[diemai]

@ rofish
Don't find your questions dump at all , this is , what such forum sites are made for !

Indeed those lures are tricky to make , at least when you start out from almost zero as I did many years ago .
In theory it is true , that the fatter , more buoyant tail end of a "Banana"-lure should let the narrow lip portion hang head-down in the water , but on most of the lures , that I made , it did not significantly .
Surely the harware on the rear portion plays its part in this matter , don't underestimate the leverage of the tail hook at the very end of lure , it also has to do with the size of the lure and its buoancy in general .

But I guess , that I can't give you a very good and logical explanation about it , maybe it also has to do with the different shapes of both ends of such lures ?

I haven't tried splitting the weight fore and aft , why should I do that ?
Any weight in the rear would be counterproductive , I believe .

Most of the crankbaits I made , have their balance weights somewhere between belly hook and lip(or just close behind belly hook) , this most likely enhances a stable running and increases diving performance , whereas a rear weight slows both of these features down , only probably provides better casting performance , but why should I cast a lure far out , that doesn't run well ?
Only found very few exceptions to that rule so far .

To put leadweights into the narrow lip of these lures is also not that easy , there is not much room for it , due to the groove of the toweye wire form(though I did it before left/right of that groove) , that's why I most likely put the weights in front of the belly eye .
The weights required on a 3" to 4" bait are not that heavy at all , f. e. the models mentioned below do already have a considerable action unweighted , but just that one leadshot renders it more stable in wobbling performance .

To get more information about how to rig the toweye , please check my uploads here in the gallery , there are three pics there called "line tie construction" , these should answer your questions .

Finally I'd like to mention , that "Banana's" around 3" to 4" are the easiest ones to get to run properly , smaller and larger are more tricky .

The model shown in my previous post(three in water , one laying on a sketch drawing , one causing wake) , in above mentioned sizes shouldn't cause too much problems .
I make these of abachewood , light , but yet strong enough for screweyes .

Greetz , Dieter

[diemai]

Here's the second blank one of my sketches put to shape , the lure is about 4" in length .
This type of "Banana"-lure with its narrower neck portion is still a bit trickier to carve as the previously shown models with equal width of body all over their lengths .
Most finacky is to determine about the symmetry of the belly portion , since it's impossible to eyeball down its length for checking .
Best way is to really care for equal removal of material on either side whilst carving and sanding , always switch sides to do same work operation evenly .

I am still a little concerned , that the diving bill on this one may still be too large , since after my experience a narrow neck portion most likely causes the lure to turn over to swim on its back easier , especially a curved lure like this particular one .

To minor the pressure on the bill , that causes this overturning(together with the body curve) , the lip should be rather small .
But anyway , there is still room for a balance weight in front of the belly eye , that would let the lure more stable .

I am still planning on a similar "Banana" like this one , but less curved and still a little more flat , I just love trying different lure designs !

Greetz , diemai

[zook2001]

You might want to look at an ozzie lure called the JD Superbug, you can certainly go big on the curve and the bill if you want to. The Superbugs a copy of the out of production Knolls Native which it's self is a bit similar to the old Tiny Tad.
Regards Charles

[diemai]

@ zook2001

Thanks a lot about your comment , it seems , that it really took me further .
Never heard about the "SuperBug" , I just googled it and found some nice pics of it that are sufficient enough for making my own versions .

The lip of this one is really big , never thought about such configuration !

When I stated , that "the lip has to be rather small" , I was exclusively only refering to bills , that are carved right out of the body of the "Banana"-lures , not to added plastic lips .

Nevertheless , since I like such lures quite a bit , I'm gonna start out soon with a first design sketch to work after , the credit is to you !

Thanks again , Dieter

[diemai]

Here is my initial design sketch of that "SuperBug" lure version , made it at my lateshift work break yesterday , just after my memory from viewing the web pics before I got to work(don't have web access at my work) .
I may make my first one with a smaller bill , since that one would probably be easier to tune , just to gain first experience with such deep diving "Banana" .
Also might make lure a little different to that sketch , probably I would change some things whist working on it , if I'd find it neccessary .

Sorry , don't have a printer/scanner , so I had to make a photo of that sketch , but I guess , it's still sufficient enough to view details .

Even consider about ordering a couple of such lures from Australia , a "Banana"-style lure , that travels at over 30 feet , that's just great !
I catch most of my fish in deeper water , so I am always looking for deep divers of any kind .
What impresses me most about this "SuperBug" from Tasmania is , that even the smaller versions are supposed to dive very deep .
Interrested ?
Check index , it's the manufactures site .

Thanks again , zook2001 , greetings , diemai

[Vodkaman]

Great job on the design drawing. You should get a CAD system, you would enjoy it.

[rofish]

Diemai,
If they can do it, I am sure that you can.
I see in your sketch that you still preserve your earlier design of these lures, in the sense that the rear part is thicker than the front part, so contrary to those jdlurestas baits. My guess is that the question of which part should be thicker, is not a real issue in designing such lures.

[diemai]

@ rofish

Saw some different views of that "SuperBug" on another site(not this manufacturers site) , when I first googled for it .
As far I could see from those pics , the smaller versions of it come closer to my sketch , the bigger 150mm are indeed of more slimmer shape .

This is , I suppose , to have the smaller versions buoyant sufficiently , thus their bodies are kept a little more voluminous .

Greetz , Dieter

[mark poulson]

diemai,
I love those lures you've made. They remind me of a trout lure I bought when I was a kid, I think it was called a Kwikfish, not sure. It was stable when your trolled it, and the bill was part of the body, not separate.
I think I still have a couple in the garage somewhere. If i can find them, I'll post pics.
But your lures are sexier, for sure. What a gorgeous rear end!
I once met a master furniture maker who told me that a really well scupted piece of furniture should invite the hand to caress it. Your lures do that. You have really clever hands, and a keen eye.

[diemai]

@ mark poulson

I think , that I have seen pics of that "Kwikfish" before somewhere , as far , as I know , it looks pretty much like a "Helin's Flatfish" .
But thanks a lot for your nice compliments about my work !
Anyway , I hope , that the local predatory fish fraternity would lateron like to caress them , too !

So well , here are first pics of my prototype version blank of that "SuperBug" , it did not turn out 100% accordingly to my previously shown design sketch .

(@ Vodkaman , thanks about the advice to use such a CAD system , but I'd rather do things by hand , I'm kind of scared about computer work)

The difference is , that I made the lip still about 10mm's longer at its base than shown , found this out by viewing pics of the original lure again , my sketched lip length was too short , obviously .
Also the outer contoures of the wood blank(light quality abachewood)are just little bigger as sketched.

I am not too happy with that only 2mm's thick lexan lip , would have prefered 3mm thickness , but I wanted to gain maximum possible buoyancy , probably I could alter the lip's thickness still on later models (if this one should turn out to perform well at all) .
For easy reproduction of that lip shape I have made an aluminium template of it , just as first step , before cutting out lip at all !
(got dozens of such templates made through the years for spoons , blades , props , creeper wings.......etc. , and lips , of course)

To render the bond of lip to body more stable , I additionally secured the lip with two wire pins , when epoxying everything together , these would off course be flush to the belly of lure .

Also for buoyancy reasons I did not make the internal wire form as I always use to do(both ends of wire would be kinked into the "U"-shaped interior of the belly eye) , but in the way shown .
The kinked rear end of the wire form leads upward into a small bore for added strength against pull-out !

Now my new lure blank has to soak in a linseedoil/turpentine mixture for some days and after dry for at least two weeks , just to preserve the wood against water sepage .
Can't wait to finally assemble and clearcoat it for first trials !

Greetings , Dieter