Swimbait surgery

[Fishwhittler]

Have you ever built a lure and go to test it only to discover that it runs on its side? This is one that I built that has that problem and this is my attempt to fix it. I started by removing the hook hangers with vise-grips and pliers. I had to do this in two steps as the wire broke when I twisted it but I was able to remove the wire by drilling holes next to it and then pulling the wire out with the pliers. I then drilled a much larger hole where the hook hangers had been to insert a wight into. I made the weights out of plumbing solder wrapped around a hook hanger. Next step is to epoxy the lure back together.

[.dsaavedra.]

a good example of why you should test before you finish

[ToledoEF]

It looks so sad lol!

[Steven Ladner]

That sucks, good luck 

[wickyman]

You know what?  Daiwa has a bait that swims on its side like that...  I can't remember the name of it though...  It has a bill on the side, and it's a wake bait.  Kind of looks like a jointed dying bait fish.    You might have something there...

[DEbassman17]

You know what? Daiwa has a bait that swims on its side like that... I can't remember the name of it though... It has a bill on the side, and it's a wake bait. Kind of looks like a jointed dying bait fish. You might have something there...

daiwa.... dead or alive??? I think that's what it's called

[Fishwhittler]

The Daiwa swimbait you mean is the Dead or Alive. I did make another swimbait that was intended to swim on it's side, only it didn't work out to well. It ended up as a jerkbait. I'm working on another one though, and on this one I put a lexan plate in front of the second section to try to make it swim.

[wickyman]

You should make a swimbait from two blocks of wood glued together.  That way you can cut the angles necessary to get that swimming action.  It looks like it would be easier to do, and put lead in also?

[Fishwhittler]

The swimbait in surgery swims very well when it's upright, so the angle of the joints wasn't the problem; it just needed more weight. I've thought about making swimbaits out of two pieces of wood glued together but I've never really done anything with the idea. I may try it again sometime though.

[wickyman]

I actually did it a couple years ago.  It actually worked our great!  I think I used a couple of pieces of pine from a pallet, and it was the perfect width.    I think they were like half an inch thick, maybe less than that.  Anyhow, I glued them together, let them sit a while, then started the process of removing all the excess areas. 

If you can, make the slots for your line ties to go, usually connecting all of them with one wire, per piece is best, it makes it stronger.    At this point, before you go about gluing it, cut your angles the way you want them.  I skipped this process and ended up with a lure kind of like the one you did, with flat surfaces.  It looks nice, but it swims even better.  I wish I could figure out the weight situation...   

It also is a top swimmer at the moment.  Way too buoyant!