spoonpluggergino Posted March 13, 2012 Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 I am really proud of this 9 inch crappie patern glide bait that I build. I tested it in my pond . Here are the finding. the sink rate takes about 11 seconds to drop one foot, the second test. On a straight retrieve with no action from the rod the bait will swing from right to left at least two feet , total of 4 feet span wider than Amma Bamma glide bait. Does it glide Ho yah easly 3 feet. This bait is going to LOTW this year. I am pumped up I cannot fall to sleep. You guys are the best when I started thinking about building baits I really taught I would stink at it. Hillbilly I took your advise and done my final balancing in the sink. It just simply works Thanks again spoonpluggergino PS Amma Bamma is atop notch glide bait, no pun intended. I own 3 of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted March 13, 2012 Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 Congratulations on your success!!...It feels really good when all your labor pays off and the bait does what you hoped !!... Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonpluggergino Posted March 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 Responding to Litleriver. Sorry I got carried away, my glide bait is not neceseraly better than Amma Bamma. After all the credit goes to the gentileman that created that glide bait over 30 years ago. My bait is modeled after Amma Bamma because I really like drop belly type of baits. Here are the differences. The Bellie mine is wider 2 1/8 verses 1 7/8 body thicknes mine is1 3/8 amma 1 1/8 and finally the lenght mine is 9 inch Amma is 7 3/4 also the taper from the gill plates area mine is much steeper angle, I figured tha would cut better through the water. Also another major difference mine sinks very slow compared to Amma. But a major difference is Amma caugth 1000 of muskie mine as of now Zero. I do want to mention when I read your guys articles I pay lots of attention and take many notes. One came from RiverMan that a thicker body works much better than a thin body. So I really do not know why especially on a straight retrieve mine swing wider than 4 different baits that I was comparing. In conclusion is not fair for me that I mentioned Amma Bamma should have left the name out. Could be that I really like Amma and I got carried away My apologies Thank You Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sbaits Posted March 13, 2012 Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 How did you end up weighing it? I have a batch of gliders and I'm looking at weighting them so they sinks horizontal with the weight all in one spot. The idea come from a comment I saw Solarfall leave where he mentioned that is his preference is to just use 1, ballast hole if possible. I figure his advise is sound, they seem to use lots of them over there. While in the other thread where you were asking about this I think RiverMan mentioned he spraeads his out. Last summer my first gliders were weighted so the tail sank like a top water glider (so I've read... gliders are rare in my area), and with the ballast dispersed. It worked good on lower profile gliders and adding a heavier back hook let me work them real fast but my success on drop belly styles was only satisfactory. After reading your success on with the thick material I think I might hold off on a 8" mooneye glider out of 3/4" stock and turn it into a diver instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 13, 2012 Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 Congratulations Gino. There's nothing like the feeling you get when something you've built meets, or even exceeds, your expectations. If you get any video of your bait in action I would love to see it. And I'm sure others would as well. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonpluggergino Posted March 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 Thanks Ben I been thinking to get my wife to video the action from shore at least the straigt retrieve. I never uploaded a video but I have friend that could do it for me. Sbaits The way I have been dooing the weghting is as follow. Make sure the bait is ready for painting. should be sealed, primed all the hardware on including the hooks in the location chosen. Do a dunk test to determine how much ballast you need, keep on putting split shots or whatever small lead you have until the bait starts to sink very slow once you determined how much ballast you need subtract from this ballast the ammount of weight that you think may add from the paint and clear coat. On my bait the deduction is as much as 15 to 20 grams. At the beginning I weihgt my bait after each coat of paint and clear coating after each coat so I have an idea what the paint and topcoat will add, also you may have to compensate for the solid steel leader we use for muskie baits. I have 3 holes drilled the holes are 1/2 dia. by 5/8 deep tail hole only 1/2 deep. I devide the weigt among the 3 holes the front holes gets more, the tail hole very litle just enough to level the bait the way you want. I like to level mine slightly head down or level should also work. I also checked some of my bought baits some also are slightly tail down. The first one you may not get it just right, but if you log all your data while you dooing your first bait the following baits you get better. It is a learning curve. Note I use a graduated cylinder in milleliter and each ml. equals one gram in weight that will get you close enough the final is by adding or subtracting the weight in the cylinder until the bait start to sink. The leveling I do that in a large sink. Make sure what ever material you use to keep the weights in place while you trying to find the ballast that will be part of the ballast weight. do not forget to compensate for the material you are going to seal the holes that could be couple of grams to be subtracted. Once I start to clearcoat my bait i start to watch that i do not go over the weigt that i achieved to make the bait start to sink . My crappie bait only has two coats of E-TEX, another coat would have put the bait over the test weigt. It sounds complicated but a lot easier once you do it couple of times. Glad to help good luck Gino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonpluggergino Posted March 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 Sbaits I just posted one of my blanks so you can see the location of the holes Gino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleriver Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Thank you Gino for sharing! I have never built such a bait but perhaps someday I will. Your descriptive build will make it a whole lot easier. Hope you catch a muskie soon. Vic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sbaits Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 You're process is basically the same that I follow... I'm going to calculate this summer how much my top coat adds as I have no idea then average the findings to volume displaced so I can get a good idea for neutral weighing. Split shots you must use 100's of those for a 9" lure!, I use soldering wire. I cut mine to various lengths so I can add or take away weight easy. Works good as you can wrap it around a hook hanger for a general sink rate testing. My sinks are no good for rate testing so I use a clear tray I found in my bar fridge (who needs a mini crisper in a bar fridge must be for tackle making). If I didn't have that I'd go to a used pet shop and pick up a 5 gallon aquarium seen them for 5-15 dollars (or buy/sell etc). I just need to find a graduated cylinder that is large enough to measure baits over 6". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonpluggergino Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 I molded various size of lead any where from 3 grams to to 20 grams and I also use Gremlin pencil weigts. I use a few very small split shots to make up the exact weight for my ballast in each hole. Once I get the 3 holes weghted I take the lead from each hole and I remeld and pour back in each corresponding hole The aquarium is an excellent idea, a better way to see the attitude of the bait when leveling. Some more stuff to buy You can purchase graduated cylinder at McMaster Carr. I also purchase spring stailess steel wire from there, very reasonable price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking 56 Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 Sounds like your glider turned out really nice! Congrats! You think you're happy now? Wait till you catch a fish with it!! s54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
