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bassrecord

Floater That Turns Over

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i like the twitching action in the first video. i'm curious as to what the bait does on a slow steady retrieve (no added action from the rod tip). does it just roll over and over or does it swim like a crankbait would?

If I swim it really slowly it kind of does a quivering back and forth between the belly and side, like it's struggling. The faster the retrieve, the faster the switch. Too fast, and it sometimes does a 360.

I think the twitch/pause/twitch retrieve looks the most like a struggling fish. Just a hard enough pull to get it to rotate 90 degrees, and then it rolls back down by itself. And I think it is really neat how the rolling action adds flash and splash to the walking retrieve.

I was surprised at how little the front hook fouled on the walking retrieve, given how much movement there is and that I upsized to a #1 Owner treble on the new lures. About the same as a conventional walking bait, which is once in a great while.

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Dave,

Having PVC and super glue to build with simplifies my process greatly. It's easy to make a rough blank, ballast it, and play around with bills and angles because I never have to worry about sealing anything to keep water out.

So I can think about something for a little while, make a rough prototype, give it a test run in the bath tub, and refine the design pretty quickly.

I think better with my hands, anyway. I guess it's a carpenter thing. :lol:

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My process was quite efficient. I cut a dozen bodies for the project (duplicator machine). I sealed with polyester resin, ready for water after 30 minutes.

The problem was that as I tried to make my idea work, the design became more and more complicated, to the point that it was not a practical build. Also, I should have started off with a larger body, to give myself some elbow room. Micro surgery on a 1.5" body just did not work out well.

Sometimes you just got to cut the idea loose and start again. Not a total loss, I did learn some.

Dave

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My process was quite efficient. I cut a dozen bodies for the project (duplicator machine). I sealed with polyester resin, ready for water after 30 minutes.

The problem was that as I tried to make my idea work, the design became more and more complicated, to the point that it was not a practical build. Also, I should have started off with a larger body, to give myself some elbow room. Micro surgery on a 1.5" body just did not work out well.

Sometimes you just got to cut the idea loose and start again. Not a total loss, I did learn some.

Dave

I should have known you'd have it down to an exact science! You don't know the meaning of the phrase "half-a$$". :lol:

I know exactly what you mean about micro surgery on small lures. I wound up with some 1" sections on a few jointed shads I made, and wound up with only a belly hook in the front section, and using small sst cotter pins for the hinging. A fun challenge, but not something I would do all the time.

"Sometimes you just got to cut the idea loose and start again." Words to live by!

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so i'm wondering if mark poulson's solution satisfies the criteria of the original post?

dsaavedra,

I don't think I can come any closer.

Bassrecord wanted a bait that would roll from it's belly to it's back. What mine does is a 90 degree belly to side and back action when twitched, and a full 360 degree revolution if you pull it hard and fast enough. Getting a bait that will turn 180 degrees, and then roll back down in the opposite direction, is really tricky. I suspect you'd need a computer-controlled rod to impart just the right amount of action to get it to do that, without continuing on over into a full 360 roll.

But I'm hoping my solution isn't the only one we come up with.

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What I was working on was a lure that rested on its side (either side). When retrieved, it would right itself and swim normally with a wiggle action. When paused, it would once again lay on its side. This is a 90 degree rotation/cycle. The problem is that the design involves a floating lip, so that the lure will work no matter which side it rests. Then you have to restrict the lip to within certain movements. This makes the build very messy. I am sure I could get it to work, but what is the point, it is just not practical.

Design is nearly always a compromise, part of which is the simplicity of build. Marks solution, though not perfect, achieves this goal. With a bit of practice and an understanding of what the lures intention is, Marks solution fits the bill. It is a good lure for someone who understands its function, such as a builder or an informed pro, but it would never make it as a commercial venture because the average angler would just wind it in and expect it to swim.

Dave

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so i'm wondering if mark poulson's solution satisfies the criteria of the original post?

dsaavedra

I was hoping to discover if anybody had already developed and was willing to post a lure or fly to mimic a dying bait fish that was floating belly up and recovering and then floating belly up again. I did not see any post that met the original specifications.

However as is often the case with my stuff, specification first, then testing then specification modification seems to produce better end results. To me Mark's 90 degree side float turn over appears to be as good as or even better than a 180 degree belly float turn over solution. His more simple and practical solution makes changing the original specifications a slam dunk. His 30 degree lip seems to achieve the vortex Dave mentioned. The act of reeling in coupled with rod twitch should let you rod and reel guys make Mark's lure really dance like a dying minnow. I'd like to know how they perform on the lake.

I tried several fly tests and they all went pffffft! So I'll put the fly blanks into one of several boxes marked "Failed Projects" and move on.

Thanks everyone.

John

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Nice little set of lures Marc, good to see someone trying something rather than relying on pure physics, as they say "the proof is in the pudding":lol:.

Pete

I just posted some pictures in the gallery of two new twisters I made and painted today. One is a clear water bluegill, and the other is a baby bass.

I made them 1" wide, and 7/8" tall, instead of 7/8"X7/8" like the first one, to give them the wider appearance at rest. It added about 5 grams to the weight.

I'll probably sneak over to the local pond to test drive them this week, but, since they are shaped and weighted like the original, I don't think there will be a problem.

I am going to tie some matching feather trebles for them before I fish them.

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Thanks Pete.

If it had not been for John (bassrecord) asking the question, I would never have thought about it in the first place.

That's what's great about this site.

Even on lure's I've made that are unique, they are all inspired or assisted by something I've seen, either in a store-bought bait, or here on TU.

It is safe to say that, without this site, I would never have gotten hooked on lure making.

I'm pretty sure that it's been a good thing..... :blink::lol:

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