Bterrill Posted May 9, 2008 Report Share Posted May 9, 2008 Made up some 1/8 oz double counter rotating bladed buzzbaits this winter with 2/0 Owner spinnerbait hook (ouch). The mold design was the flat minnow head design 1/8 and 1/4. A local sells great 1/8 oz round minnow head Buzzbaits but they has somewhat dull eagle claw mustad spinnerbait hooks. So we ventured out and made our own because he was going to stop building them. We'd caught hundreds of Smallmouth on these baits, couldn't fathom not being able to throw them. Problem: Ours cast like crap. On comparison, his 1/8th head seems almost twice as big! How can I add weight to buzzbait to get it rattling again. I fish alot of shallow clear streams and need to be able to reach out and touch. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeves Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 The first thing I would do is to weigh his and compare it to your weight. The one main variable in casting is the weight. Sounds like his is heavier while claiming to be lighter. Just my thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagacious Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 ...Sounds like his is heavier while claiming to be lighter. ... That just may be... Can you post a pic of your bait, so we can see the head, blades, and skirt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 Geez George, Spoken like the true professional you are. I'm heading to Wisconsin the end of this month and I can't wait to find a big musky to hang by that spinner of yours. I agree with George's assessment, I'd weigh both his and your's to find out who is closest to the 1/8 oz. You should be able to add weight by wrapping some lead wire like fly tiers use or a small clam weight near the head. You may need to trade for a larger mold. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimcline Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 If you truly like the setup of your bait and don't want to go larger you might try just throwing on a spinning rod. I make and fish the same size baits although with regular blades and use them on the spinning rod. Just a thought. JIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-A-Pike Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 I'd like to see a photo just to make sure I'm envisioning this spinner correctly ~ Please... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeves Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 Bterrill, I agree with the others, a picture would sure help analyze the problem. Another way to add weight to a lure is with the use of solder. I carry some in my hook container and will add a wrap or two when extra weight is needed. Bruce, you are committed now, bring back pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bterrill Posted May 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bterrill Posted May 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 (edited) Ok, that's his, I believe the heads were purchased at Barlow's or somewhere. Eagle claw hook. Mine looks exactly the same from the Do-it Molds- except the head is slightly smaller and flater. An I threw on a 2/0 Owner Spinner bait hook. Sorry for the delay, got sidetracked. I do throw on a 6' 9" ML Spinning rod with 15/4 Power pro. I did wrap lead wire behind the head,didn't see enough improvement there. Crimped on a splitshot, of course that may fall off. Edited May 13, 2008 by Bterrill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeves Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 bterrill, First off, that is a nice looking little buzzbait and thanks for posting it. I wish you had taken a photo of yours beside it for comparison as you said his head appears twice as big. Without seeing them together to be able to compare, I will touch on a couple of other items to question. His blades appear to be painted aluminum. Correct? And are yours? I have some Owner 2/0 SB hooks - RED. Now they to me feel very light, like they are not made of steel, but some alloy. I don't have any nickel or bronze to compare, only these RED ones. Is this the hook you used? If so, that may be part of your weight problem because that Eagle Claw is going to be heavier by a bunch. Now back to the head. Still need to weigh to see if any difference exists and how much. If you don't have a gram/oz scale, take them to your Post Office, those folks will be glad to set them on theirs for you. Hang in there, someone here will solve it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagacious Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hard to tell for sure without a comparison pic of your bait, but that looks more like a 3/8oz head, instead of an 1/8oz head. If so, that's a big difference-- a 1/4oz difference-- and enough to cause a noticeable decrease in casting distance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Bait Co. Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Could the problem be from two diffrent type of leads being used. (Example) His pure lead They oringial 50/50 mix. Like the Tru-Tungsten buzzbaits I use are smaller than lead one's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bterrill Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Guys, I comparewd one of his to one of our 1/4 oz buzzers and the heads were the same size. He was telling us 1/4 was 1/8 and 3/8 was 1/4. Wished I had known that before we made up about 100! So that part is solved. How can I get the weight up? BTW the bait is 3.5" long and .75" high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagacious Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Guys, I comparewd one of his to one of our 1/4 oz buzzers and the heads were the same size. He was telling us 1/4 was 1/8 and 3/8 was 1/4. Wished I had known that before we made up about 100!So that part is solved. How can I get the weight up? ... That's what I figured. He probably forgot/mis-remembered the actual weight. Well at least there's some good news: you don't have to buy a new mold. Your mold will pour 1/4oz baits. I'm not aware of any really good way to increase the weight of the ones you poured, but that also depends on the quality and finish you expect from your baits. Maybe someone can provide an answer on how to increase the weight. If you're really careful, you can heat the heads with a propane torch and melt the lead off. This does require a fair amount of skill, as you can easily destroy the hook temper if you're not very careful-- but it is possible. A better option may be to see if you can sell (or trade/barter) the baits to a local store, or sell some to friends and save a few for yourself. Tacklemaking is like everything else in life-- live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeves Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 I knew the answer was too simple to be so complicated. Glad the mystery is solved though. I think that most of the obvious solutions to adding extra weight to the bait have already been mentioned. Being small in size makes it a little more difficult to easily address. One thing that wasn't mentioned was the stick on dots used on cranks. My thinking is you want the weight on the head of the bait rather than the hook to give you better castability and the dots would provide that as a solution. Let us know your results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bterrill Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Suspend dots. How much weight can they add? Seem to remember these being pricey. ISA there a cheaper way. Got about 100 baits that will need this done to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reeves Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 This kept replaying in my mind while at work this morning. If you don't mind putting a little more time into the baits, how does this sound for a solution. Using a slip sinker (those little cone bullet shaped ones), drill out the line hole to match the size wire on your buzzbait. With a dremel cutting disc, make a slot in the side from front to back of the slip sinker. Pry it carefully open with a flat bladed screw driver and slip it on the wire ahead of the lead body. Crimp it around the wire when you have the sinker snug to the nose of the lead head. Is this not a cloudy picture I am painting? This then could be mashed to match the shape of the buzz head and painted. A drop or two of super glue between the two wouldn't hurt either to keep the sinker from sliding on the wire after a lot of use. You could experiment with the size weight of sinker to use for your best results. I know this is genuine back-yard engineering, but could be the cheapest and quickest way to salvage your winter's work. Oh yeah, it may not be the prettiest buzzbait when done, but those fish don't really care. Let us know your results and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LedHed Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Probably easier to re-pour the 100 with a high concentration of tin.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bterrill Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 That's a really good idea, Reeves. Though as labour intensive as just redoing the things. If I remelt them with propane torch, what precautions should I take on not damaging the hook and forms? They have been powder painted. Then, with the blades already on, could they be damaged in the oven curing? BTW, you guys have been great with the advice, thanks a bunch. *tilts beer* Lesson learned: test lure fully before making 100! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagacious Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 (edited) ...If I remelt them with propane torch, what precautions should I take on not damaging the hook and forms? They have been powder painted. You cannot melt the lead with powder paint on there. If the paint is cured, then the bait is done and cannot be undone. If the powder paint hasn't been cured, you should be able to whack 'em with a hammer and the paint will chip/flake off. You want all the paint off. Melting the lead with a torch needs to go fast and smoothly. Heat the lead with a strong flame, but not so large that the flames hit the hook or frame. Set the torch on it's base so your hands are free. Hold the bait in your hands so you can make sure the hook stays cool enough to touch (use common sense and be careful). When the lead just starts to melt, bend the hook and frame to break them free of the softened lead. Once separate, don't heat any more-- and the general idea is to heat just enough, but not too much. Once cooled-down, clean the remaining lead from the frame and hook with some snips and/or pliers. It should come off fairly easy. The wire frame and the hook shouldn't get hot to the touch. If you want to be extra sure your hooks don't get de-tempered, hold the hook with a damp (not dripping) rag. If the hook gets hot, the water will cool it down. If you get steam, you're taking too long to melt the lead-- which is what you want to avoid anyway. The same goes for the wire frame, you don't want to get that very hot either. This is workeable, and safe (provided you use common sense), but you should probably plan on ruining a few before you get the hang of it. Losing a few hooks & frames won't matter. Then, with the blades already on, could they be damaged in the oven curing?... Maybe. I wouldn't bake the blades. Nickel blades may darken or discolor with heating, and many other blades have a anti-tarnish laquer finish that may be damaged by heat. Lesson learned: test lure fully before making 100! Yeah, lol! It may take a little time to dismantle your baits and recover your components to make new baits. Making your own gear is an investment in time, and quickest way, as my father would say, is "Measure twice, cut once!" Hope this helps, be careful and good luck! Edited May 14, 2008 by sagacious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bterrill Posted May 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2008 You cannot melt the lead with powder paint on there. If the paint is cured, then the bait is done and cannot be undone. Suspend dots it is! Thanks again fellas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
