Birdman

REPRINT Here's an alternative to glass rattles. It looks like a .22 brass shell but is designed for wooden lures. Drill a 13/16 hole (using a depth guage for starters on the drill press) make a jig to hold your bait on its side, idrill hole as square as possible to the bait, nsert a regular 4.5mm BB followed by the shell and you're done. You can leave the blunt end of the shell flush with the bait or countersink it then cover with a wood putty (my personal preference). Another suggestion is to drill clean the bait and install 2 shells, one on each side. It just so happens I have about 97,000 of these from an order of 100,000 (the minimum the manufacturer was willing to go). If anyone is interested, PM me and we'll work something out. Attached Thumbnails

Fascinating comparisons. Confirms my preference for cedar. I wonder if lumber companies have curing rates for the various woods used in the test?

That's a fun video-I've seen it before but always good information regarding bait design. Talk about being the only geek on a playground full of bullies. The video really brings out the desperation of the prey to save it's own life and the manner in which bass stalk their prey. One bass pulls along the trout as if to say, "don't worry, I won't let these fish eat you" and then engulfs it whole. Speaking of engulfing it whole, that reminds me of a convesation I had with my wife many years ago but that's another story for another time.

Longhorn is right, strap in, your in for a bumpy ride! Enjoy it while it lasts and make hay while the sun shines. (I've run out of cliches)

I agree with everyone on this question. While all the newness of this craft is still fresh, keep your mind open and try as many different materials as possible. Certain materials will lend themselves more per design and as time goes on you'll discover which material is best suited for you.

Here's a link from some time back. I've got plenty of these shells. PM me if interested. I probably have another 90K left over. http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/hard-baits/16311-glass-rattles-lathe-turning-question.html#post120997

Your work is most impressive and your color patterns are also excellant choices. Now obviously you have an abundance of talent but I think it is a testament to the effectiveness of this forum that someone as yourself can get up to speed so quickly. Whatever I learned out there prior to coming to TU came at a premium but this forum levels the field by making so much information available to those willing to do a bit of digging. I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.

Another good suggestion is to drill small holes through the back of the lip so the epoxy on the top creates a 'core' with the epoxy on the bottom of the slot. If you look at most commercially made baits there is always excess epoxy on the lip, both top and bottom. Whether this actually adds strength is debatable (the epoxy is attached to paint) but the core holes most certainly increases its strength of the lip. For lips with line tie wires through their centers, the need for addtional strength is obviously paramount. Also few companies take the time to backfill the sides of the slot once the lip has been set in place. This is particularly important with lexan where the notch is even wider. Has anyone noticed the difference between 5 minute epoxy and regular 2 ton epoxy? My experiences with 5 minutes have not been all that good. In fact, I only use 5 minute when designing test baits in the event I want to remove the lip later on.

Yeah, I think Riverman is on to something-scale. If a 3.5 inch bait starts out in 1/2" wood, a 6" bait begins with 3/4" wood, then 8-10" probably needs 1" or better. 3.5" is to .5" as 7" is to 1". So 8-10" would be 1" or larger. This is just a rule of thumb as a jumping off place. As you get further into the construction of your bait, you'll know whether to go thinner or thicker. Most of the baits I work on start with a template, both side and top view. If I need to reduce or enlarge my bait, I go to the copier and change the setting by percentages until I see what I want. So simple it's stupid.

I used that same twitch bait pictured on this thread to catch two nice smallies this morning-a three pounder on the second cast. Then I had it bitten off, possibly by a brown trout. That hurts but that's why they make paint, hardware and wood. Still I hadn't planned on sacrificing baits to the fish gods so early in the season. So my dues are already paid. I'll get another half dozen made up by next weekend in the unlikely event the gods demand more tribute.

Very interesting. I've never seen that bait but a very similar concept. You guys really impress me with your depth of research. One thing I don't recall if I mentioned but you absolutely have to have an in-line swivel or the line twist will kill you. You want to keep the size of the swivel down so as to not affect the action and I usually tie it on about 18" above the bait. The longer the leader the harder it is to cast and get any distance. And distance is pretty important with this type of bait.

Milia, I remind you of the expression, "Youth is wasted on the young". That's why I've permanently frozen my attitude at 25-only the body is showing some wear. It's okay to become an old fart just as long as I don't look too closely in the mirror because the man in the mirror doesn't look anything like the way I feel. Mattmaddog, that is one impressive start. If I showed you my first baits, you'd laugh. But like you I was hooked from the get-go. In the beginning, I ordered 40 or 50 unpainted plastic top water bodies from Jann's Netcraft and practiced on those. The first baits were nothing like yours but little by little the skill started to set in. And just when I think I'm getting a handle on this art, someone at this site knocks me back a few rungs with a display of some serious talent! Trying to duplicate something of nature is one of the highest compliments we can pay to the natural world.

These are all great suggestions. Like Madbass, I now apply a coat of clear where I want the glitter, sprinkle glitter about 2 feet about the bait then coat several more times to seal it good. The problem with this method is control-I can almost get the same degree of glitter on each bait but not always. But for large runs of baits, I will use thinned clear and spray it on with a large gun (used in auto painting). If I have 10 baits on a stick, I can hit all ten in one or two movements and be done. If uniformity is key to you, then spray is probably the best method.

Vacuum forming is another great method when using poly ethelene (milk cartons). A tutorial was produced a short time ago on this topic. If a left and right form is made of a bait out of whatever material you choose (steel putty, plaster etc), drill small holes symetrically and connect it to a shop vac. Lay your milk carton over the form, turn on the vacuum, and lighting wave a torch over the plastic until it turns clear. The vacuum will do the rest. Hope that helps.

One of the things we all learn when first starting out is some of what you need doesn't exist in the form or shape you desire. In other words, you may need to make your own. In your case, a small lathe and chisels will get you started. Right away you'll find yourself making an investment in this craft but if you only spend your money once, it should last you for years and provide you with truckloads of baits. One quick word about Basswood. I have consulted many luremakers regarding this particular wood. First you need to understand no bait, no matter how well you seal and coat it, is truely waterproof, especially after it has seen some action. Basswood has the quality of swelling or expanding when wet causing bait finishes to crack and split. I know this painfully well from my own experiences. Good luck