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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: |
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| 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. |
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| 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: |
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| 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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