too much head shake?

[bigbass101]

Im building 2 and 3 joint wake baits(similar to a triple trout) but in more realistic colors. anyways I semm to get alot of left to right head shake instead of just mid body and tail do you guys have any ideas?

[boomah21]

can you show a picture of the bait you are making? How do you have it weighted?

[bigbass101]

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=66420656&albumID=2261582&imageID=34637081

here it is I have it belly weighted

Edited September 14, 2008 by bigbass101

[carpholeo]

The head section is too short and the tail section is too long, make another joint in the middle of the tail section and it should be ok.

[boomah21]

I agree....also from this angle it looks like your joints are a little close. (could just be the pic)

Also for weighting I personally only weight in the 1st 2 sections with 65-75% of the weight being in the 1st section (I found this to really help the bait do a 180 and 360 degree turns when twitched)

Edited September 15, 2008 by boomah21

[mark poulson]

I've found that, in two joint baits, the farther forward the front section is weighted, the less the head wobbles. I use weighted hook hangers, and the second hanger is in the front part of the last section, but that doesn't affect the action. I get a flag flapping action from two section baits.

In three joint baits, I never weight the last section, and the head seems to be more stable because of the extra section.

My rear hook hanger is in the back of the third section.

I get a pronounced S shaped snakelike swimming action with three section baits.

This is what I've learned through trial and error.

I have no idea why it's true.

[bigbass101]

how do you guys decide how big to make each section? 1st being the biggest then smaller from there? Ive built a few others and there all wake baits and they swim good the large 4 section seems like it swims too much?

thanks for all the help. I would like to eventually sell these if i ever get a body shape and weight system that works. keep all the info coming!

Edited September 15, 2008 by bigbass101

[mark poulson]

I don't think there's such a thing as too much swim action.

A wildly swimming swimbait looks like a panicked baitfish or trout.

As for weighting, I just looked at the successful lures that are available commercially, tried to make my section divisions similar, and use their hook hanger locations as my guide.

I use weighted hook hangers, so I've already got 1/8oz ballast weight per hook hanger, and then just add weight near those points until I get the lure to sit in the water the way I want it. Basically, that's horizontal, either sinking or floating.

I don't know if there's a formula for it. Mostly, I think it's trial and error.

One tip is, don't do a final paint scheme and topcoat until you're really happy with how the lure swims. Seal, weight, prime, and test.

I've had lures that I finished completely, without a thorough testing first, hanging over my bench for years, laughing at me, and it's taken me a lot of will power to finally strip all the finish off and rework them.

Save yourself the angst, and test well first.

[carpholeo]

When deciding where to make my joints I use the 40/60 rule, which is the first section will be 40% of the baits entire length, and the remaing 60% can be divided up into two or three more sections, with the tail section being the shortest.

[mark poulson]

carpholeo,

I just went to the gallery to check the proportions of the baits I posted there.

My 4 1/2" wooden body (6" overall with the plastic tail) 3 part baits seem to be divided in a 1/1/1 ratio.

My 6 1/2" (8" overall) and and my 8 1/2" (10 inch overall) 4 part baits seem to be divided in a 2/1/1/1 ratio.

Not sure why, except that the 10" was my first jointed bait, so I used that ratio, scaled down for the 8".

I drew the 2/1/1 ratio on my 6" bait after it was outlined, but before it was cut, and saw I would have trouble getting hinges and weighting in the sections if I made them that small, so I went to the 1/1/1 ratio, and it worked.

I've caught fish on all of them, so I know the ratio isn't that important.

But I do think that the bigger the head, and the farther forward the weight in it is distributed, the more stable it will be. I start with the weighted hook hanger as far back in the head as I can make it, and then add balast in the belly of the head moving forward until I have enough.

I really don't worry about the head being stable. The line tie will tend to pull it straight, and, if it is erratic, so much the better.

I try to remember that rear weighted lures, like gliders and top waters, are much easier to work in a walk the dog, or 180 degree retrieve, and try to keep the weight toward the rear of each section that I do weight, to make it less stable on the pause. Like a jack knifing truck, where the cab stops, and the trailers just keep coming.

Even with the 1/1/1 ratio, the heads on the 6" baits are also pretty stable, on a fast retrieve, and wiggle a little on a slower retrieve.

Not scientific, but it works out that way.

Edited September 15, 2008 by mark poulson

[carpholeo]

Soooo what are you trying to say?

JK