A Call Out To Vodkaman!

[topwatersniper]

I saw your v2 and v3 swimbait video. Awesome! 2 questions...what kind of himges are you using, and secondly, have any fish been caught with them. If I was a fish, I'd blow those bad boys up!!! :-)

[Vodkaman]

TWSniper - That video is demonstrating the

. I wrote an article on the hinge explaining all.

 

The big problem with 4-section (3 hinge) baits, is the fitting of all the hardware and having enough room to fit ballast lead and having the flexibility to move it around to achieve the best balance.

 

There are currently 3 main types of hinge:

 

1 - Screw / screw - two interlocking screw eyes. These can be shop bought or twisted wire. The big problem is that both sides of the hinge require deep holes, severely limiting the ballast space.

 

2 - screw / pin - a screw eye mounted on a vertical pin. This solves the space problem on the pin side, giving 50% more room for the ballast.

 

3 - piano hinge - a single vertical pin, the eyes are carved into the body. This solves the ballast space problem and looks a lot more professional, but involves a lot more work in manufacture of the carved hinges.

 

What I was finding with the S-movement lipless swimbaits, was that there was significant 'head shake'. I wanted a hinge that added more degrees of movement. The double pin arrangement allows the sections to move more where the water wants them to move, whereas, single axis only allows the hinge to move in an arc.

 

I built several more test lures hoping to confirm the fixing of the head shake problem, but it was not to be, the head shake returned. There are several posts in the Vee joint thread about this, check out from No21 onwards. Actually, if you are going to build a hinges swimbait, the Vee Joint thread is worth reading from the start. Here is another important thread on body roll and head shake.

 

So, the head shake failed, but I did like the smooth movement of the lure, the ballast space and the simpler construction compared to the carved piano hinge. For future builds, this will be my go-to hinge. BUT, the rear hinge needs to be double, you cannot get away with a single hinge, it allows too much roll, which you will see in the under water sequences of the videos.

 

As for catching fish, these lures have never been outside the test tank.

 

Dave

Edited December 5, 2015 by Vodkaman

[Vodkaman]

Here is another thread worth reading on swimbait roll.

 

Dave

[topwatersniper]

Thanks a bunch dave! I'll look over your hinge posts. In the meantime, I tested 3 swimbaits I made at the pond an hour ago. All we done with screw+screw hinge. The first was a 4 segment that sucked, the second, a 3 segment bluegill swam good at the surface, and the third, a 3 segment pike shaped lure swam very well about 2" below the surface with a steady retrieve. They are all wood of course, can't wait to see if the good ones catch fish next year!

Chuck

[Vodkaman]

All swimbaits swim horizontal. There is nothing to drive the lure down deep, like with a lipped crank. The only way to fish deep, is to weight the bait and let it sink before retrieval.

 

Dave