Two New Experimental Lures

[diemai]

@ mark poulson

This sinking lure supposed to stand on it's lip at bottom seems to work out a little different in terms of ballast positioning compared to "ordinary" floating crankbaits.

But anyway , I guess that I am done with tinkering on this prototype , ...........made an outdoors video of that bait this morning to display it's action , .........it really works nice now , just like I had planned for !

But due to my own stupidity the camera setting obviously was put on highest HD picture quality , and I guess that my computer can't cope with that(or at least myself can't) , so I could never put it up on YouTube , the quality was too bad , as the continious picture motion would always stop , but the sound would play on .

I hope , that this is the cause for the problem , .....gonna make another outdoors video tomorrow , this time I'd take special care about the camera setting , ..........otherwise I'm clueless about that failure !

greetz , Dieter

[VermontPhisher]

Cool stuff! That brain of yours never stops. I can't wait to see the finished product.

[diemai]

@ VermontPhisher

Thanks a lot , ........I just like to try out different(lure) stuff , .......sometimes it turns out for good !

Managed to make a little video today , ........unfortunately the water had become a tad more murky compared to yesterday , but I guess , that the action of my "BackHooks" prototype is quite visible ?

I'm gonna make a few more of this model now and paint them all together later , .........main thing is , that I seemingly managed to achieve what I had planned for !

Only drawback that might still occur is that the paint and topcoat's weight might finally cause the tail end to lay flat on bottom , this would be another part of the learning curve about such kinda bait !

Thanks again for your participation and advice , ..........please check

.

greetz , diemai

[solarfall]

thats a really good idea for a crankbait and it seems to work pretty well, and you know i think that a jointed version of that might work pretty well too, or even a swimbait that has hooks on the back.

Edited May 23, 2010 by solarfall

[diemai]

@ solarfall

Thanks , .....but I guess , that a jointed version would still get more difficult ?

I've been working on another lure prototype with internal shifting weights for improved casting performance ,...... this second version has TWO internal bores meeting one another instead of only one hole like the first shifting weights lure in here .

The sense of that is to get the weights closer and more centered to the rear end , thus make up for better center of gravity whilst casting .

I have made some test casts with the first(yet unpainted) lure blank last weekend , and it still whirls on flight occassionally , thus not casting as well , as I had planned , .....though still better than as if weighted the "common" way with stationary ballast .

Never made an outdoors casting test with this new version , but during a bath tub swim test it swam pretty fine , nice "X"ing action with a little roll , I assume it to run at 3 feet finally , ....it also does not blow out at faster pace .

The internal shifting weights on this one are five of those air gun pellets 5,5mm calibre ,........ pretty expensive , but well-suited for this purpose .

The lure is made of PVC again , it takes some planned working steps to have it done accurately , but It is not that difficult , .........f. e. all of the internal bore arrangement must be done in a drill press and machine vise whilst the blank is still in rectangular cross-section .

The PVC plugs glued into the bores exits to permanently close these after filling in weights , are made from square cut PVC stock sanded round in the chuck of my lathe , ........they fit snugly into the bore's exits .

The edges of the bores exits are rounded off and the PVC plugs have a surrounding groove at bore's exit level , ........this way a kinda seam of glue evolves to hold and seal off perfectly .

The lip consists of 2,5 mm epoxy sheet , similar stuff to blank circuit board .

greetz , diemai

[rofish]

Diemai,

I very much appreciate your ideas and your ways to build something new in this field. I might also try to rig hooks at the top of the crankbait.

But to this new model of lure, with 2 holes that meet in the center at a certain angle, I do not understand something. Once the lure hits the water, and lays horizontally, how will those pellets (balls) go upwards first, to be able to roll downwards after, towards the lower part of the belly? Or are they meant to permanently stay at the rear of the lure?

[diemai]

@ rofish

Thanks a lot , ............in fact this tinkering with a bit different designs means great fun to me !

These internal shifting weight lure designs are supposed to cast further than"ordinary" balanced baits(with fixed ballast) .

When casting them , the ballast is located in the rear , thus the center of gravity of the lure changes more towards the tail and it casts further .

After having hit the surface and floating up motionless , the weights would most likely still be in the rear , but once you start your retrieve , the lip will force the lure's nose a bit downward causing the internal weights to roll(or slide) towards the nose , now acting as keel weight and also enable the lure to dive a bit deeper .

The shifting weights let the lure change floating level from slightly tail-down to slightly nose-down , ........it's not , that they cause the lure to hang with one end downward in a very pronounced manner !

When jerking the lure(at least the first prototype , haven't tried the second one yet) , the shifting weights also cause a bit of erratic break-outs of the bait .

greetz , Dieter

[rofish]

Diemai,

After I posted my thoughts, the idea of the lure starting to work on retrieve with the nose downwards, because of the pressure the water creates on the lip, actually crossed my mind. So because of this phenomenon, the balls will be able to roll down from the rear end to the front end of the fragmented hole. It seems we think the same, only that I'm a little bit slower ...

Anyway, I think that what you must achieve with this new design, is that while the lure sits still in the water, having the ballast at the rear end, at least the front of the lip should be submerged, so that when you start retrieving it, the lip could "bite" into the water, thus allowing the lip to push the lure downwards.

Thanks.

[diemai]

@ rofish

The lip easily comes to sit below the surface , .....as I have stated , the lure does neither hang head-down nor tail-down that much , absolutely no troubles about proper weight shifting function .

greetz , Dieter

[mark poulson]

Dieter,

I use steel balls in thru holes between my lure eyes for rattles, and have run into friction problems, because PVC can sometimes be a little rough when drilled.

Have you considered using a piece of plastic drinking straw to line your sliding weight chamber?

Just a thought.

I love your idea, and your lure.

[diemai]

By now I've made some test casts with the yet unpainted blank of that second prototype , I really casts pretty far that way , gonna make some more clones of it !

I runs at about 4 feet max. , as I could observe in the clear water !

@ mark poulson

Mark , I have taken a plastic lining of a drinking straw or a felt/ball pen casing into consideration , but I simply did not have any at hand , when having made the first prototype .

That first one does not have round airgun pellets inside but cylindrical curtain weights , these do provide a lot more friction problems than lead balls , but they still function reliably .

One member of a German site had concerns about putting a lining into the weight bores as well , ..... not because of friction but because these cylindrical lead slugs might grind away material bit by bit constantly sliding up'n down their bore on every cast , .........so finally might break throught the lure's wall some day !

Hopefully the lures would last long enough in my box to find out about it (though I can't imagine this to happen)!

Well , the surface of my PVC foam is rather homogene , there may be very few bigger bubbles containing , but generally it is a lot more smooth in surface than the one I had received from the USA , .......thus no bigger friction problems with BALL weights would occur , I guess , ...... at least not for just shifting weights .

But if I would place rattle bores into the PVC , I would certainy put a liner or use rattle casings , as rattles need to be much more subtle and sensitive reacting to movements rather that shifting weights need to .

But thanks a lot for your advice , anyway , Mark , ..........greetz , Dieter

[diemai]

Hi , folks ,

Just saw a gallery comment by Rofish on the latest swimbait of John Hopkins digging up the idea of these hooks rigged on the back of a lure again(to my shame , my blank still hangs in my lure rack unpainted ) !

Anyway , I have positioned these double hooks with a wire eye clip plus a magnet , John uses a magnet exclusively , as far , as I'm concerned , ............well , here is another ingenious contruction to hold such hooks in place , ....this is a Finnish salmon lure supposively made during the 1970's .

My Finnish friend , who sent me this little gem a couple of weeks ago , said that it does not swim too well , but nevertheless the way of fixing the hooks is pretty interesting .

The open shank doubles are slid over an enlongated wire form somehow anchored into the interior of the bait , ...these forms run down a bore centered , ....so that the doubles would bind into the bores once getting pushed down the bore , .......a hooked fish is supposed to pull out the hook from the guiding bore , so the hook eye can now swing freely in the eye at the end of the wire form preventing hook leverage .

Can't say , whether this principle works fine or even at all , but the design is quite remarkable to me .

greetz , diemai

Edited October 4, 2010 by diemai

[mark poulson]

Now that is a clever idea. I think it's a little impractical for home builders, but it is really neat.

Tylures, a SoCal swimbait builder, uses plastic sleeves that are split open down one side, glued to the belly of his baits, to hold the shank of his trebles until the lure gets bitten. Only one hook of the treble is exposed, and the other two are held more or less tight to the lure belly.

Simple, but effective.

[jrhopkins]

thats a really good idea for a crankbait and it seems to work pretty well, and you know i think that a jointed version of that might work pretty well too, or even a swimbait that has hooks on the back.

you mean something like this catfish? i also added a hook hanger to the bottom of the second segment to add a treble if desired. i've done a number of top hook baits and haven't had any problems. magnets in this one hold the hook in postion and i have used clear tubing epoxied to the back with a slit in it to hold the hook but i prefer the magnets for a cleaner look.

good for you Dieter for sticking with an idea until you get it! lure looks great in the water.

john

[mark poulson]

you mean something like this catfish? i also added a hook hanger to the bottom of the second segment to add a treble if desired. i've done a number of top hook baits and haven't had any problems. magnets in this one hold the hook in postion and i have used clear tubing epoxied to the back with a slit in it to hold the hook but i prefer the magnets for a cleaner look.

good for you Dieter for sticking with an idea until you get it! lure looks great in the water.

john

John,

If I ever, ever make a lure that is as beautiful as one of yours, it will NEVER get to go swimming!