Terrydabassman Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 I'm wondering if anybody has come up with "The Right Lip" for the bait the customer wants. I'm making thin "Flat Sided" cranks 3/8" thick 2 3/4 long. I need them to run 2' - 4' deep max. My question is, what angle to cut for these lips, and how wide and how long should they be. I know from another post that the square bill will give me the desired "tight wiggle". I'm making these baits out of poplar wood. Some will be foil baits and others just painted. Also do I weight it just enough so that the lure dosen't lay on it's side, but sits vertical? Thanks a bunch, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Mitchell Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 Terrydabassman, Skeeter put me on to using poplar and they make a real nice bait. Poplar does not take near as much weight as balsa so some of this is trial and error. For the size bait you are talking about I use lead that is molded in a 11/64 mold and drill the hole with a 3/16 bit. I forgot to say that I drill the hole harizontal instead of vertical. I find that it is easier to float the bait level (for me anyway). The bill I use is usually squared off. It is about 3/8" wide where it goes into goes into the bait and 3/4 to 7/8 wider at the end, so it will taper back. The lenght of the bill I do is about 3/4" sticking out of the wood and about 1/4" stuck in the bait. This bait runs about 4 - 6 feet deep for me. A lot depends on the angle of the bill and where the line tie is. Too much bill will make a bait this small sit with the face down. Hope this helps Charlie M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverMan Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 Terry, When you get all of the questions you have asked figured out let me know would ya? I have been building baits for months and have read everything I could find on this subject and still I have baits that won't run. Just today I tested a bait and it's rolling on me....all the others ran perfectly, not sure what happened. You will find that no matter how close you follow some instructions some baits will behave in a way you never expected. The best advice I can give you is to experiment and experiment. Cut out not one of your favorite style baits but 5 or more each with a different bill angle. Vary the tow-point and try lots of different bill sizes. You will eventually find the the bait you are looking for and learn much in the process......besides that it's fun! jed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
