During last year of 2015, I was given a small piec

Ben REINERS

Sealiner
Staff member
During last year of 2015, I was given a small piece of off-cut black Nylon sheet from a friend who showed me his latest toys he had made, nl a chisel-nose plug & some needle-nose shaped ones.

The idea was that I do the same.......lazy friend........;)

According to him, he & another friend had put them to the test with good results, catching mainly GT on the South coast, & not 1 but frequently into some line busters.
He regularily forward pics of their GT catches......awesome stuff.

So during the few off days after New Year, I divided the piece up into 9 equal work-able pieces of “to be” plugs......that is if they do not end up in the dust bin after a horrible attempt to shape them.......& shaped 1 on my electric sander..........after some fine tuning , fitting the wire , filling it with lead , & adding on a “bling” or 2........with big doll eyes , it looks like this..............

Hopefully the rest will look a bit better, shapelier, & especially the wire bending (a true nightmare)
 

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Ben REINERS

Sealiner
Staff member
Now to be tested in the H2O & find the weak/strong points to fine-tune it.......hopefully none.....:)
 

plugger

Senior Member
That looks great ! I'd be very interested to hear how it goes in the salt .i have never tried a black lure of any description in salt water but it makes you think.
 

Ben REINERS

Sealiner
Staff member
plugger wrote:
That looks great ! I'd be very interested to hear how it goes in the salt .i have never tried a black lure of any description in salt water but it makes you think.

Thks Plugger.....will soon put it to the test.
Friends of mine on the South coat are having great success on the black plugs.....so it should work under right conditons.
 

plugger

Senior Member
Going to Ponte in February for a week(Racetech Jetski comp) will spray a GT Ice Cream black. Never had any luck at Ponte though.
 

Ben REINERS

Sealiner
Staff member
You should take that spray-can with....you just might run out of black paint....................:fbash
 

kitefisher

Sealiner
Ben Reniers,black plugs have proven their worth.If you battle with the wire ,herewith a link to benniejordaan's tutorial from some time ago. 1mm-1.2mm S/S wire and a circlip pliers, and you are on your merry way.


Hope you find it usefull

http://www.sealine.co.za/view_post.php?post_id=953715
 
The wiring is easier than you think, there are a couple of tricks, cast the wire into the lead instead of doing any twists to secure loops. I just use a large pliers and large circlip pliers and have no issue with about a 2mm stainless.
This is how I do it, a mate use a "nail on a plank" jig and a pair of pliers and it is even quicker and easier than when I do it- he can wire a plug in under 10 seconds no jokes..

Thread the wire through the lure, you can leave it on the roll of wire, nose pointing towards the roll.

ON the tail end bend a very narrow 180 bend with just the tip of the circlips, squash it into a flat 180 with the pliers. Then bend another larger 180 loop (for your hook ring) about an inch down from that so that the loops are opposed to each other and shape the loop with the plier quickly so it is about as wide as your lead hole. These loops will cast into the lead and I haven't had one pull out on me or come loose yet fishing with locked drags and powerful fish.

Then move the back loop into final position and move it about a centimeter back from that to position it correctly for the loop on the other end that you must do next. Grab the wire firmly with the circlips as it exits the nose of the plug and pull it out as far as it will go, taking care to keep the circlips in the exact same position that you grabbed the wire with. Cut the wire off the roll of wire that you are working with on the other side of the pliers, just short of equidistant from where wire exits the nose and where you are grabbing it with the circlips.

Then bend a 180 loop around the circlips, keeping the loop narrow as you can within reason, not critical though, you are also not shaping this loop now. Push the tag end of the wire back into the hole in the plastic at the nose and force the wires back in about a centimetre with the pliers, a bit at a time so the wires don't bend. This is just to hold it in place.

Then the trick my mate showed me, have the nose loop in the nail on your jig or as I do it in the tip of the circlip pliers and the grab both wires in a perpendicular direction with the normal pliers and squeeze. The nose wire loop should shape itself to be just right, use the pliers to force the wires back in the plug until the loops are in place.

The tail loop might me a few mm's too far back in your first few attempts as you get your eye in but no matter, you want your hook set a bit back anyway so it is all good.
Cast your lead into the back and that wire is not going anywhere, GT or not.. ;)

I actually wired up about 15 plugs last night and it was a breeze, good luck. If I'm not clear drop me a line and I'll take some pics when I do the next lot. Bennie has a video up somewhere here that shows the process nicely, then you must just fiddle till you find a way that works for you..and pick up tips where you can like I did that make your life easier.

Also another mate swears by black plugs for leeries so they will get eaten anywhere I'm sure..what my most successful mate showed me was that what is far more important that which colour or what eyes etc..

reply didn't go thru earlier here it is haha!
 
Also bother a local electrical fence installer to sell you stainless wire, much cheaper than other options. They have 2 standards, 1or1,2mm and the other is a 1.6 or a 2mm, not sure. The thinner one is perfect for spoons and leerie plugs and the thicker one perfect for the heavy stuff.
 

Ben REINERS

Sealiner
Staff member
@ kitefisher    I totally agree with you wrt the color as I have read up quite a bit on experiences by other anglers to substantiate the theory call it if you want.

Regarding the wiring I need to get thinner St.steel wire , I have the 1.6 which is a bit thick making the bending process difficult on smaller lures.
I follow BJ's  DIY & Tuts......he is a fundi when it gets to those issues ...though practice makes perfect I suppose._seal1_


@ Dr halibut hoffman   Thks for the Tut........Am defn going to try your way.........anyway to make it easier. I suppose once you mastered it , then it becomes habit !!
Will practice this weekend .....agree with you ....got to go bit thinner to say 1 or 1,2mm. Thats should make it a bit easier & neat.

Thks guys for all info/help.........always much appreciated. 
 

Ben REINERS

Sealiner
Staff member
@ Dr halibut hoffman   

I tried finding the vid by BJ but no go.......I dont find it.

I will defn take you up on yr offer if I fail with the wiring.............

You should show us anyway yr plugs .....share with us pse if you don't mind. We all "steal ideas" with the eye  from one another on how to improve and or "fine-tune" our own DIY lures.

The best feeling is when one catches a fish (no matter how big or small) on your own handy-work...........it huge fun.   
 
Haha I threw three new plugs yesterday, glued some eyes on and gave them a colour just before I left. They all hooked fish, lank stoked..on the fifth cast a big bugger stole one of them and lost one to the redbait, bit bummed about that but that's life. I'll have to make some more in the week and will take some pics..

edit.. just watched the video, it is more for making preformed through wires or loops, suiting spoons and stickbaits more I guess. I'll put some pics up when I get a chance, ja it gets easier for plugs and I think I would still struggle to get nice preformed loops like Bennie. Actually watching my mate do it is a joke, it can be sooo easy.
 
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