bass100

I have tried every combination for the blades in my test tank and this is the one that has the best action for me. One blade on the front and the blade nose dives quickly which I didn't like. Yes the blade does get hung up in the hook from time to time but it doesn't bother anything. It doesn't change the action or the hook up ability. The way it is set up right now when I stop the bait it sinks level. I am by far no expert on this I have just been experimenting with it for a while. Thanks Mark. I have been painting that color for a while and it has won me and a few others a couple bucks.

Believe it or not Mark you were my biggest inspiration. I kept seeing the baits you made and I decided to look into it. Everytime you posted about your PVC baits I would research a little more. Thanks.

Thanks Ben. I am fortunate that I have all the tools needed to make the build easy. 6 months ago I sold all of my plastics and lead stuff off in one lot. Most of it was from when I had the business and I wasn't finding it fun or challenging anymore (the nice thing is I still have access to all of it). So I have been focusing more on airbrushing and now building swimbaits.

I know this has nothing to do with the crankbait but I have not put the blades on a crank but I have used the same blades on my jerkbaits for almost 2 years now with mixed results. You have to put a blade on every hook or the bait will nose dive or tail dive quickly. They look great in the water but it requires a fast cadence or the bait will sink to quickly. I modified them strictly for the shad spawn in crystal clear water. Here is a pic.

I heat my D2T while it is still in their tubes with a hair dryer first then I push out the epoxy and start mixing. This gets the epoxy real thin and it mixes very easy and it is so thin that the bubbles pop.

Forgot to mention this is a PVC bait.

I used a standard hinge pin for my joint. Yes, just plain old paint brush fibers. Being the first one I don't plan on it swimming very well. My experience is with soft swimbaits and not hard ones so I have alot to learn but I am OK with that because they sure are fun to build.

Yes you can make your own RTV mold for lead. I have several. They are very easy to make. It is very easy to add a barb to just about any mold that has a hook but it is a wire barb and not a lead barb. Simply cut a slot the size of the wire you want beside your hook slot in your mold. Put a small bend on the end of the wire that goes in to the head of your bait and then bend the other end out away from your hook. You can make the length of the barb as long as you want. You can add 2 barbs if you want. It takes less than 5 minutes to modify a cavity for a wire barb. Here is a pic of a bait with a wire barb.

I have just completed my first swimbait build and I just wanted to say thanks to everyone on TU. I have never hand carved anything so I am happy with my first bait. It is 7 3/4 inches long and weighs 4 ounces. I don't know how well it swims as our water is hard here. I have a 75 gallon tank that I tune cranks in but it is by far not big enough to test this bait. I made several mistakes but the next build should go alot smoother. I have done just about everything in luremaking and I think I have found my true addiction.

I just checked my bait that has had 2 different brands of plastics on it for the last day and a half and there is no problems.

Do you know whose worms they are. The reason I ask is because I am in PA and have sold thousands of baits in that color over the years and if they are mine I will give you the recipe.

I use to have a swimbait mold from Lurecraft that I pourerd out of between 1000 and 1500 times before I sold the mold to a local guy and he is still pouring from it. I have never wore one out. That being said I also took care of my molds. I cleaned them after every use and wiped the cavities down with worm oil before I put them away.

The original question was about Barlow's new "Y" weed guards and when someone has used them please post their results here as I agree with smalljaw about the wire weed guards and wood and would like to know how these work.

Thanks Mark.

How did the test go?

Very well said.

I use to thin with pledge and water but now I just use water.

I just use a dremel and various bits.

Yes, it is for the middle swing jig in the pic.

troutbum2live - if you can still put your fingernail in it then it is not cured. I put mine in a hot box because it is cold here and it takes about 4 days before I can't put my fingernail in it. Hope this helps.

For those that have been asking, here is how I make them: These are my personal directions for me to use with the tools that I have so you will have to make the directions fit the tools that you have.

http://www.smileyme.com/bulk-feathers-craft-feathers-wholesale-feathers.asp

If you are willing to spend the time you can polish the inside of your cavities. I use a dremel and the stone bits. Once the cavity is smooth you will not have any more sticking problems. I have never used any mold release spray because I polish my cavities but there are many that like it.

Yes, they are for bass. I use them with these 2 worms. http://www.basstackle.com/product_p/136-1-2.htm http://www.basstackle.com/product_p/135-1-2.htm They work great on the swing jig.

You can make your own clips so that you can change the hooks out. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/27192-do-it-football-swimming-jigs-very-unhappy-with-this-mold/?hl=%2Bswing+%2Bjig I use alot of different size hooks on mine including a 7/0 and 11/0 for 12" to 17" worms and it works great.