Crazee Helicopters

[papaperch]

Really going mad hatter here but I think they are going to be an attention getter. Was making some more pin min and flicker lures when I stumbled upon some true turn hooks and eagle claw 222. Never was a big believer in their being better than a standard long shank abeedeen.

Anyway I stuck a propeller blade on one then a bead and then soldered a blade to the contraption. Sauntered over to test tank and gave it a couple light flicks on the rod. This is what I saw



Going to make them from size 10 hook up to a size 2 hook. Imma thinking they gonna produce in hard and soft water seasons. By tipping with chunks of live bait or gulp or nuggets.

 

[Fatman]

Like to hear how they do!! Look good.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Nice, it's been my experience using these propeller blades that the smallest one spins the easiest. Have you ever tried an Aberdeen sickle hook? I'ved used them in size 2-8 for tying and bait and have had better success with hooking fish than regular aberdeens. I bought mine at Cabela's.

 

[Kdog]

Nice outside the box thinking. Giben that the prop is riding against the hook eye, I would consider adding a bead in front of the prop as well.

 

[papaperch]

K-dog tried with two beads on earlier seems to spin easier with just the one even though it rides on hook eye.

JJ- yeah I use the sickle aberdeen all the time with live bait. Putting a bead on them is tuff though unless using oversize bead as it really needs a large hole to get over the unique bends of the sickle. I have put them on when not using bead though. I agree the hook up ratio seems to be better with the sickles.

I started working on these because of the success I have had with the Slender Spoon. I like something with a lot of flash to catch fishes attention. Will know more when I watch fishes re-action on camera thru the ice. Perch and walleye seem to like to see something that flashes. Crappies to some degree though not as much as the other two. Bluegills especially the real big ones seem to be put off by too much flash. Based on past observations . Although on any given day it can be different.

 

[Kdog]

K-dog tried with two beads on earlier seems to spin easier with just the one even though it rides on hook eye.

JJ- yeah I use the sickle aberdeen all the time with live bait. Putting a bead on them is tuff though unless using oversize bead as it really needs a large hole to get over the unique bends of the sickle. I have put them on when not using bead though. I agree the hook up ratio seems to be better with the sickles.

I started working on these because of the success I have had with the Slender Spoon. I like something with a lot of flash to catch fishes attention. Will know more when I watch fishes re-action on camera thru the ice. Perch and walleye seem to like to see something that flashes. Crappies to some degree though not as much as the other two. Bluegills especially the real big ones seem to be put off by too much flash. Based on past observations . Although on any given day it can be different.

Papaperch, I've done single and double beads and I guess it depends on weight balance. I tried something similar using a torpedo weight on a hook and those were real helicopters and without the front bead, propellor would stick and grab, start and stop and restart. Maybe the erratic action was worthwile but I prefer a predicatable action. The underwater camera may reveal some interesting things. I like your thought process as well as your empirical studies of the results.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Good idea. I've had extraordinary trout & walleye success integrating props per JiggerJohn's Boolie design, & only fish prop-less jigs when debris fouling becomes problematical. I would think a beads sandwich might cause spin drag, unless fixed to maintain a clearance gap.

The vids wouldn't play with both Chrome and Firefox, guess its a Win7 issue. Got a fix prompt, but no longer trust "Microsoft Partner" downloads.

 

[AtticaFish]

Those do have quite the kick and flutter in the water. You may have a winner for those days when they want something aggressive.

 

[Pup]

I'd be tempted to fish the larger willow-bodied ones like a Weed Wing. Think those might also be attractive when tipped with a 2" (or less) curly-tailed grub and would try that. Used to fish Johnson Silver Minnows that way. Worked well for me, at times, when fishing for largemouth bass in lily pads, spatterdock, and even gaps among piles of curlyleaf pondweed.