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| Spinnerbaits: |
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| What
is a spinnerbait? |
| The
main feature of a spinnerbait is a wire frame that is bent at roughly 90
degrees and at the "bottom" of the wire frame, is molded into a lead (or
other metal) jighead that comes in a variety of shapes such as the cone
shaped bullet head, the arrowhead and the newer, and most popular, baitfish
style head, such as our "Shadhead". Most spinnerbaits have a single hook
molded into the head which exits the rear of the head but is attached to
the wire frame inside the jighead. |
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| Blades: |
| In
our opinion, the most important feature of the spinnerbait is the blade,
or blades. Affixed at the upper end of the wire frame's arm, a spinner
blade is attached with a swivel or a clevis to the "blade arm". A single
blade (we call it a "Thumper") is attached to a loop at the end of the
"blade arm" using a swivel. Higher quality spinnerbaits like ours use a
stainless steel, ball-bearing swivel. Others use a simple barrel swivel. |
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| On
double bladed (or more) configurations, another blade would be affixed
"inline" on the blade arm ahead of the loop using a "clevis". A series
of sleeves and/or beads would normally be placed between the blades to
allow for clearance between the two blades. |
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| Skirts: |
| Silicone
skirts dominate the skirt field due to all the molded-in patterns, metal
flakes, and incandescent colors that are now available. The pulsating,
fluttering action of the skirt can be enhanced easily by imparting different
rod actions to your retrieve. Skirts are either tied on or attached by
a latex or silicone collar to the rear of the jighead and will cover the
hook. |
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| 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. The same is true with the weedguard and skirts
on the Revenge jigs. |
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| What
if I don't see exactly what I want in your website pictures? |
| Please
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. |
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| What
are the performance differences among Willow/Indiana/Colorado blades styles,
sizes, and configurations? |
| The
main difference in 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. 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. |
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| Which
line tie is better, the "T Loop" or the "R-Bend"? |
| We
personally use and recommend the "T-Loop" (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 actually softens the vibrations
of the blades rather than intensifying it. 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, the "T-Loop" will not.
We have witnessed two occasions using the "R-Bend" where all the blades
and hardware were stripped off of the blade arm and the fish was lost.
This cannot happen with a "T-Loop" (Twisted Eye). |
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| A
good trick with the "T-Loop" (Twisted Eye) is to apply a drop or two of
Super Glue GEL to the point where the wires cross in the loop which will
harden and prevent 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. |
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| What
size wire do you use on your spinnerbaits? |
| For
our ShadHead models, we use .032 ga. wire on our 1/8 & 1/4oz models,
.035 on our 3/8oz & 1/2oz models and .040 on our 3/4oz and 1oz models.
For the Mini-Me, we use .032 on the 3/8oz. & 1/2oz models and .040
on the 3/4oz model. The 1 1/4oz. "Boss" Mini-Me uses .045 ga. wire. |
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| What
color skirts and blades do you recommend for clear/stained/muddy water
and why? |
| Skirt
color is generally determined by the color of 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. |
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| How
and when should I use a trailer hook? |
| 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. 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. |
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| Do
different lead head designs affect performance? |
| Yes,
I believe they do. We have learned that the ShadHead style shape doesn't
affect the torque of the bait as we originally thought. Plus, it's slender
shape allows it to come through cover better and also acts sort of like
a keel, helping to keep the bait upright on the retrieve. |
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|
|
| Ordering: |
|
| 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 50 colors of skirts. Obviously, it is impossible to stock
all of the millions of possible baits we can create. |
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| Our
durable and beautiful finish, which is only one part of the total build
process, is comprised of a minimum of three different steps, each requiring
a curing time of 24 hours. |
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| Our
baits have become extremely popular and during our rush season (January
thru April) we produce in batches of 30-40 orders, with each batch taking
about 7 working days to complete. Each succeeding batch delays additional
incoming orders. During this time it is not unusual for us to work 10-12
hours per day, 6 days per week, but in extreme cases, it can still take
4-5 weeks to produce some peak-season orders. |
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| The
items you order influence production times. Orders containing spinnerbaits
and/or buzzbaits take the longest, as they are the most labor-intensive
baits with the most possible options. Revenge Jigs and our soon-to-be-available
Hard Plastic lures ship quickly, as we keep them stocked as best we can. |
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| What's
happening with my money while I am waiting for my order? |
| 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 spend your money
until after we have earned it. |
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| Why
do you ship using the U.S. Postal Service instead of UPS or FedEx? |
| This
is another cost savings that is passed along to you. The USPS provides
free shipping boxes and associated packaging materials 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 or FedEx take as long as 2 ½ weeks to
be delivered. However, if requested, we can certainly ship via UPS or FedEx...you'll
just have to request it in the "Comments" text box when you check out. |
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| How
much is shipping? |
| We
use a "flat rate" method based on the dollar amount of your order and it
seems to come out pretty close to the actual amount that we pay the USPS
for shipping. |
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| If
the order total is: |
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From
$0.01 to $49.99 - $6.75 |
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From
$50.00 to $74.99 - $7.75 |
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From
$75.00 to $99.99 - $8.75 |
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From
$100.00 to $149.99 - $9.75 |
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From
$150.00 to $199.99 - $11.50 |
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From
$200.00 to $299.99 - $12.05 |
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From
$300.00 or more - $14.25 |
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|
| Why
are my S.O.B. Lures packaged together in simple clear zip-loc bags and
unlabeled boxes? |
| 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 low cost of your baits, and as a bonus you can reuse the unmarked
boxes and bags as containers for whatever you wish. |
|
| 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
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. |
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| Miscellaneous: |
|
| 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 ... |
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