An Alternative To Trough Wire Construction

[spoonpluggergino]

I started building muskie baits for about eight month now and I have learned so much from this site that I really appreciate the basement guys and pro bait builders. I like to give something back.

When I first started building I learned how to do wire trough construction, I do not see anything wrong with it at all, very good construction but lots of work.

I always try to find another easier way to do something not necessarily better in this case. I am very confident that this is a good construction. I got the idea when I started building baits from PCV boards, I had to drill large holes and insert hard wood dowel pins for the hooks and the toe line. I use oak ½ diameter dowel pins anywhere from 1 inch to 1.5 inches long, depending on the bait shape and size works really nice.

Now you can do this with wood.

A: Drill the holes for the hooks and toe line for the size and depth of the dowel pin you are going to use

B: drill the dowel pin screw eye hole for the screw eye you are going to use in the dowel pins

C: need a piece of sheet metal around 20 gauge or thinner, to make a square metal washer for backing up the screw eye, use sheet metal cutter for this

Example if you are using ½ Diameter dowel pin cut the washer a little smaller than ½ square, needs to fit behind the dowel pin. Note pre-drill small hole in the metal before you cut the small square. The hole will be a little smaller than the screw eye because you are going to screw the screw eye in the square washer.

D: Screw the eye screw pin in to the dowel pin and in to the square metal washer, apply five minute epoxy or 30 minutes which ever you like. Insert the assembled dowel pin screw and washer in to the bait make sure that there is enough epoxy on the washer and bottom of the hole and around the dowel pin. Once the epoxy sets in that screw cannot be pulled out will be there for the life time of the bait, it is permanent.

Of course everything must be drilled on center; you have only one chance here

Thanks for all the valuable information I was able to get from this site, without you guys would have taken me a long time to build and paint baits

Gino

Anyone that needs more info or clarification feel free to PM me

[Seeking 56]

Interesting. Are you doing it this way because you're using a wood softer than cedar? With all due respect, it seems like uncessary work for cedar and harder wood baits. That's why I'm curious as to what type of wood you're using.

On my cedar baits I used the fence post concept ( that's what I call it ). Drill pilot hole the lenght of the screw eye, then bore half way with 3/8'' forstner bit, fill with thicked epoxy, insert screw eye.

I got the suggestion here on TU for cedar a few years ago and it has not failed me yet.

As of lately, on my jointed crankbaits I took it a step further and twisted softer wire counter clock wise around the screw eye and inserted in the bored hole filed with epoxy. I don't do this for the hook hangers yet, just the jointed parts of the bait where the impact of snags or fish could weaken it over time.

s54

[spoonpluggergino]

s54

the only reason I am doing this is because I am using PVC board, but I am not backing up the screw eye. I don t feel that is necessary, 0ne inch long screw is not going to come out in my opinion. In my PVC muskie baits I am using 1/2 hardwood dowel pins and 1 inch long screw eyes, but Iam not backing up the screw with the sheet metal washer

The only reason I brought this out is that some builders like to do wire trough construction for their muskie baits

Gino

Gino

[spoonpluggergino]

On my cedar baits I used the fence post concept ( that's what I call it ). Drill pilot hole the lenght of the screw eye, then bore half way with 3/8'' forstner bit, fill with thicked epoxy, insert screw eyeHey s54

I forget to mention your method above it is a very good idea to

Thanks Gino

[mark poulson]

What brand of PVC are you using?

I only build baits for bass, and for the local inshore fish. I've never even seen a musky, so I can't say this will work for them. But it works for big barricuda/

I use 1 1/2" .092 sst screw eyes in my AZEK decking jointed swimbaits. I just drill a tight pilot hole in the PVC, and the running the screw eye in and back out, to cut the threads in the PVC. Then I coat the screw part with brush on crazy glue, and run it back in. The glue that doesn't make it into the bait collects around the shank and makes a seat for the eye, so it can't rotate and unscrew.

Either the line will break, or the hook will straighten out, before the screw pulls out.

I've never had a screw eye pull out.

The AZEK PVC decking is heavier and harder than their PVC trimboard, but it's still plenty buoyant, about like poplar, but much harder.

If your PVC is like mine, you probably could skip the whole dowel step.

[EdL]

I use thru wire for my bass crankbaits and cut a slot into the PVC bodies. Then seal it with

J-B-Weld-8237-Kwik-Plastic . It waterproof and strong. May could use Kwik Plastic like Mark says above. Or maybe use to fill in smaller holes so you don't need the dowel plugs. Makes the whole body waterproof and eliminates or at least minimize the need for sealing the body before painting/topcoating. May be worth a test of strength by putting a screweye into a piece of PVC your using with the Kwik Plastic as a plug or glue. Then tie on a line to the screweye and see how much force is needed to rip out the screweye. Just thinking outloud. Your idea is giving me some ideas to try.