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I was reminded again this morning of something I've been doing for years, that helps me when I want to make a copy of a bait I've already posted. I typically make a bait, and play with it until I get it right, and then move on. Posting the building details when I post the pic. in the gallery helps me remember the details while they are still fresh, and gives me a handy reference, complete with pics of the freshly painted lures, when I want to make more. Its there forever (long live TU) in living color. It's very helpful for someone like me, who can't remember his own kids names half the time, let alone all the little building details that help make a bait successful.

You only need molds for the baits you make. I have 4 sizes of craw molds, 1 stick bait mold, and 4 tube molds. That is about all of the soft baits that I use. However, I am getting a creature mold in a while.

A good penetrating seal coat, apart from everything else, will give a strong attachment from the outer surface right through INTO the wood. Should this layer ever be breached and water enters the lure, this strong attachment will hold everything together. Then the lure can be thoroughly dried out and the breach sealed. Without this strong connection, the paint and topcoat layers will separate and the lure is ruined, requiring stripping and re-painting. Achieving a good connection to the wood through to top coat is not expensive, not time consuming and not difficult. Why skip the step that greatly increases the life of the lure. A premium price is paid for hand made lures. If I am paying, I expect my purchase to be better built than a mass produced commercial bait. Dave