1. Why does it take so FREAKING long for me to receive my order? Each spinnerbait and buzzbait is built by hand according to each customer's selection from several different blade styles, configurations, colors and sizes, plus over 40 colors of skirts. Obviously, it is impossible to stock all of the millions of possible baits we can create.
Our durable and beautiful finish, is comprised of a minimum of three different steps, each requiring a curing time of 24 hours.
Our baits have become extremely popular. During our rush season (January thru April) we produce in batches of 30 orders, with each batch taking about 7 working days to complete. Each succeeding batch delays incoming orders. During this time it is not unusual for us to work 12-16 hours per day, 7 days per week, but it can still take 4-5 weeks to produce some peak-season orders.
The items you order influence production times. Orders containing spinnerbaits take the longest, as they are the most labor-intensive baits with the most possible options. Lucky Craft, Oldham's Jigs, Arby-Doos, and Jigamathings ship quickly, for we keep them stocked.
2. Well then, what's happening with my money while all this "curing" is going on? We never process credit card charges or deposit checks until we are ready to ship the orders. We do not believe that it is right to work on your money until after we have earned it. 3. What if I don't see exactly what I want on your website pictures? In our secure store, there are drop-own menus beneath most of the items that allow you to select what you want or feel free to e-mail me or call me with any changes you might want to try. The photos on the website are mostly EXAMPLES of what we can do and you are not bound by any of them. Feel free to experiment - that's what got us started. 4. Why are my lures packaged in unmarked boxes and simple clear zip-loc bags? Packaging is generally discarded after being opened, and we have yet to hear a story of a fish being caught with the packaging. Instead of spending money on this, we focus on quality materials, design, and construction to craft the best baits on the market. Our low packaging costs are passed on to you in the super-low cost of your baits, and as a bonus you can reuse the unmarked boxes and bags as containers for whatever you wish. 5. Why do you ship using the U.S. Postal Service instead of UPS? This is another cost savings that is passed along to you. The USPS provides free shipping boxes and their rates are little lower even after adding insurance. Their delivery time is better also - they advertise 2-3 day delivery and rarely miss it. I have had "Next-Day Air" packages through UPS take as long as 2 ˝ weeks to be delivered. Lastly, the Postal Service pays off on an insurance claim much more quickly and easily than UPS. 6. Why are the skirts so long on S.O.B. spinnerbaits? Many fisherman like to modify the skirt length, while others don't. We leave that option open for you.
7. Why do you offer both the "Twisted Eye" and the "R-Bend" models, and which is better? We use and recommend the "Twisted Eye" more than the "R-Bend" because we feel that it makes for a stronger, more durable bait. We further feel that the "R-Bend" combined with light wire softens the vibrations of the blades. With the increase in the use of braided line, especially in spinnerbaiting, the "R-Bend" will allow the knot to slip up the blade arm during a fight. We have witnessed two occasions where all the blades and hardware were stripped off of the blade arm and the fish was lost. This cannot happen with a "Twisted Eye". A good trick is to apply a drop or two of Super Glue GEL to the point where the wires cross which will keep the line from getting into the twist. Other than that, learn to roll cast and drop the bait into the water very softly using your thumb to slow the cast, and pay attention to the knot as often on a spinnerbait as you would on a crankbait or the hook on a worm rig.
8. What are the differences among Willow/Indiana/Colorado blades as far as performance and best application? Ditto on blade combinations versus single blades? The main difference among the blade styles is the amount of vibration they put off. The Colorado puts off the most vibration with the Willowleaf putting off the least. The Indiana falls in between the two. However, the exact opposite is true regarding the amount of reflection or flash put off by the blades. Here, the Willowleaf is best and the Colorado the least. Regarding "lift" (blade action causing the bait to rise toward the surface during retrieve), the Colorado is tops with the Willowleaf offering less resistance and thus being slower to rise. Like with all choices regarding baits, the better application must be determined by you based on what conditions you face As for blade configurations, I use two main factors to choose which blades I will use. The first is the type of cover - the heavier the cover, the more slender I want my blade "package" to be, thus, a single or double Willowleaf configuration would be my selection. If there is sparse cover, I would go to a single or double Colorado set-up. These are the extremes; all other configurations would fall in the middle somewhere with a "Tandem" (small Colorado blade in front of a larger Willowleaf blade) being the absolute middle. Lastly, to answer the blade size question, we have a chart we have developed based on our experience that we go by as our norm. We will adjust from this chart depending on our customer's wishes. This blade size chart will soon become a part of our website. Basically, blade size is determined by lure size, and we use what our experience tells us is the best or most popular size for each model. However, when you really want to get to the heart of it, blade size should be based on the size of the forage or baitfish in the body of water you are currently fishing. A good combination of blade size and lure weight can then be determined. 9. What size wire do you use on your spinnerbaits? We use .030 ga wire on our 1/8 & 1/4oz models, .035 on our 3/8oz model and .041 on our 1/2oz and up models. 10. What color skirts and blades do you recommend for clear/stained/muddy water and why? Skirt color is generally determined by the baitfish you are trying to imitate, but can also help as a visibility factor in stained or muddy water, as well as clear water. Our skirt selection page will also soon be a part of the website. For blade color, the general rule is to use Nickel or shad imitation painted blades in clear water with good light conditions, and Gold or Chartreuse colored blades in stained or muddy water or under poor light conditions. I also prefer Nickel or Black in very low light conditions and at night. The newer translucent and "glimmer" skirt colors work well in most adaptations except very off-colored water. They can be dynamite in clear water. White on White spinnerbaits (White head, skirt & blades) have become popular lately and will often work in off-colored water as well as clear water. BUT….don't be surprised when a bass knocks the tar out of a solid chartreuse colored lure in clear water on a bright sunny day. 11. What's the difference between the "THUMPER" and the "ATTRACTOR"? The "Thumper" and the "Attractor" are both single bladed baits and can utilize any of the different blade types (Willowleaf, Indiana or Colorado). The Colorado blade is by far the most popular for single bladed baits due to the heavy vibration ("Thump") it produces. This "Thump" is particularly valuable in off-colored water, under poor light conditions and at night. The "Thumper" is built on a medium length blade arm for correct balance and to produce the right "Thump". A longer wire would produce a little more vibration, but would also weaken the blade arm slightly. More importantly, the extra length would throw the bait out of balance. All the spinnerbaits built by S.O.B. are personally hand balanced and tuned by Bill, himself. The "Attractor" is built with a VERY short arm and a smaller blade that the "Thumper", so it produces an entirely different type of vibration. The vibration is "tighter" and higher pitched. We recommend the "Attractor" in the smaller sizes as a baitfish imitation around docks and brush piles. It is also a good bait to "wake" over the grass with a rapid retrive and your rod tip high to produce a "gurgling" sound as the blade breaks water. Practice will allow you to keep the blade at just the right spot. 12. Should I use a trailer hook? And, when I do, should I use it with the point facing up or down? What about a soft plastic or pork trailer? I only use a trailer hook when the fish are "short striking" my bait, or if I am not getting good hook-ups. When I use a trailer hook, I always point the hook upward. Most of my spinnerbaiting is done in pretty thick cover and I feel that the trailer hook adds to the chance that I would get hung up in the cover. I also almost ALWAYS use a soft plastic trailer, preferring a slender 4" ribbon tail worm from which I remove a short portion of the head from because a friend of mine used it several times and outfished me. I tend to use only white, chart. or black. The funny part is that I always use black on black but, will swap on the white or chart. baits and use the opposite colored trailer. 13. Do different lead head designs affect performance? Yes, I believe they do. I prefer the "bullet" shaped head because its shape doesn't affect the torque of the bait as it is retrieved. I have found the "minnow or shad" shaped heads have a tendency to "torque over" on their side somewhat during the retrieve. 14. How durable is the finish you use on your heads? We firmly believe that we have the most durable finish on the market. Without revealing any trade secrets, I will tell you that there are more than 5 coats of material used in the finish of every S.O.B. Fishing Products bait (except the Lucky Craft lures) and that they all take a long time to cure properly. In fact….as stated above, three of these coats require 24 hours each to cure properly. The only people we have found that can wear our finish out are those who fish for the elusive "tree bass and rock bass", and even under those circumstances our finish stands tall among its peers. 15. What exactly does S.O.B. stand for? I'm sorry…..if I told you that, I'd hafta kill ya'…..LOL!! It might stand for what you think it does and it might not…… |
