Tom S

Hey guys, I just built my first 2 jointed crankbaits with a 3 treble hook set up.I have always done 2 hooks in the past,and never had problems with the hooks scratching the sides of the bait before(actually wearing through to the wood).I have "T" ed' the hooks but still are scratching the sides of the bait.I am using Mustad 20 wide gap hooks short shank.What are the remedies for this problem.I am thinking I need to try and back out the screw eyes a little to get the hooks away from the belly?Any other ideas?Thanks in advance! Tom

Jed, I have added e-tex to a 8" Jake and was sure the bait was more buoyant after e-tex.It sounds crazy,and I am not really sure of this because it happened only once.I was thinking maybe it added more displacement than weight?Or sometimes e-tex will have some super fine air bubbles in it.Richoc mentioned that as well.Let us know what you find.I did test this once where I dripped mixed e-tex into a cup of water,and some drips would float on the surface for a while,and then slowly sink. Tom

Here is an idea that I have playing with for a while,but have not gotten very far due not having time for baits like I used to have(family stuff). One bait I have been looking at lately that does hunt is a J plug by Luhr Jensen.The reason I think it hunts is because of the line tie config..It has a bead chain line tie that runs through a hole in the bait that is twice the diameter of the chain.Wich means you cant tune this bait, it is constantly coming "un tuned"as the chain moves around inside the larger hole,and it will start running to one side and then the other side.With these baits they are speed sensitive,they will not run very fast.Most baits I have made that hunt, the speed where they blow out is ussually slower than a bait that just runs straight.For you guys that build through wire baits maybe making the holes in the lip for the wire a little bigger giving it a little "play" might work to help the baits "un tune".Hopefully this winter I will get time to try these hair brained ideas of mine. Tom

Finlander,the fishing has sucked! I am waiting for the water to cool before I even try again.If it cools down soon, you are welcome to come out and fishtest baits in my boat.Send a pm if you like.I can show you what my 15" bait runs like.I would add belly weight as the last resort,because it robs the bait of action.The heavier it is the slower the action will be.Do as much tweaking as you can with the line tie and lip,then add weight to get the running speed you want. Tom

Finlander, with those big baits especially flat sided they want to have a slow "lazy roll" action,thats just the way that shape acts.You need to make a few different lip sizes and shapes to see what works for your body style and size.You may want to try bending the bottom portion of the lip like a 13" Grandma and make it narrower.It sounds like your lip is too wide.I went through 8 different lips before I got one I was happy with.Try screwing the lips in or use small nails to hold in place instead of glueing, so you can swap them out while testing. Tom

It depends on where you fish and what you are after.But my advice is keep it simple to start,try copying an exsisting pattern that you know catches fish. Tom

I finally got to test this bait again,and it needed the lip heated up and bent down.Works fine now.Thanks again! Tom S.

You should ask that question in the fly tying forum,I;m sure they would have good ideas.Some fly patterns have rubber legs that can be in different thicknesses.I bought some rubber strips at the fly shop that can be cut to any width. Tom

Thanks again for all the replies! Unfortunatly I have not been on the water to try any of the remedies yet. Tom

Here is the place I buy my material from.Its polyurethane board,and comes in different densities,some float some dont.I use pro-lab 65 for all may baits that need accurate wieghting,like suspending crankbaits.It will be the same density and weight throughout the board.You should check them out,they also have stuff for you foamie guys and mold making materials too.The pro-lab 65 has a density of .65. BTW it is pricey to buy a whole board, but i figured it to be around $1.60 per 7" muskie sized bait. Tom S. http://www.axson-na.com/

Thanks for all the help guys. I will be trying some of the easier fixes first and see if it will go. Cheesehead, Sorry but I cant tell you what the eyes are made of yet.I am selling those. I am selling them to a very popular muskie bait maker in Mn. and another in Pa. You will see them at the Chicago show next year. I had researched getting a patent, but too much$$.So I got to keep quiet for now. Tom

Hey,another Michigan muskie guy! I would switch to a wood like cedar or honduras mahagony,I know there are others that will work,but those 2 woods I know do. I would also use epoxy or gorilla glue when putting in screw eyes to help hold and seal out moisture. Tom

Here is the front view of the same bait. Tom S.

I have this finished deep diving crank bait wannabe,and it does not run at all.It goes through the water like a jerk bait being reeled in.It has no wobble.I have made this same body style bait in shallow divers many times so I think its the lip angle or the tow eye placement because that is the only thing different.It is a good looking bait and I would like to salvage it, if someone has a suggestion on how to fix it or knows what the problem is.I attatched a photo( if I did it right)Thanks in advance. Tom S.

I use .500 dia. brass rod.Not as heavy as lead but very convienant and more accurate and easier to control precise weight.I also used smaller dia.'s for smaller baits. Tom

Finlander,we were talking about that saturday out in the boat.We were talking about making larger j-plugs and using wire for the hook harness.I have fished j-plugs for salmon before behind a ball.Do you think they would need to be run on a downrigger?My no name bait in the picture forum was an attempt to make a shad bait with a tight(j-plug style) wiggle.Well... it fell short.Actually its not at all like a j-plug.It ended up more like a snake swim action.LOL! If making baits was easy, it wouldnt be much fun! The face of the bait I made is flat,and maybe it should be concave?I think to get that action it will have to be cylinder shaped not shad shaped like mine.Back to the drawing board. Tom

Finlander, sorry on the late reply.The poly board I am using is pro lab 65 its modeling board used for making models and check fixtures.Its low density polyurethane so it still floats but is heavier than some woods.I get it from work (scrap) stuff.The stuff is pretty expensive to buy.If you want to try some I will give you some,I have a ton of the stuff!Kingfisher uses createx paints.He is the one that taught me to paint,very nice guy! I have ben using Rustoleum plastic primer when I do bare plastic baits.I have ben told that Kilz 2 water base will work on plastic also.You dont need to rough it up just make sure its clean then primer.After cleaning dont touch it with bare hands, fingerprints can cause a lot of problems!If you have any more questions send me an email through the MMA site. Tom

Finlander, I made the exact bait you are talking about.Look in the photo section and look at Walter.It is 15" long and is a Grandma fashion(knock off).I used 2 pre-cast lead weights 12" dia. about 34" long.I weighted it just so it sits up right in the water and just a little more so it can run a little faster and stay belly down.Try to keep the weight as low to the bottom of the bait as possible,you may have to go with 3 weights depending on wood type(buoyancy).I put the first weight 4" from the nose and the second weight 8" from the nose.I drilled the holes in from the bottom so they are vertical.I am using urethane poly board not wood, so you will need more lead than mine.Baits like these are a pain to make!Good luck! Tom

Is this the same Finlander from MMA? I see you are from MI. Are you talking about assembly or testing of a new bait? I ussually put the lead in the area of the bait with the most wood(belly) on a drop belly bait that is the lowest point on the bottom.That will get it to sit level in the water.If you are talking about a cylindrical bait then its a different story.What shape is the bait? Tom S.

Jed, that is very interesting.Here is a question I have as far as buoyancy goes.E-tex by itself does not float,but when its added to a bait, it makes the bait more buoyant.Has anyone else noticed this , or am I all wet?Is it because it adds more volume than weight? I have added a coat of e-tex to Jakes and they seem to rise to the surface much faster than before.I also had that problem while trying to make neutral buoyant baits,I get them weighted just right,then e-tex and now they are slow risers???? Tom

I had the same problem last year with large cranks.The taller the bait,the larger the lip needed to move it.Tall sided baits want to plane through the water and just go straight,especially flat sided baits.You could try a longer and narrower lip,but you will have a hard time getting a true tight wiggle.A cisco kid is the best example of a large tight wiggle bait I can think of.Try looking at those and fashion your baits with that profile in mind.You can get that style lip in larger sizes from Stamina and Rollie & Helens.Good luck.Let me know how it goes,I'm still chasing that action myself! Tom

Hey guys, I have a few finished baits that I want to repaint in different patterns,and was wondering what is the best primer for e-tex?Or can I just scuff it up with paper or scotch brite?I am using Createx paint.Is there such a thing as clear primer?That may be a dumb question.I have a few finished baits that I want to touch up and not totaly repaint.I know some guys are using e-tex as a sealer,so what are you using as a base coat?Thanks a bunch! Tom S.

Theres been a lot of talk about foil lately,so I thought I would mention this and see if anyone else has tried this stuff.I bought some chrome tape thats called Chrome Brite metallic tape in the auto.dept.This stuff looks like a pipe off a Harley.Cool stuff.I think it is actually metallic because it does not wrap around corners very well without wrinkling.I cleaned it with glass cleaner then painted it with createx and heat set it.It adhered pretty well.Is there any tricks to get this to wrap a contour without wrinkles?Probably the same problems as with foil only worse because its thicker? Tom

From what I learned last year,the baits that have a steeper lip angle,and the lip is farther forward on the bait almost even with tow eye or even past it have a better chance of "hunting""searching","wander" whatever you call it.Keeping the tow eye low seems to help also.You may need to add more balast weight to keep from blowing out.Baits that "Hunt" usually are speed sensitive and are on the verge of blowing out.I am still trying to get that action myself on a more consistant basis.Not all baits will do it.Thats the fun part!Look at Lokes,Wiley's,Terminators, those are all very good baits with this action,they have similarities in build. Tom S.

Glad you like them. Looking forward to getting your bait! Now if this stinkin ice would just melt life would be good again!LOL! I got some new toys for this summer! Tom