Spinning for Tailor?

[Argle]

Just wondering Slider, the slugs you are using sound very similar in theory to what I used to do many years ago as a freshwater fisho fishing for Rainbow Trout. We used Tassie Devil lures and just removed the piece of wire running through the middle and then ran the main line through tying the hook off with a lumo bead between the bottom of the lure and the hook, the lumo bead was mainly to protect the knot. This was very effective as you said as soon as the fish hooked up the lure slid up the line and gave the jumping trout no leverage to throw the hook. Have you or anyone else used these lures for tailor or any other species in the salt as most of my tacklebox is taken up with the buggers and I am yet to use them in the salt and would love to get them back on the end of my line. Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated and thanks for all the casting tips too, brilliant stuff

Cheers and beers
Scott

[Slider]

Scott, it's funny that you should mention this as I have often thought that the type of lure you are talking about would be exceptionally good on Barra. They would indeed be good for tailor as well but probably more from a trolling point of view. A Rapala type lure which slid up the trace and took out the weak links in any hard body of split rings and the wire, would be an interesting piece of equipment indeed. Knew we should have gotten a patent on these. Damn!!

The sliding poppers we've been making are unreal in their performance for a number of reasons. They slide taking out the leverage, there are no weak links and the popper floats back to the surface after a bust up or a snaggage. They are also incredibly easy to make.

Wonder how many marlin lures are floating around that don't slide?

Lovely stuff Scott - you'll have some people thinking about this one!

[Slider]

One more thing on casting technique - I find that if I cast without sports strapping tape on my casting finger, then the skin would be opened up within 3 or 4 casts. That is the amount of force that is the combination of the sling from the 'back cast', the flick from the rod tip, and the holding back of the line on the finger when casting. So for optimum distance casting I would advise using this as a gauge - if there is no pressure on the casting finger, then you are not loading up properly with the back cast and the weight is not at its furtherest point. Or the timing of the release from the finger is too early and not allowing for maximum flick and drive from the rod tip. That flick should be what drags the line from the casting finger, so by angling the finger to a point where there is resistance but which eventually allows the line to go. There would normally be a noise as the line flicks off the finger. It takes a bit of practice and there will be many 'hooked' casts, but eventually the timing will come. The same principles for bait casting in the surf apply except for a reduced back cast speed. The difference in casting distance when all these things work in together with balanced equipment is substantial.

[Adamy]

Hey Slider.... Why do you not use braid??? - just wondering...

[Slider]

Adamy, your question which it looks like I never answered - braid doesn't allow any cushioning effect when playing the fish. This causes a loss of control (tension) as the rod tip bounces around too much with eratic movements from the fish particularly in the swash. Also the impact at hook up with high speed retrieves can be too great and sometimes rips the hooks from the fishes mouth. Mono works like a snatch strap in this instance by absorbing the impact with stretch and then the elasticity in conjunction with a hook setting motion, sets the hooks well.

[grich]

Do tailor ever get up as high as Hervey bay? What time of year are they around? What else is at Hervey bay in terms of fish. Cheers. G.

[Nico.d.R]

great info guy's , has anybody tried to alter a slug mould ? i am going to buy a mould for a normal lead slug and see if i can use my dremal to grind a grove that goes out from the head and tail area so i can put wire there while i poor the mould . If it works i'll post some pics . If you have tried this let me know how you went and if it will work .

thanks

[Nico.d.R]

well i got a mould today 35 bucks and i cut a grove into the medium sized one here is a pic .

[Nico.d.R]

it was pretty easy hopefully i can get out the front tomorrow and try one out

[fish_outta_water]

nico
youve cracked it mate
any trouble getting the wire out , use a candle to deposit carbon on the wire , stops it sticking
alternatly a wipe of oil on the wire works too , but the burn off is nasty
tightlines

[grich]

Nico. That is brilliant. how did they go? Is it important to have the lure super shiny? Where can I get 1 of these moulds? This is a real beginner question but how do i melt the lead to pour it? would love to make my own lures. looks like a real holiday project. Cheers G.

[Nico.d.R]

f.o.w thanks for the wax tip i think it will make it a bit easyer , i did have a bit of trouble getting the wire out , the grove is a bit tight , i have to make it a bit bigger so i can pull the wire out while it is clamped together . grich I had a bit of a go this morning out the front of wooddy point but my pilly didn't even get hit so it wasn't really a good test . the shine would help but i am going to bring a few to work and spray them with left over 2 pack . The moulds came from tackle world at sandgate it was about $35 and they had smaller one's for $25 . i used a old camping ladle and bent it a bit to get a pouring point then put lead onto the ladle and melted it with a little blow tourch .

[Slider]

Well done Nicho. That's the best effort by far that I've seen to date and wasn't all that hard either hey. It is a similar method in essence to the way we make the Sliders currently.
Painting the lure with white 2 pack would be a good option that I know will work. Prickly Pete who made slugs for the tackle market that are still widely available, was of the belief that you don't need to paint them at all and work better if they are left unpainted. Anything Pete said about fishing is worth listening to. Knew his stuff more than any angler that I know of.
By the way Nicho - which end of your slugs will the hooks be at?

Grich - baked beans can over a gas burner works fine. Shape a pourer into the can for ease of pouring into the mould and use vice grips to handle with. Also helps if the mould is hot so that the cold mould doesn't set the lead before it has filled the mould. Using a face mask would be a good idea.

Of course Moossops W'gabba, The Tackle Shop Carseldine and Wide A Wake Noosa Harbour have Sliders for those not wanting to make their own.

Lindsay

[Nico.d.R]

thanks mate , today i tried it like you said earlyer in the post hooks at the tail end(thin end) it did cast well like that , but when i find a nice school of taylor or even next time i go out i will try one the other way (fat end to the back) just to see if the action of the lure is any different . I can see where prickly pete is coming from , un painted they still look like a little gar/mullet or hardie head but i am going to leave some un painted and paint some in different colours like , top half white/blue/yellow/red/green and bottom half i will leave un painted it should make them flicker a bit better and maybe help get the fish biteing if they are not going for the un painted ones . When i make the next batch i am going to use an old pot (or bean tin) to keep the lead soft then ladle out lead and keep the blow torch on the ladle (to try and keep the lead hotter ). i did heat the mould up a bit but i still got some little wrinkles in the slugs . I'm sure the more i make the better they will get i'm happy with my first attempt .


Nico

[Nico.d.R]

I still have not caught a tailor on my sliders , but i went over to morton last weekend and after we went through the shipping towards the wrecks i drop a slug out the back ( i could not fish on the way because off the 1- 2 m swell ) and in seconds i was on to a school mack that busted me up at the side of the boat . So i put another 1 on and the same thing , i lost 5 sliders in 5 cast's so i think it is safe to say the macks like em . I finaly put some wire on and got one in (60cm) and my brother inlaw got 2 in and also lost a few . The 1 that got hit the quickest was painted sparkly silver (2-pack) it had a real good look to it so i am going to make a heap more and paint them all the same .