Fishwhittler Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Here's what I've been building lately. This first bait is a new, larger propbait I came up with. The old one didn't work very well (the prop was too small), so I built a bigger version with a larger propellor. Fat tight-action shallow diver (2-4') On this bait, I decided to try doing something similar to the Dep's Buzzjet. Mine is a shallow diver instead of a wake-bait, but it can be waked by holding the rod tip high. The body is about the same size as a KVD 2.5; I've tried doing the same thing with a smaller bait, but it couldn't handle the propellor and didn't run straight. Firetiger. I started this bait sometime last year, but I never got around to finishing it. I built it out of cedar instead of PVC, and it has a medium-wide action. Foil Bluegill. I used basswood instead of PVC for this bait. More basswood, on a propbait this time. This bait has the same profile as the propbait above, but it has a 1" instead of 3/4" cross-section, and I used an even bigger propellor on this one. It kicks up a huge ruckus when jerked; I'm thinking of calling it the "Turboprop". Wounded Gold Copperhead Shad Blue foiled swimbait: 6" long, 1 1/2 ounces, PVC, slow sinker. This last one is another old bait that I finally got around to finishing. This one is a monster: 8 3/8" long including the tail, weight just under 3 1/2 ounces (I know it's not very big when compared to other swimbaits, but it's the biggest, heaviest bait I've ever built). The bait is carved out of cedar, and I used a 20 gauge shotgun slug in the throat for ballast. Let me know what you think! Ben Quote
jwfflipper Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Hey Ben those look really good! I like the foiled swimbait. Great job as always! Jeff Quote
ToledoEF Posted October 16, 2011 Posted October 16, 2011 Nice, that buzzjet type one looks cool. That big ole swim bait is giant lol. Quote
BIG M Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 Ben, you have been busy and the baits are outstanding. You might want to try a dumbell prop on your baits. I find those spin more freely than the others. That what I use on my small wake bait and bang-o copies. Quote
Super User Grey Wolf Posted October 17, 2011 Super User Posted October 17, 2011 Awesome as usual , especially the foil bluegill !!!!!! Quote
Big Bass Man Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 Awesome work Ben, That foiled Bluegill crank looks amazing!! Quote
whittler1 Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 Excellent work there Ben, The three cranks have to be my favorites though, especially the firetiger. Quote
Fishwhittler Posted October 17, 2011 Author Posted October 17, 2011 Thanks guys! Big M, I used 1" and 1 1/2" props on these baits, and the biggest dumbbell props I could find were only 1". That would have worked for the smaller bait, but for the bigger bait I'd still have to use the style I'm currently using. I decided to just get the same style for each size, and as the props I'm using work fine, I don't see any reason to switch at this point. On the other hand, I'd probably want propellors that spin more freely if I was building bang-o-lure style baits; I did some experimentation with that style a while back, and it appeared the long, thin body was more prone to spinning than the short, deep body on the lures I've been building. In that case, I'd want a propellor that spins easily in order to generate as little torque as possible on the lure. Ben Quote
BIG M Posted October 18, 2011 Posted October 18, 2011 You have to find what works for your baits and style of building. Another trick I've found to make the props spin free is to use buzz bait rivets pressed into the prop. Only problem with that is you cannot use a twisted wire hanger. I use a thru wire method with spinner bait wire for that trick. Quote
Fishwhittler Posted October 19, 2011 Author Posted October 19, 2011 You have to find what works for your baits and style of building. Another trick I've found to make the props spin free is to use buzz bait rivets pressed into the prop. Only problem with that is you cannot use a twisted wire hanger. I use a thru wire method with spinner bait wire for that trick. Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely want to give that a try sometime. I didn't through-wire the propbaits, as I really don't like through-wiring unless I have to. However, normal twisted-wire screw eyes would have been too thick to use, so I used a variation of them that leaves a single wire strand to use for the propellor shaft. The pic below shows what I did: I start with a 3" piece of wire, and bend over about 5/8" to form the loop on one end. It's basically a normal twisted-wire screw eye with one extra-long tag end, and the loop is smashed flat. The propellors and washers go on the shaft, and then the tail loop is finished the same as a through-wire harness. Quote
bassinjody39 Posted October 21, 2011 Posted October 21, 2011 Ben them are all awsome baits great work . Quote
bocabasser Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 Awesome work Ben, That foiled Bluegill crank looks amazing!! agreed! spectacular photography as well. Quote
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