Crazy Joe Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snax Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Me too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Joe Posted March 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Don't know what happened, but I did have more to say than "I". I have been looking around the TU web site for quite a while now thanks to whittler who told me about the site. The swim baits that some of you are making are amazing. I thought I would have to try my hand at some as well. I really did enjoy the process of making them. I have posted my first 2 in the gallery. I have read all that I can ( I think) and have learned a lot from the site. I learned even more with the post from A-Mac and put some of the lessons to practice. But, I am still drawing a blank. I like to be creative and make them look nice, but if they don't work, they might as well be wall mounts. I am encouraged by the help that many of you have given others, and hope that you may be able to give me any advice on the 2 of my baits. The bait making bug has bitten me hard. Thank to all here at TU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadawgs Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 try moving your weight around untill they swim right.make sure your joints move smoothly. I like to use two screw eyes per hinge . and don't worry about making them look so good until they swim right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadawgs Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 oh yeah, remember if the head swims the body should follow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Joe Posted March 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 So, should you test run the head of the bait first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 I've found that the whole bait needs to be tested to really find out how it swims. I shape it, seal it, hinge it, and weight it, checking how it floats in a 5 gallon bucket of water in my garage. I use split shots to adjust the weight, both for quantity and location. I can pinch them onto the hooks to get both the weight and floatation right before I drill and epoxy them in. Then I go to a local pond and test it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Mac Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Catatafish looks wicked~ It looks like it should work. However, I just completed my bluegill swimbait (successfully) and came across some simple issues that may help. Make sure your hinges are clean and don't have any tension on the bait itself! There can be epoxy/ glue residues preventing wobble. I realized that if any of the hinges are clogged, the bait will not get into a sequence and will swim straight. However, I haven't messed with any other head designs and I'm relatively new to the engineering portion. I speak from guess in test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Joe Posted March 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Guess and test is all I know how to do. I haven't been able to test it out in a large body of water. I only have tried it in a large fish tank. Hopefully I will be able to use the swimming pool at the local highschool, or just wait untill this crazy Indiana weather breaks! Another 6-10 tonight into Sat. When will it end, I NEED to go fishing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
