salvaging weakened/broken spinnerbaits

Can't find what you're looking for in a catalog or in the store shelves? Ever think about just making it yourself? Come share your inspirations and creations with fellow tinkerers in TackleTour's Garage Baits forum!
Post Reply
mark poulson
TT Pro Angler
TT Pro Angler
Posts: 2745
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:28 am
Location: NorCal

salvaging weakened/broken spinnerbaits

Post by mark poulson » Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:21 pm

I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum for this, but it is wire bait related.

I fish spinnerbaits on the CA Delta a lot. Even though I wrap wire around the R bend, they do eventually get weak and bend out.

I've figured out how to salvage them, because they are still good enough to fish.

I cut the weakened wire at the R bend, grab the remaining wire about 1/4" in front of the head with a pair of round jawed pliers. I hold the wire near the cut off R bend with needle nosed vise grips, and wrap the wire back down over the round bend pliers, forming a loop that's in line with the hook, and just beginning down past the wire.

I put the wire loop that's formed into the sooth jaws of a bench vise, and then use the wise grips to wrap the wire tag end around the wire between the loop and the head, forming a closed eye loop. I try and wrap it twice around, just to play safe.

Once I've removed the vise grips and made sure the eye is straight, I use a dremel with a cut off wheel to trim off the excess close to the main wire.

And now I have a swim jig!

Since I wire wrap my skirts, and the head's paint job is seldom damaged, it's ready to fish, except for the weed guard, which I make from weed whacker plastic wire that I super into into a hole I drill in the top of the bait's head.

I can also put a chatter bait blade onto the wire once the loop is started, but not ye wrapped around the main wire shaft.

Just stuff to do with old, tired spinnerbaits.
converted spinnerbait.jpg
converted spinnerbait.jpg (49.78 KiB) Viewed 2913 times

Canga-
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 370
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2011 5:27 pm
Location: Central Wisconsin

Re: salvaging weakened/broken spinnerbaits

Post by Canga- » Fri Jun 10, 2022 4:37 pm

i dont fish spinnerbaits a whole lot anymore, but this is a great idea, extend the life of still useful baits!

Post Reply