Home Made Lures

[JC]

I read somewhere that at some time people used mahi skin to skirt lures and I found this very interesting. I thought it would be fun one day to give it a try just for fun. Has anybody heard about this...know how do do it?? ...and related to this is has anybody tried any "home made lures" just for fun..would be interesting to know.

JC :)

[Mikey Mike]

Hi JC.

I have a couple of lures that have fish skin as an incert. This was common practice in the days before mylar and pua laminates. The fish most often used was a lye. I think I spelled it wrong. Pacific Ocean fish that looks like a king mac the got ran over by a steam roller. The sides are really silvery.

I have not heard of using fish skin for skirts. Allthough I am sure somebody has tried it.

Cheers
Mikey

[JC]

Thanks Mikey...yeah its true I am sure I read it in a couple of places.

www.sea-ex.com/fishphotos/dolphin.htm

"Did you know?
Dried dolphin fish skin has been used in the past to make trolling lure skirts? It's very strong, and when it gets wet
again - no matter how old - it softens up and has flash, action and smell."

:)

could it be?? I am guessing somebody from Hawaii ought to know?? I would guess dry the skin, cut a square piece...cut small strips for the skirt and tie. Could it be that simple. Sounds like this would smell the place up...sometimes when the blood dries on the icechest sure takes a long time for the smell to go away!! :o

JC

[Heiva]

Hola JC
We use Fish skin as insert in konahead like lures and also as outside skirt on jet-heads.
Although the Mahimahi skin can be used, the fish we mainly use is the "RAI", Tahitian word for the Doublespotted queenfish.
Family: Carangidae (Jacks and pompanos)
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

http://www.fishbase.org/images/Sclys_u5.jpg

[JC]

Interesting Denis.. I don't recall ever seing the "RAI" (looks like it has very flashy skin)..i don't think they swim in our waters. How do you tie the outside skirt in the jet head?? Interesting to know how and why you started doing this...was it something from tradition or it works really well or both?? Why do you use just the outer skirt and not both...what colour do you use in the inner skirt. Finally is it a one time thing or after using the skirt dries out again untill further use?? Thanks for your reply.

JC

[Heiva]

It is a while now I don't use that again.
>How do you tie the outside skirt in the jet head??
Jet head, chrome head, konahed, or tuna feather, we tie it like the foils on the lures below.
http://www.sportfishhawaii.com/asset...ureuniv201.jpg
>Interesting to know how and why you started doing this...was it something from tradition or it works really well or both??
I say both, but now we have choice of good coloured plastic skirts
>Why do you use just the outer skirt and not both...
Coz inside you put another stuff like bird feather, vinyl, hair of horse, tire tube etc...
>what colour do you use in the inner skirt.
The Red tire tube was deadly on Tuna. I do not see red tire tube any more for a while. It seems all are black now.
>Finally is it a one time thing or after using the skirt dries out again untill further use??

The skirts dries out again,

Cheers

[Mikey Mike]

Thats the same fish I was trying to decribe. The people here pronounce it lie, spelled lia. They are very skinny and more shinny than any other fish.

We cought a bunch of small tunas on red two weeks ago. They spit up baby octopus, not squid, octopus. I was surprised to see that.

Cheers
Mikey

[CaptainErik]

Aloha Guys,

Had some time and saw this post from last month. I brought a few pieces of la'i skin to the Miami Boat Show and was surprised that so few people were familiar. In Hawaii, the tough skin is used as wing material primarily and also makes deadly material for inserts. Its much shinier when wet and therefore when caste in resin has a very natural glow.

In case any body is interested in playing with some, here are some hints. I usually use a razor blade to cut around the edges of the fish and then peel the skin. It comes off easily and dries in a period of a week or so. I found it's easiest to cut the wing or insert pieces out dry and then stick them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes. It will then be nice and soft for tying or wrapping on a piece of lead. For lure inserts I reccomend rubber cement and then let the piece dry for a day or two. Moisture in the resin will make look cloudy. The skin is extremely durable as wings and I have had it last for years. As for smell attraction, I don't think it really does that much. If you leave your lures wet then you will definatly get some smell attraction-to your stinky tackle box.

Other fish skins can be substituted for La'i and they would probably work as well. I personally love wings on my lures and use fish skin often.

Tight lines and good times,
Erik...

[JC]

Thanks Erik...always facinating to me to learn new things like this. I will give it a shot at making a lure one of these days...this RAI fish it looks like it doesn't have scales right...since I dont recall seing a fish like that here I will try substituting for Mahi skin or other shiny skin like mackarel. Would that be OK...for drying you just put in the sun a couple of days or is there some other type of treatment???

Thanks Erik :)

JC

[dustin]

Zak Conde showed me a purple lure head he used in Ghana with an insert faced with blue marlin skin. Pretty cool, I thought. I've seen a Joe Yee bait with the lai skin as well. Juan I bet mahi skin would work a treat too.

There's a queenfish in South East Asia and Australia that gets a lot bigger than the "Lai", up to 20+ pounds. Lots of skirt material from that one, I bet!

cheers - dustin