don't swim.
In these circumstances, Vince has a backup plan, as shown
with a pair of pliers after several unsuccessful attempts at
creating a beautiful, yet productive, fi shing lure. He cut the
line of the most recent lure he was testing and tossed it aside.
"Put it on a keychain," he said with a laugh. "I need to do
some work on this design to get it to swim right."
When the lures do pass his swim test, they are allowed a
spot in the most coveted spot of all — the tackle box.
What's Next
Wherever his mind takes him, and these ideas quite often
come while he's on the water testing his latest set of lures.
Maybe he'll experiment with making deep divers, but he
knows the complications they present with a longer lip. Plus,
he doesn't fi sh with them much and doesn't make lures to
gather dust on the mantel.
Perhaps he'll turn his creativity to using more types of
woods. While cedar is the easiest to work with, Vince has
made lures using a variety of woods including pine, balsa and
poplar. He's also carved walnut cut for fi rewood and oak from
a whiskey barrel.
Or he could go down his father's route, who used to make
his own maple stock muzzleloaders.
"I have a lot of ideas," Vince said. And a lot of options for
someone of his patience and talent. As long as whatever he
makes — a lure, bow, or something in between — can pass
the ultimate test.
Being ready for the fi eld.
N
There's a different level of excitement that arises
when catching a big fish on public water. I always
imagine these fish seeing hundreds of lures a year,
so my pride swells a bit when my rod bends after
hooking into a lunker.
I found out last summer that my pride swelled
even more when fishing with a homemade
crankbait. Easy to cast and retrieve, I quickly
understood Vince's joy when feeling a fish strike
one of his lures. And it didn't take long either, as
I caught several nice largemouth bass on both
Nebraska and Minnesota waters last summer.
One of Vince's disappointments — a northern
pike imitation — also saw the water last season.
This lure doesn't have the same wobble that his
other, more refined, lures have. But the fish didn't
seem to care.
Because if it looks like a pike — and this lure
most certainly does — it must taste like a pike.
On a New Level
After designing his lures, Gewinner takes them to their
testing site — his backyard swimming pool.
March 2024 • Nebraskaland 37
