Designing Rip Teezers

Adapted from Capt. John King's articles "Rip Teazers Part 2" (December 1, 2020), "Show the Glow" (February 3, 2021) and "Test for the Best" (2021) on MichiganSportsman.com. Originals: Part 2 · Show the Glow · Test for the Best.

From sketch to mold

  • John 3D-printed four slightly different strip models to get a perfect fit in the Magnum Meat Head, then cast them in modeling clay for test pours.
  • Weight, thickness and balance were the hardest part: the strip had to produce the 6" looping, arcing roll-kick his meat heads are known for.
  • After back-and-forth with CAD engineers, an 8-cavity injection mold was made. "There's only one chance to get it right!"
  • A final water test on Manistee Lake confirmed the design.

The spin test

The strip had to roll even below 2.0 mph, down to 1.2 mph, so it doesn't drag "like a dead stick" when you slow down to fight a fish. It also needed a wide speed range (1 to 3+ mph) so you can still get doubles and triples.

First fish

On the first test morning, August 12, 2020, a 10 lb Coho hit at 9:30am. That evening, a King in the 20s "came from nowhere" (nothing on the sonar) and hit an X-Glow green prototype. John believed it saw the glow from a long way off in the fading light.

Scent and scales

  • Herring scent is molded into the plastic, and more is added in the packaging to cover any plastic odor. The formula was a company secret.
  • An alewife scale pattern with small ridges holds scent and gives a better underwater look.
  • Use Re-Scent sparingly. Soaking strips in it can discolor and shrink them.

Why strips instead of frozen bait

  • No tuning: insert, peg, and fish. Whole herring has to be tuned to spin right.
  • No mess, no brine to make and store, and no hunting for bait in season.
  • Store-bought strips had gotten thin and expensive; they can wrap around the hook.

John's feature list

Color molded in; saltwater tough; detailed scale pattern; trolls 1.3 to 3.0+ mph; fits several brands of heads; excellent on adult Kings; herring scent molded in; glow lasts 6 hours or more; Super UV qualities; metal flake in some colors; made in the USA.

Videos

Rip Teezer introduction · Test for the Best · Show the Glow

Read more: The Rip Teezers Story · Rip Teezers Use and Care

Shop: Rip Teezers · Rip Teezers Glow

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