Swim bait that won't swim?

Big Splash · #1 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2003

I spent a few days making some plaster molds to pour plastics. One of the molds is a 4.5" swimbait of my own design. I poured a 5/8 oz. bannana style jig into the MF super soft plastic. When I tested the lure it looks fish like in the water, but it dosn't have a lot of tail action, just a tiny vibration. The tail is a quite a bit heavier (bigger) than the swimbaits I've seen before, and spade shaped, wide at the top, with the point down. It is wiggly enough in the air, but put it in the water and in seems to stablize itself and looks ridgid, (not unlike a real fish) but I was hoping for a little more noticable action.
Anyone have any ideas?

redg8r · #2 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2003

I had the same problem bigsplash,

I think my deal was that I made the tail section too thick, after looking at other baits, I noticed the tail section just before the spade tip is usually very narrow. I'm currently re-doing a new prototype to test & see if this helps. I gotta be careful though, cause Im doing a 2part mold & if its too narrow, it will never fill when I pour.

gotta love the ole trial & error, huh

Big Splash · #3 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2003

Thats what I thought at first too, so I took a bite out of the 'neck' of tail, hoping for better action, but no.

I'm sure this bait would work ( I had several smaller fish escort the lure around while I tested it), and it runs very true, its just not what I hoped for.

redg8r · #4 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2003

Hmm....
well ......

Keep me posted if you get-er figured out, cause it looks like I may be in the same boat as you.........

back to the drawing board

The Drop Shot Store · #5 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2003

It could be that you dont have enough surface area on the lower section of the tail perpendicular to the long axis of the bait. The swimming tail motion is created by a build up of pressure in front of the tail section. When the pressure becomes too great it displaces the tail to relieve that pressure. This goes back and forth between the two sides of the tail, hence the swimming motion. If I understand you correctly your tail is shaped like a triangle. Try filling out the lower sections to create more of a pressure dam.
The next thing you can do is to move the tail farther away from the body. One of the tricks used on big swim baits is to heat the tail section in boiling water and then stretch it some to make the thin section right in front of the tail longer and thinner. This gives more tail action at slower retreive speeds.
The rule of thumb I use for swim baits is to hold it in my hand, pointing the tail straight up, the tail should swing down and touch the body. If not, I keep working on it.
Some baits have all these qualities built in from the start. Take a look at 3:16 Lures and their Mission Fish. Really good bait right out of the box.

http://www.316lures.com/

Bruce

Big Splash · #6 (**permalink**) August 18th, 2003

I think youve solved the mystery, Bruce. My bait is short in the tail section, and the tip of the tail is smaller than the top side.
I knew you guys could help me out with this one! That Mision fish is a neat looking swimbait, too....now back to the drawing board!

earthworm77 · #7 (**permalink**) August 19th, 2003

My vote is that the tail is too thick. Add some plaster to the tail to decrease the oveall size of it or make a new mold. This is a spade tail bait, not a paddle tail....right. Chances are that you won't get too much movement with this type of tail, it is more for vibration and slight movement.