# Jerkbait Frustration



## Cutt'em Jack (Feb 17, 2008)

I recently posted these two jerkbaits that I completed. I tested the brown one prior to painting and really liked the action I got from it. I made the other one exactly the same, weights, depths of weight, etc. I painted them up and tested them today. Well, the brown one that I tested prior works great. Good side to side action and a nice shimmy on the pause. The other one, well, it's like a fat guy! All it wants to do is go straight. The only thing I didn't do was measure the tail when I cut it. Could the length of the tail cause the problem? I eyeballed them when I cut it and it can't be more than 1/4 inch plus or minus from the other one. I'm thinking of flipping it and see if it doesn't change the action. Any ideas here fellas, or is it headed to the trash?


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

the brown one looks like the front Screweye is up higher and bent up a little.. they look great


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## Vodkaman (May 17, 2011)

It just shows how frustrating bait building can be. This build is obviously very close to the edge of performance. I think you have a lot more prototyping to do, to find which parameter is close to the edge and try and design some tolerance into the build. It could be the ballast distribution or the tow eye position. I don't think it has anything to do with the tail though. Just my opinion.

It is good that you found the problem now and not when you completed a batch of fifty.

Dave


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## jerkin (Apr 3, 2008)

Mark,
The brown one looks longer to me if you look from the rear hook hanger to the tail, that could be the difference. Have you put them both on a scale?

Vodkaman, glad to see you found our board. I have always enjoyed reading your posts on TU. I think my next tackle related project is going to be one of your jigs for drilling out blanks for wire through lures.


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## Vodkaman (May 17, 2011)

Thanks for the welcome Jerkin.

PM me before you start the project.

Dave


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## Cutt'em Jack (Feb 17, 2008)

I think I figured it out. I went down to try and work on this problem and the answer was sitting there looking me in the face. When I made these up, I had another one with one less weight in it. Guess which one I painted up? I got out the drill and added the weight in the one and filled the hole with some devcon and will try it out Friday. We'll see if I saved it or not. Jerkin, I think the camera angle makes the one look smaller than the other.


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## Vodkaman (May 17, 2011)

An honest mistake, but sounds like you have found the problem.

Dave


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

Mark, they look good. I think you'll have varying actions when working with wood due to varying densities and such. To be honest, I've always done better on Wiley jerks that went straight and dug down for me. As I always say with wood lures, each one has its own characteristics and its own time and place. Hope you get it where you want it with the tweaking of the weight. 

I'm now in the process of gathering some power tools for making mine and I'm done with work for awhile So I'll have a bunch of lures to put to the test real soon.

~Paul


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