Thread: Freshwater lure conversion

So I have more freshwater tackle than I can use (don't tell my wife). I have some saltwater lures, and I have taken some freshwater lures to the salt and just dealt with the rust later. I'm thinking it would be cheaper to convert my freshwater lures than buy a lot of new saltwater lures (still going to buy some). So My question is can I simply switch out the hooks and split rings to stainless? I'm thinking the thru wire is stainless, but not 100% sure.

Yes, or soak and wash with a little hot soap and dishwashing water

Don't know about the thru-wires either, but the slight change in weight when you switch over to stainless can change the action of your lure. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know. Don't know how you can resist going by J&M and buying some of those pretty X-Rap candy bars.

Red fish on the pier have showed me that they like my fresh water rattle traps just fine.

Originally Posted by Haywire

Don't know about the thru-wires either, but the slight change in weight when you switch over to stainless can change the action of your lure. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know. Don't know how you can resist going by J&M and buying some of those pretty X-Rap candy bars.

I have some x raps in both freshwater and saltwater types. They seem the same except for hardware, which is why I figured I could switch some of my other lures to saltwater ready.

In the scheme of things, hooks and split rings are relatively inexpensive. If you are planning on changing them anyway, why not just use the lures as they are, give them a good wash and rinse when finished in the salt and replace the hooks and split rings when you get back home. Unless you are planning on spending weeks fishing the salt, I would not waste a lot of energy swapping out hardware that you can just swap when you get back home anyway. I understand that prepping is half the fun, but I just don't see the point in swapping up front and then back as opposed to just putting on new hardware when you get home. Just one guys opinion.

Originally Posted by wmfowler

In the scheme of things, hooks and split rings are relatively inexpensive. If you are planning on changing them anyway, why not just use the lures as they are, give them a good wash and rinse when finished in the salt and replace the hooks and split rings when you get back home. Unless you are planning on spending weeks fishing the salt, I would not waste a lot of energy swapping out hardware that you can just swap when you get back home anyway. I understand that prepping is half the fun, but I just don't see the point in swapping up front and then back as opposed to just putting on new hardware when you get home. Just one guys opinion.

One rusty lure can ruin a whole box in my experience. I'd rather just prevent it in case I forget or don't do a thorough enough job cleaning and drying the lures.

Originally Posted by ShallowWaterAngler

One rusty lure can ruin a whole box in my experience. I'd rather just prevent it in case I forget or don't do a thorough enough job cleaning and drying the lures.

If you forget or don't do a thorough job of washing and rinsing, having "stainless" split rings and saltwater hooks will not necessarily save you from the rust issue if they are in a box with non-prepped lures. If that is a concern, then just by a separate plastic Plano/Flambeau/etc box to put the lures you used into until you can clean them. Not trying to be argumentative, just trying to save you some prep time.