Working with wire

[TubeDude]

Thanks Pat, i'll have to get some of the goodies from you and try putting together something similar to those crawler rigs... they sure look like they will work well... 

On the side planer for your tube, I tried it on my toon a couple years back and it seemed to work, but I'm not sure it was any better than the frequent S turns... However, it was much easier to just drive straight and still get some bites out to the side...  I think I'm going to take my side plane stuff from my toon and beef it up so it will work from my boat... I used PVC on the toon, but I have a piece of steel tube I think I'll use on the boat, so I can get it up a little higher and still have plenty of strength...  Man I'm going to be wishing for the ice to go away if I keep this up... Thanks for the help and ideas...  I need to find time to come down and visit and stock up for the summer... Maybe next time we need to take my MIL down to the hospital by you, I'll have to come visit while she's into her appointment... I'll have to start a list of things I need to replace or add to my collection... Those cats really chewed up a few of my fligs last summer, they held up, but the paint jobs starting to show some wear...  Didn't catch much on the really big Kong fligs, but that next size down was great for me... fire tiger and pale perch seemed to catch the most for me over the season... purple perch got some as well, along with the straight purple one... but I really got to liking the whirly stuff last fall and unfortunately I lost 3 or 4 of them, so that's the main area I need to stock up in... few smaller perch size fligs got stuck on bottom as well, so need to replace those...  Do you use the larger wire sizes for hanger weights when you fish the floatier whirly fligs?  I don't like to use too long of wires on the hanger size wire and the regular sinkers were snagging too much for me... Just need a  less snag able weight for dragging fligs..  Thanks Jeff

I use hanger wire sinkers up to about 8" long...without seeming to spook any fish.  Sometimes takes a bit longer leader.  But if you need more weight and less wire you might try crimping on a couple of split shot on the hanger wire.  You can open up the gap in the split shot with a screwdriver and a hammer...or a small chisel.  Then pound it on tight with the hammer.  Doesn't seem to mess up the snag resistance much but will add some weight.  Another option is to use a 3-4 foot length of lead core line.  Just tie it in between your main line and your leader. 

You will be welcome to visit any time.  Just give me at least a half hour notice so I can get rid of all the empty bottles...and the girls.