How To Tie A Sea Witch

There are so many types of trolling lures and bait enhancements to choose from in these modern times, simply the good onetime-fashioned sea witch is still a go to in my book. A simple lead caput design with various synthetic hairs lashed to it will catch every bit many fish every bit a high dollar, high-tech epoxy, abalone "mother of pearl infused, big-rattle eyed, loftier-dollar lure. I'm non saying I don't want 1 of those mod lures, but it may not be required to catch a fish.

Sea Witches are traditionally used to enhance, protect or add weight to natural trolling baits like ballyhoo, or my favorite the strip bait.

A light sea witch with mylar added in front of a shiny, tough bonita belly strip will catch anything that swims.

I was taught to make sea witches by a friend who had been trained in Northward Carolina, where trolling natural bait is king. He taught me this simple way to make your ain sea witch in 1990, and I take made who knows how many since. They piece of work keen, are pretty inexpensive to make and let you play the "colors game", though I'm pretty sure information technology doesn't matter to the fish.

Here is how you do it:

Notice a supplier of constructed hair and pick your colors. I prefer directly hair to the "crinkle" hair, but that's simply me. The hair I get comes loose in a tight plastic wrap. If you cutting the wrap, the pilus will go everywhere, then first step is to accept a blowtorch to one stop to melt the ends of the hair into a molten cap. This ties them into a bundle at one end. Then you can remove the plastic wrap and snip off the desired amount of hair. If they carry the hair, so they probably accept the lead heads as well. The size or weight of the head varies with the intended application, but I usually use 1/8 ounce to create a very light sea witch with scant hair, so that it does not hinder the ability of the fish to eat the allurement. I as well have ¼, ½, and ane ounce for various applications.

Hair, waxed dental floss or light waxed rigging floss, and pb heads are all you need. The waxed floss is of import because it helps hold the tension when you are wrapping the hair onto the head. As with anything, a little practice is all it takes to be making your own awesome sea witches.

Cutting a 3-pes slice of waxed floss and stretch it out. Next cut small amounts of pilus of the desired colors and place down on top of the floss at 1 end. Leave an inch hanging over, as it can exist trimmed later. Now place the head in the hair as shown. Annotation that the hair will fold dorsum over the caput when trolled.

Now gently, without agonizing the hair, pick up the ends of the floss and make an overhand knot with three passes. Carefully tighten it until it is just above the hair and head.

Then with a gentle, swift pull of the ends the knot should tighten downwardly around the recess in the head and the hair will begin to spread around the caput. Pull tight to go on the hair from falling out.

At present pick it up and physically move the pilus effectually the head so that it is even in thickness. Now take a few tight wraps with i leg of the floss. Do some half hitches effectually it to lock down the tension. Concur the spare leg of the floss in your hand to go on information technology out of the fashion to be used next. Continue wrapping a serial of half hitches tightly until you accept about 8 inches of tag left in the first leg of floss.

Now tuck the curt tag away and repeat doing half hitches with the other leg of floss until yous get the same length left.

To stop the wrap, we lay the 2 tags together and practice a "double secret knot". Just like a surgeon knot, simply but i wrap. Pull it down gently tight.

Now separate the 2 tag ends and pull opposing each other. The knot should slide down to the atomic number 82 head and be tight. Now trim the tags close to the knot and you are done.

Now you tin can trim the hair in the back and front to get desired await or length. Think to rig information technology where the hair pulls dorsum in the water and makes it pulse.

Now you lot tin slide the bounding main witch over many types of bait rigs to protect them from the water menstruation, add together a little weight and a splash of colour.

Once through the learning curve, y'all can whip these out pretty quickly and they really are a cracking bait enhancement for any species.

More than on making strip baits: mullet strips, bonita belly

More on ballyhoo rigging. bait prep, parasites, eyballs

Source: https://www.bdoutdoors.com/fishing/how-to-fish/diy-sea-witches/

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