ACarrell Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Hi, I just finished my first top water lure, and though I'm fairly happy with it I know it could be better. It is a 4 inch "Spook-style" lure that features a marabou tail. I mostly used what I had on hand here, which doesn't allow for a lot. I don't have a lathe, so I started with a 3/4" dowel and simply shaped the ends till it seemed OK. I weighted The back section of the lure a bit just to give it a more defined action, and painted as you see here...white belly, green sides, black top ... Rattle can. I used the epoxy I had on hand as a topcoat, which I'm definitely not happy with. I mixed in some extra fine glitter, and I like that addition, but the epoxy set too fast and settled lumpy. I have now ordered some Devcon 2 Ton, which is what I saw a recommended here. Anyway, this is a fantastic site, and I'm looking forward to learning more. If you have any tips on how I might be able to improve, I would absolutely love to hear them. Thank you so much! Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbob Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Put the weight farthest back as you can go, and it will walk in place. Just my two cents. Great lure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACarrell Posted September 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Put the weight farthest back as you can go, and it will walk in place. Just my two cents. Great lure! Thanks for the advice! I put the weights about halfway between the two hooks, so maybe I'll try putting them much farther back next time! And thank you for the kind words, I think this might become an addiction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 No need for a lathe, ive carved all my lures with a dremel, they look fine if i dont get in a hurry... Yours looks great! Ive gotten mixed results with the 5 minute epoxy.. Eventually i got some Devcon 30 minute, the right choice! My first topwater lure is hanging on my wall because i tried to "guestimate" the weighting... You definitely want to float test a new lure before finishing it... And write everything down so you can build it again and again Nice work and welcome to the club! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbob Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Thanks for the advice! I put the weights about halfway between the two hooks, so maybe I'll try putting them much farther back next time! And thank you for the kind words, I think this might become an addiction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbob Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 No problem. And yeah it very addicting and a good way to pass the winter up north Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACarrell Posted September 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 No need for a lathe, ive carved all my lures with a dremel, they look fine if i dont get in a hurry... Yours looks great! Ive gotten mixed results with the 5 minute epoxy.. Eventually i got some Devcon 30 minute, the right choice! My first topwater lure is hanging on my wall because i tried to "guestimate" the weighting... You definitely want to float test a new lure before finishing it... And write everything down so you can build it again and again Nice work and welcome to the club! Thanks for the tips !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 I find that the bigger the walking bait I make, the more horizontal I want it to sit. Otherwise, it is a real chore to keep it up and walking. I try and use successful commercial baits of the same size to give me a starting point. I have also found that the length and thickness of the feathered treble really affect how, and sometimes whether, a bait will walk. If you have trouble getting it to walk, try it with a bare treble on the tail, to see if that's the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACarrell Posted September 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 I find that the bigger the walking bait I make, the more horizontal I want it to sit. Otherwise, it is a real chore to keep it up and walking. I try and use successful commercial baits of the same size to give me a starting point. I have also found that the length and thickness of the feathered treble really affect how, and sometimes whether, a bait will walk. If you have trouble getting it to walk, try it with a bare treble on the tail, to see if that's the problem. Mark, awesome advice! That's some tips it's really going to help with these future Baits, as well as this one!that's good to know about the feathered treble....I had no idea. I'm really digging this forum so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbob Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 Mark is right about the lure position and the size. I use a oak dowel with a half ounce weight in the back and I can walk it like a frog. Also hackle feathers are good if marabou slows the action to much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 You really need to float test a walking topwater to get the ballasting right. Some guys like them to sit completely tail down in the water, others prefer varying degrees of tail sink depending on how fast they want it to walk. It's a combination of total weight and float attitude that makes one do what you want it to do. Personally, I like mine to sit in the water at a 45 degree down angle. You can float test one by applying a waterproof undercoating to the raw wood, adding all the hardware, and applying temporary ballast weight to the tail section's belly until you get the action you want. Moving the ballast forward/rearward will also affect the action, but a good place to start is where you did it the first time - half way between the 2 hooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACarrell Posted September 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Awesome ... Thanks guys ! I definitely feel like I need to float test vs the mirrolure that I dig, and go from there . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 That sounds like a good idea. Also remember that the closer to the center of the lure you can keep you ballast, the easier it is to walk, because the center of gravity is close to the mid point, but the harder it is to cast. That's one of the reasons I tail weight my poppers so they hang down at a 45 degree angle, minimum. The smaller/lighter the bait, the more important moving the ballast to the rear becomes for casting. Zara Spooks cast like a rocket, so they'd be a good lure to check out, too. Tacklewarehouse has pictures of a clear version of the 4.5" Spook, and you can clearly see how it's ballasted. Just be sure to check out how the lure you like actually sits in the water at rest, so you know the amount of ballast you need to duplicate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACarrell Posted September 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 That sounds like a good idea. Also remember that the closer to the center of the lure you can keep you ballast, the easier it is to walk, because the center of gravity is close to the mid point, but the harder it is to cast. That's one of the reasons I tail weight my poppers so they hang down at a 45 degree angle, minimum. The smaller/lighter the bait, the more important moving the ballast to the rear becomes for casting. Zara Spooks cast like a rocket, so they'd be a good lure to check out, too. Tacklewarehouse has pictures of a clear version of the 4.5" Spook, and you can clearly see how it's ballasted. Just be sure to check out how the lure you like actually sits in the water at rest, so you know the amount of ballast you need to duplicate it. Nice! I didn't realize they had a clear picture of a spook. That will help quite a bit. Just curious, are most of you guys using popular, basswood, or what for the top water lures ? This one that I made was Pauline, really just because I have a pine dowel that I can cut from....but I am thinking about trying some other woods as well for future fishing lures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 I use Azek PVC trimboard, and hand shape mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbob Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 I use white pine for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACarrell Posted September 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 I use Azek PVC trimboard, and hand shape mine. Interesting. I saw some threads on PVC, it seems like an interesting material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACarrell Posted September 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 I use white pine for now Are you using through wire, or screw eyes? Any issues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbob Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Mostly screw eyes but they leak and pull out. I use a wire through bait for pike but the sides are hard to match up when you glue it together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACarrell Posted September 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 Mostly screw eyes but they leak and pull out. I use a wire through bait for pike but the sides are hard to match up when you glue it together Good to know. I used 1 inch long screw eyes on this one and epoxy'd them in well, plus there's the seal coat of epoxy, but I am still having doubts about durability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbob Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 You shouldn't have issues then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACarrell Posted September 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 You shouldn't have issues then Great ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Poplar for me... Until i find PVC dowel rods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbob Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 A good thing to do would to take a little hook and a piece of worm and count all the little fish you catch and take pictures so you know the forage in your lake to match you paint jobs to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted September 9, 2015 Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 (edited) Have you ever thought about making a drill bit from a small diameter round stock or something like a welding electrode (rod)? Using this to put a thru wire in, without cutting a lure into. There is one part that I have some reservations about doing this technique. This is the twist of the wire showing outside of the bait. However it is another alternative. I guess you may be able to find a bit of that length. There could also be some good ideas on another style of a tie for the wire. Interested in any ideas here. I have been thinking about this some myself. Dale Edited September 9, 2015 by DaleSW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
