TackleTour

JBcrankaddict wrote:

hoohoorjoo wrote:Maybe a tiny bit of salt water got in and then left salt crystals which are blocking the balls from moving. If the chamber is tight enough, this could cause what you're describing. Not sure how water would get in, though.

That has definitely happened before, after a lot of hard use they cracked at the front hook hanger. Usually see some streaks of rust inside the bait when this happens, but haven’t seen any so hoping this isn’t the case. Gonna double check now though.

A tooth can punch tiny holes, too, which is why I asked. Those vampire teeth on the big gator trout are respectably sharp!

y2k88 wrote:If you're prepared to drill, just drill a hole with the smallest bit you have underneath the stuck ball and just push it free with the bit or needle. Epoxy the hole afterwards. Would be pretty inconspicuous.

I think this is gonna be the way to go. To worried about heat and cold cracking the bait if I go any further with it. I have a 1/32” bit that should work well. Haven’t had a lot of time to mess with it this week(I fish to much ) But these storms are giving me some time to mess with my gear so will see what happens today or tomorrow.

hoohoorjoo wrote:

JBcrankaddict wrote:

hoohoorjoo wrote:Maybe a tiny bit of salt water got in and then left salt crystals which are blocking the balls from moving. If the chamber is tight enough, this could cause what you're describing. Not sure how water would get in, though.

That has definitely happened before, after a lot of hard use they cracked at the front hook hanger. Usually see some streaks of rust inside the bait when this happens, but haven’t seen any so hoping this isn’t the case. Gonna double check now though.

A tooth can punch tiny holes, too, which is why I asked. Those vampire teeth on the big gator trout are respectably sharp!

You are definitely right about that! Those teeth are nasty! My thumb definitely shows what they can do. Trout thumb is not a nice thing

Maybe the hundreds (thousands ?) of casts resulting in the impact of a metal ball into softer plastic has changed the dimension of the plastic to the point that it now has trapped the ball ?

uljersey wrote:Maybe the hundreds (thousands ?) of casts resulting in the impact of a metal ball into softer plastic has changed the dimension of the plastic to the point that it now has trapped the ball ?

These baits weren’t used a whole lot before they malfunctioned, but this is possible. I do load the heck out of my rod. Doesn’t help that the second weight transfer ball acts as a hammer to pound the other one further back. One may turn into a test bait and get cut open to see what’s going on before all is said and done.

Happens to my 110s quite a bit. C t had to due with the change in temps in the spring and fall. The plastic shrinking and stretching from warm and cold.

I've had two Megabass Trick Darters go bad. It's not the balls but the cylindrical weight has come free rendering the lure useless. If I could reposition the weight properly a small hole drilled and some super glue would work.

NJ Jigman wrote:Happens to my 110s quite a bit. C t had to due with the change in temps in the spring and fall. The plastic shrinking and stretching from warm and cold.

Ouch, don’t like to hear that! Were you able to get them free? I agree it has to be something to do with the changing temperatures, and difference in water and air temps. Hasn’t happened all winter, and didn’t happen during the summer. Only when the cold fronts started in the fall.

DanTheFireman wrote:I've had two Megabass Trick Darters go bad. It's not the balls but the cylindrical weight has come free rendering the lure useless. If I could reposition the weight properly a small hole drilled and some super glue would work.

Sounds like you are on the right track, a 1/32” drill bit is pretty small and won’t leave much of a hole to fill. I’d contact Megabass and see if they would do anything to help you out before drilling any holes though.

Here’s what I did to fix these 2. Drilled a 1/32” hole where the ball was stuck, and used a hook to pry it loose. Easy enough. Now I need to figure out what to fill them with. Can’t afford to have any saltwater getting in the baits as they will rust out quickly. I’m thinking a little 5200 would seal that nicely, but what would you guys recommend? I also have some epoxy on hand, but have seen it eventually crack loose to many times.

You can try gap filling super glue. Put a dab onto the hole, smooth it with your finger, and use accelerant to set it. Or use some Devcon 2 Ton epoxy. They should both hold up to the salt.

mark poulson wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:50 pm

You can try gap filling super glue. Put a dab onto the hole, smooth it with your finger, and use accelerant to set it. Or use some Devcon 2 Ton epoxy. They should both hold up to the salt.

Tried some Devcon, and it worked ok at first, but didn’t solve the problem and then started leaking after a few fish. Went with some 3M sealant and it worked great, and hasn’t leaked yet. Was also able to get some of the sealant inside the bait, which stopped the ball from rolling all the way to the tail and getting stuck. It was a really weird situation, and finally realized what was causing the problem after completely removing paint from a stuck bait and a new one. Seems to be an issue with the lure that will happen with every one, but now have a fix so very happy Hate having to modify brand new lures, but they work so good it’s worth the effort.

JBcrankaddict wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 25, 2019 5:19 pm

DanTheFireman wrote:I've had two Megabass Trick Darters go bad. It's not the balls but the cylindrical weight has come free rendering the lure useless. If I could reposition the weight properly a small hole drilled and some super glue would work.

Sounds like you are on the right track, a 1/32” drill bit is pretty small and won’t leave much of a hole to fill. I’d contact Megabass and see if they would do anything to help you out before drilling any holes though.

I have 2 110's that I need to send in at the moment with weight transfer balls stuck. I'm hoping they will replace them. I had one do this a year or two ago which they replaced.