swimbait repair (fishtrap, bighammer, etc)

There was an article on the fishtrap site that explained that fishtraps can be super-gelled (not glue, but gel) back together.

It also touched on the idea of heating the hook, then the swimbait welds itself to the jig when threaded.

As a variation on this I have been holding a nail in some pliers and heating up the point in the kitchen burner, and applying it to big cuts and splits.

works great, and since it qualifies as lure modification, it is super fun.

No doubt one of you guys will invent a small pen-sized cauterization tool for your swimbaits for on-the-kayak repairs!

FYI.
I talked to this dude at the tackle shop and he believes that the Hammers are  built stronger than the FT.  
After taking a closer look at the two, I agree.

I'm usually too lazy for on the water repairs.  Sometimes I'll take the ripped up baits home and melt together the beat up stuff to create some really ngarly looking baits.....most of the times they attract fish but the weld is a little on the weak side so they don't last as long.  Any way to stretch a buck.  

You can also custom color rubber/plastic baits by bleeding the colors from other bodies.  Just set them side by side in your tackle trays and the lighter baits will absorb color from the darker baits. Not sure if it'll work for fish residing in deep waters but we used to do it all the time for black bass and stripers on the delta.  I'm pretty sure they have markers that do this too now......technology wrecks all the fun stuff.

well art, as long as it's for fun, you don't have to do the most efficient thing, you can do the most fun thing. even if it costs a little more, is a little slower, whatever, it's for fun after all. that's my take anyway. unless it's your job, ignore the technology if it is oppressive.

potto, ultimately these lures are more alike than they are different so I think we are splitting hairs,  and I wouldn't want to annoy you just for the heck of it   , but I enjoy the electronic riposte, so I'll take
your trolled bait   if you don't mind:

I think the fishtraps are stronger, but I think the hammers are slightly better. not enough to matter except on a kayak fishing website. but here's why:

the tail section (the thinnest part of the lure) on a fishtrap is thicker.  likewise the oval tail knob of the fishtrap is less prone to damage than the rectangular tail knob of the big hammer (okay, that last part is mostly speculation). so durability goes to fishtrap.

big hammer sure seems to try a little harder in the marketing and sales department, and maybe in the tackle shop guy bribery department, but fishtrap clearly has the underground "cool" vibe, with the unmarked boxes at retail shops and the incognito charkbait offering. if charkbait didn't exist I don't think fishtraps would be available online anywhere, whereas hammers are fairly easily available online and in marked boxes at retail stores.

the hammers are 'deeper' at the head, so you don't have to bite off as much or even any to get the depth to match the jighead depth. the 5" fishtraps seem to be made for a tiny 1/2 oz jig head or something, based on the depth of the lure at the front, or maybe for a bullet head jig. however, you can use them without a weight, like in a rotary salmon killer or other rig.

the hammer knob is more angled and it appears to flutter at a slightly lower retrieve speed, and at a slightly higher frequency. the thinner tail section probably helps with this.

big hammer had some manufacturing problems, so the quality nod might go to fish trap although I think overall both these little companies care a lot about quality.

I have caught fish with both of these lures and on days when other stuff didn't work so well. So I'd say you can't go too wrong on either of these but my opinion is that the hammer is a slightly better design for catching fish with shad head style jigs, but the fishtrap is really close and is more durable, perhaps more proven, maybe more versatile for non shad-head jig uses, and definitely slightly more so-cal insider/cult than big hammer.

finally the big hammer jig heads are really nice. the eyes are recessed and big. too bad they don't make a 4oz head! I have 1.5oz and 3/8 oz and both are excellent.

finally a pointless chevy/ford indy/tracker argument topic for kayak fishermen! potto you are a genius! disclaimer: I ride tracker and drive dodge  

You have posted information I never knew of.
Since we live and fish in different locations, we tend to have different issues with our plastics.  I do remember when I was fishing up north, the tail was the first thing to go.  Down here it is not the tail, but the body.


Calicos, SandBass, Halibut and and other small fish tend to chew away at the body.  Making the plastic fall apart from the jig.  This is where FT tend to break sooner than the Hammer, in my opinion.

Funny how you said Hammers have recessed eyes.  I never noticed that.  I always bought the "power coated" ones because I felt the paint will less likely chip.  So what is my point?  My point is, why can't you let Toyota, Honda, or Nissan join the race?

I seem to get hit right in the middle the most too, but I have heard a lot of complaints about bitten tails. Bust out the hot needle and cauterize that guy up. make him better than before! stronger! faster! you might be able to just heat up the hook, then press the body of the swimbait around it.  watch out for hot plastic on your fingers, it got me but didn't burn.

It looks like those 'powder coated' jigheads are good. they have recessed eyes too. the hammers are the only ones I have like that, I don't have access to those powder coated ones,  

I have some jig heads that weren't made to take eyes, but have eyes stuck on anyway. I figure they will fall off. I put a little marine goop around them to try to hold them on longer, assuming I don't lose them first.

the recession of the eyes should just make them a little more durable, that's all. I doubt there's any plus to attracting fish. I don't even know if the eyes matter at all, but they probably don't hurt.

ford and chevy (trucks), indy and tracker (hmm, those are "trucks" too, just of a different sort), those are the classic pissing matches. I don't think nissan gets included, but that's a nice vehicle you got there.

Well since  I have caught 2 Halibuts on that rig, I just might try the hot needle thing.
As for the Power coated they don't look as recessed as the Hammers.   I think you can find them at Sports Chalet.

My Truck was used to carry my kayak on the camper shell for the first time.  Phew!  I am going to need a lift to get the kayak on top.

I've said it before and I'll say it again ... SUPERGLUE.

-Allen

polesquared, for some reason the fishtrap site says use super gel, not glue, as I recall. Does plain old super-glue work?

I really dislike going out to buy things like that.  The hot needle works and doesn't require any purchase. plus it involves fire, which is a plus!

don't use marine goop, it melts the lure, and never sets... ick-O.

also searching for super gel on google doesn't get what you'd expect:

http://www.supergelproducts.com/benh00.html

I guess that is a different kind of bait.

adding the word 'glue' to the search gets us what we were probably thinking of:

http://www.cleansweepsupply.com/pages/skugroup31604.html

wow, that is a lot of wasted time on a little bit of plastic. but there you go, it's entertainment and beats watching tv.

here's that link: http://www.fishtraplures.com/tips4.htm about gluing and welding.

and hammer's version: http://www.swimbait.com/techniques/swimbait-repair_01.htm

also this pic seems to indicate that fishtraps were originally designed for the more common bullet head jig, while I think the hammers are designed for a shad head jig which has more depth at the back of the weight.



another view of fishtrap:


whereas here's a hammer, with more 'depth' at the front of the lure:



okay, I'm done now, I swear! hee-hee.

Glue or gel?  I use whatever I happen to have lying around the garage.

Bullet or shad?  Why does the head have to line up with the swimbait?  I usually don't worry about it and have no complaints.  I think it it looks better to the fisherman, but do the fish really care?  In some instances I swear by having then NOT line up.  When casting to top water blues/blacks or when tuna fishing I like to have them NOT line up.  The swimbait holds a bubble of air this way.  The  lure then leaves a long bubble trail in the water, which I believe attacks fish.

Eyes or no eyes?  I get eyes for tuna fishing.  I go cheap when rockfishing, most of the time generic bullet shapes.

Fishtrap or Hammer.  I probably have a slight edge to fishtrap, but only because that's what I first used.

Color preferences?  I like brown/orange tones when fishing nearshore.  For tuna fishing I like black back, green stripe, clear/silver speckled belly.    

-Allen

I have used both and the big hammers seem to be more durable because they use a harder plastic.  I like the fishtrap colors better but the only last 2-5 rock fish while the big hammers last for 5-10.

soldering iron.  it works perfectly.  the welds are absolutely perfect.  you can even smooth out the teeth marks and make the bait look new.  

pat, good talking to you yesterday.  nice fish.  alan