m_vandorn

Thanks fishon-son, A jitterbug would be great and like you I think a spook with a motor would also be a fun lure to fish with. In fact, I've been working on a spook like lure with a softbait swim tail attachment. As for going the China rout, I will not be doing that, although, that is what most large lure companies do. The truth is, there are some very good China manufactures. There are also a lot of companies in China that make junk. I think the biggest problem in dealing with companies in China is the theft of intellectual property. Since I started the Buzzin Baits thread, I have decided to change directions and go the way of custom bait design and sales. It won't make me rich but it is something I really enjoy doing. There is a lot of room in the marketplace for people that like to create and sell their products. I am really glad to share what I've learned and look forward to seeing what others might do with this idea. My next project is larger lures, not topwater but one that can be used for pike and saltwater fishing. I've just completed testing with different batteries which provide much longer run time. When I complete the first one, I'll be posting pictures and how-to information in this same thread. Thanks again fishon-son

Here is a video of several solar powered lures and the battery powered vibrating cicada shown vibrating in a small tub of water.

LOL! Perhaps a new category for the cool lure contest.

I know I didn't explain well what I planned to do with the sound from an mp3 player. Yes, I might try music as a test, but my real thought was to create a steady humming sound and test different frequencies to see if there is noticeable differences in the way fish react. I liked the idea of an mp3 player because it can be programmed with what ever sounds I chose. The plastic bag idea gives me cause to go back to the bobber that I used with the 555 timer circuit. The fact that your system could possibly play music made me think of the mp3 player. Thank Mr. Salamander, you have brought a lot of food for thought to the forum. Thank you, Michael

I can't wait to find out how it goes.

Dave, Will the other 49 competitors be using lures also? From what JRammit says, a lure might not stand up to other conventionally used baits, at least here in the US that is.

Sorry, Vodkaman. I failed to address that last question, regarding the mp3 player, to you as well, since you two seem to be the most knowledgeable electronically.

Please forgive my ignorance Slimy but, in a larger lure, Is it possible to include a very small mp3 player? I know it may sound silly, but I've seen some really small mp3 players with rechargeable battery included. Could it be that the sound amplification circuit would be to large? Also, regarding the pumpkin seed shape of your lure, other than the motor vibrations, what is it that attracts them? As a kid, we use to catch catfish or the smelliest bait we could create. I had no idea catfish could be attracted to lures, until I was informed of it by the guy that used my lure. Michael

LOL! I think heavy metal would be a fantastic fish attractant opposed to the sound of say; Barry Manilow, which I'm certain could be a great fish/shark repellent. The electronics to a crystal radio receiver is very simple. I'm thinking it could work.

I agree with JRammit. Very clever and I really like the drone flyover video at the beginning of the first video.

Thank you, Slimy Salamander, Your post is most welcome. It has helped to validate one of my customers claims. They buy a larger battery powered version I call my bass bug. According to them, catfish were blowing up on this lure. They love to fish at night time and the first time they tried the lure, they said it actually shocked them how aggressive they as the poll was practically yanked out of their hand. They sent a picture of a 17 lb. catfish caught. I will not say I didn't believe them, It's just that most people I know that fish for catfish, use chicken livers or live worms and I didn't have any other reports of this kind. In one of my early posts, I stated a concern regarding intellectual property now I wish I could remove it because I have learned there a many people, such as myself that are making vibrating lures. I am thankful for TackleUnderground.com, because I will save a lot of money by not pursuing the idea of having a manufacturer make my product. Basically, I was working in a vacuum and now my eyes have been opened to the work many others are doing in this area. So, in short I am extremely glad you have joined the discussion and I look forward to learning more. Michael

This post is about how I make contact springs and the spring I use for attaching softails to my lures. The stainless wire you can purchase on LurePartsOnine.com work great for this. The wire I use for this is 0.024" stainless wire. First: Select a drill bit with a diameter that will result in the desired spring inside diameter. It is important to wrap the wire around the smooth shank of the drill bit. Finding the correct size drill bit may take some trial and error because the inside diameter will not end up the same as the drill bit. It will be larger. The drill bits I use for my springs are as follows: >Larger Contact Spring - 13/64 inch >Spring for attaching Softails - 1/8 inch >I use a retractable ballpoint pen spring for the negative contact. I can get 8 pins for one dollar at Dollar tree. The 8 springs from those pens can be used to make 16 lures. Second: Tighten the chuck of a drill on the drill bit making sure the maximum amount of the smooth shaft is exposed (See Picture Below). Third: Make a bend in the wire and slide it between the jaws of the chuck, assuring the wire will not slip out when winding the wire around the drill bit. Forth: Hold the wire, either by hand or with a pair of pliers adding tension while turning the drill bit to wind the wire around the drill bit. Assure each wrap of the wire is tight against each wrap (See picture) Fifth: Carefully release the wire tension. Sixth: Stretch the spring to achieve the desired gap between each wind then trim excess wire. Seventh: Cut springs to desired length.

The information provided by Dave/Vodkaman regarding the genetic / evolutionary programming of predator fish has give me cause to think more about why certain retrieval actions and the pause of retrieval work well to draw a strike. For example walk the dog action (direction changes) seems to do very well and often times you will get a strike at the pause (prey fish resting). , To that point, I provided a prototype softail vibrating lure to my friend in North Carolina to use in his companies fishing tournament. The company, he works for, has a large well maintained body of water on their property. He tested various retrieval methods and ended up using a method that I believe validates Dave's theory. According to my friend, he could see bass following the lure. They would not strike just follow. When he pause and did a sudden jerk, causing a short change of direction, they would blow up on it. He said it was insane how well the lure work, but I'm thinking the appearance of a change of direction may also be key to his success. I say his success because he won the tournament by catching 27 bass, far above second place at 7 bass. He sent pictures of some of the fish he caught. You can see them in a collage picture which also includeds the softail prototype I provided to him. Anyway, I find Dave's theory interesting because it also helps me understand how and why I will be able to get more fish strikes.

Prepping the solar cell and motor for installation in a solar powered fishing lure: For those interested in making Solar power fishing lures, the following information will explain how I prep the cell and motor to achieve the best vibration effect. (Reference picture below) 1. I carefully remove the solar cell and motor from the toy cockroach, making sure not to detach the lead wires from the solar cell. You will notice there is a thick adhesive on the solar cell. This is a good thing. Do not remove the adhesive. It will be needed to help secure the motor in place. 2. Carefully wipe the motor casing clean with alcohol. This will assure the double sticky mounting tape will be securely bonded to the motor. Note 1: The vibrating motor is just under 1/4 inch thick and 0.64 inches long. The size of the motor compartment should be 0.27 - 0.28 Inches wide and 0.86 - 0.90 inches long to assure enough room for the motor and wires. The compartment depth 0.27 - 0.28 Inches. 3. To bond the motor to the solar cell, I use double sticky foam tape the same type used mount a picture on a wall. I bought a roll of the product made by Duck. I cut a 1/4 inch square piece of the double sticky foam tape and apply it to the motor and then adhere it to the stick adhesive on the solar cell. I also take a piece of the slick paper removed form the double sticky foam tape and place it on the solar cell just under the front of the motor so the spindle of the motor does not get stuck to the strong adhesive. (See Picture) Note 2: The purpose of the double sticky foam tape is to allow the motor a bit of movement to vibrate against the side walls of the motor compartment. Note 3: When adhering the motor to the solar cell, be sure to leave room in front of the spindle / out-of-balance wheel so it will not make contact with the front wall of the motor compartment and become jammed. The motor should go in with the spindle facing the front of the lure. This way the force of casting the lure will always push the spindle away from the front wall. 4. Place a small amount of epoxy on the wires right at the solder point so they do not become dislodged from the vibrations of the motor when inside the lure. Note 4: When adhering the motor to the solar cell, for best vibration effect, adhere the motor slightly more to one side of the cell than the other. This helps to assure the motor is resting against one of the side walls, thus increasing the vibrating sound. You can check for the sound by installing the assembly into the motor compartment holding in in place with your fingers such that you are able to expose the solar cell next to the light of a 100 W incandescent bulb or take it outside into direct sunlight. After you are sure the sound is strong the unit can be seal in place. Now the motor and solar cell is ready to seal the unit in place.

No problem, JRammit. You might also include Vodkaman, if he doesnot mine. He has more knowledge electronically. I'm a trial and error guy and I have no problem helping where I can. I'm sure, somewhere down the line, the knowledge gain will be good for me too.

To add to the above post about ideas and other possibilities, there are many different size vibrating motors as well. I've tested extremely small vibrating motors and larger one. I'm guessing the guy in the video is using a smaller motor because the amount of vibration is quite a bit less than the ones I use, but that is not my point really. I'm just saying the possibilities are endless.

JRammit, you are correct, there are many more possibilities for vibrating fish attracting concepts. I will say, except for the bobber idea, I never thought of having one for edible baits nor one for attracting ducks. You guys are really thinking outside the box. There is a video of a product a guy made for soft baits, which is an idea I had quite some time ago, but decided to start first with hard lures. My idea, in the regard to this is a little different. I see no reason the motor / battery compartment can't be contained in a plastic vial and then used as an insert into a hollow squid type soft bait or other large soft baits. Below is a link to the video I referenced. Travis provided a link to it earlier in this forum thread too.