[loco]

just browsing the image gallery and came across these. i really like the idea of adding a tail to a crankbait.

how do you make these ? also, how do you attach them to the crank bait ?

http://www.tackleunderground.com/photos/index.php?n=1439

http://www.tackleunderground.com/photos/index.php?n=1440

thanks !!

[mark poulson]

If you want to know, try scrolling down in the gallery below the picture, and email or pm the maker(s). I think I remember how one of them did it, but it's really better explained by the maker directly.

[benton B]

Why not take a little time and try to figure out a thing or two own your own. Sorry if that sounds not nice but you will learn a lot of info from a failure or two.

[Vodkaman]

Sounds harsh, but I do agree. It is the way that I work and satisfaction does come my way when I crack the problem. Also, this is the only way new techniques will come about. In a couple of weeks you could be posting a tutorial on how you solved the problem.

I checked out the first link that you posted and it all looks fairly obvious to me, a wood/plastic sandwich.

[Crimson_Death216]

Benton B, I do understand where you're coming from, but.... I think that by asking he could be pointed in the right direction, thus not having quite as much trial and error as you suggested. Just my opinion.

Now to give some ideas;

loco, theres a post up right now that talks about attaching curly tails to lures, I think this might be done in the same way. I have never made one of these so this is just from what I have gained in information from this site.

I would try getting some SS (stainless steel) wire and epoxying it into the lure, The applying super glue to both the tail and the the wire and inserting the wire into the tail.

Another option is to make a cork-screw type thing with the SS and epoxying it into the lure then just twisting on the tail.

You can learn a lot from this site by using the search tool. Try searching for tails, curly tails, plastic tails, etc.

As for making the plastic tail, I have no experience at pouring plastic, but there are a few tutorials about making your own plastic molds. I will include one of those those below.

Here are a couple links to get you started,
Attaching Curly Tails-
http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7755&highlight=curly+tail

Making A Mold-
custom POP mold part 1

[loco]

nice helpful bunch of folks here in the hard bait forum. (i hope you can sense the sarcasm)

i guess i'll just head back over to the soft plastics forum where folks dont seem to mind lending a helping hand......politly.

thanks anyway.

[mark poulson]

loco,
People here are very helpful. They just don't like to step on each other's toes when it comes to original ideas, me included. But I do remember the first lure's maker did post how he did it, so I feel comfortable sharing it.
If you pm the guys who made the lures you like, you'd probably get your answer. Or do a search for attaching tails.
If my memory serves me correctly, the first one you liked had a slot ending in a drilled hole top to bottom. The maker poured tails with a cylinder on the end, slid them down into the slot, with the cylinder on the end keeping it from pulling out, and super glued it in.
The other lure's tail is in a slot, with pins holding it in.

[benton B]

Vodkaman, you nailed right there in your post. Everything he needed to know was in those pics.
The old school guys that used to be on this site would give you a little hint and then expect you figure some things out on your own. I guess I'm one of the old school guys now. I expect the new guys to do a little work and make a few mistakes. If this is not being polite then so be it.

[Spike-A-Pike]

loco.
The folks in the hard bait forum are a very helpful bunch... But, without apparently ever having made a single lure, you are asking how craft a bait that requires a pretty good knowledge to successfully create. Most folks come into this forum asking how start into making a basic bait, normally starting with a simple top water design.

Just learning a few skills will require you to put in some time to learn how to shape, lay out, balance, seal, paint, and finish a hard bait. There is a large degree of art to making a hard bait, you can't just buy the knowledge and expect to turn out a masterpiece. Nothing against any of the guys in the soft plastics forum, but there are even kids that pour baits on a regular basis for fund raising.

Average time to pour a few worms is what? Microwave the plastic, 5 minutes, actually pour the plastic, 2 to 5 minutes, 10 minutes for the mold to cool. In an hour or two, you can become fairly proficient at pouring plastics, not an expert by any stretch, but proficient.

There are several members in this forum that have been working to develop a bait for months. They have a perfect bait in their minds that they are attempting to actually produce. They prototype the design, there are successes and failures, but the knowledge is gained and the design, the materials, the bouncy are reconfigured and a new prototype is developed. What your asking for is how to create the Mona Lisa without having even finished a paint by number painting. Good luck.

[mark poulson]

I think maybe we all misread Loco's original post.
He asked how to make the tails, and how they're attached, not how to make crankbaits. At least, that's what I got when I reread his post.
The original maker of the first lure posted a "how I did it" thread a while back, so it's not a secret.
The other lure clearly has pins.
I don't know anything about pouring plastics, except what I've read here, but it seems to me that, once you decide on the shape of the tail you want, it should be pretty straight forward.
Make a mold, and pour.