Decoy tuning questions

[DAPOS]

I have become the recipient of  a few bear creek spearing decoys. After finishing screwing in the fin
screws all the way, I took them to the basement stationary tub. They hung nose down when in the water,
so I moved the eyelet forward, and now they balance level under water.

When I lift and drop the decoy, "I" feel that it is quite nose heavy, and plummets down very quickly
before it even begins to move forward much. The decoys are plastic, and viewing through the
ballast holes (the decoy fills with water, voiding any inside air, and subsequent buoyancy from it)
with light behind, it does not appear there is ANY metal for ballast, as light shines through every
part.

The fins are aluminum, and appear rather small as well.

My queries are as follows, I would think that if a decoy is "heavy" and removing material to reduce
its weight isn't very practical, the only way to offset the rapid sinking, would to make the fins rather large,
providing resistance as it falls.

It would also appear that the further forward the center of gravity, the faster the decoy will move
forward as well.

When you guys raise and lower your decoys, can you tell me approximately how high you lift from a
resting bottom? Do you have any idea of how much of an arc your decoy typically travels with the
associated drop distance? (i.e. lift 2' and decoy travels approx. 180*after drop) I am trying determine a
"goal" for tuning these decoys, and such info would help me a lot.

I'd like to tune them in such a way that they might have different glide ratios, where some might
drop quickly, and not necessarily dart forward very much, and others that drop quite slowly
and travel quite a long distance.

I think I may have answered......or certainly got myself thinking about some things I can alter to
see what effect they will have on the motions of my new decoys. I'd still like to hear anything
you guys would have to offer as well.
Thanks a bunch!!

Ed

[jasonmichalski]

The eyelet should be at the front edge of the front fin for the best swim on any decoy
Here is one of my decoys in the test tank

[crittrgittr]

  I've had to tune a number of Bear Creeks over time. This is what works for me....I leave the eyelet where its at. I remove the front fin and replace it with another fin, that is at least 1/4 to 1/3 larger than the original. If the decoy has any nose heavy, or tail heavy tilt, I apply "Storm" - Suspend Dots, or Suspend Strips, where needed, until decoy hangs level in test tank.
Then its just a matter of giving fins a slight bend "up", on the rear edge, to get the proper forward motion. It doesn't take much of a bend. Start small and test after each adjustment.
One more thing...When transferring the screw hole pattern from the old fin, to the new fin, line up the "leading" edges so that they are on top of each other. This keeps your hole pattern closer to the front/leading edge of the new fin. This allows more freedom for bending the trailing edge of the new fin.
 Hope this helps some...Good Luck!