Making up a few test baits at the moment...

I have suffered from some terminal failure at the swivel on a few stick baits I had sent out for testing recently. No problem here just need to up size the crane swivel, but it got me thinking...

What is the preference out there? Belly hook with a swivel or without...

From the builders view point it is great having a bait sealed up as eventually water will get into the wood through the hole created for the swivel and water log a lure or split it...Hopefully the lure is lost before then...

But then there is advantages to belly swivel lures ( Gamma etc...) as it can be changed out if need be and the lure re-wired... Hmmm

What are you guys finding/preferring in the field?

Cheers

Any reason for that Stella?

Thanks.

 

I would say the moulded ones are cheaper to produce because its pour and there is no rigging time and thats is why?

That was main concern Andrew...I like having a swivel in place, will up-size to 300-400# swivels to reduce chances of failure...Next stop tuna swivels 

Cool Stella, I was thinking that is your reasoning...

Quite a few lures that look molded are split body timber lures. Great way of keeping a lure water tight, and you still get the strength of a wire harness through the lure. The lure below was for testing so the wire tags are simply whipped, but in production they are locked each end with a wrap.

This is a lure that was on the bench for a while not to long ago, I was aiming for a great swimming lure + casts like a bullet...Hence the ball bearings and magnet...The casting force breaks the balls free of the magnet and they head down to the tail, once in the drink they roll forward and are held by the magnet changing the ballast and helping achieve the desired swim action...You can see the wire is bent to form the belly hook hanger, once glued up and finished/epoxied it is peretty hard to tell what material is used.

I love the magnetic BB idea. 

Chris, you would be relying on the wire to not deform...The wire used is 1.6mm and  500# +++ B/S mark... I would suggest you would have a terminal failure e.g. Hook / Split ring or even have to cut/break the main line before the wire deformed. It will take around 66# of point load on a STN66- 3/0 to deform...( Not scientific guys ) 

I had sent some lures with Ben. P on his trip to AU... There was a popper in the kit that only had a simple bent tow point eye like the lure above (no whipping) and it had no problems on a 40kg GT with some palming on the Stella...I now wrap and lock my eyes on the poppers as extra security..

Like so... Each is done by myself so I have total control over quality.

A destruction test would be the best way... I need to find some scales large enough and then I can see at what point the wire will 1. Deform 2. Any damage to the body etc...The hardest thing to simulate is awkwardly hooked fish.. 

 

Without the magnet, Would you get a combination Rattle and ballast shift to enhance the action or does it just tail/nosedive and ruin it?

 

 

 

 

Not silly thinking CA, there are a few lures on the market that are built as you are explaining...Mostly using crane swivels instead of the BB swivel probably cost factor. 

They don't really rattle as the wood body deadens the noise...You hear a dull "thwack" when casting as the BB's hit the tail end tho 

You know how much work is involved in even the most simplest of lures. So carving these out takes a lot of time and patience...Remove some wood, check clearance and repeat...

As for stopping the glue etc. What you see is a very basic prototype, there is a lot more to it but if you want to know more or try one flick me a PM...Can't give everything away now can I 

As for more centred lures, they have a different swimming quality altogether...Some require no rod work just a steady retrieve...Horses for courses I suppose