6 piece rattlesnake wake bait

[Jrmeef88]

This is something I’ve been working on for quite some time now. It’s gonna be a 6 piece wake. I’m gonna try to put a small rattle in the tail. I’m not sure if I’ll have enough room yet. I still have tons of sanding and carving left but I’m starting to get antsy and wonder about lead placement.

I’ve never built a wake bait with this many segments, any suggestions on lead placement to get optimal action?

[JD_mudbug]

My only snakes had a jitterbug type lip. The only ballast I had was in bottom of the head at the half way point and a smaller ballast in the second section. That placement won’t work on yours as that is where the lip is. My lip was in front of the body. Most of my other wake baits are 2 or 3 sections and the ballast only goes in the head section between the lip and the front hook hanger. They have a much longer front section than you snake does.

I would get your joints, line tie and hook hangers mounted. Then seal it. You can hold the lip in with tape and glue ballast weights to the belly to test it. I test with sections of coil lead off Amazon. That way I can drill holes sized to the diameter of the lead once I know the right placement.

https://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Weights-1-Pound-Fishing-8-Inch/dp/B00CMR7EX0/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_5/136-4478048-8878557?pd_rd_w=lrLLj&pf_rd_p=961484e4-9800-4359-8d69-ee5560f2fd47&pf_rd_r=8T2DFHYV7PDWADQEZDBJ&pd_rd_r=5302d3c2-c02a-4cdd-a866-42b8913993c8&pd_rd_wg=JBUn0&pd_rd_i=B00CMR7EX0&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003OCAFEC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 You may need some ballast before and after the lip in the head section because that section is so bulbous, a smaller ballast in the second, and an even smaller ballast in the third. It will also depend on hook placement.

Your bait looks great so far. I would want to test it before drilling holes into the body especially after all that hard work in carving.

[Jrmeef88]

1 hour ago, JD_mudbug said:

My only snakes had a jitterbug type lip. The only ballast I had was in bottom of the head at the half way point and a smaller ballast in the second section. That placement won’t work on yours as that is where the lip is. My lip was in front of the body. Most of my other wake baits are 2 or 3 sections and the ballast only goes in the head section between the lip and the front hook hanger. They have a much longer front section than you snake does.

I would get your joints, line tie and hook hangers mounted. Then seal it. You can hold the lip in with tape and glue ballast weights to the belly to test it. I test with sections of coil lead off Amazon. That way I can drill holes sized to the diameter of the lead once I know the right placement.

https://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Weights-1-Pound-Fishing-8-Inch/dp/B00CMR7EX0/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_5/136-4478048-8878557?pd_rd_w=lrLLj&pf_rd_p=961484e4-9800-4359-8d69-ee5560f2fd47&pf_rd_r=8T2DFHYV7PDWADQEZDBJ&pd_rd_r=5302d3c2-c02a-4cdd-a866-42b8913993c8&pd_rd_wg=JBUn0&pd_rd_i=B00CMR7EX0&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003OCAFEC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 You may need some ballast before and after the lip in the head section because that section is so bulbous, a smaller ballast in the second, and an even smaller ballast in the third. It will also depend on hook placement.

Your bait looks great so far. I would want to test it before drilling holes into the body especially after all that hard work in carving.

Thanks man!

[RiverSmallieGuy]

The way I would go about that is place weight in only the head piece and have two anchor points on each joint to test it, and if you don't get the action you want, try putting weight throughout the bait more. If you want a very fast, aggressive serpentine action, remember that a bait will move faster when there is less leverage needed to make it move. (so place the weight close to the part that would be generating the motion)

 

Braden

[Jrmeef88]

2 hours ago, RiverSmallieGuy said:

The way I would go about that is place weight in only the head piece and have two anchor points on each joint to test it, and if you don't get the action you want, try putting weight throughout the bait more. If you want a very fast, aggressive serpentine action, remember that a bait will move faster when there is less leverage needed to make it move. (so place the weight close to the part that would be generating the motion)

 

Braden

What do you mean by put 2 anchor points on each joint?

[RiverSmallieGuy]

21 minutes ago, Jrmeef88 said:

What do you mean by put 2 anchor points on each joint?

If you are doing pin slot joints, have two screw eyes, pinned into the lure, or if you're using double screw eyes or twist wire joint connections, use two of them to eliminate the twist that you would have if you use one. Unless you want the twist, of course.

 

Braden