I'm in the process of making a plug that will imitate about a 1 to 1.5# carp (it's about 13-14"). Is this insanity or just about the right size for a monster slaying bait? I'm thinking of using this for both Largemouth and Stripers. I'm also thinking of changing to a bass paint job. Furthermore, I am toying with making it a deep diver or shallow. I've already made up a lip that lookes like a huge DD22 lip (fat coffin shaped) for the deep diver and a shorter straight round lip for the shallow diver. Lastly, No I don't plan on being able to cast it very far. I'm thinking more along the lines of trolling it on my heavy Tuna stick.
Tight lines,
Wade

Hi Wade,
There is no such thing as too big....I've made alot of musky baits that big.Will this be a bait you'll turn on a lathe?...If so,your going to need to cut your lip slot while your stock is still square.(trying to cut it after you've rounded your lure is difficult to get a square cut.)On the deep diver,you'll have to place your line tie in on the bill...this will require through wiring,and a sloted bill.
I don't know how much lure building experience you have,but I'd start out with a shallow diver...they are a little easier to build,and go from there.On a bait this large,besure to use .092 diam. stainless eye screws..Nathan
www.Bettencourtbaits.com

Oh man, that "Rodent" bait of yours looks dynamite!

Hey Chris, I have one of Nathan's 'Rodents' (large), it looks even better up close. The fur really comes to life in the water! It weighs just shy of 1oz, good for throwing at little stick-ups by the shore and along the tullies.

From time to time I break out the 16" Generic Hardbait and chuck it. I've never been bit on it, but I keep trying. You gotta figure if you're using stuff that big, you're looking for a very very small number of bites. Will it work, yeah prolly at some point. Could you spend a lot of trips getting skunked with it. oyeah.

Rob, what are throwing that beast with? What's it weigh, like 10oz? :o

Calstar 800L. Just LOB it.

There is one swimbait manufacturer that has a 24 inch rubber bait that bass (LM) have been caught on. Nothing is too big.

SWMB8R

If this little 2lber would hit the Live trout, imagine what a 10lber will hit.
http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1715.jpg

Earlier this week I had a 10 to 12 inch bass hit a heavy bodied 10” bait (Armageddon). It amazes me when I see a bass try to eat something their own size. A 14’ bait is not to big for a bass however it is tough on an angler. Don’t try to do anything more than lob it or long line it. Last May I laid into a 14” bait trying to get some distance, my shoulder and elbow are just getting where they don’t hurt when I cast.

Attached is a 14” floater, and yes, I have been bit on it. It wasn’t that long ago when a 9” Castaic looked big to me.

Henry

Just ask Jenna Jamison!

Thanks guys,
I have a 16" Trout imitator and have gotten LM & Striper follows on it, as well as a little 18.5" Striper on it at night. It's only 1.75" in max. diameter. By comparison the bait I'm working on is about 13" so far w/o the tail and was lathed to a 4" max. dia., then I ground the sides so it's 2.75" across the back and 2" across the belly. Before I ground off the sides, but after I cut the joint, just the 2 pieces of wood weighed over 8 oz., now I think it's around 6.5-7oz. I still have to finish painting it, add hardware, tail and I was thinking of adding 1-2 oz of lead to the front peice. Not so much lead that it'll sink but enough to make the back only float less than 1/4".
Tight lines,
Wade

PS: What about Christy Canyon?

yes a little info for the carp bait. do it for sure they just found a 50lb striper dead at the river with a 6lb carp stuck in its throat. if you make it i will buy it.

Do you still want it. I'm not going to charge for it because it's not all that. If you'll pay for the shipping it's yours. I'm going to try to make a better one. This one has some troubles with swimming right, it will sometimes, but not all the time, but it could probably be fixed with the right TLC. Wood has some inherant short comings and I'm looking for a better material that comes in that big of a size. It weighs 10.5oz.
Tight lines,
Wade

I do not know how big too big is for LMB, but a few weeks ago I mouth hooked a 6" sanddab on a 5" swimbait. Also, using a swimbait in New Jersey, I once mouth hooked a 5lb bluefish that came in with a 3' eel sideways in its mouth.

On the other hand, my son recently was fighting a two pound trout near the bank when about a four pound female and a somewhat smaller male pair of LMB came up to investigate the trout. The two bass oriented within a few feet of the tiring slowed down trout for quite a while but never went after it (my son stopped reeling the trout when the bass appeared to see what would happen).

Bob

still intrested in your bait. you can e-mail me at trophybasshunter01@yahoo.com more then willing to pay for the shipping cost's do you by chance have any pics?

I'll see if I can find my Digital Camera and post a pic or 2 in a few days.
Tight lines,
Wade