Finished Plugs

[Rickski]

I finished a few. Top picture has a freshwater popper, swimmer, and spook. Then onto a larger swimmer, Roc Ballerinas, and Heddon Woodpeckers. Second picture is an assortment of Pencils.

[Sudsy]

Woodpeckers !!! COOL !

We gotta talk about this.
I did a few a number of years ago and went through hell trying to get em to consistently swim well. It seemed that every one needed to be weighted differently with the locations from 2/3 from the back to in the arse.

How did you weight yours ??

[The Point]

could we expect anything less.. Very Clean Work.

[Rickski]

Originally Posted by Sudsy

Woodpeckers !!! COOL !

We gotta talk about this.
I did a few a number of years ago and went through hell trying to get em to consistently swim well. It seemed that every one needed to be weighted differently with the locations from 2/3 from the back to in the arse.

How did you weight yours ??

Those 2 are from a batch of 5. Each is a little different and I'm narrowing it down to the style on the right. I'm determined to make it swim right. I'm experimenting with weighting so I get them to sit at about 1:30. I started with a tail weight, found it wasn't enough and drilled & poured a little more lead about a inch in from the tail. I got it floating right in a bucket. It floated slightly different with paint and epoxy. I hope it floats just right in salt water.

[Ed White]

They look great Rick, never seen a Woodpecker before, how is it supposed to swim?
I like the pencils a lot too, I just did some up. Spooks are on the horizon.

[JakeF]

Very nice Rick! I love that mack pattern especially on the ballerina and pencil.

[Rickski]

Originally Posted by Ed White

They look great Rick, never seen a Woodpecker before, how is it supposed to swim?
I like the pencils a lot too, I just did some up. Spooks are on the horizon.

I think Heddon stopped making them in the 1930's. I made one last year and weighted it like a pencil. Best I could tell, you can fish it like a pencil or a popper. These I tried to weight so they would work more like a popper. I might have it wrong, but my impression of how a pencil should float is nose at 1:00. Popper with nose closer to 2:00. It's a fun plug to make, and I've tried some different variations. I did find that you need to leave the tail blunt. If not, when you pour tail weight in it wants to curl. Also, the nose needs to be beefy enough to keep from breaking/cracking when onto a fish, and you don't want the nose to split when installing the nose grommet. Overall, a fun plug that needs lots of sea trials until I figure it out. I'll make some more with various weighting and experiment this year.

[jimi4290]

great work rick...between you and roc posting pics of sweet pluggage i think thats the fire i need under my ass to get back in the shop to make a few. again..sweet plugs!!!

[Rickski]

Originally Posted by baitrunner

Very nice Rick! I love that mack pattern especially on the ballerina and pencil.

SamIam turned me onto that pattern. He refers to it as firetiger.

[JakeF]

Originally Posted by Rickski

He refers to it as firetiger.

That's cool. I thought firetiger was usually a black top, red or orange sides with black stripes,,, looks pretty good in those colors too though

[byf]

Very nice Rik as always

[Eastendlu]

Very nice clean work woodpeckers look good.

[Roccus]

Very nice Rick, I havent made woodpeckers in a few years, I made mine from birch, two slugs of lead, one in the tail, the other a piece of 00 buck shot just behind the hook... I only fished them a few times, then retired them.. cool plug.

[GunnySniper]

Kinda ironic, that I made a version of the woodpecker and never knew it.
Stood at my lathe 25 years ago, and just came up with it.
Mine is differant in some ways.
I use Mahogany exclusivly for it.
It dances like a pencil with a high tip slap. then I drop to side arm and hammer jerk to send water flyin.
I like mine to hang with about a 22.5 angle in the water.
I'll post up the batch I'm painting right now.

[GunnySniper]

So..............................
I'm home alone, workin on plugs. The wife is workin and the kid is chasin tail.
I decided to turn one.
First pic, round out. 2nd pic rough collar location. 3rd pic, collar sloped. 4th pic, collor hollowed.
More to come when they are done.