How to Make a Wooden Darter Plug Step-By-Step
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- Опубликовано: 26 май 2022
- Darter lures are classic northeast beach fishing lures. For stripe bass fishing you'll be hard pressed to find a more recommended lure than the Darter. So, never having even held one in my hands, I set out to make one from scratch.
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So I'm seriously thinking of making a trip up north to do some striper fishing, can anyone give me some advice? I think the nearest fishable state to me would be Virginia, what do you guys think? Is there a place that is easy to access from shore or a good beach to fish that has nearby places to stay (that won't break the bank)? And how late in the spring can I reasonably expect to have a chance of good fishing? Any help would be appreciated.
NC has bass too which is closer to you but those fish are heading north this time of year. Not sure when you plan on going its heating up in NJ and NY so you may want to head further north.
The striped bass are here in NJ right now. The surf fishing has been phenomenal. They are on their migratory path north at this point. So if you are planning a trip, pretty much any Jersey shore locale would be a good choice.
Stripers & blues are going nuts up here in nj & delaware
Virginia might be a little too far south at this time of year. Keeper sized fish are just starting to reach northern Mass / southern NH.I always have the best luck with water temps in the 50-65 degree range. this is also fishing from the shore for the most part, if you can get deeper water then you'd be able to get in to the warmer temps. Rental properties on the beach up this way are quite expensive, maybe $2000-3000 a week. Maybe if you stay a bit more inland you could get one for half that amount.
I laughed out loud when you called them anime eyes 😂 thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed
Franco, you have simplified and made the darter a plug that most could now make! I struggled with this plug for some time now. I know guys who have made his just to get the head and nose cuts right. I now have a weekend project to play around with between fishing trips. Thank you for finally tackling the darter!
It was fun...
Many guys who are fishing a darter up here in the northeast use a TA clip. So a loop would be closer to that than a cinch.
I was just thinking you should probly make a ebook on your type of lure making that would be cool
I honestly don't know how your paint so good, I've only been making my own lures for a few months but the painting of them is killing me sometimes it works most of the time it doesn't.
But I still enjoy making them
Still haven't court a fish on them yet, but I'm hopeful lol.
I really enjoy watching your posts as it has helped me with weighting and balancing etc my lures.
Thanks mate
Thank you for making these videos they seize my boredom
Nice work. Some guys make them with really dense wood and no weight. The further back you put the line tie the deeper it goes. Too far back it becomes unstable. I personally put some weight in the back to kill any wiggle and also some weight near the belly treble. Thanks for doing this. Was hoping for more details on the physics but good build all the same.
Good tips. I know nothing about this type of lure.
Very cool Dartah!...
I'd throw that to some Massachusetts stripers
Another great build video, I don't mind the eyes. Well done.
You can also buy a wooden broom stick if you don't have a lathe at home, which most don't.
The eyes have it. Loop knot or snap for any lure that doesn't have a split ring for me.
Great build of a great lure.
Darters like that are usually for the surf. When I was beach fishing I used clips for the big stuff as opposed to tying direct. Pat yourself on the back….it takes people years to get a darter that works that well.
Nice job Franco. Loop knot for sure on that, as far as the paint job.. cool.. i would have kept the eye theme & painted it like a banana 🤣
Thanks 👍
Thanks for making this video, Surf fishing for striped bass/bluefish is about all i ever target nowadays. To get the right movement out of the darter i think you really need sideways current, like fishing a river from shore so towing behind a boat just wont do the potential action justice. One of the first lures I tried to make was based on a darter design, that said it didnt have the right action although it still caught a 29" striper. In the next couple of months i am having a new workshop built and i'll need to give a few of your designs a go.
This is a really cool video. i live up in New England, and fish lures like that for stripers. Im going to attempt to build one but im guessing its going to take me a few trys to get it to work.
Go for it!
2:15 "the engineering part", it didn't take long. Love your work, and I thought the Pikachu eyes were great! Keep a designing, building and fishing.
regarding the knot type, I just about always use 50 Lb flouro leader and the 75 pound tactical angler clip to attach the lure. In 7-8 years of using them i did loose a lure once due to it working itself off the clip. They make it so easy to switch out lures day or night its a no brainier for me, even in pitch dark i can feel the clip and know how to remove an install a new lure with no lights.
Nice build. I was wondering if adding the weights a bit more forward would end up allowing the lure to fishtail more. Hmm
For movement on a straight pull constant retrieve it's best to have the weights as centered as possible
Awesome build! Darters thrive in current. Get that in some moving water and it’ll really zig zag. Darters are one of my favorites lures, but without current I opt for a glider.
I agree
I’m gonna build some smaller versions for river walleye. We fish a style called whipping with a heavy dropper and floating lures. This looks like a winner
👍 Watching from New Jersey
Thanks for watching
I love this lure! We fish walleye in Michigan rivers with a method called “whipping”, up to 3 lures in a chain 3-5 feet apart. Pencil plugs are popular for the first 2 lures followed by a 10-12 centimeter shallow diver. Thanks for the idea, I’m going to make a smaller version of this lure to replace the pencil plugs. The action looks very promising
Sounds great!
Here in Hawaii we have a method called whipping too!!
Wonderful analysis, execution, and tutorial. Gonna try my hands on a darter on my new lathe (new used ).
Nice work. Never used a lure like that before
Has given me some more inspiration. Cheers. 🎣🎣
Stripers are heating up on Cape Cod. June is the best month for stripers up here. With big plugs like that, follow the pogies or menhaden schools. They are heading north.
Thanks.. I appreciate the information.
Awesome video, that’s a staple of a striper anglers night bag, along with the needlefish. Both are supreme night time baits.
I figure it’s worth mentioning before you find out the hard way: the plugs are always through-wired with the intent of using a heavy barrel swivel to attach the belly hook (rear hook optional and not encouraged- see “one hook solution”). The biggest stripers are quick to mangle some of the strongest treble hooks if they are able to get leverage against the plug, but a swivel prevents this in most cases. Not such a concern on fish less than 40 lb
Hope you catch some big fish on it!
I actually knew how the lures are normally outfitted and I have made some topwater lures with the same type of belly swivel. I guess I just got a bit lazy and decided to go without the swivel. You're right though a big fish can do a number on the hooks. The lures I make to troll for big king mackerel are outfitted with heavy gauge hardware including swivels. Thanks for the comment and insight...cheers.
VA in October and November is good stripper weather. Don M. also designed and built the Super Strike Needlefish lure. Have you thought about making that lure?
Yes, and if I end up go up in the fall I will definitely make a few.
This could be my favourite lure you've done.
That is a very interesting way to make a darter. Not how I do it but for one lure by eye is ok. To me darters are all about fixtures.
I like the Anime eyes, something different and it's fun.
About suggestions, since i believe you have pikes in your water, I'd say Suick (if i wrote it right).
That crazy ultra long lure with bendable tail lip.
Thanks for the idea!
As a surf guy, i use TA clips.
Nice work. 👍 I’ve got 2 cotton cordell “sea hags” which could be what this is based on?
Senior genius in terms of artificial bait design, thanks for the knowledge for us beginners
My pleasure
@@EngineeredAngler thank you senior for your support and enthusiasm in sharing knowledge I really appreciate seniors
You always nspired me sir, thanks a lot
Glad to hear that
Darters are primarly used when you have an extreme cross current. It makes them dart even more.
Nice job on this. This is the hardest lure to build. Many NE custom lure builders hate to make them.
Wait till fall and fish the southward migration. South shore of long island in late october or Island Beach State Park in NJ in Nov.
All spring stripers are in NY and Mass already.
I think your right...its a bit late for the spring run. I'll have to think of a different trip. Thanks for the input.
The spring run is still going strong here in NJ. I guide in Stone Harbor and Cape May from the surf and boat. We have been doing very well on the stripers. No signs of slowing yet!
When I want a wiggle on a hard bait I use a split ring unless it’s so small weight is an issue. I will occasionally use loop knots on jig-heads though.
Cool hacks for lure fabrication. Great results.
Thanks!
Could you of had a little water or solution on the brush when putting the clear on? Why glob once but not the second time? Maybe too thick of a coat? Sounds like it's time to experiment on scrap wood. Maybe do a couple test. Plain wood, painted dry fully, painted then still wet. Do a light and heavy spot on each. Keep up the great work I like how you bring your engineering skills to bait making.
I keep my UV resin brush in a light-tight container. I have done lots of testing (check the link below) and it's almost always a problem with the interaction between the clear coat and the paint. A good mid-coat like polyacrylic, applied well!, is almost bullet proof. After the resin residue had hardened I sanded lightly, wiped with alcohol , and sprayed a couple of coats of polyacrylic. Ended with a super nice clear coat. ruclips.net/video/E0pkoI8CvJQ/видео.html
I still have a few originals!
Really like this build! I’m with you. If it imparts it’s own motion I’m running a loop knot or attaching a split ring to the tie on eye and using a cinch knot to attach to the split ring.
Sounds like about like what I do...thanks.
Great video! Couple questions. Could you make a mini version with a dowel rod? If you change the color scheme would this work for fresh water?
Yes and yes
Awesome video! I am inspired. I really want to make my own striper plugs. I am trying to find a wood turning school near me in Maine. What kind of lathe do you use?
My lathe is a small hobby lathe you can find it on my Amazon store.
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Outstanding
Thank you.
Definitely a loop knot.
TA clip 75lb and remember the creator also created the Danny plug I mean Donny Plug. If you know you know
Love the builds but sometimes I wish there was more of the fishing with the lures!
Me too.
Very nice.
Thank you
Nice work sir i like it a lot..
Thanks a lot
I would have thought of that style bait as more of a ‘jerk’ bait or a dive and rise. Similar to a Sledge or Suick that we use for Musky. Would have liked to see you work it that way on a cast. As far as knots, I use a wire or fluoro leader with a snap or split ring attachment, so really never cinch to the line tie, even fishing for walleye or pike we use a leader with a snap to connect to bait
Thanks for the input
I use a T/A clip on all plugs
Excellent, I like that approach
Isn’t a darter made more for a topwater dive and rise? I have several made by creek chub and Heddon with the majority from 3to 4 inches! Please tell me more if you find out more information on them?
There's lots of info online... they have been around along time and there are floating and sinking versions.
Awesome
I just started making darters and lyman lures this winter
I can't wait to get out to Georgean bay/lake Huron to try. I hope to catch chinook or rainbow.
🎣🐟🎣🐟🎣🐟🎣🐟🎣
Good luck!
@@EngineeredAngler thank you
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
Great job , you mentioned instability and barrel rolling. What leads too this phenomenon weight distribution or non symmetry?
Lack of symmetry...the worst of it is that, since the lure is essentially cylindrical, it takes very little to turn it into a whirling dervish.
Thanks I will work on my symmetry and get a lathe
Nice job for the first try, darters are very finicky. They work best retrieving across current, and in shallow water like over a bar or a shallow boulder field.
Like the long, lazy action on the darter Franco, think that the basic design has a lot of "tinker value" :) Since it likes current and higher speeds I wonder if it would make a good jerk bait.
Nice lure 👍 worked well & looked good, would you class that as a hunting action lure at lower speeds franco?
I think a "hunting action" is more when a lure diverges from a predictable retrieve action and darts out left or right momentarily. This lure is all unpredictable and is in constant erratic motion. Maybe I'm spitting hairs...What matters to me is; if the fish react with an attack, then it works.
I think the lure has great action, Franco! I would like to see what it looks like made of a more buoyant material. I know it's common in the striper world to build plugs from Alaskan Yellow Cedar which has a lower specific gravity than hard maple.
With the shape and weight staying the same...the action will not change. That's why my focus was on weight and dimensions for this build. Going with a lighter wood just means finding more room for the added lead. But sometimes you want to be able to manipulate the balance, that's when going with lighter (lower density) wood can be key.
I'm in the same boat as I've never even seen this type of lure. But I am originally from North Carolina and so obviously familiar with gotcha metal plugs fished in the surf (lots of current) and just guessing here but seems this lure is designed to function similarly but with a much larger profile and presumably diving rather than sinking.
I don't have a turn lathe so I'm thinking 1" hardwood dowel???
A dowel is what I would have preferred to have usted.
@@EngineeredAngler just getting ready to give this one a try. Watching again the first part of the video and thanking God I was forced to switch over to the metric system after moving to Indonesia.😁
Old dogs can learn new tricks.
Hi what is the diameter of this lure at the widest point or till what width was the wood turned to
I give all the dimensions in the video...
Could your clearcoat problem have been caused by the paint you used? The reason I ask is because I've just clear coated a lure and the bottom half was painted with Jaquhard fluorescent yellow (the only Jaquhard paint I own), and the clearcoat quickly went really "orange peely" over the yellow belly. The rest of the lure was fine, I cured it and then did a dip coat in in UV Epoxy and cured that. The end result was fine, although the belly was smooth the paint underneath the clear was mottled (pleasingly).
Yes, absolutely, I think the paint did not play well with the clear coat. I always put a couple of coats of polyacrylic to seal any paint I use. It works like a charm but this time I got in a hurry and only put one light coat...my bad.
🤑🤙
What was the weight you worked out on the calculator for ?
I was just converting the known weight of 2 3/8 oz to grams so I could check how much weight to add into the lure to match the original.
ill buy one if it can be a through wire
👍👍💖💖🐠🐠
Have you caught any fish on that Darter?
No... I haven't yet.
Dude, you live in Florida, so many big fish and quality fishing. Your videos should be ending with you catching fish on the lure you made or any lure.
I agree
Duh? Loop knot!
Dude, where its used (NJ, Montauk), it is pronounced a daughter lure. If you say darter, you might get kicked off the beach.
Man use guys gatta difrent woid for evryting