Restoring lures

[ronaultmtd]

I worked Saturday at Bass Pro at our exhibit and got some great ideas from Harry about making trailer replacement hooks...that got me out in my shop with all my old rusty hook lures...taking all the hooks off, cleaning the lures with warm soapy water and a medium used toothbrush...so after all the cleaning and replacing rusty split rings...I ordered Owner in-line single replacement hooks...6 packages of hooks are supposed to be delivered March 2nd...and the rear replacement hook will be fully "dressed" thanks to Harry showing me how and selling me the materials to dress the hooks...

[mchottie]

Ron,

I can't believe how simple the 'dressing' really is, with the tip & trick from Harry

I'll be upgrading a few poppers I picked up at the Earliegh Heights flea market.

[Mark]

If you're really ambitious you can put new hair on old bucktails.

These are a few a I retied for a friend:

A.JPG B.JPG C.jpg D.jpg

I didn't repaint the heads on these. I have done so on others. But I cut the remnants of the old bucktail off, sharpened the hooks and tied new bucktail on them. They had a lot more fish left in them.

[ronaultmtd]

When you figure new Rapala XRaps run about $10-14 depending on the size, refurbishing the ones you have is just smart...I rarely actually lose lures- they get beat up, hooks rust, split rings need replacing, but out right losing lures is very rare for me...and I have had phenomal success landing fish hooked on the single replacement hooks vs treble hooks- now a days, first thing I do with brand new lures is replace the trebles...and Harry's trick to dress the rear hook is so simple, fool proof and easy to do...I had to order the replacement single hooks because the only size that Bass Pro carries are for the XR14 and XR12 size XRaps- 5/0 and 2/0 size hooks...I also needed single hooks for my XR 10 XRaps...I ordered #2 and 1/0 Owner replacement single hooks for the XR10 and XR8 XRaps...

[Slobber Bob]

When you figure new Rapala XRaps run about $10-14 depending on the size, refurbishing the ones you have is just smart..

I just busted off the lip of my one and only X-Rap the other day trying to pitch it into a tight squeeze around some hard structure. I'm so mad I'm going to have to shell out $10+ now for a frickin' 3 inch lure

[Mark]

I just busted off the lip of my one and only X-Rap the other day trying to pitch it into a tight squeeze around some hard structure. I'm so mad I'm going to have to shell out $10+ now for a frickin' 3 inch lure

If the lip break has not compromised the lure's ability to remain watertight, you may be able to continue to use it as a suspended bait giving it action during casting with your rod tip.

[Slobber Bob]

If the lip break has not compromised the lure's ability to remain watertight, you may be able to continue to use it as a suspended bait giving it action during casting with your rod tip.

Oh, don't worry, I gave it the old college try, but it just didn't swim as good no matter how I worked it after the lip broke off. Maybe one day I'll pull it out and try again.... or not.

[Mark]

Oh, don't worry, I gave it the old college try, but it just didn't swim as good no matter how I worked it after the lip broke off. Maybe one day I'll pull it out and try again.... or not.

Ha ha...Then save it for breaking stripers. They'll hit anything. Better yet, save it for when blues are schooling. They'll hit it and won't be able to bite it in half! Or like you suggest, put it in the recycling bin so it can become a milk jug or whatever the recyclers make with all that plastic we put in the big yellow bins.

[brianisoutside]

Oh, don't worry, I gave it the old college try, but it just didn't swim as good no matter how I worked it after the lip broke off. Maybe one day I'll pull it out and try again.... or not.

Grab a dremel tool and go to work.

Part of the reason I started tying flies was to do buck tail jigs and single hooks for hard baits too


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[ronaultmtd]

Just finished my work cleaning, replacing split rings and hooks on the XR12, XR10 and XR8 XRaps...ready to fish them..

[22Tango]

Just finished my work cleaning, replacing split rings and hooks on the XR12, XR10 and XR8 XRaps...ready to fish them..

My xraps have a big of dressing on the rear treble. Did you replace the dressing or just strap on the new hook? If you replaced it, where to you buy the dressing and how did you attach it to the hook.

[ronaultmtd]

See Harry at Bass Pro Shop fly shop at Arundel Mills...got the dressing materials and a really quick and easy way to dress the single replacement hook...I swear anyone can do it like an expert after seeing this trick...

[Mark]

See Harry at Bass Pro Shop fly shop at Arundel Mills...got the dressing materials and a really quick and easy way to dress the single replacement hook...I swear anyone can do it like an expert after seeing this trick...

Ron is correct. Harry has a method of dressing hooks that requires no tying skills. It uses a small rubber collar to affix material to a hook. Exceedingly simple. On the other hand it is not difficult to add feathers or hair to a hook with thread. Here's an X-Rap with the trebles changed to single in-line hooks:

B.jpg

I tied marabou feathers to the back hook. The fish do not care how pretty the wrap is. In fact, I cannot attest that the feathers are necessary. For years, Rebel and Rapala and Bill Lewis have made similar minnow/fish-like lures with bare treble hooks front and back.

Like most lures and flies, the dressing may be more necessary to catch anglers than fish.