# Reproducing old lures and baits.



## ben2go (Jun 1, 2009)

I have a trip to Kentucky coming up.I am taking my step daughters to their father's for the summer.When I return,I hope to have a day of fishing with my boys and start reproducing lures that are no longer in production.I have some soft plastics (worms,senkos,frogs) that are of my own design that I am working on.Here are a few that I currently have that I would like to reproduce.I have caught at least one fish every time I have used them.That's mainly because I've been advised on when and where to use them.Sometimes I think it was just luck.







Here is the stats on these lures,starting left to right.

1st unknown brand.I think it's a pop'r brand.It is a top water popper for sure.It's made from either bass or balsa wood.Treble hooks are mounted in eye hooks and screwed in to the wood.The skirt is white deer or horse hair, held on with glue, and a plastic red band.

My reproduction plan is to reproduce the bait in resin with micro balloons for flotation.I will run a stainless steel wire through the lure to connect treble hooks.I will add a small flat section on the rear for a regular nylon or plastic skirt.I may just leave the skirt on the hook.I will work on a few different paint schemes. 

2nd unknown brand.Not sure about manufacture or name of this lure.It is made of hard plastic.It is a diving crank bait.It floats until it's reeled in.It usually runs 8 to 12 feet deep.I think it's considered a medium diving bait.I believe it is either blow molded or roto molded with rattles inside.The eyes for the treble hooks and line is made of one piece of stainless steel wire.

My repop will not change much,maybe the color scheme.I will cast it in resin with micro balloons for flotation.I think I will make a chamber for rattles so they can be replace with different ones.

Hula Popper was a popular top water in the 70's and 80's.This one I know is from the early 70's.It was my fathers,RIP.This lure was injection molded in two halves and the sonic welded together.The line eye is made of galvanized wire.The treble hooks are held on with chrome plated brackets that are screwed to the lure.The skirt is standard plastic skirt cut short.

My repop.I have the option of using a friends table top bench lathe.So I may turn these out of bass or balsa wood using my plastic one as a tool chase.Of course I can't leave the color scheme alone so there will be variations.I will use stainless steel wire for my line and hook eyes.The skirt will remain on the hook and I will use a longer fine skirt.

Rapala Fat Rap is still being produced but with a little different shape and lip.It's a floater until it's reeled in.Running depth is between 3 and 9 feet.Speed determines depth and it's sensitive to speed. This one is made of bass or balsa wood.Lip is molded acrylic glass (AKA plxiglas or lexan) and bedded in with epoxy.Line and eye hooks are stainless steel.Treble hooks appear to be bronze but that is probably a plating over a steel hook.

My repop.I have no current plans to remake this lure.It is 3/4 inch long not counting hook eyes and hooks.If I ever do repop this one,it will be a one piece resin cast.One piece cast just means the lip will be cast into the lure body.All stainless hardware.

Dancer.I don't know much about this lure.It is from the late 60's.It was my fathers,RIP.This is a top water prop bait.It is made of turned balsa wood.The line eye and rear hook eye are chrome steel.They are screw in type.The lower hook bracket is chrome steel.Hooks appear to be stainless steel.Propellers appear to be chrome steel.

My repop could be either turned balsa/bass wood dowl or resin cast.Price determines what I use.However,resin is easier,cast a mold,mix,and pour.One mold should do 30 to 50 lures,maybe more.Wood requires turning on a lathe,being careful,and stopping to take measurements.Kind of tedious work.Either way the line eye,hook eyes,and props will be stainless steel.There will be different colors,also.

Torpedo!This is my favorite top water lure besides the Pop'r above.Bass hate this thing ripping by,so they attack it.This lure is blow molded clear acrylic glass (AKA lexan or plexiglas).The hook and line eyes are galvanized steel and the prop is chrome steel.You can't tell from the picture but the lure body is totally clear with metallic paint along the sides.In certain angles to the sun,the water will glow around the lure.I maybe wrong but I think it's why I get such hard hits from bass and crappie.

My repop.This is frustrating because, I think the clear body with reflective paint is why it works so good,and I don't know how to duplicate it cheaply.I think the best I can do is cast it in translucent resin with micro balloons for flotation.Use reflective paints on the sides to help.I will use a one piece stainless wire for the line and hook eyes.The prop will be stainless steel also.Bright and highly reflective paints will be used.

This is just my idears and may change between now and the end of June.I still have to order some supplies.


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## FishingCop (Jun 1, 2009)

That Hula Popper was popular as far back as the late 60's - I had several colors back then - and still have them in my box today..... Also, that Rapala fat rap looks a lot like the bigger "fat" lures thyat were popular in the early 70's - can't remember their name, but I have 3-4 of them still in my old box also....


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## FishinsMyLife (Jun 1, 2009)

2nd unknown looks like a Heddon Bayou Boogie to me.


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## BassAddict (Jun 1, 2009)

Once you start making your own tackle you will never look at the BPS catalog the same way again :lol: :lol: :lol: . And if you are gonna pour your own plastics do yourself a favor and get yourself a good respirator with p-95 or better yet p-100 changeable filters and change the filters often. As you see from the mine you dont want to breath in this stuff.


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## G3_Guy (Jun 1, 2009)

FishinsMyLife said:


> 2nd unknown looks like a Heddon Bayou Boogie to me.



Agreed... Bayou Boogie (AKA Swimmin Minnow)


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## jkbirocz (Jun 1, 2009)

That sounds like a fun project. Although, I think most of those lures are still in production. Regardless it will be a lot of fun, and great times with the kids. Good luck.


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## ben2go (Jun 1, 2009)

Thanks all.I think the second may be a bayou boogie.Forgot all about that name.



BassAddict said:


> Once you start making your own tackle you will never look at the BPS catalog the same way again :lol: :lol: :lol: . And if you are gonna pour your own plastics do yourself a favor and get yourself a good respirator with p-95 or better yet p-100 changeable filters and change the filters often. As you see from the mine you dont want to breath in this stuff.



Way ahead of you.I have a vent hood mounted over a table I used to use for soldering electronics.All I have to do is back it up to the window in my out building and turn it on.I will be using a mask kind of like the one you posted.The casting resin I use is supposed to be nontoxic to the lungs, but I will use the hood anyway.Thanks for looking out for me.
As far as the BPS catalog,it has been banned from my magazine rack.I think I nearly drove the little lady to the mad house begging for tackle. :LMFAO:


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## BassAddict (Jun 2, 2009)

ben2go said:


> I will be using a mask kind of like the one you posted.



Cool, just make sure its rated for organic vapors which is what you have to worry about when working with plastic. Good luck if you need any help or advice feel free to contact me


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## ben2go (Jun 2, 2009)

BassAddict said:


> ben2go said:
> 
> 
> > I will be using a mask kind of like the one you posted.
> ...




Cool.Thanks.


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## slim357 (Jun 2, 2009)

I think your dancer is a smithwick devils horse


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## Brine (Jun 2, 2009)

slim357 said:


> I think your dancer is a smithwick devils horse



X2


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## taxidermist (Jul 7, 2009)

#2 unkn looks like a Swimming minnow we used when I was a kid on Bill Shoals for whitebass. I dont know who made them.

I mold a lot of things with silicone rubber and some urethane rubber. and use a two part urethane for casting.

A large open area is all you really need with a small exhaust fan.


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## ben2go (Jul 7, 2009)

Life has happened and I have had to put this off for a little while.I will be panning and scheming in the mean time. :LOL2:


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