Winter tackle upgrade - Arts and Crafts style!

Like many of you, during the winter months I spend countless hours preparing for the next years fishing adventures. I wanted to share a recent weekend project where I upgraded my in-line crescent weights! Now for those of you that troll for walleye, there are many different trolling weights out on the market. I went with Crescent style due to the fact I could buy the mold from Do-It molds along with the powder paints fairly cheap. I must admit, seeing I'm on the Canadian side of the boarder, and in Amherstburg, I also make my own Jigs. Yes Jigging in the D!

But lets get back to trolling in the western basin. So I started with pouring the weights. I made 3 different size for the areas I typically fish. 1.5 oz for 15'-25' (Holiday Beach, Lake Erie), 2 oz for 20' - 45' (around Pelee Island, Lake Erie), and 3 oz for 40' - 70' (Wheatley, Lake Erie). I went with glow and standard color patterns for 6 different styles.

Styles are;

Voodoo; (Purple Bottom/Black Top w/Orange Tail) No Glow
Pimp Daddy (Glow Green Bott/Purple Top w/Orange Tail)
Blue Punk (Glow White Bott/Sparkle Blue Back w/Orange Tail)
Fire Tiger (Glow Yellow Bott/Glow Green Top w/Orange Tail) or Grass Hopper (Glow Yellow Bott/Brown Glitter Top w/Orange Tail)
Jerry Springer (Glow Yellow Bott/Orange Top w Green Glitter Stripes)
Pink Lady (Pink Bott/ Brown Glitter w/Orange Tail)

I dress them out with a 7mm split ring and Stainless Ball Bearing Swivel.

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They Glow like this, please note, this was "charged" with a cheap Harbor Freight free LED flash light.

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Let me know what you think. I made three sets, one for a buddy, one for actual in-line usage, and one set for Snap Weight application.

I'll be posting what upgrade I made to the fish style downrigger weights next....

nice job they look great.i'm curious do you feel that painting your trolling weights helps with your ability to catch fish? i've always used straight lead weights not painted.

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Originally Posted by maddie

nice job they look great. I'm curious do you feel that painting your trolling weights helps with your ability to catch fish? i've always used straight lead weights not painted.

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Truly do not know. Its one of the things that is very hard to quantify. But I'm of the thought process, it cannot hurt anything.

On another side note though, the glow would help as an attractant in muddy water, I also custom paint my own blades for spinner worm harness to match these color schemes. So they sort of go hand in hand. I'll try to post my setup in the next couple of days. No spinners tied up right now, only the hook harness parts. I tend to tied up/construct the worm harnesses the day before I go out, depending on my game plan.

I also paint my Down rigger weights and spoons for fishing Lake Trout out of Wheatley Ontario. The Fish weights and spoons to match seam to produce more strikes than mis-match colors. Only have one set of weights. Here is what they look like;

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Only rattle can Rustoleum paint, UV clear coat.

Let me know if you want me to post a pic of the spoons to match... They are nothing big.

Just posting this past weekends painting of the blades that match the in-line weights. Again I prefer Rust-o-leum Gloss colors in neon if available. Note to others though, you don't use much to paint these. A can will last years, I have been using the same cans for over 4-5 years. Make sure to purge the nozzle clean after every use, or you will be going thru spray tips.

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The detail is just sharpie paint pens. I did end up ordering the glow ones from Luremaking.com, so most of the neon color that is paint pen is glow.

The back stop I received from an old time painter that used to paint Flatfish in Windsor Ontario back before they went out of business/bought out. It has side that hold it up at a 30 degree angle and close it off to the Walmart box fan I put behind. I also hang this expanded felt material to the front side of the fan to collect the excess paint.

My game plan this year is to run the matching in-line weights as decoys and these spinners. As you can see I have a variety of blade types and sizes. Depending on what i fishing for and why, I pick accordingly. Hatches are flat water, Colorado's and Deep cup for wave days. I know there are better flashier blades available, but the engineer brain of mine tells me there is not much difference when the blade is spinning at 50-200 rpm in the water. Does the detail really make a difference other than attracting the Fisherman to it.

I again tie my own Leaders as well. I run a 3 hook string behind my beads and blades. I use a 1/0 hook, then a 1, and last a 2 regardless of where I am fishing. I tend to make the space between the first and second hook an 1" and the last hook at 1.75". I use the whole worm and cut off the last 1/2" of worm so it is bleeding in the water. Seams to attach the bite a bit more. Scent wise.

If you want I'll post the tied spinners when I get them done. Just ask...