spook tail weight ?

[Lower]

Turned out a bunch of proto spooks last night. Seeing that the water around here is pretty hard I just configured them all a little different and am going to finish them and play with them in the spring. I tried different weights, line ties, etc. Anyway as I was playing around I was trying to figure the difference in tail weights.

Trying to determine how the action will differ if the weighting is the same (meaning both slight tail down) but one is tail weighted and the other 2/3rd's down. The only thing I can think of is that the 2/3rd down belly weight will keel the lure more?? Maybe a little more glide? I would think the tail weight will push the front of the lure around a bit more and create a tighter walk?

Any thoughts on the differences? (I'm talking tail weight only, not double weighted spooks)

[Lower]

Oh and I'll defintily post some pics and results (if/when I find open water). Until I can test them I'm curious what the "on paper" results are.

[numbskull]

Not sure what you mean by 2/3 down (? a belly weight 2/3 rds the way back). Most tail weighted spooks/howdys float near vertical. Jigman's excellent spook floats at a 15-20 degree angle. Both ways work well.

[Lower]

Sorry I guess I wasn't all that clear. I guess what I'm getting at is if there would be a difference between a belly (2/3rds the way down like a ballerina) and a tail weighted spook IF they sit at the same angle in the water. So plug 1 is weighted like a ballerina and sits at 20 degrees and plug 2 is tail weighted and also sits at 20 degrees. Would you expect any difference in action? More of a conversation question I guess.

[PNG]

Originally Posted by Lower

Sorry I guess I wasn't all that clear. I guess what I'm getting at is if there would be a difference between a belly (2/3rds the way down like a ballerina) and a tail weighted spook IF they sit at the same angle in the water. So plug 1 is weighted like a ballerina and sits at 20 degrees and plug 2 is tail weighted and also sits at 20 degrees. Would you expect any difference in action? More of a conversation question I guess.

I think getting the 2 plugs to sit at the same declination being weighted differently would be hard to do.
What is it you are trying to accomplish?
While the spook and ballerina are cousins they have seperate applications.
Like you said a ballerina glides more than a spook. I would put the Jigsmith in the glide catagory. Awesome plug. Wind picks up I want a spook. Tail weight punches the wind better. More wind a pencil.

[Jigman]

Originally Posted by PNG

... Wind picks up I want a spook. Tail weight punches the wind better. More wind a pencil.

I agree. A spook will cast well, but its really not a distance plug or something that will cut the wind well. A popper or a pencil are better for that purpose.

Tail weight will give you better distance, belly weight will hold better in rougher water. Action is a little different, even if they sit the same in the water. Belly weight give more of a glide. Best way to know for sure is to do up a couple, one with a tail weight, the other belly weight and compare.

Jigman

[Ake G]

More horizontal = better glide (no matter where you choose to weight it). The belly weighting gives less roll on the swing.

Spooks with glide are more productive than those that "pop" IMO

[ProfessorM]

what no belly grommet.

[gldnbear93]

and one I have been playing around with....

bury the tailweight deeper up the chute and plug it with a nylon spacer

example-if you use a 1" tailweight drill out the butt end 1 1/2- 2" deep, insert tailweight then insert the spacer to fill the hole. you can get the spacers in the hardware dept (where they have the screws, bolts etc) at homies.

If you are drilling the front of the through hole lower than center then this will also act SLIGHTLY as a keel weight and you don't have to drill a belly hole and fill it with weight then epoxy.

I'll post a picture later if you want.

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by gldnbear93

and one I have been playing around with....

bury the tailweight deeper up the chute and plug it with a nylon spacer

example-if you use a 1" tailweight drill out the butt end 1 1/2- 2" deep, insert tailweight then insert the spacer to fill the hole. you can get the spacers in the hardware dept (where they have the screws, bolts etc) at homies.

If you are drilling the front of the through hole lower than center then this will also act SLIGHTLY as a keel weight and you don't have to drill a belly hole and fill it with weight then epoxy.

I'll post a picture later if you want.

I've been doing that with needles for years
works good for spooks as well


Excellant post Jigman

[Lower]

Agree...excellent post jigman. Tons of information in that one.

I really haven't started many "how do I do this type threads", but really wanted to here a little more on peoples thoughts about it. I agree with what you said above about making anything walk the dog. With a half way decent profile and some lead in the arse...it walks. Like I've seen Tagger say in the past. I got got plugs that walk and catch fish...but they'll kill you of exhaustion doing it! I guess my goal was to make something that would walk/glide with a little more ease. I keep seeing over and over how great the jiggy/jigsmith spook is. I never doubted it, just curious why. From what I've heard from other it's from how easily it works. That's when I figured I put some time into seeing what makes it work easier...not just work. Anyway...thanks for chiming in and the help...much appreciated.

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by Lower

Agree...excellent post jigman. Tons of information in that one.

Like I've seen Tagger say in the past. I got got plugs that walk and catch fish...but they'll kill you of exhaustion doing it!

I fell victim to a distance casters mentality . Made spooks out of maple , mahogony , birch .. They'll work, but wear you down ,, not fun after a while . If I see fish out in the middle of the canal I'm reaching for a Pencil Popper . I think spooks cast great ,, just not your optimun distance . That being said , I swear a spook will raise a fish when nothing eles will .. Always one with me ,,

[gldnbear93]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

I've been doing that with needles for years
works good for spooks as well

yup works great with needles. starting to play with it for topwater

here's an example (not a spook but same ideafor the weights) this one is drilled almost to the belly hole about 3" deep. These are not the inserts I'm using for this plug-just what's handy at the moment. The nose hole is way down almost in the botton of the cup, so the weight acts as a keel along with the bouyancy of the wood above the through wire, keeping this plug upright. I'm really looking forward to this one hitting the water for further testing.

[numbskull]

Those nylon bushings get expensive real fast. I gave up and started center drilling dowels. Drill a hole in a wood block (clamped to your drill table) about 3/4" deep, the same size as your dowel, swap out drill bits, put a short piece of dowel in the hole, and drill 1/2 way through, flip it and drill the other end. String a bunch on a wire, soak in your sealer, dry......spacers galore good to go.

You can also use tubing as a cheap spacer, but you lose some buoyancy as the space will fill with water.

[splinters]

awesome thread. i am planning on turning out some spooks soon. this will def help as i was a bit questionable on the weighting.

[Lower]

Your right splinters there is a lot of great info in this one. Let us know how they come out!

[splinters]

will do. i will be posting some pics as soon as i can get the cam away from the GF. i have only been building since last year but i pretty much just build what i use. swimmers/needles/ few poppers. been wanting to try some spooks but just was scratching my head on the weighting. i remember using zara spooks for freshwater and how much fun topwater is. need to build some of those zig zaggers.