Fominnow:

[utyer 0]

A couple of weeks ago, Mikechell started a thread on a "Big Eye Minnow." His bug was a folded foam body with a single large bead eye attached along the top of the shank. Looked like a good idea, but I didn't have any single beads big enough to make one. But I tried a couple with smaller single eyes, and they didn't look too good.

 

I got to fooling with foam shapes trying to create a minnow shape, and also one that would float just in the surface with most of the body underwater (like Mike's pattern.) After some trial and errors, here is what I came up with.

 

First a hook, then the prototype, and finally a minnow that rides with the heavy belly (which is weighted,) down, and it is balanced to ride level, and upright in the water, just at the surface. One other thing, I wanted a weedless minnow, so I hid the hook between the two folded sides of foam. A little work with a marker, a set of glued in doll eyes, and a few coats of glitter nail polish and I had a minnow ready to test, a bit more trimming, and here is the finished product.

 

Its pool tested, but not fished yet.

 

The pattern came out to be 2.75" overall.

[mikechell 0]

Are you leaving the two sides of foam separate? I am asking, wondering if the foam will "clear" the hook for the set.

Nice minnows ... looking forward to seeing fish pictures with those.

[clearcreekfisherman 0]

I like these. I've been thinking back about the days that I would fish with soft plastic jerkbaits that were rigged to be weedless, these remind me a lot of them. I may have to play around with this pattern of yours a bit.

[utyer 0]

Double post:

[utyer 0]

Soft plastic swim and jerk baits is just what I am going for. The foam is one piece, which is folded over the hook. the closed section is cut to clear the hook point. The underside is left open to allow the foam to drop off the hook point. I then glue the tail end back together with a drop of super glue, also leaving clearance behind the hook bend. I can (and sometimes do ad a flattened strip of lead at the tail end to keep the balance right.

 

Here are a couple of pictures that show the hook exposed. I started with a red prototype, which I will cut off and re-do in a better color. It take very little pressure to push the foam down off the hook.

 

 

[tidewaterfly 0]

Very Cool! Please let us know how it works once you get to toss it at some fish!

 

I think I would add a small tuft of marabou or something similar at the tail for some motion.

 

One other thought. Are you bending those hooks to shape? If so, you might consider a worm hook that already has a similar bend. Bending a hook may weaken it & break later on. Be a shame to hook into a big bass of a lifetime only to lose it because the hook broke. No guarantee's anyway, but IMO, you improve your chances with a hook that's formed that way from the maker.

 

Not the same as you're doing, but the hook idea is similar. This one is a VMC 6319

[utyer 0]

I have done a few flies on the wide gap worm hooks you mention. For this one it is also a worm hook. My prototype was on a Mustad 37160, and i bend that with round pliers in three steps. Very little reshaping at any one spot, and no sharp corners. Hopefully these will work out.

[mikechell 0]

I wouldn't change the color of the red prototype ... looks like a perfect crawfish color to me.

 

The opening of the foam to allow for the hook is what I expected. Just wanted to see if I was right.

I am really looking forward to a picture of a fish with that in it's mouth, now.

[tidewaterfly 0]

If I'm remembering correctly, that 37160 is slightly offset? Mustad & Eagle Claw both made a similar hook which are popular with Flounder anglers. I still have some that are tinned for saltwater. Not sure It's the same model number, but it basically the same hook.

 

I tied some flies on that style hook years ago for some surf fishing, but left the offset. Those flies were tied primarily with bucktail. Would have been very cool to have used foam like you've done, as the plastic flukes & sluggo's were always good producers.