|
TackleTour Autopsy: One tough
crank, a look inside the SPRO Little John DD
(continued)
 I stepped up to a rougher file and started to
scratch the surface of the Little John DD, but I had to apply so much pressure
that during the test the file actually bent! It reminded me of doctors trying to give a shot to
superman, this mean little lure simply wasn't having it!
So tough that it took so much
pressure to damage the finish that the file bent...
...and the lure still showed
almost no sign of damage. It did look angry though
Though the Little John DD survived our abrasion
tests the bait would be no match for a diamond tipped rotating blade. It was time to cut
the lure open and take a closer look at that silent tungsten weight transfer
system.
Cutting the lure open from the
underbelly
Once cut open we were greeted by not one but two
weights. In the center of the lure is the Tungsten ball weight which is able to
move back and forth in the lure and in the belly of the bait is a lead weight
that is fixed in the center. This weight not only aids in casting but helps the
lure sit at just the right angle when it is retrieved or at rest.
Cracking open the lure exposes the
lead weight which is fixed into the center of the lure
Above the lead weight is a long
plastic channel
The tungsten ball is actually a mixture of rubber
and tungsten, this mix gives the ball plenty of weight while remaining
completely silent. In the center of the lure there is a channel that allows the
ball to move from the very tail section to the front of the lure directly below
the lip. This system helps the lures movement, helps balance out the lure and
gives the bait extra weight in the tail for longer more accurate casts.
The tungsten weight is able to
freely travel from one end of the lure to the other
There is so much rubber content in
the tungsten weight that it bounces when dropped
The ball is almost perfectly round and does have
a high content of rubber, so much that it will actually bounce when
dropped. This ability to absorb shock allows this "weight" to move back and forth
without creating unwanted noise and vibration.
Pressed flat...
...with no pressure the weight
returns to shape. This weight is able to absorb a lot of shock making it ideal
for a silent transfer system
We put this little tungsten weight through a range
of tests and found it to be extremely resilient. At the end of the autopsy we
finally cut the weight in half and immediately the tungsten particles were much
more visible. This clever combination of rubber and tungsten
make for a very reliable silent internal weight transfer system.
Cut in half the tungsten content
is much more visible
The original SPRO Little John was a mean bait and
the larger DD version is much the same, just on a bigger scale. I've been field
testing these deep diving baits for about two months now, and while the field tests are far
from complete the autopsy did shed some more light on the lure's overall design.
The Little John DD features a simple yet effective weight transfer system and at
the heart of this bait is the rubber + tungsten weight system that allows the
lure to not only cast better but gives the bait a silent and more subtle action.
The other thing that really stuck out was just how durable the finish is on this
bait, there's a reason the Little John DD has angry eyes, this is one tough
"Little" bait!
Looking for the SPRO Little John DD Crankbait? Try
Tackle Warehouse
|
