Soft Plastic Lure Mend Test: Spike It Fix-A-Lure VS Mend-It
- By: Matthew Lanier
- on
I’m going to try something a little different and show you guys a recent soft plastic lure mend test I did with the NEW F.R.E.D. BOMBER paddletail.
Soft plastic lures break and tear but can you repair them to function as they did when you bought them?
Check this out!!
Soft Plastic Lure Mend Test [VIDEO]
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On a trip last month, I got into a hot redfish and trout bite using the F.R.E.D. BOMBER, which at the time was the prototype and only version of this lure I had.
Long story short, the F.R.E.D. BOMBER ended up tearing into two pieces by the end of the trip.
So I wanted to figure out if there was a way to either fix lures at home or if there was a way to do so even out on the water.
Two options I found digging around online are the Spike It Fix-A-Lure and Mend-It.
Mend-It is highly marketed and often paired with other brands of soft plastic lures.
Speckled trout have some sharp teeth that over the course of a full day of fishing can shred and tear soft plastics.
Setting Up The Experiment
I first recreated the tear in the F.R.E.D. BOMBER in another Slam Shady BOMBER.
I put a hook through the lure and pulled it out to create a natural tear in the lure.
Mend-It instructs you to apply some of the mending glue on the tear and let rest for a few minutes then it’s good as new.
Be sure to try and cover most if not all of the area that is supposed to be joined together.
For this experiment, I applied the Mend-It to the torn F.R.E.D. BOMBER.
To have something to compare it to, I’m going to use the Spike It Fix-A-Lure to repair the Slam Shady BOMBER I ripped apart.
As with the Mend-It material, I spread plenty of the Fix-A-Lure glue on the Slam Shady BOMBER tear.
Frankenstein Lure Setup
I’m calling this the “Franken-Lure” or the “Franken-BOMBER’.
As part of a little side experiment, I cut a Gold Digger BOMBER and a Slam Shady BOMBER in half to split and then join together.
I applied Mend-It to join the front of the Gold Digger with the tail of the Slam Shady.
In turn, the Fix-A-Lure glue was used to combine the Slam Shady head with the Gold Digger BOMBER tail.
This wasn’t perfect but I did make sure to line up the pieces as best as I could to ensure the action of the lure would be there.
Initial Thoughts & Reactions
My initial reactions after letting the glue sit and harden on each lure were overall very positive for both brands.
You can still visibly see where the lure was torn or broken, but the lure is intact.
If you go to bend the lure, it stays together and does not split.
This observation applied to both types of mending solutions.
The Franken-Lures held up and stayed together even when I pulled on each end with some force.
I can’t tell you that I notice any offputting odors or smells on each of the lures as well.
Overall, until I get out on the water and fish with these lures, we won’t know which is best for sure.
Fix-A-Lure is in a 0.5 oz. while Mend-It comes in the full 1 0z. at a slightly higher price.
Conclusion
Soft plastic lures are prone to breaking or tearing after many uses and catching lots of fish.
But you can have peace of mind knowing there are products out there to solve this issue!
Do you guys want to see me head out and fish with these lures?
Do you think I’ll have any luck??
Please share down in the comments!!
If you know someone who wants to learn more about a soft plastic lure mend test, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Would like to see how they preform in the water ! Great tip I have serval lures that need mending! Thanks
they worked great in the on the water test! They crushed it!
I would like to see how they preform and if there is a sent to them that the fish can detect. Thanks Matt!
There was no scent that deterred the fish in the on the water test… they crushed it!
Never thought of fishing Fred tail to slim shady body. I would be most appreciate if video determined Half silver/half pink works to produce grad slam
Definitely works!
Would love to see how they hold up on the water and also gives me some ideas on other plastics.
They did great on the water!
Would love to see how they hold up on the water.
We did the on the water test and they crushed it!
How comfortable would you be using these products on the water in a kayak or small boat?
It could definitely work! From what i can tell, it takes a good minute to allow the glue to set, and they seem ready to go.
Follow up video coming soon!
Thanks for watching, Phillip!
Test them brah!
Yessir!
I hope one day y’all figure out a way to retrieve that paddles that lizard & pin fish rip off of my lures, so I can try this out! Because yesterday I went thru 10 Slam Shady 2.0s. LOL
Hey Scott! Definitely pick up the size of your bait in this Fall pattern! Try throwing the bomber as they are less likely to be torn up by those smaller fish, AND that actually matches the size of the bait that the predatory fish are feeding on right now, so it’s a win win! And you will catch bigger fish using a bigger bait!
Matt,
Two questions.
1) Yes I’d like to see the ‘on-water’ test. Primarily interested in seeing if the smell lingers/stays on the bait, after the glue dries?
2) how about adding crazy glue to the test and comparing it to the other two glues?
Joe
Hey Joe! I actually tested super glue before, and it sticks to your hands and leaves a smell. these products don’t do either of those things so that was why I chose to stick to the intended products for the repair. Good thoughts though! Thanks for watching!
Looking forward to seeing if the fish can smell the glue. Waiting for the on the water test before I invest.
Results coming soon! Thanks for watching!