wiggle,Wiggle,Roll,Roll,Roll!

[saltydog]

I built 3 of them, they were the first swimmers I did, after a year I just got the chance to try them out. 2 of them swim great, WIGGLE, WIGGLE , WIGGLE, BUT this GREEN one, just wanted to ROLL. Ibent the LIP a few times trying to change it, but no luck. I bent
it all the way FLAT an it helped some. so I decide to keep him for bluefish bait.after a few casts into the surf, this is what happened. some fish wanted to eat the dam thing.must have thought it was wounded or nuts I guess. any ways I lost another 2 fish on that SICK plug, an learned a good lesson. when I started building 2 years ago I used EAGLE CLAW HOOKS cause it was CHEEP. but after checking the plug to see why I loosing hits it seems the hook was DULL. now it's VMC for me.that GREEN plug he is now retired, just hanging around.
GOOD LUCK GOOD PLUGGIN

QUESTION, WHY do plugs ROLL an not wiggle? I built them all the same.( hand carved) could this be my problem, NOT completly ROUND?

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by saltydog

QUESTION, WHY do plugs ROLL an not wiggle? I built them all the same.( hand carved) could this be my problem, NOT completly ROUND?

no 2 pieces of wood are alike ,, hows is the woods hydro orientation in relation to the lip ? .. My bud (plug guru)says a very sensitive plug like that is a good thing . Those are your slow fishers.. good action at a crawl ..

[Surf Zombie]

Nice, but I would not retire it, seems like it is earning it's keep.

[Mr. Sandman]

Your plug is rolling because of a low "BG". BG is the distance from the center of buoyancy to the center of gravity. This distance produces the restoring moment and "stiffness" or resistance in roll.

Plugs that wiggle side to side is a different but interesting hydrodynamic effect. Basically you have a controlled unstable situation of flow separation off the lip...it kites to one side to a certain point angle where the flow can not stay attached any longer then the flow separates sheds a vortex and it goes in the opposite direction and so on... The amount of wiggle is driven by the rotational moment of inertia and the size of the lip. You may notice if you put a weight in the rear that it does not wiggle as much (but casts better) Also you may notice that when a weight is forward it wiggles better (but doesn't cast as well). This is because the mass is far away from the center of rotation (the pivot point, which is about 25-40% or so from the nose depending on the plugs shape) . When the rotational inertia is high and it tends to wiggle less when it is low it wiggles easily. (somewhat akin to the old figure skater who spins and pulls in her arms (reducing the rotational inertia and radius of gyration and then spins really fast) If you can concentrate the mass center near the center of rotation it will wiggle a lot and with ease. It is a balancing act to get it the way you like.

Basically if you want it to roll less, put a weight along the center-line low in the plug belly, this will increase BG and if you want it to wiggle more keep it forward.

I will post an interesting plug I made this winter that exploits the best of moving masses. It is really cool and casts a mile. (and catches too!)

[saltydog]

Mr. Sandman, I believe you hit it. the weight is centered by EYE. an I now believe I might of even NOT drilled it deep enought. throwing it OFF-CENTER,BUT like TAGGER SAID--->Those are your slow fishers.. good action at a crawl .. I will have to second that w/this plug it works good in the SURF an SUDZ but in flat water he's out of control. thank you for the info. I should have ( hydro orientation ) the wood BUT as I said this was 2 years ago when I just went NUTS an tried building everything,an never thought it threw, now I still building everything BUT w/ SOME THOUGHT BEFOR. Im still out of control when it comes to building plugs it's fishing time an Im still shaping, sanding, sealing, priming, painting, just cant seem to stop.
GOOD LUCK GOOD PLUGGIN
p.s.visited your site wow, that pic bring back momoriessssssssss.