"Slim-Jims"

Bumped into an old aquaintance the other day.
He's a pro fly-casting tutor. Found out he's gotten into light-line bass, lure-fishing when he has time off.. understandable. So we got talking about plugs.
Amongst other topics it turned out he's a big fan of the 'Salt Skimmer'.

This lure has a large following over here.
A slim, 5"/0.5oz. surface, 'walk-the-dog' type lure, that is good in a flat calm, or modest ripple but is blown out in anything resembling an actual WIND.

Our North coast is open to the prevailings & so he is restricted mostly to using it in the estuaries..
I thought I'd try to create my own version; one that is not so 'delicate', casts like a bullet from a 30-06, is made from lovely wood (not minging plastic) & in THIS country, has the same beautiful lines (can't take that away from them..), the same great action.. that could perform in open water for him.

The resulting lure is a slow sinker.. which skips to the top on the first twitch of the rod tip & zig-zags like a small kid on an Easter egg hunt..

At 6" long & 1.3oz. it flies to the horizon & I suppose it's almost neutral bouyancy accounts for it's snake-like action. I am well chuffed!

Meet the 'Flat-Backed Skimmer' (AKA 'Slim-Jim')..


..and a silver/black version..






The wood I used is maple. The first time I have tried that wonderful wood; it is heavy but great to work with. The weights are put in right at the back of the lure (I use drilled ones so I can insert the 'through wire' through the middle of them, as there is not enough body in the lure otherwise (it's only 7/8" dia.)). There are two, the aft one smaller than the fore & as far back as you can comfortably insert them.
The top of the lure is taken off with a belt sander.

If you haven't come across this design before, try it out (I don't take credit here, just a copy). You will be amazed at how much sideways movement the lure generates.. just don't ask me to do it with a scale pattern!   

thing a beauty jim thing a beauty.......i like the signature fin on your plugs

Look good Jim, they look like they will be a lot of fun to fish with !!! Yes, scales are a PIA to do lol !!!

I would love to take those to the Cape Cod Canal - woooooo Hoooooo

Thanks for the comments, gentlemen, I appreciate them.
I have just done a few of these in sapele & 5" long & 1oz. weight.


It is difficult to get the same slim-line shape at that size but they seem to work in the water ok.

However, the friend who got the original maple for me is getting some more in, soon, & when he does I'll be making more of the 6" version..
In the meantime, I've got a few I am trying in the Russian pine I use on other lures, see how they come up first, though.
I am up for a lure-swap, or a fly/lure swap, if anybody is interested? Just promise to post a picture of anything you catch, please! I would like to add to my collection of plugs & your American ones are the business..

Been working on some slim-line poppers, too..





They're made from the pine & float & pop lovely..

Though the top lure in the picture above is made from heavier beech & works more like a trolling, skirted lure (or, the old 'conahead'). Wind it back at speed & it dips in & out of the surface, trailing a stream of bubbles as it goes, with a bit of a kick & wiggle, too. Ideal over a snaggy, tide-ripped reef, I reckon, where a lure needs to work high & fast. Being dense, it also casts a long way, allowing a lot of water to be searched.

nice slimjims jim.......