Tuning Your Body Baits

[GLF]

Years of fishing bass tournaments has taught me a lot. Some of what I learned I apply to salmon fishing. One of the first things I did when I purchased a new body bait was tune it. Why tune a new lure? Lures are mass produced. When quality checking lures, the lure manufacturers check tolerances. If it meets the tolerance, it is shipped. They do not test each lure to see if it runs true. Some of the body baits you salmon fish with may need to be tuned. Some examples of lures that may need to be tuned are, Rapalas, Thin Fins, Hot-n-Tots, Rattle Traps, or any other body baits used for trolling.

What is tuning?

Tuning are adjustments made to the point of line connection on a fishing lure to get the lure to dive properly, run true, or swim in a straight line without running to the surface.

A properly tuned lure will:

Run straight in the water.

Reach optimum working depth specified by the manufacture.

Not twist the line.

Permit trolling of several lures without tangling in each other's line.

Allows the lure to achieve/maintain manufacturer's intended action.

Basic Rules of Tuning:

DO NOT "shave" the side of a plastic-lipped lure in order to tune it. Shaving is always permanent and should only be used to create an unusual action. DO NOT "Bend" the metal lip/bill on a metal-lipped as this will permanently destroy/ruin the lure. Bending the lip frequently causes water to leak inside the lure body cavity, making it uses. DO NOT "over-tune" by excessive bending of the front eyelet which is embedded in the lip. This will cause the eyelet to become "loose", resulting in a lure that is untunable and possibly causing it to become a leaker.

Tuning Instructions

You will need a set of needle nose pliers for tuning. To tune almost every lure, you must slightly bend the line-tie eyelet toward the lure side which is lowest in the water. In other words, bend the eyelet in the opposite direction of the way that the lure is going. If the lure runs to your left as you reel it in,or pulled beside the boat, you must tune by slightly bending the front eyelet to the right, and vice versa. It is better to under tune and readjust, then to over tune and risk loosening up the eyelet too much and ruining the lure.

I did not have a pair of pliers sitting around when I took the photo's and used a pair of wire strippers

Lures with eyelet embedded in the lip(i.e. any lure that has the eyelet in the bill)

If the lure runs to the right when moving toward you, take your needle-nose pliers and, facing the lure, place the one prong of the pliers on the left side of the lip and the other prong on the line-tie eyelet. Squeeze the handles together very slightly, bending the eyelet slightly and evenly toward the side of the lip. Cast the lure, or put it beside the boat the boat to test the action. Continue tuning until lure runs true. If the lure runs to the right, reverse the instructions.

Lures with metal lip and connection link(i.e. Hot-n-tot)

The proper way to tune is to bend the connection link at the mid-joint where the clasp is located. this can be done with your bare hands and does not usually require needle-nose pliers. If the lure is swimming to the right, place the end of your thumb on the clasp, and your index finger on top of the connection link. Bend the top of the connection link slightly to the left. Cast the lure, or put it beside the boat and check its action. Continue tuning until the lure runs true. If the lure swims to the left, bend the top of the link to the right. Remember, never bend or twist the lip itself. This will cause permanent damage to the lure which cannot be fixed.

Lures with the eyelet on the nose(i.e. Rapala, Thin Fin)

If the lure runs to the left when moving toward you, take your needle-nose pliers and, facing the lure, grasp the front line-tie eyelet. Plier handles should be down with the prongs up on both sides of the line-tie eyelet. Very carefully, bend the eyelet slightly to the right. Cast the lure or put it in the water beside the boat to test the action. Continue tuning until the lure runs true. If the lure runs right, reverse instructions.

Mike Heckman(GLF)

www.greatlakesfisherman.com

[LongLine]

Mike - Also on lures with the wire eyelet in the nose: bending the eyelet slightly upwards will cause it to have a little more wobble whereas bending it down will cause less wobble. Same effect if you use a tight knot and can keep the knot on top of the eyelet vs making sure the knot is low on the wire. (you also gain or lose diving depth)

Tom B.

(LongLine)