Homemade Kastmaster

[oc1]

Shore casters (whippas) looking for more distance will be familiar with the Kastmaster.  A Kastmaster will make any fisherman with any tackle look good.  

Kastmasters have been around for seventy years and copied often because they are so simple to make.  Just cut a piece of round metal stock into thin slices.



Brass was used here because that's what I have. Stainless steel will make a better lure but is more difficult to work with.



It's just a piece of round stock cut at an angle.  A hand hack saw will leave fewer tool marks than my junk jury-rigged band saw.



Two factory Acme Kastmasters seen from the side.  If the cuts are angled just right there is very little wasted stock.



Since the second cut is at a slightly different angle, one end will be heavier than the other.  This keeps the lure from tumbling in the air and increases casting distance.



You can polish it as much as you want and there are unlimited possibilities for dressing it up.  You can add bucktail or flash dubbing to the hook.  Use treble, double or single hook.  The body can be painted, electroplated, clear-coated, covered with adhesive foil tape or holographic tape, knurled, stamped, monogramed, whatever you want.















Top to bottom: three factory Acme Kastmasters, a Chinese knock-off, a half-dozen homemade.  All are between 3/8 and 1/2 ounce.  Mine are not coated and will tarnish after every use.  A few swipes with a scotch-brite pad or 150 grip emery cloth will bring up some sparkle,



Acme Kastmaster comes in a variety of sizes from 1/3 oz. to 2 oz.  They cheat on their weight though.  The package here says "3/8 oz" but the actual weight with hook and split rings is about 1/2 oz.



My other favorite spoon for shore casting is the Hopkins.



Another Kastmaster-like lure.



An early Kastmaster knock-off was the Weber Mr. Champ.  When they were available I would choose the larger 3 oz. Weber Champ.



Here is an article with the Kastmaster history.  Kastmasters they are still made in Providence, Rhode Island.  Hopkins spoons are still made in Virginia Beach.

https://www.onthewater.com/featured-lure-acme-kastmaster

-steve

[Crow]

Very slick, Steve !!  And the proof is in the catchin'  !!

[oldmanjoe]

   Well done Steve      I need to start making some shinny lures from the pluming scrap pile ..

[thorhammer]

Steve, you are a true mad scientist! I'd love to see your project shop, but since Hawaii is not in the works, I, and others I'm sure, would love to see an overdue picture of your rod and reel sets you have crafted in the collections thread! Great stuff!

John

[Brewcrafter]

Great work and thanks for the lesson!  I thought it especially clever how it looks like you used a "C" letter punch to create a scale pattern! - John

[foakes]

Excellent work, Steve!

For those of us old enough to remember the Professor on Gilligan's Island that could make short wave radios out of coconuts — I recommend that Steve's name be put forward as the "Honorary Professor" of our site...

Best,

Fred

[Crow]

   I'll second that recommendation !

[nelz]

Nice work Steve. I caught my first big fish on a 3/4oz Kastmaster w/ bucktail dressing. It was a 33lb striper!

[steelfish]

nice homemade lure Steve,

but it doesnt matter if we like it or not, fish seems to love it!!


on another topic, dont you guys love how Steve secure the reels on his rods? looks very unique and the looks of the reel, custom made bamboo rod and home made lures with a fish put the picture on another level, picture of the month material right there !!



one question amigo, do you remove the reel after every use from the rod or leave ut there after many uses?
kind of worry of corrosion caused byt the wet cord by saltwater on the reel seat

[xjchad]

nice homemade lure Steve,

but it doesnt matter if we like it or not, fish seems to love it!!


on another topic, dont you guys love how Steve secure the reels on his rods? looks very unique and the looks of the reel, custom made bamboo rod and home made lures with a fish put the picture on another level, picture of the month material right there !!



one question amigo, do you remove the reel after every use from the rod or leave ut there after many uses?
kind of worry of corrosion caused byt the wet cord by saltwater on the reel seat

I love it too!  I wish I had the time and skill to do this kind of work like Steve does!
It must add a new level of gratification when catching fish 

Steve, what reel is that in this pic?  I would have not expected to see such a "modern" looking baitcaster on one of your rigs.

[Gfish]

"DUDE!"

"Professor Steve", never even thought one could cut their own outta bar stock. I'd have'ta go the hacksaw route. If bought a new blade how long would it take?

Here's a couple of the Chinese knock-offs I get from Wall Mart. Change the hooks and dress 'em up a bit. Not only a distance caster, but accurate too. Great surf lure.

That goatfish looks about 1" bigger than the one I used as drift bait last week. Very hardy critter, the hook I used is in the top of the picture. 'Bout a 20 lb. Kahala(Greater Amberjack) gobbled him up and gave me a drag and knot test. Been awhile since I've seen a fish that size jump clear outta the water. Sometimes you know by the way they fight, your chances of landin 'em are slim to none. Couldn't even lift the rod outta the holder. So the braid to mono knot turned out to be the weak link... I went through those connections on all my reels and re-tied with the braid doubled-up.

[festus]

Way to go, Steve, well done copy of a fine lure.

In early spring in the tailwaters of my favorite dam when it's generating, I often use the 1/12 oz gold Kastmaster on UL spinning tackle with 4 lb test mono.  It'll catch a wide variety of species, yellow bass, yellow perch, white bass, crappie, smallmouth, walleye, rainbow trout and practically any panfish.  I like those Hopkins also.  More favorites are the Sidewinder spoon and Little Cleo.

[Midway Tommy]

Nice, Steve! Nothing better than catching fish on tackle & lures one has created. A little lacquer or urethane clear coat will relive some of that polishing for awhile. Copper also is a great color for lures. Some Daredevils used to have a copper backside. I always favored them the most and still use the ones I have.  

[oc1]

Alex, I hate reel seats and other long term commitments.  You can untie string, but reel seats have to be cut off.  Lashing takes a few minutes though so I leave the reel on the rod when possible.  My bench is set up so the reel can be disassembled for maintenance while still on the rod.  It's cumbersome though so I need a better system.  Better yet, I need reels that never require maintenance.

John, my collection is just a box of reels, a box of string, a box of guides and a stack of old blanks and cane.  Pieces and parts get reconfigured often so I have a "new" rod and reel to play with every week or so.

"Collection" is a dirty word in our house.  We have collections from three generations, all vying for a bit of dry space to keep them.  If you ever turn your back, someone will haul your collection to the dump.

Greg, I have forgotten what a drag and knot test feels like.  The gill netters wiped out the oio but I check regularly to see if any strays have moved into the area.  In the mean time I have to be content with assorted crap like moana and those slime ball nunu.  It might be time to start oama fishing.

Your lures always look so nice.  I won't put in the effort because they are short lived.  Fishing over the coral heads in a shallow bay, some are snagged and lost on the first cast.  Others may last for hundreds of casts but it is just a matter of time.  You never know.

Tommy, you're right and I need to clear coat them.  Clear coat will not last long, but it's better than throwing raw brass into saltwater.

Chad, that little black reel is a Ryobi V-Mag 3 with user modifications.  They must have come out when I wasn't paying attention as I learned about them here when John (Thorhammer) mentioned them.  Because they feel so small in the hand, they are one of my favorites.  But, they have a serious design flaw that makes them maintenance hogs.  That would be a whole discussion in itself.

Other weekly specials pictured are a Calcutta 50 and a ABU 2650.  The original Calcutta 50 is another of my favorites but also a maintenance hog.  It is on a 10 ft graphite steelhead-type blank that can be bought off ebay for about thirty bucks plus shipping (look for Roger).  The blanks are not marked, but they come from the same Chinese factory that produces blanks for Batson Enterprises and sold under the brand names Rainshadow, Alps and others.  I don't really like Rainshadow because they break so easily and they do not have the snap or spunk of a St. Croix with the same specifications.  But, for thirty bucks I could not resist.

The 2650 is on an old 10' Harnell fly rod extended to 11' with a bamboo handle.  It feels just like a lighter version of the great Harnell surf rods from yesteryear. You can put all your umph behind the cast and let the slow lumbering action go to work.  There's nothing else like them.
-steve

[Rivverrat]

on another topic, dont you guys love how Steve secure the reels on his rods? looks very unique and the looks of the reel, custom made bamboo rod... 

   Yes I do. I was very intrigued the first time I saw this... Jeff