azsouth

Funny my property isn't 10 minutes from you......I am on the Wyboo arm! Once you have some time in throwing the baits you like, You will be able to ask some exact questions. I rather enjoy wake baits but you will have to figure out what you like.

Welcome! I have property on Lake Marion but won't be able to fish it until retirement. There are no hard and fast rules for throwing large baits.... Do what works for you with your set-up and lake. Jump in the deep end and start swimming ..... learn something every time you go.

outgoing to low tide fishing was never too good for me, it was always incoming tide! The bait looks good!

So on those 118+ degree days through your heat shrinked rat

No one has asked what type of fishing you're doing?...... makes a huge difference between shore, boat, kayak. As a more mature member....I would suggest a stable platform/surface and start your swing low and finish about chest high. Overhead casts put a lot of strain on your whole body! Don't try to overcast the bait. I am not a Dr. but I have been through more surgery's than most people and still throw larger baits routinely. Sometimes as we mature are body just can't do what we used to do.

If it's a violent turn over like you are describing, that puts the fish in basically a no bite pattern...Drastic changes in clarity and temperature will most of the time "shock the fish"

Oh, I almost forgot about the huge freshwater clams in the delta!!

I use a collar from rivets to hold wires together at the head. Make all my wires then put them into the collar and only one has an eye to tie to, the rest are bent 90 degrees to sit on the collar. Once wires are in and adjusted I use UV Resin to keep them in place... this is where experience and ability comes in molding the head, it also plays a fairly large role in overall weight.... you can use epoxy or lead for the head....I personally like epoxy for 2 reasons 1. you can add weight to desired effect 2. you can paint to any color shade desired. azfisher hit it home for sure! the lighter wire baits will get bit more often but don't have the durability.

DAM RIGHT!

lightest wire I would use for stripers is .040 .... better movement using lighter wire but sacrifice durability. Breaking strength with wire is not an issue. LPO is good for the stainless steel wire.

The size of wire is a good starting point, it will dictate durability of the lure. Things to consider but not limited to 1. species of fish 2. Number of arms 3. weight of overall bait 4. Number of legal hooks for your area. The sky is the limit but if you can answer exacts of above.... people here can help out better.

If the bait had no movement with a lip the joints are not free enough.

Costa Del Mar with glass lens... yes they are heavy and expensive but my last pair lasted over 6 years.

Difficult road ahead, not knowing ballast position, Balance of bait, Type of material....That is just for starting to convert the bait. My suggestion would be to make a cast of the bait and start from there.

Okay let's think about this... most scientific studies last years if not decades... what studies I have been able to find are small and very site specific and not broad and not years to decades long. Funny with all the $$ that goes into bass fishing but very little money goes to research into Bass. Go fishing and have fun doing it..... Most of us are not getting paid to do it.

Silicone's properties and elastic abilities do not allow for any permanent adhesion.

Who doesn't like PINK?

Professional fishermen expect 75% or better hook to land ratio with treble hooks...any lower than that is not good. Softer tip rod worked for me.

A moveable tail will help with the action as a wake! It's so nice catching fish on baits you make.

3rd from the bottom looks like $$$ to me

True wakes are difficult to make right! Basic guidelines are as follows. 1. lip should be 8-15 degrees of center line and be forward on the bait. 2. line tie is normally at center line or lower. 3. all sections should have the same buoyancy to prevent joint binding. 4. sections should be close to equal length in a 2 piece bait. 5. proper weighting is essential for proper movement. remember these are guidelines not exacts... depending on size, shape, pieces, how you want it to run and weight. some people prefer a bait with roll and some don't. People here can point you in the right direction better if they know what you want to build ( specs )

Best to run with your ideas.... don't let it go!!!

Apparently no one else does either! first test swim today was good and bad... wake was awesome but the noise I hoped to create was lacking.... rethinking the joint ( just like azfisher warned me)

If anyone has experience with sheet brass, I could use some pointers.

I had an idea to build an extremely loud wake bait, I think my intentions were good but it is becoming the one step forward and 2 steps back bait. My intention was to lay out every screw, weight, lip and joint cut/whole while square stock... then add brass sheets in between the joint with 2 rattle chambers to increase the noise. I found out that my skills on the lathe have faded over the years and that brass is difficult at best to work with....this is what I have so far. The brass is the part that is giving me headaches, I originally bought 1.2 mm sheets and it is to thick to work with so I bought .55 mm which is much better but still not easy to work with. Poplar is the wood I used.