Self-Tuning Line Tie

[mark poulson]

Help!  What is a self-tuning line tie, and how is it made?

[woodieb8]

sounds like the line tie they use on storm hotntots

[MuskyGary]

I know your talking about the Storm Arashi and I've haven't ,seen one up close, but the picture of the line tie is of a piece of wide metal that has some play (sideways) so that the water current can help keep it centered. Maybe someone has a better picture or description. I understand how you could make the line tie hole in the lexan lip larger, but not sure how the line tie is anchored in the lure body?

[Tree_Fish]

Here ya go. Pretty nifty little idea, can't believe it hasn't been done before it's so simple really. It's centered on a pin horizontally through the bait.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Tree_Fish

[gone2long]

That's weird that third picture has the front hook eye perpendicular to the bait? is there an advantage to that setup? I don't think I've seen that before? Sorry for all the questions I'm from the soft side and just started hard baits this year

[mark poulson]

Tree_Fish,

Thanks for the pictures.

That looks like the way a lot of us attach our line ties, but without the coating of D2T on the underside of the bill and in the through hole.  I do it that way because I always thought that was the way to do it, to stabilze and strengthen the line tie.

I can't see as much detail as I'd like, but it looks like the entire line tie assembly is free floating all the way back into the lure body.

Is that a solid piece of flat metal coming out of the bait, with a wire loop at the top going through the bill for the line tie?

 

Gon2long,

I put the belly hangers like that, sideways, on my cranks, too, so I can turn the trebles and have two hooks ride the sides of the bait.  It cuts down on hook rash for me.  Most of the smaller trebles I use are welded so they will work like that.  

And I can cut off the down facing single hook if I'm getting hung up too much throwing into brush.

Turning the rear hook hanger flat lets me orient that treble with the single hook facing up, which also cuts down on hang ups.

Edited November 3, 2013 by mark poulson

[A-Mac]

Here ya go. Pretty nifty little idea, can't believe it hasn't been done before it's so simple really. It's centered on a pin horizontally through the bait.

The line tie still looks anchored by the lip.  Does the lip move too?

[gone2long]

Thanks Mark maybe I haven't been paying attention  and your explanation makes sense, Thanks!

[xtx]

The line tie is slightly loose in the lip. Tight enough that the line tie will not fall out of its slot. The lip does not move at all. The line tie is appx 1/8" flat stock made in to an "L". Neat design. Should work well with PVC baits. Also where it is pinned into the bait there is a small slot there too, to allow for some movement.

[Tree_Fish]

The line tie is one piece, looks like it's been punched. There is a slot in the lip larger than the line tie. The lip does not move. On the pic of the side of the bait you can see the pin that holds it in place. I tried to get a better pic for you guys but it's hard to get a picture of the inside of the little slot.

[mark poulson]

The line tie is slightly loose in the lip. Tight enough that the line tie will not fall out of its slot. The lip does not move at all. The line tie is appx 1/8" flat stock made in to an "L". Neat design. Should work well with PVC baits. Also where it is pinned into the bait there is a small slot there too, to allow for some movement.

 

Great description!

So the way I read it, the entire line tie is free floating all the way back into the anchor pin.

Can you actually move the bar side to side along the anchor pin, or is it solid back where it's attached?

I'm asking because making a PVC crank with the line tie anchored deeply inside the lure, but flexible from at point all the way out to where the line is actually attached shouldn't be that difficult.  A sst pin from spinnerbait wire, inserted sideways through a loop in the line tie wire, would make for a solid anchor.

[mark poulson]

The line tie is one piece, looks like it's been punched. There is a slot in the lip larger than the line tie. The lip does not move. On the pic of the side of the bait you can see the pin that holds it in place. I tried to get a better pic for you guys but it's hard to get a picture of the inside of the little slot.

 

With XTX's description, those pictures make perfect sense.

[littleriver]

Mark

 

Dieter has made a few . His are a much simpler design. Perhaps he will chime in. I know I saw them in a video but can't remember which one he has so many. 

[Tree_Fish]

Yes Mark there is a little play side to side, as well as up and down. I wouldn't say much, maybe a 1/16th in each direction from the center. It would be pretty easy to make one from pvc. When I first saw em I thought doh why didn't I think of that

[mark poulson]

Yes Mark there is a little play side to side, as well as up and down. I wouldn't say much, maybe a 1/16th in each direction from the center. It would be pretty easy to make one from pvc. When I first saw em I thought doh why didn't I think of that

 

Hahaha

You're probably like me.  I've got the second part of genieass down pat!

[Tree_Fish]

Hahaha

You're probably like me.  I've got the second part of genieass down pat!

Lmao you got that right!

[RayburnGuy]

I must be missing something. Could someone explain the advantages of the self tuning line tie to me? Other than the obvious anyway.

 

Ben

[Tree_Fish]

It's free floating, those that use this method won't have to worry about getting a line tie perfectly centered anymore. As long as the pin crosses the axis with a wide enough gap for a little play you've got a self tuning line tie. So, not only easier to get it right the first time you also never have to mess with tuning it. Not the be all end all imo but ingenious none the less. I'm a scientist by no means so if my terminology is wrong forgive me, that's just the way I understand it

[RayburnGuy]

I can understand that part of it Tree-Fish. I thought there might be other reasons other than not having to tune a lure that would be advantageous to using a self tuning line tie.

 

Ben

[Dink Master]

Mark - They stock Storm Araski at Anglers Marine, You will be at the Bass-A-Thon in 2 weeks?

You can check it out then.

[xtx]

To me I think that the "slop" in the line tie enables it run more off its vertical axis. Without blowing out. I would love to see it in a tank. Lakes around here are too dirty to see it down at its normal running depth. Anyone have any thoughts on that ?

[Tree_Fish]

@ Ben, sorry if I insulted ya, if I did it surely wasn't my intention. Do you mind if I ask what did you expect to be more beneficial about it? Maybe I'm missing something lol it wouldn't be the first time!

[RayburnGuy]

I wasn't insulted Tree Fish. Not in the least. I apologize if my reply was worded that way. 

 

I wasn't really expecting anything specific about the bait that would somehow be more beneficial. I didn't know if it allowed the bait to run off line as XTX suggested or if the sole purpose was the self tuning aspect. I just like to know what makes things "tick" as well as what made this bait "special" as tuning a crank is not the hardest thing in the  world.

 

Ben

[diemai]

Mark

 

Dieter has made a few . His are a much simpler design. Perhaps he will chime in. I know I saw them in a video but can't remember which one he has so many. 

 

 

Here ya go , ......shot some pictures of my own design , which consists of a simple so-called "Omega-clip" poked through a centered slot in the lip secured by a splitring .

 

 

 

 

 

Naturally the lip requires to be of a rigid material holding up against the fighting power of a hooked fish , in this case I've used 1mm thick Aluminium sheet of a very hard alloy(softer sheet won't work , as it warps to easy) , but also 3mm Lexan is rigid enough , I suppose , ......done some lure with sucha Lexan lip as well .

 

My lips sporting such self centering line ties are glued and pinned to the body with two 1,5mm stainless wire pins , same wire use to bend the Omega Clips , .....you can see the pins on the nudie lure .

 

Also the lips have some holes through them and small notches cut into their bases for better glue bondage .

 

The Omega clips have enough play in their grooves to move 0,5mm up and down and can swing 15° to 20 ° to either side , ...lip grooves are made by drilling three1,5mm  holes in line and extending them to a slot with a small Dremel router bit .

 

I do not know , whether these line ties would still let a lure come back straight , if there should be little flaws in terms of symetry of the lip or when it should not be aligned well , ....I'm working these lures down as accurate as possible and I can proudly say , that I never had sucha lure not tracking true .

 

About working accuracy , .........when making the pin holes through lureblank and lip , ...make sure , that the lip would sit FIRMLY and well aligned to drill the pin holes through both parts , .......I achieve this by applying some bits of insulation tape to the base of the lip , if neccessary , ...., so that I can press the lip in to the slot real snug not to move whilst drilling through .

 

Whilst pre-assembly of the lure , I'd leave the wire pins a bit longer and bend off their ends 90° , ....just for better handling .

 

Cutting them to matching length just when finally glueing parts together , also it helps a great deal to grind a small pointed tip to the inserting end of the pin .

 

Greetz , Dieter

[mark poulson]

The idea of a self-centering line tie made me curious how it was achieved, and how it actually self centered.

What I reason is that, when the line tie is leaning toward one side, the other side of the lip has more surface area, and more resistance.  So the lure moves away from that side, toward the side with less resistance.

The line tie, since it is not anchored, would move toward the side of the lure with more lip surface, which would give it less surface area as the line tie passed the center of the lip.

I'm guessing the line tie would settle in the center of the lip pretty quickly, evening out the forces on either side of the lip.