WashingtonLakes Wire Bender twist off time?

[Big D]

OK, OK. I can't stand it any longer. Where's a good place to learn how to make spinners like the ones you folks have shown. They all look very fishy...

[Anonymous]

OK, OK. I can't stand it any longer. Where's a good place to learn how to make spinners like the ones you folks have shown. They all look very fishy...

In the "olden days" there were libraries. Now we have the internet. Learned from books, and frankly I still don't know how to make the top loop correctly, so like a guy I just twist and crimp. Very amatuer and not lookign that good, but easy to do. I also have this C-clamp shaped tool which I have no idea how to use, LOL. (I bet John can explain how to use one)

Here's some links:

Making fishing lures web site

E-How

YouTube video

Canadian Lure Making web site

[coretron22]

Corey, sounds like you want single hooks on yours too?

Yes, please.

[Toni]

Gee, I just returned a book to the library on spinners. It was called Spinner magic!: the ultimate moving-water lure : trout, steelhead, salmon by Bedford, Jim.
Guess I am like my boat, motor, and trailer. Old fashion.

another how to

[fishcreekspinners]

Mike I found these instructions for your C shaped wire former. Without seeing a picture of your's, I'm guessing this is going to be similar enough to help.

Here is the pdf instructions.

Wire former instructions


I have a Hagen's wire former which is more on the line of desktop tool. It costs about $140 bucks. It's general purpose for all sizes of wire and can be made to work left or right handed. Painless with this thing.

I didn't read those instructions, but I'm guessing the techinique is similar. Make R bend clamp the legs and wrap to make a loop.

Did you buy straight wires or pre-looped on one end? I buy looped and I string from top loop putting on blade and clevis down to last component. Some people do it from bottom to top. Looped wire means you only need to finish one wrap. If unlooped wire, you need to make the loops on both ends.

Now I'm hooked, here is what I can embellish as I envision what your technique might be.

Assuming straight wire I start with about 4in wire. I'm imagining your tool, so this might be a real lousy set of instructions coming from my writting.

Make an R bend at one end, leaving about 1/4in length on the slanted leg of the R (if too long, you can snip it leaving it at 1/4-1/2 inch. Why 1/4 in? To only have to make about 2 loops before its gone. The near vertical leg on other side of R is the main wire that you'll string components on. Then using your tool, slip the two legs of the R into the groves on perpendicular short side of tool, with the loop in the R over the peg on that twisting handle.

There should be some form or restraint to keep the two legs in the channels they fit into. Clamp them down in th channels and twist the handle to wrap the loop. The direction you wrap is important, as you wrap, the slanted leg should be winding around the main leg. Main leg is near vertical - The R bend is really more like the top of cotter key.

When that loops done, string on your components and leave about two fingers of wire below bottom component and snip it off. Then make an R bend there, again with about 1/4 inch on the slanted leg of R, thread a hook, treble or single into the R loop and repeat the wrap. More carefully this time because of the hook. I assume you can have the hook in the R bend while twisting. I can on mine. If not, you'll need to split ring on a hook.

That Youtube shows the mechanics using pliers. I have about 4 pairs of round nose pliers. They are very handy working with wire and round bends. Guys in PA rigged up something with a couple nails (imagine driven thru 1x4 to stand up a few inches when clamped on tabletop, so you could work the bend around the nail and then slip it up an off after completing the 2 wraps. They got round bends and wraps.

Practice makes rounder loops. Good luck!

[Mike Carey]

yes, that's my tool. I'll have to try using it for the next event.

[coretron22]

Here's mine, dunno if they'll catch fish, but I wanted 'em to be different. So after you've used all your pink/orange/silver/flashy lures and got nothin', it's time to try this;

[fishcreekspinners]

You know, I've considered using those rubber spiky things myself! I bet they work.

[Anonymous]

[quote="coretron22"]Here's mine, dunno if they'll catch fish, but I wanted 'em to be different. So after you've used all your pink/orange/silver/flashy lures and got nothin', it's time to try this]

Those are cool. I bet they will work on Alpine lake trout just by the color alone. They look a lot like a wooley bugger with a spinner attached - nice! I will get mine in the mail to John soon.

[fishcreekspinners]

Guess I am like my boat, motor, and trailer. Old fashion.

I'm the same, but I've got to add truck to your list!

[coretron22]

Those are cool. I bet they will work on Alpine lake trout just by the color alone. They look a lot like a wooley bugger with a spinner attached - nice! I will get mine in the mail to John soon.

Yeah, kinda what I was thinking...these are for your flash-wary lunker trout in subsurface lake/river water. I've been reading two books and a bunch of online resources, but my main influence on these was "What Fish See: Understanding Optics & Color Shifts for Designing Lures & Flies" by Colin J. Kageyama.
In this book the author references Jed Davis' "Spinner Fishing for Steelhead & Trout" book and the use of tarnished blades in some designs. He mentions they are ugly, and I attempted to buck this by making some really pretty tarnished blades, however, the lacquer removed much of the purple/blue metallic effects, so I need to figure out a different lacquer method for the next swap.

That being said, to those that get one of these: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO POLISH THE BLADE!
The tarnish is intended, and the blades have a thin layer of laquer over them.

[fishcreekspinners]

OK, got pics of 3 of the 5, and I have Toni's in hand. How is everyone else doing?

[coretron22]

mine are in the mail today.

[fishcreekspinners]

Got your spinners Mike. Interesting and innovative. Got your's today Corey,thanks! Sparky Doug, made any progess?

[Toni]

Got your spinners Mike. Interesting and innovative. Got your's today Corey,thanks! Sparky Doug, made any progess?

Maybe sparky1doug was just commenting and didn't really mean it?

[fishcreekspinners]

I spoke to him over the weekend and he said he was going to make some, but had been busy with the POR issues. I'm hopeful to see some this week.

[Toni]

Anything new happening?

[fishcreekspinners]

Toni, Doug must be undercover, he went dark and I haven't heard from him about the swap.

If I don't hear from him today. I'll send out what I have tomorrow, returning each participants extra spinner to the sender.

[coretron22]

...or offer the set up for a contest prize or monthly drawing? I don't need an extra.

[fishcreekspinners]

Spinner sets were sent out USPS today.

I'll start another thread for a one-time contest for the extra's.