Skeeter

Here are a few things to consider: 1. Weight the bait to where the water line comes up over half of the baits height. 2. The speed at which a lure rises is personal preference. The main thing is that the bait is not so light that the lip does not go under the water while it is sitting still, and the bait will not spiral as it rises. 3. Throat weighting was started by a professional fisherman. I presume that you mean that the weight is either directly under the lip or behind it. The DT series by Rapala are weighted behind the lip slot. I have also seen baits that were weighted directly under the slot. Personally I don't care for this new way of weighting. Chest weighting is done differently and is an old tried and true metheod. The idea is to get the bait pointed downward while it is sitting still so that it digs at a steeper angle and reaches maximum depth faster. To do this right takes time and knowledge of the characteristics of the bait you are weighting. You don't want the bait to stand on its head or add too much weight where it will affect the action of the bait or cause it to sink. Even though baits are done this way, very few people REALLY know how to do this right. To do it right, it has to be done on a bait by bait basis. You will have to experiment and learn. The Z4 is a balsa bait. Balsa is very forgiving as far as weighting is concerned. There is probably a set ammount of weight that is put in each bait. Therefore, each bait will probably sit differently in the water. This is why some baits of the same type out perform others. I have never fished this bait so I really can't say that it is not done correctly. More than likely the weight is just epoxied in. I don't install my weight that way. But every bait that I have seen that is weighted is done that way except for the old Bagleys with the weight installed directly in the lip. Many of those don't sit properly. Plus the entire bait is too light. 4. Remember, the colder the water the denser it becomes. Some baits that work really well in the summer will slowly sink in cold water. Hardwood baits are the hardest to do. Skeeter

Get some fiberglass resin and mix up a small amount. Take a toothpick and put it in the scratch. Place a piece of scotch tape over the scratch and let the resin set and dry. Remove the tape and there you are. Skeeter

I use allot of acrylic lacquer also. But what is alchol paint? I have never heard of it. Skeeter

Good luck Chirmy. I hope all goes your way. There is something about tournament fishing. The excitement that you get from it is something very special. God willing, I will be able to enjoy that feeling for a long time. Now go and kick some butt. Skeeter

B&B, Some of have known each other for years. We started by sharing with each other almost 4 years ago. There is allot of tallent on this site. People can't learn if you keep a ton of secrets. I'm sure that each of us has something that we keep under our hat, but for the most part we all share with each other. I hope that you join us. I personally don't worry about someone finding something out about my baits. The bottom line is that they will have to spend a fair ammount of time to make one. They will have to have allot of patience to make 1. They will have to have even more to make 50, and they will have to have even more to make 3000. You have to love it to be that dedicated. I have seen many new people on this site join just to find out shortcuts to producing allot of baits so that they can sell them. They don't last long. It's just too much work. We are all looking forward to sharing information with you. Welcome. Skeeter

I am a firm believer in using either factory lubricants or any of the Rocket Fuel products for these reels. I haven't used the Rocket Fuel, but everyone praises it. I haven't tried the 1500sf. If I am not mistaken it was built on the 200 frame. I believe it is a little larger. The MG from what I have read casts the same as the 1000. Everyone says they notice the weight difference. But it is not worth the extra 60 to 75 bucks to me just to loose the weight. Skeeter

Sounds good to me Tally. I just wish they had it in a regular can. I would rather shoot it through an airbrush. But, it won't hurt to try it. Skeeter

When I get into the shop to do some heavy shaping and such I always where a respirator. If you find yourself with a sore throat after working with wood then you need to start wearing one. Paper masks don't cut it. Skeeter

I believe what the guy was talking about was white cedar. This is what Poes made their lures out of. I don't know about all cedar but white cedar has an oil to it. ( The oil is said to be toxic ). Kiln drying removes the majority of this oil from the wood. This is what caused the Poes cracking problem years ago. After the company was sold the new owners ordered cedar. It was not kiln dried. They made the baits and painted them. Over the course of a year the oil started to rise up out of the wood and caused the paint and some clearcoat to crack. Some really looked like a spider web. You can still find these baits around. Anyway, Coley is right about the fence cedar. Stay away from it. I have read that you can soak the cedar in mineral spirits for about an hour or so and it will remove the oil. I have been told that you can see the oil on the bottom after soaking. However, they also said that it makes the wood extremely hard. It is a problem working with the wood after this type of treatment. Most board lumber from lumber yards or companies is kiln dried. If you deal with a saw mill, then the wood has probably not been kiln dried. Skeeter

OK fellas, I am starting to get the picture. But this is what I am digging for. I was given a white undercoat by some guy years ago. I shot it through the airbrush. It thinned 4 to 1. It shot beautifully and thick. You could shoot 2 coats and you had a nice layer ready for finish sanding. It sanded like chalk. Just a few hits with light sand paper and the surface was like a babys butt. Paint flowed onto it real well and the results were great. I talked to another person on this site trying to find something like it. They gave me a recommendation but I can't get it here in town. The only problem with the original stuff that I shot was that it sure used up in a hurry. You could fill a 2 oz. jar and it would empty fast. But boy was the finished surface great. Does this sound like the white sandable lacquer primer that you are talking about? I don't think that I want to dip the lure. I have done that before and it sure lays a real thick coating on the bait. A little too much for me. Skeeter

Tally, The Calcutta is definitely worth every penny. They are solid reels that stand up through time. Their performance throughout the years is well known. If you are satisfied with your casting distance, I wouldn't change. You don't need 10 bearings to have good performance from a reel. Mine only has 4. But, you might try playing with your spool adjustment. Also keep the reels lubed properly and they should deliver. Like the old saying goes.... "If it aint broke, don't fix it" Skeeter

Thanks Terry, Is it a lacquer based primer? Can you get it in a quart and if so how much? Skeeter

To be honest Coley, I can't see a reason to have to throw a bait 85 yds. I guess the real point is that if you do enough deep crankbait fishing, you don't have to worry about your equipment being able to deliver a long enough cast to get good depth out of the lure. Skeeter

Terry, Does the white auto primer spray thick and sand well? If so what brand do you suggest? Skeeter

Nathan, Regardless of what anyone tells you...... Humble Pie does not taste good!! Skeeter

FF, GREAT to see ya back!!!!!! Missed ya. So glad you and your beautiful little girl are getting back on track. My oldest son and his wife brought the first baby girl into the family last month. So now I am a grandpa. So I understand the happiness these little cuties can bring. But one word of warning....... Don't let her model the TU tee shirts when she gets older. Too many wolves on this site. Once again...... WELCOME HOME !!!!!! Skeeter

High Performance Reels About eighteen months ago I was on an internet bulletin board doing a little surfing when I came across a batch of posts about high performance reels. As I read the posts I became fascinated with all of the technical data that these guys were talking about. They had some links in the posts and I went to them. After cruising through these sites I found one that seemed to have it all. The site was www.japantackle.com A fellow by the name of Jun runs the site. I began reading through the articles that Jun has written and I was just blown away by all of the technical data on so many different reels. Reels that I had never heard of and have never seen. There were breakdowns and comparisons of different breaking systems, spools, bearings, and different materials that are used to make them. page_break I decided I had to try one of these reels. But which reel should I choose? The prices on these things are enough to give the workingman a heart attack. I started reading everything that I could get my hands on about the individual reels. I read on how different components, such as bearings, are made. Then it was a study on the different materials that are used to make the components. The result was eight months of reading and parsing through more data than I have ever done in my life. I learned more about titanium and magnesium than I cared to. I learned about physics with topics that included terms like the ?moment of inertia? and mathematics with gear ratios. Then it was charts and graphs on casting distance vs. breaking systems vs. spool weight vs. clutch systems and on and on. By the time I was done I felt like I should have been awarded an honorary engineering degree. I chose to buy a Shimano Scorpion 1000. I went on line and ordered the reel. I watched the minute hand on the clock in my den until it was delivered. It was a beautiful piece and I couldn?t wait to get on the water and try it. I adjusted the reel like I have done all of my reels in the past. I got out on the water and got to one of my favorite cranking spots. I picked up my cranking rod with the new reel and made the first cast with my new equipment. The result was a balled reel. I sat down on the front deck of my boat and picked out the birds nest. It was a beauty. When I was done I made another adjustment to the reel and made another cast. Balled it again, and again, and again. I was really getting upset with this thing. I had made all kinds of adjustments to the reel and I could not seem to throw it. I finally adjusted the reel so tight that the large crankbait that I had on the end of the line would not even drop once the clutch was disengaged. All of the braking pins were on. I was going to give this reel one more shot before I put it down and picked up old faithful for the remainder of the day. I had spent more than an hour trying to make one good cast. I stood up and made the cast. The lure sailed farther than any cast I had ever made. I mean this sucker was headed to the moon. It probably would have made it if I hadn?t had my thumb all over the spool during the cast. I threw the reel for about another hour and went back to my usual reel for the remainder of the day. During that hour I was getting the hang of the new reel, but I was still having my problems. With all of this said, it took me about 5 trips in the boat to learn how to throw this reel with some proficiency. I have been throwing casting reels for over 16 years and have never had this much difficulty with anything. This reel was HOT!!!! After using the reel for quite some time I have learned how to cast with it. But it was a real patience game. So the question is if this purchase was really worth it. Do these reels really live up to the hype. My Scorpion has advantages and disadvantages. I assume that other high performance reels have similar attributes. I will list both the advantages and disadvantages that I have experienced below. Advantages: 1. Extremely well constructed ? Everything on my Scorpion is well made. The frame and components all fit well. Everything is tight with close tolerances. All of the moving parts are smooth and the components perform extremely well. These reels are very tough and durable. 2. Light weight - My reel weighs 8.2 oz. When matched with a light rod, it is easy to throw all day. Some of these reels get down to 5.7 oz. This is extremely light. Most reels that are this light are made from magnesium. Matched with a light rod it is like holding a feather. This can be a big advantage for those who experience pain from arthritis, bursitis, and other problems. It really does make a huge difference on the pain factor during and after a day of fishing. 3. Performance ? There is no comparison. These reels will throw much farther with less effort than anything I have thrown. They are smooth as silk. For flippers and pitchers I feel this type of reel is a must. My pitching accuracy improved tremendously with every type of bait conceivable. Even with weights of 1/8 of an ounce, my flipping and pitching distance greatly increased with little effort. I no longer have to work for that long pitch and I am no longer splashing baits on entry. My longest cast with a crankbait has been 85 yards. I could have gone longer, but I emptied the spool of 12 lb. line. Most of these reels are very small and compact. They fit extremely well in the palm of your hand. Your grip on your whole outfit as you palm the reel is greatly increased along with the accuracy of your casting. Even though most of these reels are very small, their cranking power is tremendous. 4. Dependability ? I have never had a failure of a component or a function. The clutch always engages and disengages with no failure. Nothing slips and nothing fails. Everything is tight and solid. Disadvantages: 1. The reels are high maintenance - The components such as bearings, gears, etc. are high performance parts. Lubrication of these parts with either factory or specialized lubricants are recommended. You have to be handy with reels to maintain them. They require lubrication more often than normal reels. Normally I lubricate things like bearings and spool shafts after 24 hours of use. I clean and grease gears, pinion gears and level wind gears every two months with factory lubricants. Usually only one drop of oil on these parts is all that is needed. More than that decreases the performance of the reel. 2. Documentation ? most of these reels are from Japan. Therefore, the instructions are in Japanese. You can usually find English versions of instructions and schematic breakdowns of the reels on the internet. 3. Service and Parts ? There are only a couple of places that I know of in the U.S. that service these reels. You should really know how to service your own reel. Otherwise it can get tedious and expensive to get it done. Parts are usually not available in the U.S. Most dealers that sell these reels will take care of getting parts to you. This is something that you need to verify with the dealer before you buy. The parts for these reels are shipped from Japan. Very few of these reels have American versions of the reels that parts will interchange with. The turn around time on orders with the vendors is really pretty fast. Normally a part can be shipped to your door within 3 to 5 working days. 4. Practice required ? At least for me there was a big learning curve. It took allot of practice and patience for me to become proficient with my reel. My Scorpion was so sensitive that I had to learn to make adjustments to the reel even throughout the day to maintain peak performance. If you are fishing and it is calm and then comes a prolonged period of wind you will have to make adjustments to the reel or you will spend the day picking line. After you have done this for awhile you will be able to make those adjustments very quickly. It is not as bad as it sounds, but you will need to take the time and have the patience to learn how to do it. I feel that one of these reels would make a good choice for someone that needs to do long distance casting, especially crankbait lovers. It is an excellent choice for the flippers and pitchers. Using one of these reels for the above specialties is a large asset. Also if you are into light line and light lures, these reels will perform well. These reels are the ticket for folks that would like to use a bait caster instead of a spinning reel for tactics such as drop shoting. These reels will handle anything from 6 to 20lb. test with ease. If the majority of your fishing is done in close and with short distances then I feel one of these reels would be a waste of money. There are plenty of well made reels on the market that handle that style of fishing. The price is allot better also. If you are thinking about buying one of these reels and have concerns or questions that were not covered in this article then leave me a post under this article or drop me an email and I will be glad to answer you. If I don?t have the answer to your question then I will get it for you. Skeeter

I know what you mean. When he first brought the idea up and I saw the first pictures it did something to my lateral line also. Skeeter

Don't let Coley fool you guys. He has had more ideas in the past year than I have ever had about ways to do crankbaits. The cedar balsa deal was one of the most innovative things I have ever seen or heard of. He is constantly thinking and making it happen. (I think it is that TN. moonshine). I started out as the teacher with Coley and ended up the student. Follow what he tells you and you can not go wrong. I mean that sincerely. Skeeter

I just want to take the time to thank you both for donating your time to the site. We need good moderators and Red needs the help. This is a worthy site and if you ever need my assistance, please ask. Thanks again. Skeeter

I have talked to some that have used the FC. I would give it a try if you want. I know of one professional baitmaker that uses it on everything. I believe that it does have UV protection, if that is a factor to you. But I don't think that it is as hard as Devcon. Heck, it has been protecting rods forever. Skeeter

I had a friend of mine that use to make baits for a living. He did the same thing with the flat baits. His jig would hold 6 at one time. His lips were injected and the ends were all 1/8. His blade was exactly 1/8 wide. The lips fit perfectly every time. But I have never seen one for round baits. Do you do them the same way? Skeeter

OK Herman, Here comes the dumb question. How do you cut your lip slots without messing up those beautiful paint jobs. I mean...... correct me if I am wrong..... but they are already clearcoated also aren't they? Skeeter

Catching Concepts, Very informative. Good post. Thanks for sharing it with us. Skeeter

Don't modify the lip by cutting it. Just leave it or change it out. If you have ideas then get some balsa and make your own. Does anyone know of a way to remove the lip out of one of these lures without cutting? I know that for the past 20 years they have used hot glue to put in the lips. Did they do that in the earlier ones also? How can you get the lip out cleanly? Skeeter