Two new ones

Hey Mark,

Like the shape of that glider. How did you weight it, location and amount? Also curious if you ran it without the tail, just a plain treble and if what it did to the action? The bluegill turned out nice, I bet it swims fine. Good luck.

bob,

The glider has four grams just ahead of the middle hook hanger, and another two just behind it.

I float tested it until it sat horizontal, with just the front half out of the water, like a croc. I had the trebles on, and hung 1/8 oz egg sinkers from the tines until I got the float I wanted (2 egg sinkers on the middle hook). Since the tail section is thinner, it's less buoyant than the front, so it sits a little lower anyway. But I wanted to be sure the center of gravity was just behind the mid point, so it would walk.

I didn't try it without the flashaboo tail hook. It walked so well with it out of the chute that I never even thought about changing it out. I had a pair of scissors in the boat in case I needed to trim it down, but it walked and glided fine, so I left it alone. The white scheme is a low light/dirty water scheme, so I wanted the chartruese tail for additional flash and attraction. I'm glad I could leave it.

It's almost an ounce lighter than my other gliders, which were 6 1/2" and made from douglas fir.

I made this one thinner top to bottom, so there's less lure in the water, and it's easier to walk. But it still glides fine, a foot or so on each pull.

I'll find out how the bluegill swims tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

that bluegill looks sweet!!! I really like the smaller swimbaits vs the giant ones now. Knowing all the swimbaits that you have made i bet it will swim just fine:)

Goodluck, Jacob

Thanks Jacob. We'll see tomorrow. It's post spawn down here in SoCal, and the bluegill are on the beds, so, I hope, the bass will be eating them. And their own fry. And the shad, which are moving back into the coves to spawn.

All in all, it's been a really good bite the last couple of weeks. No really big fish, but lots of keepers.

I just hope the lightning goes away before tomorrow morning. I don't want to wind up a piece of toast!

Nice lures , Mark , both are quite inspiring to me , also due to your further describtions:yes: .

I really like that glider's shape:yes: !

Good luck with them tomorrow ,........greetz , Dieter:yay:

Thanks Dieter.

It should be a good bite tomorrow. Rainy weather makes the fish bite.

Mark, those look awesome. I especially love the bluegill. Man you are like a machine, pump-in those things out & able to fish. I'm kinda jealous. Let us know how you did with the swim tests.

Tim

Mark, don't know anything about gliders but it is a nice looking bait. Now your little blue gill, that is really sharp. I admire the smaller jointed baits. I suppose that your hinge is pin and screw eyes. That is really a nice clean joint, really makes the lure look professional. The tail piece is a good idea and a good use for those extra plano dividers. Like the colors on this one two. Dang, thats a good looking lure. First class all the way.

John

Thanks for the kind words guys.

I'm on my way out the door to go to the lake.

Fingers crossed!

Well, how did it do?

Report on the 4" bluegill.

Good new, bad news.

The good news, it casts and swims, and it looks great in the water.

The bad news, it swims in a big S pattern, not with the wiggling tail I wanted.

The head section moves from side to side as much as the tail, so the lure goes from bent like a C in one direction to bent like a C in the other.

I think I should have put the ballast in the head section farther forward, toward the nose, to try and stabilize the head more, but the lure is so small it's hard to put ballast where I want it, instead of where it fits in. The PVC body is only 2 3/4"

I've never made a two piece or fished on without a bill that didn't swim poorly, so I don't know why I should be surprised. Even the Jackall Giron, which I was thinking of when I made this one, swam poorly. I've always added bills to correct this, but I had hoped that this one might swim differently. I had grooved the forehead like a rattle trap to try and give it a diving plane and to try and stabilize the head, like the chines on a boat hull.

I also found out it is a very slow sink when I throw it with 10lb fluorocarbon. A foot a minute, so it still wakes at moderate speeds, or with the rod held high. And it's stable, so it doesn't roll, no matter how fast I burn it.

And, if I'm not too radical, it will turn 180 degrees on the pause, without fouling. But working it like a jerkbait is certain fouling of the hook and line.

I'll leave it as is, and make another.

But the glider shines.

I'll probably start shaping a couple more gliders today, and cut out another bluegill. I'm just wondering how I can weight it differently, or make the tail a third section, using the double O ring method I've seen here.

Decisions, decisions.