Author Topic: Darned good tool!  (Read 749 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Questor

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7075
Darned good tool!
« on: January 09, 2006, 02:59:58 AM »
I use a fair number of Mepps spinners in rivers, and consequently lose quite a few. This gets pretty expensive now that they are around $4 apiece.  I looked  into making my own replicas of the Mepps and found that Netcraft makes a kit called the Tackle Tool (sp?). It comes with a wire forming tool, an instruction book, and a spool of wire. Cost is about $20. This is one of the best tools I own now. It really works.   The first 100 spinners will cost about 70 cents apiece. After that, I consider the tool amortized and the cost will go down substantially.

Netcraft also sells all the beads and blades and stuff you need to make the spinners. Their web site has a table on it that tells you what you need. For example, I use size 0 spinners most so I started with them. I just looked at the table and bought the size hooks and beads they recommended.

After learning to use the tool for about an hour, I now make a finished spinner in about 2 or 3 minutes.

Aside from the tool and the components the only thing you need is a pair of needlenose pliers with wire cutters and eye protection (to protect against flying wire fragments from cutting small tag ends of wire.)
Safety first

Offline Gun Runner

  • Trade Count: (33)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1140
  • Gender: Male
Darned good tool!
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2006, 08:51:24 AM »
Back in the early 90's I had one of the same tools and about $300.00 dollars worth of stuff for making lures. Used to use them my self and gave away a lot. Got away from making them and sold the wire winding tool and all the stock to a young lad (11yrs old) that was a fishing nut for $1.00. The first lure he made I still have as it was a gift to me (even caught a couple fish with it). The kid lived in a small town and had lures forsale in the local mom & pop store and the gas station. He still makes lures today and is still a fishing nut. Been thinking about getting another outfit and making mine again because of the cost of lures.

Gun Runner

Offline WD45

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 734
Darned good tool!
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2006, 05:25:37 AM »
Dang blasted rock fish.. They take a lot of my lures when I fish in the river too :x  thanks for the info.. I like any thing I can make myself

Offline grousehunter

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 107
Darned good tool!
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2006, 03:18:30 PM »
I'll have to check into it! Presently I use only the CP swing for Trout and buy in bulk, this reduces the cost from$3.00 to $2.00, so this is another option! THANKS

Offline corbanzo

  • Trade Count: (2)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2405
Darned good tool!
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2006, 06:18:24 PM »
Yeah, we've had one for years, they are great, and alot cheaper than buying them online.  you used to be able to get bells for vibrax fairly easy, but then there was problems with patent violations....  still a lot of different patterns available for different types of lures.
"At least with a gun that big, if you miss and hit the rocks in front of him it'll stone him to death..."