Halco quality falling?

[emjay]

A good Sunday to you all

Was wondering if Halco's quality control has taken a knock? I bought two brand spanking new Halco Lazer Pro lures and just could not get them both  to swim properly. They tracked sideways and went all over the place. Skipped on the surface and generally were a tangle hazard. I changed their lips and retied the connection point where you put your trace wire and still had the same problem. Anybody else experience this? Also the hooks weren't even sharp out the box. Couldn't even penetrate my skin without enough force. Not a problem if you own a sharpener but seriously if I'm paying 150 ronds a lure, I want the hooks to at least be sharp, and they must track straight when being pulled behind the boat!

I have an older Halco Lazer pro from ten years ago and don't have this swimming problem. Anybody got a remedy? Is this just a bad batch?

[WalkersKiller]

I think the importers changed recently. Used to deal with Cobus quite a lot from Halco, but havent been able to get hold of him for a while. Maybe a quality control issue 

[Lenny]

Funny enough , I picked up an halco that must have been at sea , a long time , not so long ago .
The hooks was just the main sharf of the treble rusted completely , and the printed film , on the lure itself , was severely damaged , but on the bottom , you could still see parts of this film just clinging to the lure .


I wondered , how would other lures look , should it be exposed to salt sea and water for extended times in the water ... like weeks or even years ....


Never been a big halco fan , not out of any specific reason , but felt the above worth giving some , thought ....
Fishing has become increasingly expensive over the past few years .


I think companies , might or have cut corners , to save costs . The result are an inferior result product . ( not saying this is the case .)


I recall a thread not so long ago , about another lure manufacturer , that all off a sudden , had  quality issues ...


150 bucks for a lure these days , are cheap .


Remember the first rapala I bought that was over 40 bucks ( rapala rattle trap , crAwfish color , rapala discontinuing that specific pattern to a crap one that was at the time not worth the 45 bucks ...


The hooks might be also , aa way of cutting costs , I have seen some seriously light split rings for one , on some lures . I have also made a habit of checking , and changing spilt rings and hooks , just after I have opened the fresh new lures .


I have a tendency like many other , to esharpen any hook on a lure , escpecially the new ones , lures and hooks )


So I think part of it , is this economy , exchange rates etc .
Went to a tackle shop the other day , a long time fav of mine , know the guys there well ect . But their prices have skyrocketed , to the extent , that I told the owner , what’s happening here ?


Last thing , have you tuned the EYE of the lure ? I am sort of familiar with the bins you can change and replace . But that eye , for your line , CAREFULLY , and not a lot at a time , Ben the eye to the opp side of what the lure is hanging too , so it’s hanging to the right , you bent the eye bit to the left , very lil it’s a delicate process , I also know some guys tweak the eye upwards or downwards , leave that and first try the left to right ...

[emjay]

Funny enough , I picked up an halco that must have been at sea , a long time , not so long ago .
The hooks was just the main sharf of the treble rusted completely , and the printed film , on the lure itself , was severely damaged , but on the bottom , you could still see parts of this film just clinging to the lure .


I wondered , how would other lures look , should it be exposed to salt sea and water for extended times in the water ... like weeks or even years ....


Never been a big halco fan , not out of any specific reason , but felt the above worth giving some , thought ....
Fishing has become increasingly expensive over the past few years .


I think companies , might or have cut corners , to save costs . The result are an inferior result product . ( not saying this is the case .)


I recall a thread not so long ago , about another lure manufacturer , that all off a sudden , had  quality issues ...


150 bucks for a lure these days , are cheap .


Remember the first rapala I bought that was over 40 bucks ( rapala rattle trap , crAwfish color , rapala discontinuing that specific pattern to a crap one that was at the time not worth the 45 bucks ...


The hooks might be also , aa way of cutting costs , I have seen some seriously light split rings for one , on some lures . I have also made a habit of checking , and changing spilt rings and hooks , just after I have opened the fresh new lures .


I have a tendency like many other , to esharpen any hook on a lure , escpecially the new ones , lures and hooks )


So I think part of it , is this economy , exchange rates etc .
Went to a tackle shop the other day , a long time fav of mine , know the guys there well ect . But their prices have skyrocketed , to the extent , that I told the owner , what’s happening here ?


Last thing , have you tuned the EYE of the lure ? I am sort of familiar with the bins you can change and replace . But that eye , for your line , CAREFULLY , and not a lot at a time , Ben the eye to the opp side of what the lure is hanging too , so it’s hanging to the right , you bent the eye bit to the left , very lil it’s a delicate process , I also know some guys tweak the eye upwards or downwards , leave that and first try the left to right ...

I didn't think about bending the eye. That's a good idea. I'll give that a go next time I'm out. If it doesn't work, well then all I can use these lures for are key hangers on my wall.... Wonder if I could shave just a tiny bit of the lip of the lure, like minute shavings to try get it to track straight. I used to bend the metal lips on the old rapalas so they would swim properly. Think shaving some plastic off the lip can achieve the same thing

[sardinella]

Next time tie on some Williamson speedpros, and catch more fish without lures jumping.

[dugong]

I always run them next to the boat for a few seconds and check they are tracking straight then tune them by bending the eye and on old Rapalas bend the lip.

[Lenny]

I think by maybe sanding or using a fine file , you might with error and trial get it right .
But should you not be able it might be worst off ...

[emjay]

Spoke to a salesman at Kingfisher about this problem. He said there's a flaw in the mould, which causes them to swim crap. Halco have apparently designed a new mould to replace these defective lures, so if you buy new Halcos, make sure its new stock

[Chigger]

Hmmm     ...they also released a batch that were repainted (red and white) over the slower selling colours, so the first fish peeled the red and white off and the old paint job was visible, the lure was scrap after that.

[FishStyx]

Hmmm     ...they also released a batch that were repainted (red and white) over the slower selling colours, so the first fish peeled the red and white off and the old paint job was visible, the lure was scrap after that.

   That's just cheap!!!

[John F]

Hmmm     ...they also released a batch that were repainted (red and white) over the slower selling colours, so the first fish peeled the red and white off and the old paint job was visible, the lure was scrap after that.

   That's just cheap!!!

Talk about killing a brand!!!! Stopped using halco (except Halco Max) a few years back over the same issue...

[Plugger]

Years to build a brand, one dumdass decision to kill it.