Hi, everyone.

I was bank fishing on the other day using BX Brat 03. Right out of the box, I changed the hooks from #6 to #4 since it looks more appropriate to me and It was the size that TacticalBassin seems to recommend for the size.

On the water surface however, I noticed that the squarebill was slowly sinking, instead of floating, so I was wondering if it was caused by the fact upsizing the hook size really offset the buoyancy force, or is it because of the balsa core of the bait?

 

• It never happens to my KVD 1.5s, but I guess they are all plastics and have bigger body profile (thus more surface tension).
• I never caught a fish using the original hooks, because I was afraid the hook wasn't wide enough to hook the fish mouth, and I am not bothering buying a specific short-shank #6 hooks only for one type of crankbait.
• I am starting to become anxious once I am taking the lures to more woody areas as the hooks won't allow the them to float, potentially causing snags.

Thanks.

 

Yes, adding heavier hooks will affect the buoyancy, but there may more than that going on unless they were really heavy wire ones, a size 5 light wire might do the trick. In warm weather, and around wood, I like my cranks to want to come up quickly and back up some, unlike in the cold. 

I don't think mine is any #X strong hooks. It doesn't feel much heavier that the original hooks either.
 

1 hour ago, BassWhole! said:

there may more than that going on unless they were really heavy wire ones

That is the thing. KVD 1.5 is 3/8 oz. and so is BX Brat. I really think the question boils down whether or not it is due to the balsa core. Both baits I installed with the same hook replacements.

 

BX Brat is counter weighted to sit very low in the water, which would negate a lot of the balsa buoyancy factor I imagine. I could see how heavier hooks might just be enough to sink it. As such, I'm guessing it's not a real fast riser even with the stock hooks. Would be easy enough to test out. I've done it with a lot of my cranks just to see what it takes to make them neutrally buoyant. You'd be surprised at some of the differences even within a given line. For example, Bandit makes both fast risers and slow risers. I've marked my baits so I know which is which, and fish the slow risers more in cold water because I can fish them slower at a given depth, or even make them neutrally buoyant very easily, while using the fast risers more in the summer.

 

Check out this piece on the BX Brat for more details. Pretty fascinating/impressive design on Rapala's part: BX Brat autopsy

Are you using short shank wide gap hooks to upgrade to such as the Mustad KVD Triple Grip 2x Short?  If not they are typically the same weight as the next size down standard treble hook (unless they are really small gauge wire hooks to begin with)

20 hours ago, moguy1973 said:

Are you using short shank wide gap hooks to upgrade to such as the Mustad KVD Triple Grip 2x Short? 

 

20 hours ago, Bryan F. S. said:

I don't think mine is any #X strong hooks.

^^^

 

 

20 hours ago, Team9nine said:

BX Brat is counter weighted to sit very low in the water, which would negate a lot of the balsa buoyancy

That is super interesting. I've got KVD 1.5s and the weight ball seems to be very low too.
Do balsa baits such as Rapala DT series have the weight not at the bottom?
 

Edited July 11, 20214 yr by Bryan F. S.
Grammar Error

11 hours ago, Bryan F. S. said:

Do balsa baits such as Rapala DT series have the weight not at the bottom?
 

 

DT’s are interesting because they have a plastic base that is molded and epoxied to the balsa body above. The counterweight is actually shifted slightly forward between the hook hanger and the lip to make it sit nose-heavy down in the water to get that steep dive curve (pic from off Internet)