Putting Weight in a lure

I found this after I was finished adding lead to my baits this year. Frank did get the opportunity to try it.

The Archimedes dunk test.

1.  Fill a beaker with enough water to completely submerge your lure, without touching sides or bottom.

2.  Place beaker of water on scales.

3.  Set the scales to measure grams and zero.

4.  Hold the nose eye with long nose pliers and submerge in the water, up to the eye. Leave the hooks on        for this.

5 - Read off the scale and write the number down.

Because one gram of water has a volume of one centimeter cube, the number written down represents the volume of the lure in centimeter cubes.

The number also represents what the final lure should weigh (in grams) if you are going for neutral buoyancy. If you want a floater, just add less ballast.

This test can be done as early as the first seal of the body, to get an early indication of the final weight of the lure, or right at the end of the build process. If you want to tweak the final lure to get neutral, fit all the hooks etc and test. This will indicate the size of the slug you need to add.

Another application is, if you want to copy a lure and get the same amount of float. Weigh the original, with hooks and divide by the dunk test weight. This will give you a ratio. When you build your copy, ballast to achieve the same ratio.

I have been using this technique for a few months now and it is quick, very accurate and simple. I recommend that you at least give it a try out.