So I the question is:

if your ballast was any shape what would it be.

imagine a 4" rapala type minnow do I put a slug in the standard right behind the dive lip or a strip running the length of the lure

or

A glide bait how would tall and skinny ballast vs ballast as low in the body as possible.

or

a spy bait where you can get the ballast dead on the center line of the bait.

FYI the printer is the snapmaker U1

Wayne

This should be for Dave

Thanks Guys,

Brad

I've been thinking of changing this to accomidate larger wire .067"

The only downside is that if you use the .040 wire it will be a real sloppy fit... so I would most likely add a magnet into the mold to help hold the wire.

I've tested the .040 wire with the larger slot and there really wasn't much leakage on the end of the weight.

I'm just curious if any of you guys are running larger weights like this and if so what size wire you are using?

Thanks for your input...

Kent

Lakeside Molds LLC
Nisswa, MN

I was looking to make some Rapala style lures with my dad maybe a dozen or so but I was having trouble finding the lips from an F9 or J9 floating model. If anyone knows where I might be able to find some that would be great thank you!

I’m an angler from Japan who finds joy not just in the catch, but in the art of hand-crafting lures.

During my journey as a builder, I’ve discovered a way to deconstruct lure mechanics from a slightly different perspective than what is commonly known. Whether this is a "new discovery" or not, I would love to share my findings with this community. May I leave my thoughts on lure mechanics here?

I mainly target Black Fin Seabass and Japanese Seabass in my home waters of the Miura Peninsula. Currently, I’m also working on developing plugs that can withstand even harsher conditions.

I guess you could say I’m just a "pure lure nut" (laughs).

I look forward to connecting with you all and sharing our passion!

I've been using .032" (.9mm) type 316 stainless steel wire for all my baits thus far (it's all I've got right now).  But I know it's not sturdy enough for a muskie bait.  Also, it's too stiff to twist with a drill, I have to twist my line ties and hook hangers by hand.  Most of the baits I've made are smaller and designed for bass and panfish, but I'm starting to make some swimbaits and heavier stuff, so I know I need to scale up my wire to match.

What wire do you prefer to use for different types of baits/fish?

Let’s talk about the real mechanics of lures.

I have spent years deconstructing how a lure actually moves. I have compiled my logic into a 9-chapter series, and I want to share it with you.

[ About "note" ]

This is a prominent Japanese platform where private writers share specialized knowledge. I have published my lure-making philosophy here.

Core Concepts of My Logic:

The Lever Principle: A lure's ability to dive is powered by a lever mechanism, not just water pressure.

The 2-Stroke Cycle: A lure alternates between "Falling Over ⇆ Standing Up." This is the fundamental cycle.

Dual Action: The lever principle works both when the lure dives and when it recovers its posture.

The "Lip Force Margin": A critical concept for understanding stability and action.

The Paradox of the Roll: A lure can only "stand up" because it first rolls deeply. This is the heart of the mechanism.

"Can lures only be explained by Fluid Dynamics?"

I respectfully disagree. Lures move according to physical laws, and it is you—the angler—who creates that movement.

Consider these points:

Why do the head and tail swing more violently as retrieve speed increases?

Why do Floating models often dive deeper than Sinking models of the same shape?

The Lip only indicates the path. It is the Tail that determines the diving depth.

I have thought seriously about the gaps in Fluid Dynamics until this logic finally made sense. Unfortunately, many still believe the lip is "constantly pushing water," or they ignore the mechanism entirely.

There are "3 distinct Types" of Floating Minnows.

Choosing a lure without knowing this is a tragedy. If you understand these types, selecting a plug becomes far more enjoyable.

What if 80% of a lure’s action is determined by the causal relationship between the Lip and the Tail?

If it is the Tail that governs both depth and action—then this logic becomes impossible to deny.

My Theory is Simple:

The reaction force of the lip swings the tail through a fulcrum.

The pulling force on the line-eye swings the tail through a fulcrum.

This is the entirety of the mechanism I have pursued.

I welcome both denial and affirmation.

Test me, and see if my logic holds true.

The articles are written in Japanese. I recommend using AI to summarize the content.

Full Series Link:

https://note.com/yusuilure/m/m774b7e02e95f

For some reason, it doesn’t dive.

Then, unexpectedly, it dives deep.

Many anglers feel this phenomenon instinctively, yet they can't quite explain why. I want to talk about that unexplained mystery of the lure's lip.

The lip angle is intended to maintain the maximum diving depth. However, not all lures can actually reach the depth that their angle suggests.

The angle is merely a guideline. A more horizontal angle simply "indicates" the potential to dive deeper—it is not a guarantee.

◆ What is the reason? ◆

For a lure where the tail "brake" doesn't work effectively, the force to roll becomes stronger than the force to dive. The excess energy generated by the lip is simply wasted and cannot be converted into diving depth. To make a lure dive, you need a moderate amount of "braking" force at the tail.

The Lip Angle and the Line Angle

Imagine looking at a still image of a lure being pulled from the side. The lure exerts its maximum diving power as long as the angle between the lip and the fishing line stays within 90 degrees.

(Please visualize this with the white lines in the image.)

I believe this 90-degree mark is where the lip performs at its peak. As the lure gets closer to the rod tip and this angle exceeds 90 degrees, the lip starts to "let the water escape." From that moment, it loses its ability to exert maximum force, which is why the lure begins to surface as it returns to you.

The Position of the Lip: The Lever Mechanism

Think of the lure as a "seesaw" where the fulcrum (the center of gravity) moves freely. The force travels from the lip to the fulcrum, and from the fulcrum to the tail end.

The power of the lip pushes the head down while sending the rolling force all the way to the tail. By offsetting the lip slightly behind the very tip of the head, the leverage becomes weaker. As the lip position gets closer to the center of gravity, the force to push the head down decreases—meaning the diving power weakens. It’s all about the balance of this seesaw.

The Tail as the Brake

Because the head shakes, the tail shakes.

Even if the tail applies a "brake" against the lip's power, the remaining energy from the lip still pushes the fulcrum in a rolling direction.

When the head swings, the tail swings as a reaction. But the tail isn't swinging through empty space—it's pushing against water. As it rolls and displaces water, resistance is created at the tail. I believe that the stronger this resistance (the brake) is, the more the force applied to the fulcrum is forced into the diving direction.

In my own unique analogy, I say: "The lip is the accelerator. The tail is the brake."

I know this might be difficult to convey since it's just a conceptual explanation. Some might ask for scientific evidence... but I honestly have zero scientific expertise or the knowledge to analyze water flow like a supercomputer.

I can't talk about mechanisms using complex dynamics, but I know that a lure moves by "taking in water and letting it go."

Why does the lure move with the center of gravity as its fulcrum? Because the head swings, and the tail swings in response. It's because that balance is just right.

I believe we have reached a stage where we can fully explain these mechanisms through pure logic.

This Type 1 floating minnow is designed to be easy to place into the current.

A long, narrow lip reduces the force that induces roll, while still allowing the lure to enter the water smoothly.

The slightly forward center of gravity and the higher line tie help the lure recover its posture quickly.

A slim tail shape reduces drag and makes it easier for the lure to swing and return without crossing its reference line.

By combining these elements, the lure does not rely on strong rolling motion.

Instead, it maintains a stable attitude while allowing the head to swing naturally, which makes it easier to follow the flow of the current.

Hi,

Today, let’s talk about the Long-Bill Minnow—a lure that everyone recognizes as the synonym for deep-diving.

To understand its mechanism, we must divide the lure into three parts:

The Head (Lip), the Center of Gravity (Pivot), and the Tail.

Have you ever wondered why some lures with huge lips don’t dive as deep as expected?

The reason is simple: Even if the lip power is immense, if the tail is too slim and cuts through water too easily, the "brake" is too weak.

In short, the tail cannot "catch" the powerful force generated by the lip, causing the energy to idle. This is the secret behind lures with intense rolling action.

Lip = Accelerator. Tail = Brake.

The immense force created by the lip is transmitted to the tail through the pivot (center of gravity).

Think of it like a seesaw:

If you push down one side with extreme force, but there is no one on the other side, the energy just disappears.

Now, imagine if the pivot of this seesaw was made of a soft sponge.

If no one is on the other side, you can push your side down without crushing the sponge.

But what if someone sits on the other side? The sponge pivot can no longer support the weight and gets crushed under the pressure.

In the case of a lure:

The tail being pushed up must "push back" against the water flow as you retrieve.

This resistance acts as "weight," pressing down on the pivot (center of gravity) in the direction of the roll. This allows the energy to be converted into diving force.

Only then, the remaining surplus power from the lip is transmitted as the rolling force.

Diving depth is not just about the lip angle.

It is determined by the balance between the lip's power and the tail's resistance.

What do you think of this "Sponge Pivot" logic?

Hi,

Here is my detailed analysis regarding the movement mechanism of lures.

The Core Logic:

The lip acts as the accelerator. The tail acts as the brake.

The line-eye determines the allowance angle.

A lure's movement is like a weather vane: when the head swings, the tail follows. Today’s theme is the "Restoration Point"—the position where a rolling lure recovers its posture—which is heavily influenced by the tail.

Defining the Base Line:

First, let’s draw a line to set the standard for restoration: A straight line connecting the fishing line, the line-eye, and the tail end. We will call this the Base Line.

Do you have lures with the following characteristics? (Type 1):

• The afterimage of the moving lure looks like an "X".

• The line-eye is positioned higher than the center of gravity.

• The tail shape is tapered and slim.

• The center of gravity is central or slightly forward-heavy.

If we consider the area from the center of gravity to the tail end as one unit ("the tail"), this type has a tail that is:

1. Thin (cuts through water easily).

2. Short (leverage is transmitted directly).

Comparing this to a weather vane, this tail is easy to swing, but the "tail brake" is weak. Let’s define this as Type 1.

The Movement Process of Type 1:

1. The First Phase of the Roll: The power from the lip is strongly transmitted to the tail. Since the lip consumes little energy on self-resistance and the tail brake is weak, this power is rarely converted into "diving force."

2. Head and Tail Action: Because the tail offers little resistance, the head swings freely until it reaches the allowance angle.

3. The Role of the Line-Eye: The high line-eye position supports the self-righting force. It almost forcefully pulls the rolling lure back into an upright position.

4. The Restoration: Once the allowance angle is reached, the tail responds immediately to the pull of the line-eye and swings back quickly.

The Key Performance of Type 1:

Because the tail swings back so efficiently, the restoration to a stable posture occurs before the tail crosses the Base Line. The process from the start of the roll to the recovery is extremely fast, allowing a quick transition to the next action.

The Hidden Performance of This Type:

Since it restores its posture before reaching the Base Line, it synchronizes exceptionally well with the current. My standard for a lure that harmonizes with the flow is: The Restoration Point must not cross the Base Line.

This true performance only reveals itself in a current at the optimal retrieve speed. in a still pool, it only looks like the head is shaking differently.

In my experience, Type 1 is a lure that reacts to even weak currents and has a track that changes dynamically.

What do you think? There are still two more performance types for floating minnows.

So I tried a salt Shaker, but didn't like those results either.

I ladled molten Tin over some, and that works very well, but I would like some glow in the dark color. Now I'm looking at either buying a long bed from Simply Crappie, or having someone 3d print one for me.

Does anyone know what temperature the jig has to be for the powder to stick? I tried getting a reading from some small jigs, but the readings were all over the place.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

It doesn’t fit a lure.

A lure doesn’t break.

A lure reverses its phase.

When this happens, two things appear:

The lure is pulled upward, as if being lifted out of the water.

The lure rolls too deeply.

These are not failures.

They are moments when the visible balance of forces flips.

I call this phase reversal.

What causes phase reversal?

It always begins with a lack of remaining lip force.

Retrieving too fast

Crossing fast current, even at slow retrieve

Retrieving upstream in strong flow

When the lip loses reserve force, several things grow larger:

The interval before reaching a certain angle

The roll amplitude

The head swing amplitude

The less reserve the lip has,

the longer it takes to reach that angle.

Why does the force reverse?

As lip force weakens:

The lip loses its ability to drive the lure downward

The lip loses its ability to control roll

The boundary angle shifts deeper

The upward pulling force at the line tie becomes dominant

On lures with a higher line tie, this fourth force becomes especially strong.

What about lures that roll too much?

Now consider a lure with a low line tie.

The same losses occur:

The lip loses diving force

The lip loses roll-control force

The boundary angle shifts deeper

The pulling force at the line tie increases

But here, the roll angle deepens instead.

The lure rolls past horizontal.

Gravity pulls through the line tie.

The lure’s natural desire to self-right now works in reverse.

One process ends. The next dominates.

The first process — diving — runs out of force.

The second process — pulling back — becomes stronger.

That is why lure action doesn’t collapse.

It reverses its phase.

The answer lies here.

— “Phase-Shift Angle” —

The angle at which a lure is allowed to recover and stand itself back up.

A floating minnow does not shake its head because the lip keeps pushing water.

It shakes because the forces acting on the lure reverse their roles.

As the lure rolls and its axis deviates from the line of pull,

the lip gradually loses its ability to push water forward.

At that moment,

line tension begins to dominate.

The lure wants to stand upright.

But being pulled, it is forced to lean—like a balloon dragged by the wind.

Between these opposing forces,

there exists a critical angle.

This is the Phase-Shift Angle—

the boundary where the lure is allowed to recover its posture.

To reach that angle,

the lure must roll deeper and shake its head,

shedding water resistance until it can realign itself.

A lure shakes its head not to move forward,

but to regain balance.

That is the core mechanism governing floating minnows.

I've flown all the way here from Japan because I wanted to talk about the mechanics of floating minnows.

Shall we discuss the wonders of lures?

Today's topic is the optimal retrieve speed.

A lure generates action whether left in the current or retrieved by the reel.

At that moment, a signal is sent to your hand. Through the rod.

A "twitch-twitch."

This signal is a sign telling you what state the lure is in right now.

The relationship between a lure's maximum diving depth and optimal retrieve speed

Even when reeling in slowly, a floating minnow will reach its maximum diving depth while maintaining a forward-leaning posture.

When you start to feel the signal slightly, the lure reaches its maximum diving depth and maintains that depth. At this point, "the forward-leaning posture returns to a gentle forward tilt."

Furthermore, increasing the reel retrieval speed intensifies the signal.

Then, the lure's posture approaches a horizontal position and can no longer maintain the maximum diving depth.

Ultimately, if this signal intensifies further, the lure will begin to rise.

We consider the lure to be performing at its peak when this signal feels just right.

What does this mean?

Each type of floating minnow has an optimal retrieve speed. It is precisely this speed that allows each lure's performance to truly shine.

Why does a floating minnow start rising as it nears the rod tip?

It's because the angle formed by the lip and the line pulling diagonally upward exceeds 90 degrees.

This angle isn't an exact measurement. It's my personal view. I believe it's the angle at which the lip allows water to escape.

What do you all think?

jun.