i looked around the site but couldnt find anything on how to make darters, the top loop confuses me and should they be weighted and where if so?

They are usually center drilled. Bend your wire in a P shape and epoxy it in. Weighting depends on the wood and hook placement, but usually you want them to float slightly tail down with the diving plane level and just above the water. Maple often doesn't need any weight, lighter woods (or fewer hooks) typically are weighted about 2/3 back. The real trick is getting the length and width right, for the area of the diving plane. Too small a plane, no action. Too big a plane, roll out. What determines the depth they run I've not yet figured out. Good luck.

Also, don't discount using screw eyes for darters. Big SS screw eyes, predrilled and epoxyed into maple with 2 ton epoxy (the 5 minute stuff deteriorates in water) are not going to fail. Guys have caught bass over 60 lbs on Gibbs old screw eye darters (and poppers).

Also, don't discount using screw eyes for darters. Big SS screw eyes, predrilled and epoxyed into maple with 2 ton epoxy (the 5 minute stuff deteriorates in water) are not going to fail. Guys have caught bass over 60 lbs on Gibbs old screw eye darters (and poppers).
I totally agree with you on this- especially if the darter is made from hard maple.

grizzdog, to make a good darter make a blank the shape of a fine fat cigar.. make sure to make it longer in the front than you think you will want the darter to be to give you some material to make cutting the lower lip easier. make sure the blank has a nice taper near the front and a fine shaper taper in the rear. drill on center and if you use one belly hook, put it a skootch forward of the center of the plug. it will dart nicely. the narrower the darter the more erratic the darting action... If you want to make a lot and have a tablesaw, i heavily recomend you make some jigs to to the lower lip. the width of the tablesaw blade will make the upper lip for you. If you go through the time to make another jig that allows you to have 3 settings to do a nice 3 stage transition in the slope from the nose loop to the back, you will have one heck of a darter.
use hard maple and soak them in sealer a loooooooong time.
you can do the lips on a bandsaw and a belt sander by eye but each one will be different. just make sure you leave the end blocks on the blank when you go to drill the holes and cut the lip- that way it will all come out square.

thanks alot guys il try it out

I'm no expert, but the darters I make catch fish, so what the hey...

I make two lenghts 5 1/2" and 7", two styles, some of maple, some of cedar, each has their own nitch in my plug bag.. I make the maple ones a tad chubby...

I use two hooks (no tail) on the cedar ones, the maple ones get 1 belly hook and a tail hook.. the maple darters get no wieght, the cedar ones get a weight just behind the front belly hook.

here a picture of the 5 1/2" blanks so you can see the profile... OH and the bucket shot is for Tagger... darters are the only plug is only one I hydro orientate...it makes a better swimming plug for sure...

Next frame I'll share the jig I use...
MOr in the next frame

After a spin in the water bucket, Imark the top with a "T" , then drill them out, the jig I use has a locating pin which I push the plug onto, I then have a wedge that I slide under the tail of the plug, I use a small bubble leval to make sure the face of the plug is getting cut on a 90 degerr bias witht the belly hole, the wedge is moved fore or aft to center the bubble, the wedge is moved after each angle cut, so I normaly will do a dozen or so at a time....

more in the next frame

here;s the two different woods, both are 5 1/2" darters

It not the only way to do 'em, it's how I do 'em

good luck,hope this helps.

bump

Sweet jig for the bandsaw. The other site from Joisey have a 3 position jig for the table saw.
I always fill I have more cleanup with the bandsaw even with my 1" blade it flexes.

OH and the bucket shot is for Tagger... darters are the only plug is only one I hydro orientate...it makes a better swimming plug for sure...


Thanks man .. I think needles are the only plug I don't H O

part of that sentence is missin, musta been a long day when I typed it....... It was supposed say darters are not the only plug I hydro orientate... your method Tagger.. and it made me a better plug builder!

Darters this is the only plug I have yet to have any success with.