69_GS_400 Posted May 9, 2015 Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 Guys im looking for some advice on how to finish up my rat wake bait Ive made. So fat the bait is just about shaped and sanded. Its not the prettiest but as long as I can get it to swim right I will be satisfied. So the bait is still in one piece and was hoping to get some suggestions on the following. Where and how to cut the bait to make it symmetrical? What do I use to make the body parts connect? Where and what type of screw eye hooks should I use for the line tie and the hooks? How to cut the slot for the bill and what degree angle should the cut be? What type of material should I use for the bill? I would love for this bait to be able to move on top water at a slow retrieve but with a faster retrieve to dive to a shallow depth. The bait is about 5.5in long. I basically tried to make my own version of the Woodrow rat. Picture attached is what im trying to replicate Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Here's the link to a rat wake bait I made recently: http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/14141-4-inch-rat-4/ The angle of the bill is 75-80 degrees. It works. I made my bills 1/8" wider on each side than the lure body. They stick down approx. 5/8", and that's plenty. Wake baits are by far the easiest baits to make, so go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 You'll find that it's much easier to cut your lip slot before you cut out the shape while the blank is still square. Cutting your lip slot after you've already shaped the bait makes it all but impossible to get the slot square with the centerline of the bait and a lip that isn't square with the bait will at the very best swim to one side if it swims at all. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 You'll find that it's much easier to cut your lip slot before you cut out the shape while the blank is still square. Cutting your lip slot after you've already shaped the bait makes it all but impossible to get the slot square with the centerline of the bait and a lip that isn't square with the bait will at the very best swim to one side if it swims at all. Ben X2!... Learned that one the hard way! Im not brave enough to attempt a jointed bait yet, but if i did, id probably try a through wire with steel braid... Might not be the right way, but seems to me it would be the easiest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Ben is right, but wake baits are the most forgiving, in terms of exact squareness of the lip to the body. I've free handed new lip slots to change the angle on some of my rat baits, and close counts. Put a piece of blue painters masking tape on the lure to locate where you want the slot, and clamp the bait in a wood jawed Jorgensen's clamp to hold it while you cut it, so you have more control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 wow nice bait... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69_GS_400 Posted May 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Thanks Mark for the insight. I checked out your link. I hope mine turns out as nice as yours!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69_GS_400 Posted May 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Can anyone suggest where to buy the hinge and eye screws? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 (edited) I use sst screw eyes and sst bicycle spokes, or sst tempered wire, for my hinges. They have the screw eyes here: http://lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/Screw-Eyes/ They have the sst wire here: http://lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/Bulk-Wire/ I get the spokes from a local bike shop. Edited May 11, 2015 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69_GS_400 Posted May 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 Ok guys I pretty much have this thing put together. I don't know if this is a no no but I was a bit impatient and could not find stainless steel eye screws so I used solid brass. The last part to the bait is Cutting the bill Slot and the bill it self. This is the first bait ive ever made so forgive my ignorance. All I have accessible is a hand saw and a vice. Could anyone please instruct me how to cut the bill slot on the bait properly at the right angle? If I understood your build Mark you cut yours at 75 degrees? My bait is wood. should I lay the bait flat an eye ball 75 degrees or is there a more accurate way of drawing the cut line . I also still trying to figure out how big of a bill I should make. Not to concerned with screwing the plastic bill up by trial and error but I DO NOT want to cut the bait wrong. Ive got like 10 hours into it. Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 First you need a guide to help you line the bait in the vice at 75 degrees so that you are cutting vertical. It is easier to cut square across the bait if you are cutting vertical. If you don't have an adjustable angle or protractor, you can construct the 75 deg with a piece of paper. Fold a square piece of paper across diagonal, this gives you 45 degrees. Fold this into 3, this gives 15 degrees. Unfold and cut off one segment, this leaves you with 75 degrees. Don't cut all the way in one go, cut about 1/4". Remove from vice and put a straight edge in the saw slot. A standard 6" steel rule is perfect, but anything straight that will fit is fine. Hold it up and eyeball over a tiled floor or anything with a square pattern works for me. Any error that you are making will be magnified by the wide straight edge and help you see the problem. Back in the vice and make any correction with the saw and continue. Again another 1/4" and repeat, until you get the depth that you want. This is how I do it. Others may have other techniques. I hope you get a few to choose from. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 (edited) Something you could try... Cut the angle you want in 2 small plywood squares, then make a "sandwich" in your vice.. Line the bait up the best you can with the slots you cut in the plywood.. Then use them as a guide to cut the slot in your bait...... Getting it all lined up will be a bit tricky, especially if your bait is round.. Perhaps make some square spacers the same width as your bait to square up your "sandwich"..... Edited May 14, 2015 by JRammit 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 If you've got a vice place the bait in the vice so that the angle of cut will lay along the top edge of the vice. The top of the vice then becomes a straight edge for you to guide your saw. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69_GS_400 Posted May 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2015 Alright fellas. Thank you for all the great advice. The rat is really coming along. I have the slot cut and and I made the bill. The plastic lexan bill is not as perfect as I woud like it. I may try making another. My next step is to seal the lure. I read that spar urethane mixed with mineral spirts is a great sealer. So I need to pick some up and dip and seal it. I do not have an air brush gun but I was considering buying one. I have a large compressor and hoped to run the gun off that. Unless I could hand paint it? There is a local hobby store here that sells the gun and paints but not sure if there is special paints for lures? To sum up my questions I'm I on the right track for sealing the lure with spar urethane/mineral spirts Can you paint it with the hobby store paint and run a gun off a larger compressor? What type of glue should I use to glue the bill in? Is there a special type of clear coat to use? I guess being that this is the first bait I've ever made im not sure how much $ I would like to invest in equipment.. If the bait works out I would like to make another.. I really would like to make some replicas of the rapala shallow srf7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted May 16, 2015 Report Share Posted May 16, 2015 I am not a painter, but there have been a few threads on painting problems lately that I think you should read. There was an excellent post by BobP that explained the names and purposes of each of the coatings and how they all work together as a system. If all the coatings do not play nicely together, then you are in for a rough time. See post No2. Also read this thread on what can go wrong. If you do the right TU search, there are numerous threads on this very subject. Try a TU search for your sealer, it might already have been discussed. The reason that I mention this, is that your thoughts on the sealer might be a problem. DAve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69_GS_400 Posted May 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2015 Ok guys progress is slowly being made. I asked around for what type of sealer I should use before painting and it was suggested shellac wood sealer that's in a spray can should do the trick so that's what I picked up. My question is how to apply it? Light coats? If multiple coats should there be a drying time? Also I want to glue in the bill so should I do this before or after sealing the wood before paint? And I was going to fill the eyes in with resin? Again do this before sealing the bait or after? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
