Lure restoration

[JasonGotaProblem]

This is the second time I've found a trashed lure and restored it, and I'm pretty happy with the end result. This washed up at my feet when I was on the beach in Stuart FL 2 weeks ago. I think i did a good job of approximating a finger mullet. But then that was likely what the lure was initially intended to copy, so that's likely just a successful restoration, not noteworthy creativity there on my part.

I'd never spend as much on a lure as this probably cost, but I'll sure as heck try it out now that I have it, even though personally I've never done well with splashy topwaters like this. Maybe I'm just using them wrong? Anyone recognize what this was initially sold as? Before/after pics below.

[philaroman]

looks familiar...  Storm Chug Bug?  does it rattle?
tail hook should be dressed, which segways nicely to your DIY bucktails
I'd replace trebbles w/ singles...  prob 2 sizes bigger, to keep total weight (buyancy) same
otherwise, it won't pop-n-spit as intended...  that's all I really do w/ 'em:
cast out, pop once/twice,let it sit, rinse/repeat...  too lazy for walk-the-dog retreive

edit: man, I'm good -- S/W Chug Bug in TN Shad pattern
https://www.rapala.com/storm/hard-baits/rattlin-saltwater-chug-bug-/Rattlin+Saltwater+Chug+Bug.html?cgid=storm-hardbaits&taglist=Storm%7CHard%20Baits#start=1&cgid=storm-hardbaits

[thorhammer]

yep beat me to it- the bug is a good drum bait and prolly anything else that eats mullet on the V

[philaroman]

yep beat me to it- the bug is a good drum bait and prolly anything else that eats mullet on the V

weren't these things <$5, not that long ago?  ...pre-Pure, maybe

[JasonGotaProblem]

weren't these things <$5, not that long ago?  ...pre-Pure, maybe

gotta figure in the added weight of the 3 coats of epoxy. I'm thinking 2/0 circle hooks. But then I'm usually thinking that for most inshore activity. Small enough for lil baby mangrove snapper but big enough for monster reds and bonnets.

Just crazy that someone threw a $10 topwater at a beach that's never calm (shoulder height surf that day) with a F'N REEEEEEF.

Gonna try to test it this weekend along with a pile of bucktails. Probably too windy for a topwater but we'll see.

[jurelometer]

A popper's buoyancy on the surface keeps it from from having a good hookup rate.   Which  generally goes down from trebles to singles (still worth it IMHO).  I would be surprised to find too many instances where a circle hook would hook up enough.    Much of the fun with poppers  is seeing the repeated blowups, and I like taking the hooks off entirely if I am going to C&R anyways.  But no circle hooks on a popper for me if I am fishing for dinner.  But I have been wrong before.  Curious if anybody rigs this way.

-J.

[philaroman]

dry epoxy sinks, but slowly...  close enough to neutral buoyancy, to not matter
same goes for bucktail on tail hook
weigh the original hooks & try to match that fairly close
poppers don't work right if they sit too high, or too low...  or, not horizontal enough

never tried circles on hardbaits...  esp. not on top, but who knows 

[philaroman]

BTW, fly-guys' biggest Bass bugs (#2/#4 hooks) are essentially AFFORDABLE, short, fat, single-hook poppers
plenty big enough to cast w/ UL spinning, or pitch/flip w/ long crappie rods...  a blast w/ smaller Bass

A popper's buoyancy on the surface keeps it from from having a good hookup rate.   Which  generally goes down from trebles to singles (still worth it IMHO).  I would be surprised to find too many instances where a circle hook would hook up enough.    Much of the fun with poppers  is seeing the repeated blowups, and I like taking the hooks off entirely if I am going to C&R anyways.  But no circle hooks on a popper for me if I am fishing for dinner.  But I have been wrong before.  Curious if anybody rigs this way.

-J.

maybe above-described "mini-popper" is small enough
to get sucked down by 1-3 lb. mouthy species
I get better-than-usual hookup rate

[Gfish]

Looks like it had a good combo of hook and tooth holes in the finish/wood. Yes on the single hooks. Looks good so far.

[JasonGotaProblem]

So if I wanna avoid a treble hook what would my best 2nd choice be? I've hooked myself more than I've hooked fish by a factor of 10 with trebles. Personal shortcoming more than a hardware fault I'm sure, but still.

[Gfish]

Double hooks positioned right would help, but not stop the scratching. Some of that fly tying lead used to weight nymphs and streamers, used on the hook shank, might keep it closer to the original balance.
I kinda like tooth holes on wooden lures and scratches on plastic ones. They give them character. Though I can do without hook produced ones. Especially if I haven't landed a fish on a given lure—what species was it, and how big was it? My expensive Shimano WaxWing got all scratched up last Sunday and I didn't even see the bite! Prolly a Needlefish...

[oc1]

So if I wanna avoid a treble hook what would my best 2nd choice be?

a split ring and a siwash hook

[jurelometer]

So if I wanna avoid a treble hook what would my best 2nd choice be? I've hooked myself more than I've hooked fish by a factor of 10 with trebles. Personal shortcoming more than a hardware fault I'm sure, but still.

I would look for hooks labeled as inline.  "Inline"  hooks are designed for replacing trebles. The eye is on the same plane as the bend, but otherwise have a Siwash shape.  Standard Siwash hooks will usually end up sticking out sideways on plugs/poppers instead of up/down unless you use use zero or two rings, and often a standard Siwash shank is a bit on the long side.   I like VMC inlines in both of their styles.  Quality hooks, good price, and  if you go to the European VMC website, you can print off a PDF that will show the exact hook dimensions for each size.   There is a rule of thumb for inlines replacing trebles using the gape of the inline hook and the circumference drawn around the  treble.  75%, I think.   But if the hook looks about the right size, it usually is about the right size.   

Agree on trebles. If I was going to go hungry if I did not land the fish, I would use trebles, but they otherwise suck.  In addition to damaging fish that you want to release, hooking yourself  or another human is just a matter of time.  And you know that one  of the other  barbs is going to still be stuck in an angry thrashing fish.  I have been around hands, arms, legs, feet, chests, faces (even eyes) stuck by trebles.  It is not a bad idea to remove some or all of the barbs from  any multi-treble rigged lure.  If you keep the line tight, you won't lose any more fish.   And there are worse things than losing fish. I rarely fish with barbs and do not miss them much.

If you fish with kids, removing all barbs on all hooks is worth thinking about.  It teaches them how to play fish properly, and kids seem to get themselves or family pets stuck more than adults.

I recently went  through a  friend's kid's  tacklebox and debarbed  everything.  I explained that the best fishermen don't usually need barbs, and they don't mind losing a fish every now and then.  He was down with the plan.  His Mom thanked me   

-J

[Swami805]

Owner makes good inline single hooks to replace the trebles. When I replace mine I weigh the treble and try and match that weight with the single so it doesn't affect the action too much.

[thorhammer]

Owner makes good inline single hooks to replace the trebles. When I replace mine I weigh the treble and try and match that weight with the single so it doesn't affect the action too much.
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Agree with Sheridan and Dave, Owner / VMC in-line. If the action is jacked up by the added weight, you might go bigger on tail hook to make the stern squat at rest.  Then it will at least spit when you pop. When I used to carve poppers, I would put about an ounce and half of lead in the back end (8" plug). They would sink slowly, so you had to get to work when it hit to keep up-top. However, this made them castable to 100 yards (this was even pre-braid era) with the right rod set-up, and they would chug n spit nicely like an injured bait trying to stay upright.