What's everyone's "Go-To" White Perch Lure?

[Mark]

Well, it's clear from the variety of lures named above that flash, vibration and movement attract white perch. The fact that they'll also bite worms on a bottom rig make them just about the most perfect fish there is for anglers. Obviously, they live to be caught.

[bignose]

The fact that they are plentiful, fight well for their size, and tasty doesn't hurt either!

[ronaultmtd]

#3 Mepps spinner and a small Rapala original minnow in fire tiger- killer White Perch lures

[PigPen]

These two variations of the Do-it mold #3288 Crappie Spinner jig have been my go-to tidal creek variations. I use them for my personal fishing about 95% of the time for WP.

I still have a batch left from the Flea Market.........

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If we want to get some seriously huge perch for our clients in the charter boat, we use pieces of soft crab on a small fish finder rig, with about a 2/0 hook and hit the pilings of the Bay Bridge, and the sunken bridge on the Severn. But you've gotta be ready for some large surprise by-catch...........

I was just looking at the Do-It molds so I can start using salt worthy hooks. About how many jigs do you have to mkae to really make your money back? Is it worth the effort?

[bignose]

Make my money back?
Bwaahaaaaa!
C'mon, man!
I produce 200-300 lures per year. I sell enough of them to break even, maybe.

My goal is to always price them cheaply enough that a 12 year old kid can afford a few.
For most of us, they are semi-disposable lures. If one lasts a season, it's earned it's place in the "Hall of Fame."

It is a retirement hobby, not a source of income.
For about $1.75, you can get a commercially made model at Bass Pro that will catch fish, but aren't color selected to what I think is the best color combinations learned by several years of experimentation.

BTW, the hook recommended by Do-it is not very corrosion resistant. I always recommend rinsing the lure off at the end of the day.
There is a stainless hook that will fit, but it doesn't fit perfectly, the casting will have some web/flashing around them that needs to be cleaned off before you paint them.

But by the time the standard hook would rust up, the swivel would be shot, the blades rusted or tarnished, and the the skirts worn off. (And even with the skirt reduced to shreds, they still catch fish!)

See my post several months ago about "reviving old faithful" to see how I recycled a spinner jig. (12/22/16) about 5 pages back on the Tackle Shop thread........

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[harlanbud]

That's a gorgeous rack of baits!!

[ronaultmtd]

I used to make custom surf rods and an occasional "popping rod" in Virginia Beach on special orders...after buying the blanks, reel seats, cork for making the handles, thread, guides, epoxy, and the machines you build to make rods, wrapping guides...you rarely break even if you value your time at minimum wage...I liked the solitude, satisfaction of creation of a special rod that was unavailable to the general public, and a certain amount of ego...out grew the ego issues and learned some degree of humility and work got the better of my free time to the point I finally gave up on rod building and sold my equipment...hats off to all those who continued to build rods and pour custom lures- lots of patience, self discipline and love of craft...but not much of a financal reward...

[Mark]

...hats off to all those who continued to build rods and pour custom lures- lots of patience, self discipline and love of craft...but not much of a financal reward...

I believe you're right on that Ron. If the profit motive enters the scene on a hobby, the hobby then becomes work. I retired from work, not my hobby.

[Mark]

I was just looking at the Do-It molds so I can start using salt worthy hooks. About how many jigs do you have to mkae to really make your money back? Is it worth the effort?

Do-It makes "Heavy Hook" molds even in light jig head sizes, like 1/8 oz. But as Stu says, a simple freshwater rinsing after use in tidal waters will inhibit rust on lighter freshwater hooks. Besides that, the lures are expendable. They'll still catch fish but they will no longer be attractive to your eye -- chipped paint, missing dressing, etc. So, you'll grab another one that's "pretty" because you make them and have a good supply of them. You can either rehab the old one, or re-melt it.

I use two jig styles for my 1/8 oz. perch spinners. One uses a heavier hook. It doesn't happen often, but I have had larger pickerels or stripers bend the hook on the light hook model. I bend it back to form and keep fishing.

The pouring, painting and tying is worth it to me because of the satisfaction that comes with catching fish on my creations. I definitely have not recouped my financial investment in molds, paints, bucktails, hooks, threads, etc. But that has never been my goal.

[bignose]

What is funny,
I originally started tying flies, wrapping rods, and molding my own lures with the idea of "saving money."
I started tying flies when I was 13. Flies and lures were expensive, and there were no tackle shops near where I lived.

At that time my fishing was limited to sunfish and the occasional pond bass with a Zebco 202 and a plastic worm.
I didn't have a fly rod but that didn't stop me. I kept reading Field and Stream and had the fantasy of catching "Rainbow Trout with a Royal Coachman fly........"

I have come full circle and want to be able to have today's 13 year old kid be able to catch fish. I give away as many of my spinner jigs as I sell. I've gone from trying to save some money to just enjoying the process of making and then using or seeing others use my creations.

I have almost as much invested in my lure making materials, as I do with my other tackle.

Little did I know of the trap awaiting me. LOL

[ronaultmtd]

I hear you, Mark...

Pig Pen- I find the bigger hooks on the light jigs require a more solid "hook set" to drive the hook home- not a big issue as long as you are mindful of that fact and when trolling and your rod bends you give it a quick snap to drive the point home...

[MD Dore]

Rapala Ripping Rap in Helsinki shad or chrome

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[MD Dore]

Rippin rap. Sorry about the auto correct.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[PigPen]

Thanks guys,

I started tying flies as a kid to save money and also getting special patterns. Definitely now I'd say I'm breaking even when considering large streamers but not small bugs unless they are custom fo my stream. I found some unique stone flues this spring.

[AmberjackYakin]

This is a 1/8 oz. spinner I make from a Do-It mold.

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Color does not appear to matter to the perch I catch with them so I make them to please my eye.

Like AmberjackYakin's choice it has attracted numerous species: pickerel, white perch, stripers, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.

Very awesome collection you have there.