Xing

[mark poulson]

I recently made three similar 1.5 sized cranks, with 3 gram belly hook hanger ballast, and an additional 1.7 grams in moving ballast.

All of the ballast is in, or directly over, the belly hook hanger.

Here's a link to the Gallery photo:

 

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/14124-2-inch-shad-moving-ballast/

 

These baits all have a very pronounced X action.

I'm wondering how to reduce the X without killing the baits action.

I'm thinking a feathered rear treble would do that, but I'd like to figure out how to do it in the actual bait design.

Any ideas?

 

[bass100]

I think by weighting the baits in 2 places instead of one might keep it on track.

[mark poulson]

I think by weighting the baits in 2 places instead of one might keep it on track.

You might be right.

After I posted the question, I thought about splitting the belly ballast to both sides of the belly hanger.  I've done that in the past.  I check online photos of successful hunting shallow cranks in a clear/ghost pattern, and they have split the ballast before and behind the belly hanger.  It makes sense that the farther the ballast is spread, the more the X will be dampened, as the ballast's leverage is increased.

That'll be a future project.

For now, I'm going to try a feathered treble, to see if I can dampen the X a little.  Then I'll have an option for dirty and clearer water,

[Vodkaman]

Bass100's suggestion is good, spreading the ballast out should reduce the action.

 

Another way is to reduce the width of the lip. This will actually increase the wiggle speed of the lure and it literally will not have time to go as wide. This results in a higher frequency, narrower action.

 

When I did the video exercise on lip shapes, the fourth lip, shaped down to a point, produced a much narrower action than the others. Coffin shaped bills produced a narrower action than round and square, although not as narrow as the shaped to a point.

 

Dave

[BobP]

For me, X-ing action is most pronounced when ballast is concentrated at the fore-aft balance point of a lure.  So I also think distributing the ballast along the axis will dampen the X-ing.  Whether that's good or bad is?  If you are looking for hunting action, the consensus is that raising the ballast's position promotes that possibility.  I doubt ballast height is the only determinant and think the excursion width and speed of the yaw created by the lip is also a big factor.  In other words, if ya want it to hunt, you gotta Shake that Thing!

[mark poulson]

Thanks Dave.  I remember that video.  Great demonstration of how lip shape affects Xing.

[mark poulson]

Bob,

The wide Xing bait with the highest ballast did "hunt", changing direction every four+ feet, as the loose ballast balls shifted from one side to the other.

The first bait I made that had that same moving ballast and erratic retrieve was a similar 1.5 size, but with a slightly longer bill of the same width that dove to 10', with the line tie in the bill.  It had a tighter X, probably because the bill was longer in proportion to it's width, but it still moved from side to side.

Back to the drawing board, to come up with an erratic, tight Xing shad bait!