?'

I have also painted a couple white on one side which also works well as the brass gets a bit dull after a session or two - I usually run the sander over them lightly after a fish to restore the shine.

I make them instead of buying because I fish off the rocks and it's not unusual to lose a couple in a session - very expensive if shop bought - but at less than $1.50 a pop it's cheaper than bait.

Anyone else using home made?

Cheers
Steve.

[Fisherman02]

they look great,
where do you get the brass from?
What sort of tools would I need to make them
cheers jack

[SteveCan]

Righto then!

I get the brass from the local Bunnings - which is not really ideal as I could only get stuff about 2mm thick - I think that 3-4mm thick is ideal an some of the other blokes I have spoken to have found that stuff at plumbing supplies etc. Because it is too thin I join two pieces together.

I cut two pieces about 6cm long - which gives me about 35gms of metal and offset them about 1cm lengthwise against each other. then I drill a couple of 7/64 holes through the middle and put a 1/8 metal screw through to join them together. Sometimes the screws shear off when I put them in which seems to work perfectly as it tends to shear off flush with the surface - If not I hacksaw them off. (This part is obviously not necessary if you can find brass of the right thickness.)

Once I have done that I put the metal in the vice, drill the end holes and shape the ends with a grinding stone on the end of my electric drill. I find it's better to put the end holes in first as you can shape around them to make the metal around the hole a uniform thickness.

Once I have a good shape I use a fairly fine sanding bit to polish it up some - I tried really fine wet and dry and found that polishing brass tends to make it quite dull! A medium to fine sander puts a nice shine onto it and allows you to do some final shaping of the unit. After that attach the split rings, then the swivel and lastly (painful experience here) the treble.

Tools - Electric drill, Vice, 7/64 drill bit, Grinding bit (wish I had a bench grinder!) sanding attachment and a pair of split ring pliers to put the rings on.

Ingredients.
1.8M Brass 12x2mm - $12 (approx 15 lures)
split rings - $3.50 for 20
Trebles - 30c each
Swivels - 5c each?
Total - about $1.35 each - plus tools of course! ;)

Sorry if you have more information than you really asked for - I had a lot of fun learning how to do this - and it still gives me a buzz to bring in a fish on a bit of gear I made myself. I hope you give it a go and let me know how you do!

Cheers
Steve.

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

great post steve ! fascinating stuff.
chris

[Fisherman02]

thanks steve sounds great!
Will try and buy those attachments asap
cheers jack

[Maxg]

A long time ago I was fishing with three guys at Red Bluff north of Cuvier and spinning with a lead head jig. Anyway as I retrieved the jig it got followed by 6 tuna, either Big Eye or Southern Blues, all over 150 pounds, huge monsters. One of these things swallowed the jig. I just did nothing and it spat it out, like pooft and out it came. Dick Baker dropped a small sliced lure in there and had it scoffed by a tunny which went flat out across Red Bluff bay and removed all of the line of the 499 Mitchell in seconds, Mal Parker had a half ounce Halco Wonder Wobbler on his gear and waved it in front of a beastie, which swam up and down the rocks a few times hanging on to it and when Mal gave the thing a hit it went away with a big boil of water. All gear lost, they called me gutless, they were right but that tunny must have been the biggest fish ever hooked on a half ounce Wonder Wobbler. So little flashy lures do work, sometimes too well Cheers Max

[fwabear]

One metal that really surprised me was a fairly basic coloured one from Gillies. Bought a few when we went to Thevenard Island in July. They were in the cheap bin and thought, why not.

Ended up having to stock up on them on the Island as everything was hitting them. Mainly in the blue, but the gold did well.

[Fisherman02]

hey mate
yer seen them too. But still a bit expensive.
cheers

[fwabear]

Must admit, I wouldn't have paid full price. Still, the bargin bin is always a good place to hunt around.

Cheers,
Sean Forward.