Rat questions

[Kyearsley]

Making my first rat/mouse wake and i have a few questions. First of all does the position of the line tie matter? If so how will the action change with it on the front of the nose vs. on the bottom side in front of the lip? Second of all i was wondering if i need to add weight?

[chefchris]

bait looks awesome man

id put the line tie in this area. 

im a fan of having a little weight on almost all my baits as i feel it keeps the baits from blowing out. 

[Kyearsley]

4 minutes ago, chefchris said:

bait looks awesome man

id put the line tie in this area. 

im a fan of having a little weight on almost all my baits as i feel it keeps the baits from blowing out. 

That's where i was thinking based on what ive seen. Should the weight go about in the middle of the front section? Thanks!

[CaliBassin]

1 hour ago, Kyearsley said:

Making my first rat/mouse wake and i have a few questions. First of all does the position of the line tie matter? If so how will the action change with it on the front of the nose vs. on the bottom side in front of the lip? Second of all i was wondering if i need to add weight?

Bait looks killer dude! I’d say the same as chef for line tie placement. Definitely add some weight and test in the sink. Heavy float would be ideal

[Kyearsley]

11 minutes ago, CaliBassin said:Heavy float would be ideal

I've heard of heavy float before but not too sure what it means. Like add as much weight as i can without it sinking?

[Wykyd B8]

Just my opinions but I agree with chef on line tie. I would strongly recommend drilling a few holes and try right at the bill half way up and at the nose you will see what happens and will help with other baits. As long as u seal it well u can just fill the other holes before paint and nobody would be able to tell. 
I recommend the same for ballast but If i was taking a shot on prior build knowledge I would do the main section real close to the middle as a general rule. Think of an X the bill/weight Combo will make the bait want to pivot in that area. For the tail I generally try to keep it as close to the joint as possible with still keeping it balanced but that hard on rats with the odd tail sections usually. Trail and error are great tools you are off to a great start man good luck!

[Wykyd B8]

6 minutes ago, Kyearsley said:

I've heard of heavy float before but not too sure what it means. Like add as much weight as i can without it sinking?

As little weight as possible to keep it from blowing out. 

[Kyearsley]

16 minutes ago, Wykyd B8 said:

I recommend the same for ballast but If i was taking a shot on prior build knowledge I would do the main section real close to the middle as a general rule. Think of an X the bill/weight Combo will make the bait want to pivot in that area. For the tail I generally try to keep it as close to the joint as possible with still keeping it balanced but that hard on rats with the odd tail sections usually. Trail and error are great tools you are off to a great start man good luck!

What do you mean by still keeping it balanced? 

[Wykyd B8]

You don’t want to impinge on the joint for the most part. This is especially important for gliders but it’s a good rule to try and follow for the most part. Basically I am just trying to say ballast each piece so it floats the same as the other and doesn’t pinch the joint

[Kyearsley]

@Wykyd B8 ok that's what i was thinking, just wanted to make sure. Thanks for the help. 

[CaliBassin]

1 hour ago, Kyearsley said:

I've heard of heavy float before but not too sure what it means. Like add as much weight as i can without it sinking?

Yeah pretty much. As heavy as possible with probably 1/4 of the profile out of the water and 3/4 in.

[danthefisherman]

In my experience, I've found that the closer you put the line tie to the lip the more body roll you will get and the less the bait will want to dive. A line tie on the nose may cause the bait to dig deeper and swim with a more balanced side to side action. Great progress so far!

[DoomDiver]

Killer profile! For wakes/rats like this I've found chefchris' placement of the line tie is usually best. Just enough kick without it rolling all over the place. Add a couple screw eyes to the bait with your added weight and test it in the bathtub to see what gives you the best action. I tend to put the weight just behind the lip to act as a pivot point and leave the back unweighted but trial and error is going to be your friend here.

[chefchris]

@Wykyd B8 another option and one that i've been using is LPO (lure parts online) makes these two different size weighted hook hangers, I think they make a few sizes but I use the 5 and gram versions, they work great and seem to add just enough weight (at least for me), this way you don't have to worry about the weights geting in the way of the hangers or hardware. 

[Wykyd B8]

5 hours ago, chefchris said:

@Wykyd B8 another option and one that i've been using is LPO (lure parts online) makes these two different size weighted hook hangers, I think they make a few sizes but I use the 5 and gram versions, they work great and seem to add just enough weight (at least for me), this way you don't have to worry about the weights geting in the way of the hangers or hardware. 

Ya LPO is a great resource for sure. They have claimed a lot of my money over the years!

If you guys care to do some DIY...If I am doing a weighted line tie I make my own mold using the cheap caulk/silicon and water method. Pick the dowel u want let’s say 1/4 drill a hole in middle put hanger in then mold that and you can pour your own for Cheap. I do this on crankbaits but with wake baits I like to play with the weight location it can really enhance or mute the action depending where you put the weight. I know because I have made some real duds!