fish on homemade lure

[Tom]

I went fishing for a couple of hours today in the evening, mainly to test out a lure i have just finished building, it is a 7inch glider in firetiger, and is my best build to date. Anyway, i tested it in the water and i was very pleased with the action, it isn't really a great GLIDER, it glides slightly, but not for long distances, but it is like the salmo slider when it comes to its action (you know what one of those are right?). It turns left, then right, completing a full 180+ degree turn with minimal effort. My previous favourite lure was the glidin' rap, but i think i found something better, and i made it myself! The only downside of my glider over the glidin' rap is that it doesn't flutter and shake as it sinks, but mine virtually suspends WITH a trace, and suspends completely without one. My lure also has a much better and more pronounced action than the glidin' rap when wound straight back, it rolls and wiggles at medium-high speeds. Anyway, what i was gonna say was that as i was jerking it back, not really expecting to catch, but still pleased with its action, i noticed a dark brown bar behind my lure, it soon became obvious it was a pike, so i 'danced' the lure on the spot, and the pike started bashing the lure with its nose, and chewing on the tail, it eventually swam off after about 6 or 7 seconds of picking at the lure. Thinking back i guess i should have struck when it chewed the tail, but i was just waiting for it to go WHAMM! and engulf the lure and make a run. The pike wasn't a tiddler either, it must have been 10lb+, probably around the 12lb mark. Later on i had a follow from a real big'un (15-16lb+) on the good ol banded black rapala gldin' rap, but rather than pick at the lure like the first fish, it just turned and swam off.
If i get round to it, and work out how to upload the picture on to here, i will take a picture of my homemade lure, it came out really good; i made a real good job of the painting, it has a brilliant action, and after less than 2 hours of testing, it is apparent that the pike love it too!!!

[Tom]

Had another follow on the same lure yesterday, but this time from a perch! thats right, on a 7inch glider!!! Obviously it would have to be a big'un to follow a lure of that size in, but it must have been at least a foot long, probably getting on for 3lb or so. I saw its fin sticking out of the water behind my lure, and i thought i must have snagged something, but then i saw it just in front of me, and realised it was a perch. I cast back with a selection of lures including a couple of small spinners and my F07S and CD07CLN SSMAG, but it didn't show again. I guess its only a matter of time before i catch a fish on it, definately my best build yet...