| Bassdude may be right. Oil-based chemicals and silicone oils can remove the
protective waxes from latex bands, which increases the rate of degradation.
(That's why tire dressings, while making tires look newer, actually do more
harm than good in terms of useful tire life.) Heat may be a factor, too.
I've heard reports that in warmer states like Arizona, latex bands on new
lures still in their packages have become brittle and break on the store
pegs! Possibly they had been on display for an extended period of time. I don't know of any US manufacturers who skimp on the quality of the latex
used in skirt bands. SWL uses first-quality surgical-grade latex and I
assume the others do as well. The advantages of latex are that it stays
pliable in cold weather and isn't prone to splitting. The downside is that
they become brittle after prolonged heat, ozone, and UV exposure. A UV
stabilizer, as is used in rubber automobile tires., might convert UV energy
into heat and prolong band life, but the trade-off is that all the bands
would have to be black, like tires. There may be some sort of wax that could be spread onto the band to protect
against ozone damage, but no one is doing that, to my knowledge. To prevent
ozone damage in latex tires, waxes are incorporated in the rubber
composition. As the tires flex during use, the wax migrates to the surface,
where it produces a protective barrier. (Ever notice that spare tires and
tires on a vehicle or trailer that hasn't been used for a while seem to age
and crack faster than ones in constant use? This is why.) We've looked at silicone bands as an alternative, and although they would
not become dry and brittle, with the least little nick they split open. Bob Rickard's suggestion of a wire wrap is a good one. We've considered that
and may try it at some point. To do so makes it difficult to swap out
skirts, which some anglers do on a regular basis. Myself, I like to
sometimes remove a skirt and put on a different color, or slip a tube jig
over the spinnerbait head to create a different look and feel.... producing
what looks like a giant beetle spin. (I unclip the blades, insert the loop
end of the wire frame into the open end of the tube and out the top, and
then thread the tube down the wire and over the head, lubricated with a
little fish attractant to make it slip on easier.) I seem to recall one of our prostaffers, Dave Willhide in Yuma, telling me
that on new spinnerbaits, he wraps nylon thread several times around the
skirt and ties it off just above the latex band. That way, when the rubber
band invariably drops off, the skirt remains in place. If you're the kind
who likes to modify baits, you might also add two or three strands of red
silicone to your skirt at the same time to achieve the "bleeding minnow"
effect. Joe Haubenreich
www.secretweaponlures.com
First real spinnerbait change in 50 years!
_______________________ "Eric Ryder" <e_OUT_lryder@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:i-adnQKX2rflSEvcRVn-hg@adelphia.com...
One shortcut most jig and SB makers take is to use natural rubber skirt
bands on baits with silicone, lumaflex, etc skirts...thus guaranteeing that
the higher priced bait will fall apart right on schedule:(
/end new years rant/ |
Joe
Jan 1
|
|
This is a good point. The rubber causes the latex silicone band to
become brittle (even when not used). I have tried most methods of
keeping my favorite spinnerbait skirts intact, including: stainless
steel safety wire, wire ties, braided line, etc. Some problems that
I've encountered with these types of fastening are: they are not easily
interchangable, can slip off pretty easily on baits with marginal
keeper barbs and are a pain to attach (except the wire tie). Late last
year I began experimenting with a new attachment method that involved
stealing an idea from the Senko attachment methods. Being the
"engineering type", I pulled out my Parker O-ring catalog and looked
for an elastomer that was compatible with petroleum based products and
what I found was, a very common o-ring made from a material called
Nitrile (aka Buna-N). The next step was to pull out my McMaster Carr
catalog (www.mcmastercarr.com)to see what they have. They carry all
sizes of Nitrile o-rings and you can size your spinnerbait to get them
to fit(if your spinnerbait collar measures 1/8", I'd order the 3/32"
i.d. o-ring to ensure a snug fit). They are inexpensive ($2.00/100) but
the shipping is fairly expensive, but, while you're at it order the
proper size for your Senko's too. Your local auto store may be able to
supply them also. The hard part of this modification is, installing them on the old
skirts. What I did was, tape the end of the skirt with masking tape to
make a point (bundle the strands together) and then thread the taped
end through the o-ring. Once the o-ring is on the skirt, take your
scissors and cut the latex band off. I used this for about 3 months last year without a failure (YMMV).
Jack
~~
Jack Dalzell
www.jdbass.com
~~ |
jack
Jan 3
|
