Creating a larger version of a plug?

[ProfessorM]

Personally I do it much less scientifically. I make a few of the new size and tape on wgt till it sit where i want it. Then i put the wgt in wire it and try it. I will then adjust from there. I might make a few sacrificial plugs but I figure that is par for the course. I leave the scientific stuff for numbskull he is so much better at
it than I. I just get a headache
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[numbskull]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Personally I do it much less scientifically. I make a few of the new size and tape on wgt till it sit where i want it. Then i put the wgt in wire it and try it. I will then adjust from there. I might make a few sacrificial plugs but I figure that is par for the course
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When have you ever caught a fish on a needle?

[numbskull]

JLH

I have not tried to do what you are attempting, calculate in advance the required weight based on volume changes, although it sounds like you are going at it correctly. Still, there are some other variables involved.....particularly lift...... which become important once forward motion is imparted to the plug. I'd expect the lift forces to increase as a squared function (i.e., proportional to surface area) rather than a cubed function (proportional to volume). I suspect the balance between lift and weight is what you are after, not so much the balance between weight and volume, but I know nothing about hydrodynamics so don't take the above as gospel. My guess is you need less extra weight than a simple weight/volume calculation would indicate.

That out of the way, I have some other thoughts about this issue.
First, needles are strange plugs. They all seem to work no matter how they are shaped or weighted. I suspect it has more to do with their long narrow profile than their specific action or retrieve speed.
Years ago I spent a lot of time figuring out how to make them swim which turns out to be unnecessary. Likewise I stressed over sink rates and sink angles/balance points which also didn't seem to matter (except for casting distance). I thought I was getting somewhere until I built a copy of an old Eelpunt needle that was Steve Shiraka's favorite plug (and a plug others had taken 50+ lb fish on) and found out the effing thing floats and comes in straight as a toy boat!

So now I don't stress it too much. On calm nights I throw lighter stuff, on rough nights heavier stuff. I'll carry a long one and a short one, a light one and a dark one but I no longer believe that for needles the specific action of what I throw means a lot.......which is why I prefer darters and swimmers but that's another issue.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by numbskull

When have you ever caught a fish on a needle?

Hey my name is not sauerkraut

[Surf Caster]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Hey my name is not sauerkraut

I can attest that he's caught fish on needles! witnessed it with my own eyes - I think he even told me "Numby made this needle"!

In reality I think he actually just called you by your last name as opposed to Numby, but I'll leave that off this forum
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[Rockfish9]

I wrap mine with strips of lead then I can easily adjust how much and where I want the weight... when the experiment is over I weigh the strips and proceed from there... I think the majority of my hits come as the plugs sinks...
as the Professor said.. all those calculation make my head hurt.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Rockfish9

I wrap mine with strips of lead then I can easily adjust how much and where I want the weight... when the experiment is over I weigh the strips and proceed from there... I think the majority of my hits come as the plugs sinks...
as the Professor said.. all those calculation make my head hurt.

Hey Joe great to see you post. Have a Merry Christmas

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Hey Joe great to see you post. Have a Merry Christmas

thanks Paul.... same to you.. works been insane 14 hour days ( no time to troll fishing web sights)since September ( pulled the boat and missed the entire fall run) at one point I worked 21 days in a row with out a day off...we moved 3 plants... still more to come in February... with this weather ..Looks like I'll be making plugs instead of ice fishing!