Newbie "ballast" Question

[FUBAR]

I've been checking this site out for a while..........and am totally blown away with the talent I see here. I've started designing/ building a couple different baits for muskie fishing and was wandering if all baits require ballast weights ? After finishing a couple lures, I put them in the tub only to find out that they tipped over and floated on their sides........I'm guessing it's definately a ballast problem. Is there any easy way to figure out how much weight to add or is it just going to be a "trial and error" deal ? Any help or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mark

Edited March 15, 2010 by FUBAR

[BobP]

Look at a similar successful commercial bait and note how much it weighs from the description, or better yet, by actually weighing it on your own digital scales. Then weigh your shaped wood blank plus the hook hangers, lip, trebles and split rings. Add a guestimate of how much you will add in undercoat, paint, and topcoat (on 2 1/4" bass baits, that's usually about .03 oz). The total is the component weight of your crankbait, exclusive of the ballast. Subtract the total from the weight of the commercial bait and you have the amount of ballast to use if you were cloning the commercial bait. You may or may not use that ballast figure, but it gives you a good departure point from a design viewpoint.

[jrhopkins]

you should do a " float test" on the piece to see where the top of the piece is due to bouyancy. put it in some water and mark where the top of the piece is, then put the ballast on the bottom.

[Mnbassbuster002]

You can also buy mojo weights and use cheap screw eyes to place them

In different spots on the bait to get the desired result. I do this on

Swimbaits and it doesn't seem to effect the action much if any. Drill a

Small hole through the weight n put the screw eye through the hole. Now

You can move the weight anywhere on the bait

[FUBAR]

Thanks for the help guys !

Mark

[craig beverley]

All of my baits are six to eight inch gliders incase you were wondering. Once the blank has been shaped I seal it with varnish. I then screw in the hook hangers and line tie and also add the trebles and split rings I want to use. I then take two pieces of flat lead like you get on the roof and push a screw eye through each of them. Then screw these into the pre determined lead holes. Place the lot in a tank of water and see what happens. Then its just a case of triming or adding lead until the lure sinks or rises like you want it. You can then remove all the hardware from the lure and drill out the lead holes to suit the amount of lead you have. If that makes sense!!!