It's that time of year that I go through all my tackle and got a question.

I throw a ton of fluke style baits and go thru them.

I throw them on Owner EWG 4.0 screw locks and while they are fantastic hooks for these baits, it rips the nose out quicker than other methods.

I have packs apon packs of these ripped baits.

What is your method of getting more use out of them ?

Melting ?

 

Mend-it for the salvagable ones.

 

I like using bored out ones as trailers on footballs (skirt or not).  Sniper the nose off and sort of use them as a skittering feeding baitfish/goby.  Think stiffer shaky head.

PVC pipe cement ‘em back together.

Larger CPS pins hold much better than smaller ones.  I think you could get away with XL with the caffine shads, not so sure about the D shads though.  I would get a few packs of XL and 1 of L just in case, and put them on the hooks you plan to use.

You need to buy the large bottle of Mend It.  I promise if you fish a lot of soft plastics like me, it will change your life.  The baits you bond back together aren't as strong as they were brand new, but they hold up to a few more fish before you have to mend them again.  I hold onto my damaged baits and fix them at home.  I carry small bottles with me fishing for touching up, but seriously damaged baits get fixed at home.  $14 may seem steep, but I promise that bottle will pay for itself several times over before you use half of it. 

37 minutes ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Larger CPS pins hold much better than smaller ones.  I think you could get away with XL with the caffine shads, not so sure about the D shads though.  I would get a few packs of XL and 1 of L just in case, and put them on the hooks you plan to use.

You need to buy the large bottle of Mend It.  I promise if you fish a lot of soft plastics like me, it will change your life.  The baits you bond back together aren't as strong as they were brand new, but they hold up to a few more fish before you have to mend them again.  I hold onto my damaged baits and fix them at home.  I carry small bottles with me fishing for touching up, but seriously damaged baits get fixed at home.  $14 may seem steep, but I promise that bottle will pay for itself several times over before you use half of it. 

Do you know what the name/model number of the xl hooks that work with flukes/caffeine shads/d shads are? 

2 hours ago, woolleyfooley said:

Do you know what the name/model number of the xl hooks that work with flukes/caffeine shads/d shads are? 

You use your 4/0 and swap out to the xl sized cps springs.  They're sold separately. 

I stick a hot nail/wire into the hook holes, pull it out and squeeze the lure shut and it is good as new.

I fish those with torn snouts wacky rigged...

On 11/30/2025 at 2:33 PM, Bird said:

What is your method of getting more use out of them ?

Melting ?

 

i use 2 methods, mend-it and a ceramic hot knife. i use a knock off of the focus sabre hot knife to patch "deep slashes" or if i need to rebuild an area. The mend-it is my go to for pike slashes, general line tie/knot area abuse from rocks/stumps and basic hook holes on my creeps and hudds. The chemical bonding of mend-it is pretty awesome. if i need to repair a nose from the cps-monster hook then i can either use the sabre to melt it closed or i can poke mend-it in there with a flattened toothpick. 

The CPS spring may damage 1/4” of the nose, cut it off. If you  don’t like removing a 1/4” then get out your soldering iron and melt the 1/4” together.

Now ask yourself why refurbish and buy new on sale?

Tom

We used to take senkos and cut them with a VERY sharp knife about 3/8” or so back from the tip. Then we’d take super glue gel and glue the sections back together. This would make a hard section in the middle of the bait that had to be pierced by the hook point to rig up….I found this made a noticeable difference. You may try this with fluke style baits.

On 11/30/2025 at 3:46 PM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Larger CPS pins hold much better than smaller ones.  I think you could get away with XL with the caffine shads, not so sure about the D shads though.  I would get a few packs of XL and 1 of L just in case, and put them on the hooks you plan to use.

You need to buy the large bottle of Mend It.  I promise if you fish a lot of soft plastics like me, it will change your life.  The baits you bond back together aren't as strong as they were brand new, but they hold up to a few more fish before you have to mend them again.  I hold onto my damaged baits and fix them at home.  I carry small bottles with me fishing for touching up, but seriously damaged baits get fixed at home.  $14 may seem steep, but I promise that bottle will pay for itself several times over before you use half of it. 

Cut the owner screw lock off and use one that can unclip from the hook eye and open up the part that clips onto the hook eye a bit so it can unclip easily.  This will allow the screw lock to stay embedded in the nose of the bait instead of ripping out.  Once unclipped from the hook eye the bait can slide up the hook and line.  Once the fish is unhooked you can slide the bait back down and clip the nose of the bait back onto the hook eye.  I've fished a single Caffine Shad all year once.  I only changed it to a fresh one when it rolled over inside out on itself from sliding up the line so many times.  The twist lock was still in the nose and I unscrewed it and moved it to the next bait.  If you are curious as to what "unclipping from the hook and sliding up the line when a fish is hooked" looks like look at the picture of the fish with a Jackall bait dangling next to it.

I'm curious. Can you repost the image? I read your words, but not seeing it how you might be telling it. A photo would help! Thanks

 

I keep telling anyone who will listen:

 

Hayabusa Trailer Keeper

 

 

I fish caffeine shade and just use mend it to put the nose back together. Works well and when it doesn’t anymore I buy. New pack. And I just use a standard 4/0 ewg hook

You guys are so handy! And clever!! And thrifty!!!