It is not surprising then, that someone has come up with a purpose made product which emulates blood dripping from a baitfish. Not just red paint or die, but a chain of beads which according to its inventor, or maybe that should be discoverer, accurately emulates blood droplets. Jim Mayer of Nebraska in the USA felt he could do better at imitating blood in water, and one night while closing Venetian blinds in his bedroom, noticed the stainless steel ball chain in his hand.
Going to work with $50 worth of chains, beads, hooks and fishing line, he began testing prototypes with his father on the Missouri River and claims his invention out-fished his Dad - known as “Hit” - by a 3-to-1 ratio. Hit was impressed and the father and son fishing partners became business partners. After trying various materials, they settled on aluminium beads which basically have a neutral buoyancy and do not alter the action of most lures.
Basically, Mayer's invention is a bait rig featuring tiny red chains designed to resemble a stream of blood droplets trailing out of wounded bait, triggering a fish's predatory instinct. He calls the invention Hippy's Bleeder Chain. His inspiration came from years of doctoring bleeding patients in a hospital emergency room. “Everyone's seen someone drip blood from a bloody nose. This is how I see true bleeding occurring,'' said Mayer, a 45-year-old practising physician in Lincoln.
While the duo are developing a range of lures based on the Bleeder Chain, they also make the chain as a stand alone product, which can be fitted to just about any lure. Using an O ring arrangement to attach the chain, the blood droplets can be tailored to suit most lures. If the ball chain is too long and appears to interfere with the hook, it's easily snipped shorter with an angler's nail clippers or scissors.
Mayer said his goal is to produce affordable rigs useful to anglers on boats and on shore. Complete jig rigs, including leader line and hook, sell for $2.99 for two. Bait rigs are $3.69 for a pair.
Apparently not available anywhere in Africa as yet, Bleeder Chains could be an interesting addition for attracting tigerfish, and our other predators. For more information, visit www.hippysbleederchain.com.
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Bleeding Baits
Most people hate the sight of blood... especially when it is their own! Fishermen however, have long known that predatory fish, and particularly in African waters - tigerfish - exhibit heightened excitement when presented with red lures, or lures sporting some form of red flash. Since veteran anglers began throwing huge spoons at tigerfish, they have been tweaking them with colour. Using dyes, feathers, threads of red wool tied on spinners, and even red beads, they avow that strike rates improve when the predator perceives its chosen target is bleeding. Bass and even bream fishermen often thread coloured beads onto their terminal tackle, adding colour and a certain noise element to the lures or bait, while hook manufacturers produce red hooks.
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BACK TO BASICS
Cranking Tips
Crankbaits come in myriad different shapes and sizes, made of Balsa wood, other woods and plastics. Some have rattles enclosed within the body, while others incorporate propellers for noise and water disturbance. Different body shapes and sizes give different actions, while weighting determines if the lure floats, sinks or hovers somewhere in-between. Lip size, and angle determine swim depth and wobble action, and most are designed to look like bait fish, with some actions that resemble wounded fish. There is little that has not been tried or experimented with, and simply understanding the varying applications is a study in itself. Seldom will any angler have the full array at his disposal, and simple adjustments to the lure, or applied techniques, can make the difference between being appealing, or ignored.
- Many crankbait fishermen will change one or several of the treble hooks for larger single hooks, especially when targeting boney-mouthed fish like tigerfish. Single hooks, if fitted so hook points face upwards, make the conventional crankbaits considerably more weedless than those fitted with treble hooks too. Depending on the hook-eye, it may be necessary to fit an additional split ring in order to get the hook pointing up.
- Crankbaits swim with a nose down attitude, and can usually be worked over sunken structure - lay-downs, rocks, ledges etc. - without snagging. As the nose or lip of the lure comes into contact with underwater structure, the body pivots over the nose, raising the hooks enough to clear most obstructions. The secret here is not to horse the lure, but rather to “feel” it over obstructions. Should a floating crankbait snag on the retrieve, immediately stop and give the lure some slack line. Again, due to the nose down attitude, the lure will invariably float backwards, away from the obstruction, and back to the surface. Tugging and pulling on the lure is only likely to embed the hooks further into the snag.
- One of the most productive retrieve methods for crankbaits is a “stop/go” retrieve. Cranking the lure hard, then stopping briefly to allow the lure to rise a few inches or more, before continueing. As the lure stops and begins to float back to the surface, it will often attract a reaction strike from undecided fish. Likewise, the scenario above of “bumping the stump” - hitting an under water obstruction and allowing the lure to then float upward, will trigger strikes.
- A further variation of this technique is to allow the lure to float all the way back to the surface where it bobs enticingly, behaving like a surface lure. A quick twitch before beginning the retrieve will often trigger a strike. Likewise, when casting the lure, do not begin the retrieve immediately, but rather allow it to sit motionless on the surface till the splash rings have dissipated. Fish will often see the lure land and approach for a closer look. As the lure moves, it triggers a strike.
- Many crankbaits actually have depth ratings, and as such are designed to run at a maximum depth. This aspect can be dramatically affected by the diameter line used with the lure. Thick line offers more water resistance and will limit the maximum depth the lure may reach.
- Remember that the type of knot used to attach line or trace to the crankbait will often influence the way the lure swims. Using a snap connector to attach the line to the lure does not inhibit the “wobble” action of the lure. A Haywire Twist knot to attach trace directly to the crankbait also works well. The action of the lure can also be altered by changing the attaching split ring at the front of the lure. Bigger split rings, or oval shaped rings will impart a different, and often more appealing action to the lure.
- It is sometimes advantageous to alter the buoyancy of floating lures, slowing the ascent when the lure is stationery, or even halting it completely to turn the lure into a “suspending” bait. Carry a small roll of thin gauge solder wire in your tackle box. If weight needs to be added to a lure, simply wrap a short length around the hook shafts till the lure has the desired flotation. The correct length of wire can be determined by cutting a piece and hanging it on the hook, trimming bits off till the lure behaves as desired. Once the right amount of weight has been determined, wrap the solder wire tightly and neatly around the hook shaft. Remember, seldom are two lures of the same kind identical, and when adding weight each lure should be tested individually.
The topic is vast and probably worthy of a book, and there are many other ways in which anglers tweak crankbaits to make them more attractive, or fit a particular scenario or situation. Some modifications may seem somewhat far-fetched - like tying a lure on backwards, tying on pieces of red cotton which resemble blood (see the previous article on Bleeder Chains), or adding a dropper with a trout fly ahead of the lure which imitates one fish chasing another. But don’t be afraid to experiment.
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