mark poulson Posted December 27, 2015 Report Share Posted December 27, 2015 Where I live now there are a lot of river otters, so I thought I'd make a baby otter wake bait. http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/15383-otter1-6inch-122-grams/ It works, it wakes, it swims fine, it weighs a ton! I had to remove the swivel tail attachment, and use a 5/8" counterbore/hitchhiker attachment instead, to keep the soft plastic tail from fouling. A fun build, two pieces of 3/4 thick PVC trim laminated together with plumbers PVC primer and glue, clamped for an hour. I'm going to have to do some serious weight training if I want to throw this one all day! I overshot the med brown Createx with some Folk Art Metallic Copper, to give it some depth. I used a sawzall blade to score it for a fur effect. 3D eye made by adding drops of Solarez into recesses over some Wicked Black. If I add it drop by drop, the resin domes, due to it's thickness and surface tension, so the eyes wind up raised. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted December 27, 2015 Report Share Posted December 27, 2015 I imagine that was a fun one to build. For sure not the usual thing one might see and definitely would be a workout over the course of a day. I don't understand the joint however as with the depth/angle there can't be any range of movement. If you fix the joint does the action change significantly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted December 27, 2015 Report Share Posted December 27, 2015 Very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose77 Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Mark, that bait is cool! Must have been alot of fun to plan and build...and fun when it was done. Good for you and Happy New Year. Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Thanks everybody, it was a fun build. And it worked right out of the box, except for fine tuning the tail, and hook placement. The joint is cut at 45 degrees off the centerline. I used a square of paper, lined up the opposite points on the centerline, and drew the joint lines. I don't usually do that steep a joint, but I figured, what the heck, I am going to have to cut it after I shape the lure anyway, since I didn't know where I wanted the joint before I started, so why not be lazy. Turned out, since the bottom of the lure has flat surfaces, I was able to put the joint lines on top, and use the bandsaw to cut the joint. Since I use sst screw eyes and a pin, I was able to adjust the joint to suite my tastes. With the shallow, wide wake bill, the bait moves right out of the box, and at first the back section had a wild side-to-side swing. I actually tightened up the joint a little, and it still does the macarana! I'd made one joint lures before, and have found that a wider bill makes them dance. I added a two lead ball, side-to-side rattle half way back on the rear section, and it is loud! It was so easy that I made a smaller version today, with only one lead ball, because the lure is narrower. This one weighs less, but still does the dance, so I'll be able to throw it longer, I hope. Anyway, it was a fun build again, and easy, too. Happy New Year right back at you Ed, and to the rest of you, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) Here's a top photo of the original, and a smaller 53 gram version, showing the joints at full turn, so you can get an idea of spacing. As you can see, they are not opened a whole lot, but, because they both have a wide, shallow angle wake bill, they both wiggle like....well, they sashay. Edited December 29, 2015 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenn Posted December 29, 2015 Report Share Posted December 29, 2015 Looks like a fabulous bait for my northern Wisconsin muskies. What is the uncut length and then the jointed length? What is the diameter? How is the hinge made? Thanks. Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Carl, The original blank was 1 1/2" tall, 1 3/4" wide, and 6" long. Two 3/4" pieces of PVC trimboard laminated together with primer and PVC glue. It's almost the same length finished, because what I gained in the joint spacing was 1/8"+-. It weighs 122 grams finished. The hinge is two .092 sst X 1 1/4" screw eyes in the front (female) joint section, and a piece of sst bicycle spoke as a pin drilled down vertically at the front of the rear section. That section has two slots that match the two screw eye locations. There is a shallow 5/8" counter sink hole in the tail, with a large Owner sst hitchhiker in the center, glued in solid, and the 1/2" soft plastic worm tail threads onto that. I used Spro swivels for the hook hangers, glued into tight fitting holes with super glue. They are either #6 or #8, a little over 1/8" in diameter. I don't remember which. The bill is 1 1/2" wide, is embedded 1/2" into the bait at about an 80 degree angle, and protrudes 1 1/4" below the head. The line tie is another sst screw eye, place 3/16 above the entry point of the bill, and passing through the bill into the lure body. All of the screw eyes are run in and then out again in tight pilot hoes, coated with super glue, and then run back in to their final position. For the line tie, I run it in until part of the eye is embedded in the chin of the bait, and the super glue that squeezes out forms a locking seat there. Even though the hinge screw eye glue forms a small seat where they enter the bait, I can still turn the screw eyes to adjust the joint size if I need to without the eyes backing out, because they are a tandem and are prevented from turning by the hinge pin. I used the sawzall blade in the picture to score the sides to give it some "fur". That's just me playing around. The smaller bait uses .072 screw eyes, is 3/4" tall, 1 1/4" wide, and 4" long. Everything is scaled down from the bigger bait, and it weighs 53 grams. I used 1 gram lead shot for rattles, two in the big bait and one in the smaller one. I drilled a small pilot hole through the rear section behind the hinge joint a little to make sure the rattle shaft would be oriented right from each side, counter sunk a 5/16 hole at each side approx. 1/8", and then through bored the hole with a 1/4" brad point bit to make the shaft for the rattle. The small pilot through-hole made sure the counter sunk holes were centered, and gave the 1/4" bit something to follow from each side, so it lined up, too. I glued 5/16 discs cut from an alum. coke can at either end to seal the rattle balls in with super glue, and test swam the bait hard, to get the balls to dent the aluminum as much as they wanted. Then I filled the counter sunk holes with bondo. After I shaved and sanded the bondo flush, I put a drop of runny super glue onto it, and used my finger to spread it over the bondo to add whatever strength it could. I painted directly over the PVC with Createx, and then coated both sections independently with Solarez polyester resin, which I UV cured in my fingernail curing light. I'm guessing the big one looks real enough. While I was testing the finished bait at the end of the dock, a pair of beavers who were swimming back and forth and slapping their tails, and calling out loudly, turned and followed the bait for a short while. They were obviously looking for a lost pup. When I realized what they were doing I stopped casting. It seemed kind of cruel to fool them. I hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenn Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Thanks very much Mark. I'll have to give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 (edited) Sorry for the duplicate post. When I tried to edit the original post I couldn't. If you have more questions, feel free to PM me. Edited December 30, 2015 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 (edited) Sorry for the duplicate post. When I tried to edit the original post I couldn't. If you have more questions, feel free to PM me. This is something that wold be nice to have changed. Editing time is too short. No matter how carefully I seam to read over I come back a few minutes later I find something I could add or correct. Other site I use frequently has a 1 hr editing window. Edited December 30, 2015 by Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 This is something that wold be nice to have changed. Editing time is too short. No matter how carefully I seam to read over I come back a few minutes later I find something I could add or correct. Other site I use frequently has a 1 hr editing window. I agree. More time would be better. Maybe we just need to read faster, or make shorter posts. Hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt - NC Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Edit time has been increased to 4 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Edit time has been increased to 4 hours. Thanks. I guess I better clean up my act if you're actually paying attention. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Thanks Kurt. I agree that unlimited editing should not be allowed, but 15 minutes was often just not enough. Four hours will do nicely Dave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt - NC Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Thanks. I guess I better clean up my act if you're actually paying attention. ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Neat idea Mark but my shoulder would never handle it. Rods either for that matter. :-) bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Neat idea Mark but my shoulder would never handle it. Rods either for that matter. :-) bill Bill, I have the gear to throw it, but not the body anymore. But it was fun to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 i want to see the fish mark. then we will know if it really works......lol looks great....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 i want to see the fish mark. then we will know if it really works......lol looks great....... Me, too. I'm sitting here pondering if/when I should brave the 30+ degree weather and go fishing. It is so clear, and so cold...Hahahah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted December 31, 2015 Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 Me, too. I'm sitting here pondering if/when I should brave the 30+ degree weather and go fishing. It is so clear, and so cold...Hahahah Who was it that said the coldest winter they'd ever experienced was a summer in San Francisco? Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 I think it was Mark Twain...or was it Samuel Clemens? I know it was some left coast guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted December 31, 2015 Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 cold out west....lol just got over a ice storm with 2 inches of ice...but not on the lakes.....and i even stood on the docks knowing the fish were on the other side of the lake.....( and made a few cast into the water...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 (edited) cold out west....lol just got over a ice storm with 2 inches of ice...but not on the lakes.....and i even stood on the docks knowing the fish were on the other side of the lake.....( and made a few cast into the water...) My mom was from Detroit, and I used to shiver just listening to her stories about winter there. It's a weird winter, so far. My elder daughter is visiting from NY, and she said it was 60 there when she left, and much colder here. Whuda thunkit? Edited January 1, 2016 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishon-son Posted January 1, 2016 Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 My mom was from Detroit, and I used to shiver just listening to her stories about winter there. It's a weird winter, so far. My elder daughter is visiting from NY, and she said it was 60 there when she left, and much colder here. Whuda thunkit? snow today,about 1 inch so far ,its lite so cant see much more....its great so far ...2 more months and the melt down starts........oh wait..........nothing frozen yet......lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
