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Terrydabassman

Lure not running correctly

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I made a few lures a couple different colors and they will not run right. I need some suggestions. The picture is below.

The bait sits perfactly in the water, crank it 2 times and it flops over on it's side and stays there.

Could it be the "bill angle", the width?...any ideas? I also moved the line tie twice, no change in behavior.

Thanks for your help.

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mybait.jpg

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Guest Anonymous

Hey Terry! Its a nice looking bait. I think your problem is weight. If you dont have enough lead in its belly, or too high in the lure, it will roll on its side. Add some bigger hooks just to see if that corrects it... Also, clamp some split shoy on the trebs and see what happens with the extra weight.

Another sysmtom of an underweighted lure is that the lure will kick out way left or right as you crank it, even though it may sit perfectly straight up and down at rest.

Try those steps....... bet you'll find the answer.

Chip :)

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Chip has it right. The problem is in the weighting of the bait. Yours is too light. That is why it is laying over. Tell me what the bait is made of and roughly the size of it including the width and I can give you a pretty good weight estimate to start with.

Skeeter

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Terry, not enough weight will make one lay on it's side or even run upside down, while being retreived. 8O Looking at the picture, if your weight is at the same position as the hook, it may also be a little to far towards the rear. Try moving you diving lip and front hook a little bit more forward.

These guys are correct about the weight. It is different with each type of material used, wether it be balsa, basswood, popular, cedar, etc... Unlike our waist lines :rolleyes: making a lure is one place where a little extra weight has an advantage over too little weight. From the size and shape, you are using, try about 1/8 ounce belly weight and use number 4 hooks. It comes from trail and error. Once you get a good handle on what your lure design needs, you will won't even think twice about the ones that didn't work.

Your basic lure looks good, so don't get discouraged. One of the first lures I made, back in the early 70's, was a balsa lure patterned after an Original Big O. I saw the picture of the Big O in a magazine and thought hey I can make one of those. I still have the lure, but it lays on it's side because I didn't know anything about having to add a balast weight. I have often thought about redoing the lure but change my mind when I remember making it at our kitchen table so many years ago.

This forum has been a big help. Would have been great to have had all this information back then. But that is what makes this group so great and so much fun today. :D

Keep trying, research this forum and ask questions when you need.

bill

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Bills' estimate of 1/8 oz. for that bait made of poplar is a good one. Move the hook hanger to the lower most part of the curve on the belly. Do not

allow the lead weight to go up past the center of the bait. Keep it as low to the bottom of the belly as possible. Also make sure that everything is centered. When you are done with a bait the rear hook hanger, belly hook hanger, and the wire for the lip should be in a straight line. This gives the lure the best possible ballance and the best chance to perform at its peak.

Skeeter

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I absolutely concur with Skeeter. I have been using 1/8 ounce barrel weights on some of my white cedar lures. I tirm off just a smidg'n on the length, drill out the center hole of the weight and run my eye-screw, or is that screw-eye, through the weight and into the body of the lure. I predrill a pilot hole for the screw in the lure body and enlarge the hole at the bottom of the belly of the lure for the weight. Add epoxy, insert the weight and screw in the eye. I have found that using a cupped washer between the weight and the eye makes for a neater job, at least for me.

bill

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