New Chatterbait

[toddmc]

I threw that first picture of the cut up Barlow's head in to show how they did their original heads. "Smalljaw" is a lure builder that uses this forum and he suggested a few years ago on one of our threads that it is from a Do-It Sparkie jig mold. They use a 4/0 Mustad spinner bait hook and a double ended clip like this http://www.barlowstackle.com/Connector-Links-P835.aspx. The Dremmel blade that I was using was dull and I cut one end of the clip off. The clip is left slightly open in the mold and the blade is inserted and then the clip is clamped shut. "Mike and Pike" is right about the .051 diameter wire being right. You can see that the clips are .053 wire.

Nice work, i have a vertical line tie arkie jig mold, think that would work?

It should work. I'm probably going to get sued by Chatterbait! I think this will help anyone that wants to build their own. I'm going to cut up the Jack Hammer when the hook gets dull to see how they do their blade attachment.

How do you bend your blade on the oval type? do you put it in a vice? Do you have a jig or something to control the bend? Are they sensitive to having the blade be perfect or can you get a rough swag and its close?

A vice works best, but they can even be bent with needle nose pliers. You should bend the blades before you paint them if possible because bending them can cause the paint to crack/scratch.

[Mike and Pike]

There are round nosed pliers made for the bends where jigs and machines are not usable.

[Taxin That Bass]

So i ended up trying to pour my own chatterbait heads last night. I ordered up some owner spinnerbait hooks, connector links, wire keepers and blades from barlows. I had to do some modifying of my arkie head mold to fit the large connector link in, but i did pour a couple semi successful chatterbait heads last night. I say semi successful because i am having trouble getting a good pour with the wire keeper. I think there is so much material in the mold that by the time the lead gets down there is has really cooled off. I'm going to keep plugging away at it and will update as i go. Also, i'm making a jig to modify the oval blades to match the coffin style zman blade.

[Taxin That Bass]

I tried to post a pic but i'm having all kinds of trouble, keeps saying the file and needs to be less than 100 kb, the file i'm trying to load is only 50 so whatever.

[toddmc]

I tried to post a pic but i'm having all kinds of trouble, keeps saying the file and needs to be less than 100 kb, the file i'm trying to load is only 50 so whatever.

I use my I-phone to take pictures. It gives you a choice of "small, medium, or large size" when I send them by e-mail to my laptop (I hate typing on my phone). You have to choose the small size if you aren't using other aps/links to manage your pictures because that is all that seems to work on TT and other sites. The quality is not great, but it is fairly quick. There are a few forums on TT that show other methods.

[Taxin That Bass]

I have been testing my new home made chatter baits how that i built with connector links from barlows and they are just too flimsy. I noticed when i rip them out of the grass the wires bends, i can take the blade and torque it and easily bend the wire. i need to find some heavier duty links, you guys know where to find them?

[toddmc]

I have been testing my new home made chatter baits how that i built with connector links from barlows and they are just too flimsy. I noticed when i rip them out of the grass the wires bends, i can take the blade and torque it and easily bend the wire. i need to find some heavier duty links, you guys know where to find them?

Those must not be the same links that the Barlow's heads used. I'm sorry to make you the guinea pig. I have never bent a blade out on the original Barlow's/Lure Parts Online heads and I have caught lots of big catfish over 15 lbs. that twist and roll. I just caught another one last week that towed the boat around. If those aren't the links used by the original Barlow's heads, then I would like to know what they used.

[Taxin That Bass]

No problem and i agree. I still have some barlows heads and they are solid, no bending what so ever. When i compare the two, the barlows heads look slightly thicker and appear to be of a stronger material. I called barlows, and the gentleman i spoke with said they purchased that head and couldn't remember who supplied them. I know BOSS used to make them, i could try them. I tried contacting lure parts online to get some info on the figure 8 connectors they use as i had seen on a custom tackle forum that folks were building some with those, but he didn't know the wire size or the material. I can't imagine there are too many suppliers of that kind of part.

[toddmc]

No problem and i agree. I still have some barlows heads and they are solid, no bending what so ever. When i compare the two, the barlows heads look slightly thicker and appear to be of a stronger material. I called barlows, and the gentleman i spoke with said they purchased that head and couldn't remember who supplied them. I know BOSS used to make them, i could try them. I tried contacting lure parts online to get some info on the figure 8 connectors they use as i had seen on a custom tackle forum that folks were building some with those, but he didn't know the wire size or the material. I can't imagine there are too many suppliers of that kind of part.

I talked to Barlow's about two years ago when they stopped selling the original heads. They said that an outside vendor made them, and that the vendor probably supplied LurePartsOnline also. The original heads from both look identical. They may be able to get you in contact with the vendor.
The collar on the old style Barlow's head is not rounded like the Do-It "Sparkie" mold pictures, but I have never seen the Sparkie mold in person, and it is the closest mold based on Do-It's horrible pictures. My friend uses the Do-It Poison Tail mold and he uses an awl to open up the jig hook. I will ask him to show me one the next time that I see him. I have never had luck opening up a hook. He says that you have to do it just right.
You may be better off using heavy spinner bait wire like "Mike and Pike" uses.

[Taxin That Bass]

I called BOSS jigs/fishingskirtsunlimited as they had one they made to. The lady i talked to was pretty rude and wouldn't give any details although she confirmed they made them and i assume they sold them to lureparts and barlows. She said it was a trade secret and that they are working on a new design that doesn't violate the patent.

The spinner bait wire may be the way to go, i ordered some new links from janns, they are supposed to be steel, i think the ones from barlows were bronze. If these ones from janns do not work, i think the steel spinner bait wire may be the way to go, will need a good tool to roll it to a really tight radius.

I also have a buddy that opens up hook eyes, the key is you need a really fine torch nozzle and use MAPP gas, i watched him do one a work and it looked like a PITA.

[toddmc]

, i think the ones from barlows were bronze.

Bronze is too soft. That sucks. They must be coated because the picture looks like steel.

[Mike and Pike]

...I also have a buddy that opens up hook eyes, the key is you need a really fine torch nozzle and use MAPP gas, i watched him do one a work and it looked like a PITA.

Unfortunately , using high heat incorrectly loses the proper temper, or anneals the stainless and will weaken it substantially. Which is why I do not weld my umbrella rigs' wires together.

[Taxin That Bass]

I'm giving it another go, i ordered some links from Janns, they state that they are nickle steel, i will report back with what i find.

[Mike and Pike]

..., i think the steel spinner bait wire may be the way to go, will need a good tool to roll it to a really tight radius...
.

Check out companies like Hagen's and Anglers' Workshop. There are lots of options and dies for tight twists and high gauge/quality wire.
I like Jann's, but on a limited basis.

[Rfdong]

I have both the Barlows and Jann's figure 8 links and the Barlows definitely bend easier. I use the Jann's and have been lucky enough to catch one that went 9.8 this year and no problems or bending. Think you'll find the Jann's works just fine.