jonister Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Hey guys, I have a question on making swim baits... How do you do it?! I can not make a decent swim bait for the life of me that actually runs right and doesn't look like a submerged log. I also was wondering if it would work better if it was made out of something like plastic i.e. decking material cutting board etc. At this point anything would help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 You really need to spend some time using the search function on our site here.You'll find hours of information to read on swimbait building.Your question as is,is very vague and we need some details before we can even begin to give any guidance ...Nathan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 The short answer is that PVC decking will work, PVC trimboard (more buoyant) will work, and the best way to make your first swimbait is to copy something successful, like a triple trout. Once you've made one, you can see what works and what doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted March 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 I have made a few out of hardwood and have put weight in the head only. When I try to run it, it just sits on its side and drags. It is four segmented with screw eyes as hinges. Also, whenever I try to search something it doesn't seem to work for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Hardwood only worked for me when I used poplar, before I switched to Azek PVC decking and trim board. It was the only hardwood I found that was light, but strong. Try making the body wider on top, so it has a V shaped cross section from the shoulders down. That way, there is more buoyant material on the top/back than on the bottom/belly. I taper from 15/16" on the top to 5/8" on the bottom and that works. Be sure you add your ballast from the belly up, and keep it in the first/head section, or in the first two, if you need more. Never put ballast in the tail or you bait will swim tail down, and with much less action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted March 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Thanks, I think my first problem was that I made it out of some scrap pine or cedar and it was just a normal minnow shape segmented out. Does the AZEK work well and cut well? And does it hold in screw eyes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretcher66 Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?/topic/15916-pvc-trim-board-shad-swimbait/ member submitted tutorials has alot of good info.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 (edited) Thanks, I think my first problem was that I made it out of some scrap pine or cedar and it was just a normal minnow shape segmented out. Does the AZEK work well and cut well? And does it hold in screw eyes? It is strong and hard, and holds hardware and glued in stuff really well. Plus it is totally waterproof, so my days of sealing before I can test float lures are gone, and so are paint jobs ruined by water intrusion. AZEK cuts and machines like wood. If you use dull tools, it is hard to cut, and a dull tablesaw blade will melt as it cuts, and you'll see wispy trailers. But it machines and carves really well. The dust has an electrostatic charge, and is very obnoxious, so wear a dust mask. It sticks to everything. I use an oscillating belt sander to shape my lures, and take the lure outside to blow the clinging dust off it and my hands before I continue, after each shaping session. Maybe some cling free laundry spray would help with that, but I haven't tried it. It holds screw eyes fine with just a small pilot hole. I run mine in and back out, coat with super glue, and run back in. I also drill small holes and use the figure 8 sst sinker wires for line ties on my cranks, so I can turn them crossways and minimize hook rash. I drill a hole the same size as the 8, fill it with super glue, set the 8 in and position it, and then hit it with the accelerant. I've never had one pull out. I do the same thing with smaller Spro swivels, and they work great for belly hangers. I drill a snug hole, test fit the swivel, and then remove it, coat the inside of the hole with gel crazy glue, and reinstall my swivel. The gel give me a little more working time. The biggest fish I've caught on a swiveled popper is 8+, so I know they hold. AZEK trimboard doesn't have the tensile strength of their decking, but it is more buoyant, almost like balsa. For the baits we make, me anyway, it works just fine, and allows me to place my ballast in the belly without affecting the action of the lure. I hope this helps. Edited March 15, 2014 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Baits Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Check out Our Finnish friend Mikko on http://solarfallbaits.blogspot.com. You can spend hours admiring his work and he also posts tutorials on YouTube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonister Posted March 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 Sollarfall makes some sick stuff!! I've admired his stuff for a while now. I tweaked one of my swimbaits and got it to work, but it has a very tight wiggle. Recently I made another that is much smaller, and it has a tight wiggle too. now this isn't bad but I am just wondering what I might be doing wrong to get it to have a normal wiggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 18, 2014 Report Share Posted March 18, 2014 I've found that the wider the joints the bigger the wiggle. I typically make my last joint, to the tail, wider than the rest. When assembled, if I hold my bait by the head, facing down, I want the 4 piece bait to bend back down in a U, with the tail hanging straight down again. I use screw eyes and bicycle spoke axles as hinges, so I can adjust my joint size by running my eyes in or out as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonoman Posted March 18, 2014 Report Share Posted March 18, 2014 solar wasn't at all happy with the swimming of his his last multisegmented bait he made, hopefully he corrected that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
