|
|
Posts: 188
Location: Madison, WI | I've made a number of bucktails recently but I'm having trouble with large, heavy willow leaf blades. They don't seem to turn well - the blade kind of sticks to the side of the bait and more or less wobbles around. It's not just my baits either. I picked up a Snowcrest bucktail with a large heavy willow leaf and it does the same thing. Any suggestions (other than don't use a large heavy willow leaf blade)?
Craig
Edited by Craig Eversoll 6/7/2004 7:30 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 17
Location: mn | Craig try posting your question in the forum below. I'm not an expert on bucktails and they would be willing to help you out. You might do a search and find the info you need. If you post, you need to register to post and then look at posting in the wire bait section.
Hope this helps - FB
http://www.tackleunderground.com/mx/index.php?page=2&sid=c5f6110499... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Go to the toolbar and click on Control Panel. croll down to the rich edit box and set it at 'no'. That will fix it.
Willow leaf blades need a pretty big clevis to spin properly. Tey upsizing the clevis, that might help. They spin very tight to the body anyway, just the nature of the beast. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 132
Location: Kawarthas, Ontario | It sounds to me like the clevise is restricting the spinning action, or even binding as the blade spins. Try going to an oversized #8 clevise. The blade should spin easily and uniformly out of water. If it binds at all in the air, it will be even more restricted in the water.
Regards,
Steve Wickens
STRIKE ZONE Muskie Charters |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| I had the same problem with willowleafs, so in an attempt to gain a good deep running bucktail, I added extra keel weight and used mag willows instead. They worked well, but if I reeled too fast, they'd rise. So I went with big French bades, and the problem was solved. The extra keel weighting kept the lure down, and the French blade wasn't as prone to rising, unless I really tried to burn them.
If you want to stay with the willowleaf as your blade, you'll need to experiment. Like others said, clevis sizeis one option, positioning the weight or weights on the lure is another, and lastly.......give it a good rip to get it moving. I hate doing that. I want a bucktail blade to start turning as soon as I start reeling. Many of my bucktails have been cut up and the pieces salvaged to make others. If it don't work, I aint got time to waste using it.
Good luck.
Beav |
|
| |
|
| Adding to what they other guys have said, if you are adding any weight to the hook end of the bucktail this can effect the start-up of any blade. Enough weight at the back of a bucktail is enough, too much will stop the blade from starting to spin easily. Also make sure there's enough gap between the twisted eye and the beads/body too tight and it will restrict the spin too. Finally, the heavy gauge willow blades are better for bucktails than the lighter ones which are more suited to spinnerbaits. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 188
Location: Madison, WI | Thanks folks... I'm already using the largest clevis that Moore's has to offer and there's plenty of space between the clevis and the lure body. It spins freely in the air and it seems to in the water - it just doesn't spin well. The only way I can describe it is like a wheel with the hub off center. Behaves nothing like the large willow on a Buchertail.
Craig |
|
| |
|
Posts: 303
Location: Valentine, NE USA | Craig-
You have mail.
Brian Sanger
SLM |
|
| |
|
Posts: 379
Location: Thief River Falls MN | I had the same problem with # 7 french blades. I talked to Dick Moore when I ordered some components and he told me to try adding a 1/8" brass bead on both sides of the clevis as bearings, and also to try a smaller clevis (#3 easy spin). Haven't got the components to try yet, but will get them soon to find out if this is the cure.
later,
toddb |
|
| |
|
Posts: 188
Location: Madison, WI | ...I don't have the mail that was referenced by Snowcrest yet but I wanted to clear something up now. I am NOT bashing the bait - it is an awesome looking bait. I'm sure that I have some expectation of these heavy willow leaf blades that are not realistic.
Craig |
|
| |
|
Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | To me it just sounds like something is hung up or rubbing wrong. As long as the blade can spin free and not rub on the shaft or get caught on the eye wrap, it should be ok. Maybe you just have a bad clevise or the bait is spinning badly as well. One thing I do is use a very small bead for the clevise bearing. You get very little resistance that way. My only exeption to that would be a willow blade and I use a very large bead to keep the blade out away from the bait as far as I can. |
|
| |
|
| I've made many a bucktail with the big willow blades.
All you have to do is put the blade in between two thin pieces of card board and squeeze it in a vise or hammer it flat with rubber hammer.
It will spin to your hearts delight. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Craig,
Best custom bucktail builder I know is Ron Douglas up at Crazy D's just outside of Eau Claire. He's built some magnum sized stuff for Donnie to use up on Eagle, if I had to guess where you're looking to run big hair deep...
Give Ron a call , tell him I sent ya his way he'll be more than happy to lend some advice to you. 715-874-6996
Have a great season...hope ya get that new 620 slimed by a fatty..  |
|
| |
|
Posts: 188
Location: Madison, WI | Thanks folks - good advice from all.
Mark - the 620 got a good break-in late last year with a 40 pounder within the first few days of the trip. I was a bit worried as on the very first day a 50-incher (guessing a mid-thirty pound fish) broke my line and swam off with the Depth Raider stuck in her face. I was sick about it the whole trip. Losing the fish was one thing but leaving a bait buried in her was not a good feeling. I hope she shook it.
Later
Craig
Edited by Craig Eversoll 6/11/2004 7:17 AM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 379
Location: Thief River Falls MN | Craig,
The 1/8" bead trick on both sides of the clevis worked wonders for my #7 & #8 french blades. Don't know if it will work on the willows, but it may because they spin close to the shaft like the french. Hope this helps.
later,
toddb |
|
| |
|
Posts: 188
Location: Madison, WI | Thanks again everyone... I've got lots of things to try.
By the way, the Snowcrest bucktails work just as the manufacturer said they do. I don't what I was doing wrong the other day but I threw it into the test tank, ahhh, I mean the pool, and it worked great. I can't wait to see what those Canadian muskies think of those baits.
Snowcrest... did you get my e-mail?
Craig |
|
| |
|
Posts: 303
Location: Valentine, NE USA | Craig-
Received your email dated 6/7/04. Let me know if I can be of further help.
Brian
SLM
|
|
| |
