Sanddab Imitations?

Has anyone tried the little sanddab rubber imitations to what Charkbait sells?  I have heard sanddabs called Lingcandy in Alaska, and they are supposed to be a big halibut food as well.  It looked like a neat little rubber bait to try:


http://www.charkbait.com/cs/csc6c.htm

I was almost thinking of making my own version from some craft clay, baking it and making a mold to cast some.  Just wondering if the style was effective and worked?  Any suggestions on how to improve the bait, from those who have used it?

I love sanddabs, and anything that tastes that good would make a good bait I think.

Thanks, Matt

Those look like they'd definitely work for lings - how heavy are they?  I'd want at least 6-8 ounces and preferably 10 or 12...

I stopped using dabs for bait after 12-15 unsuccessful attempts. But I have heard dabs are like ling candy....apparently crappy halloween candy haha.

Flounders get a lot of use as ling bait up here in WA.  However, I think anything alive and twitching works.  If only those sanddab imitations had swimbait tails, perhaps sideways so they thump up and down.

-Allen

I've always wondered about why sandabs are (allegedly) good ling bait

Sandab =  flatfish living over sand/mud bottom
Lingcod = predator living over rocky bottom

How does that work then?

Are there some subtle habitat details I'm missing? Or is it just polepoles "anything twitching" hypothesis. In which case I'd have thought sandabs would be crap compared to, well, just about any other similar sized bait fish, since sandabs are pretty limp and lifeless at the best of times. Or maybe that's the attraction to a lazy ling?

These are the questions that keep me awake at night.

Funny you mentioned it. I actually just got my supplies last week (plaster for the mold and clay for the template) to make a few. I was gonna hit up an asian market and buy a real dab and use it as the blank (after freezing it) but the one near me didn't have any on hand.

I'll post later this week when I make the sample.

Great minds (or the insane) think alike.
 

....apparently crappy halloween candy haha.

That would make them the candy corn of baits, crappiest candy ever!


I have used dabs with decent results and its not just lings that eat them, most good sized rockies while grub on them.  I think bill has a dab replica bait.

I have used live dabs for bait and they work OK, but if I had a choice between chovies/sardine or dabs, I would pick the chovie/sardine.

That's funny ewb!  I was going to get some of the molding clay at Michaels, that you can bake in the oven to harden.  Then make my normal Durams water putty mold over it.  I can't wait to see what you come up with.

I saw lurecrafter made a mold from a real blue gill in the RTV silicon.  I think molding real fish would be the ultimate in lures!

polepole, I agree on the action.  I was thinking of designing a square swim tail oriented to the sanddab.  Basically a sideways swimtail, which would flap up and down.  Or maybe a little curly tail would work well.

I was thinking of this for a swimbait too.  Turning a swimbait sideways on the lure head to give it a wounded bait action?  I know, too much time on my hands  

Abking, you are right on the weight,that is why I want to make my own.  I want to make my design to match up to the larger heads I am making.  Add a little more bulk to the front to blend into the spires head some, or maybe make it look like the dab is attacking a small squid?  Charkbaits heads are a little small, and are basically a shad head turned sideways.  

Great input and ideas, thanks!  Matt

I was thinking of this for a swimbait too.  Turning a swimbait sideways on the lure head to give it a wounded bait action?  I know, too much time on my hands  

Ssshhhhhh ... cat out of bag.

Hmm ... ever rig a swimbait wacky style on a jig head?

-Allen

How long are you thinking? 7 or 8 inches? I was gonna work on a lead head as well. But I think I am just gonna mold an all soft plastic bait. That I can thread a 8/0 hook into it (texas rig'ish style) and attach it to a three way swivel with the required weight. I kinda want the bait to flutter up and down as I bounce the lead. And the 'clunk, clunk' of the lead may help draw some interest. With the jig head I worry that is will keep the 'dab' falling too fast as I jig.

Kinda like this. But bigger.
http://www.hogylures.net/prodpageflounder.htm

Thinkin' out loud

ewb, I made up some clay today.  I used an old cornstarch/glue/vinegar recipe that is used for figurines.  It looks almost like porcelain when cooked/dried. 

I played around with some 7-8 inch baits but found them too long on the jig heads, and the hook positioning less than ideal.  It left a lot of bait hanging off the back of the hook, I was shooting for the hook emerging about 1/3 if not a little more, from the head.

I found that a 6-6 1/2 inch bait looked about right with the jig heads I wanted to use.  The clay I used usually has about 20 percent shrinkage, so the bait will likely be closer to 6" when dried, and a little thinner.  I made the fins a little thicker to account for this.

I made up a smaller 4" bait to, for use off a dropper hook above the bait if I want, or on a smaller lead head or plain hook like you mentioned.  Here is what I came up with:





That is a 5oz lead head displayed with the dabs, along with my daughters "pets".  I always have to make extra clay to keep her occupied while she helps me. 

I will seal them when dry, oil and pour a plaster mold over the top.  The tails are basically an upside down swim bait tail, sticking up about 1/2" from the top of the bait.  I though about doing a full tail, but like the simplicity of single molds rather than a two part mold.  This should give the tail some movement I hope.

I made the bodies on these thicker to blend into the spires heads a bit and give the bait some "meat" to hold onto the hook.  I think they turned out pretty well.  I hope that they turn out well in the plastic.  I will likely pour them as tan to brown baits to resemble a dab.  Gray or Green may look good too.

Next I want to try to mold up a ling creature bait.  I am formulating some ideas on that one.

Matt

my clay dab is drying as we speak. I will post a pic tomorrow when fully dried. I too am doing a one piece mold. Nice that dabs are flat on one side. I like the idea of the tail so I stole that ideal. I made mine a bit thicker down the 'lat line' so a hook has something to dig into....See ya in the AM.

I picked up some hookless sanddab swimbaits once, though have yet to test them out. I saw them at a tackle store and thought they looked pretty cool. Live dabs work pretty well though.

OK here is mine....Still drying. You can't really see in the pic but its thicker down the middle. Next I will need to mold the plaster then melt down some used bass plastics for the test pour. Then a real world simulation test it in the neighbors pool. If all is well I will order some plastic and color from Jann's or Lure Kraft. I will post the next steps. It looks like its gonna be about 6.5 inches.

Here ling-y, ling-y!