[diemai]

Hi , folks

Since my "SuperBug" version has already dried sufficiently from its linseedoil treatment (obviously takes a little less time on such lower density kind of abachewood) , I have just now glued in its lip and connected wire harness .

It took me five glue mixing processes in total to fill up everything properly .
On such curvy shapes it can't be done with much less mixtures (also some spots at the sides of the lip's base remained uncovered at first) , since the glue tends to flow away from its location for some minutes until it sets , so I had to change position of lure a few times and apply new glue into the center slot and sideward lip slot .

After at least 24 hrs. curing time I would then remove excess glue the same way previously shown with the teakwood "Banana's" !

After this removal I'd finally be ready to give my entire actual batch of "Banana's" , my first swimbait and two of Tacklejunky's "RoboMouse" versions the first clearcoat for first bath tube testing !

Greetz , Dieter

[diemai]

Hi , folks

Finally managed to weigh and test all of my recent "Banana" lures in my bath tube , also some other lures , that I've been working on during the past weeks .

And I am very happy , that they all turned out to work fine this time , no rejects !

Some lures required a balance weight to stabilize their swimming pattern , some didn't .

The smallest teakwood "Banana" has the "wildest" wobble , due to its pronounced body curve it moves almost like a snake , "corkscrewing" itself through the water , but yet not overturning , even at higher retrieve speed and without balance weight !

And I am absolutely amazed about this "SuperBug" version ! It has quite a narrow wobble and body roll , but at a very high cadence , almost vibrating !
Since I used less dense abachewood and fixed a 2mm Lexan lip , it turned out very buoyant , way too buoyant to reach sufficient depths !
So I taped-on two lead shots of a total weight of maybe 5 grams , just to get it deeper a bit .
As you may see on the picture , it is still buoyant enough to pop right back out of submerged obstacles !
The lure runs stable even without weights , these are only for deeper diving , and they minor the wobble just a very little fraction !
Next time I'd better go with a thicker lip or more denser wood , or even both together !

Maybe you guys wouldn't understand.......but I am happy , the worst is done !
Greetings , Dieter

[Sonny.Barile]

Diemai
I wouldnt mind building a few of those in the larger sizes....(about 6 inches or so) I have been fishing surface and near surface religeously this year (my new passion). The Bluefish here really slam lures that leave a wake or splash trail and those look very different from what we are accustomed to here.

[hazmail]

Dieter
I have just been reading your mammoth post. In answer to 'LaPalas' comment about our (Australian) fixation with banana lures, this probably has more to do with the main fish being targeted, ie, Murray Cod, which like slow, wide, loud lure action. I have had several attempts at making a lure similar to your 'banana' over the years, but have always found, as with 'Flatfish', they are really speed sensitive and hard to tune - love your work and tenacity in keeping at it, these, for me anyway, are the hardest lures to get anywhere near right.
Here is another famous/legendary lure of this type, I found a couple in the shed, they come in sizes from about 70mm to 200mm and dives to about 30', they shake so hard/. p, you can nearly hear them coming.pete

[diemai]

@ Sonny.Barile

In fact the largest of my "Banana" models(132 mm , 5 1/3") can be used as a wake bait , provided that it would be made of maximum possible buoayant sort of wood !

Check previously posted pics(three lures swimming on surface) , these almost achieve this feature on a very slow retrieve with the rod tip pointing upward , especially when they come in closer back to you .

I am sure , if you make them little larger , as you said , and thus more buoyant , you might still enhance this swimming action .

I have just searched my various storage boxes in my basement and picked some lures , that might also be of interest to you .
All of these are prototypes , made of buoyant abachewood .
I haven't fished them a lot(just because they don't fit easily into most of my tackle stowaways , that I take along fishing) , but they all do work nicely .

I just like to fool around with different and sometimes little weird designs !

In particular the one on top with a "frog" finish does not dive deep at all , when retrieved quite fast , it just swims along at about 4" under the surface .
Pulled back slower , it's tail shakes and swings right on the surface , causing a nice wake .

Don't quite remember about the other two , but they would act similar on a slow retrieve .
They all have in common to provide this distinctive side-to-side swing , just "corkscrewing" through the water , but never overturning !

The two lipped lures also have a jig rattle set in at their fattest portion of body .

When making the lip arrangement , first finish the outer shape of lure , after make the lip of aluminium sheet(1,5 to 2,0 mm) , on larger lures thinner SST sheet should do either.
Mark , center-punch and drill the screw holes into the lip and then press the lip in proper position against lure to mark the pilot holes at the blank through the lip holes with an awl !

It is very important to put a piece of paper inbetween !

This is to resemble the final paint ,-and topcoats , if you don't do this , the screwhole(s)and the hole on top of blank won't be aligned anymore and you'd have to extend the lip hole to an oval shape with a small router bit .

Certainly they might still require a little balance weight somewhere in front of the belly hook , if the line tie stands in the way somehow for this , I also sometimes drill the weight holes left/right of it , embedding two equal lead shots into them .

Greetz , Dieter

[diemai]

@ hazmail

Thanks about having posted that picture , could be another challenge for me !

In fact , obviously you also had to learn the hard way about such "Banana" lures !

I have produced so many rejects , before I obviously got behind their secrets .

Well , here are two sketches of well-proven models(sorry , don't have a scanner/printer) , maybe , you could take advantage of them somehow ?

If I want to enlarge or minor the size of lure , I'd just enlarge or minor the sketch on a photocopy machine , the sizes(length and especially width) I calculate into new dimensions alike .
I'd cut out the copies and glue them onto the wood , but one might as well go with cardboard stencils made after them .

These lures all dive rather shallow(2 to 4 feet) , depending also on sort of wood used .

If you want a deep diver , it seems , that this "SuperBug" version ist rather foolproof , but I can't tell for sure , since it is my first one !

[diemai]

OK , here some pics of some lures made after previously posted sketches ,
The version with the rounded tail has a little more moderate wobble , the one with the straight "cut" tail woobles a fraction more intense !

[diemai]

Alright , and here finally the "Round Tail" versions , the two smaller lures have already produced some smaller pike and also perch .

Greetz , Dieter

[diemai]

OK , yesterday I found the time to glue in the weights into the lures , that I had previously determined .

When neccessary , I'd render those simple leadshots to a rather cylindrical shape , at first with pliers and to get it still a little more round , I'd swage it gently with a small hammer over the edge of my vise from both ends , always turning it .
Quite finacky on smaller pieces , but works for me !

At first I fill in some glue into the holes , than put in the weights and finally close the holes with glue .

It is of advantage , not to break the edges of those weight holes , when drilling them .
The little ridge , that sets up there at the entry of the hole , helps a bit to prevent the wet glue from flowing off the hole too much .

When weighting bigger lures with larger weight holes , or when holes are located at rather round portions of the lure(wet glue flows away easily) , I'd pour some sawdust or woodchips from my lathe into the freshly mixed glue , and stir .
This way I get a nice putty to smear into the weightholes , after the lead has been set in .
I save expensive glue this way , but biggest advantage is , that it can not flow away , when still wet . Also cures better and faster .
You can easily comprime this "woodchips glue plug" with your fingertips , just pour some sawdust on it , when still sticky , this way it won't stick to you , just like a baker does on the dough !

After at least 24 hrs curing time , I'd work those glue plugs flush again like previously described .

Greetz , Dieter

[diemai]

This morning I have sanded the temporary "for testing" topcoat rough for following primer coats to adhere better .

Also masked lip and screw eyes .

For masking the screw,-and wire eyes I utilize pieces of vinyl tubing , the kind , that is used to dress trebles on spinners or spoons .

I'd cut them to approbiate length , heat up one end to melt with a lighter or candle and fuse it closed with my fingertips .

Those too sensitive for this might also employ pliers for this .

These tubings can be used several times , to remove dried paint before re-using , I'd put them in a small plastic or metal box together with some old sinkers or nuts and shake for some minutes , so that the loose paint comes off .
Before sliding them over the eyes , I'd scrape off remaining paint with the blade edge of my carpet knife .

The aluminium wire hooks , that I use to hang the lures into my drying rack , easily poke through the tubing , since their ends are quite sharp , due to having them snipped off with wire cutter shears .

At first I'd now brush on two coats of white primer for better coverage .
I'm gonna try acrylic one this time , since recently I had problems with following spray paint coats on solvent containing primer .

Let's hope for the best , Dieter