CatchingConcepts

On the holographic mylar, I affix it to the bottom side of my flat lexan lips then coat it with couple coats of clear, then install the line tie wire form on deep diving bills. The mylar should be positioned so that the most reflective surface is pointing upward on lip, as the available sunlight will reflect off and be diffused all directions as the bait wobbles. The mylar film I use is very thin with reflective qualities on both sides. I find most of my materials at craft stores or giftwrap areas. Any thin reflective material will do, I like to use something with extra holographic flash paterns. On injection molded lips the underside surface is rather uneven and tougher to attach to, better to get flat lay and you want its most reflective side facing upward. I have on on several occasions affixed a strip of the mylar film to the top of the crankbait lip, removing the split ring and cutting a small slit to allow the line tie to pass through. Then affixing with spray adhesive and coating with clear exoxy to help with durability.

On an interesting aside, another observation I made in my clear water crankbait tests done over the past 20 years on the same body of water, standing on the same exact spot... My strike percentage went up dramatically on all baits, no matter the color they were painted, when reflective or holorgraphic mylar is affixed to the underside of clear lexan diving lips. Now I know painted lips on crankbaits went out of vogue in the late 70s and clear bills on baits are the expected standard, anything else seems to be shunned by the general bass buying market. I tried, and couldnt sell the baits with the reflective bills, even when I explained the thought behind. No one wanted them yet consider how many throw a spinner bait or numerous other baits with flashing appendages that increase strike rates. My observations, any sunlight present is highly reflective off the top surface of the diving lip. Especially on baits with larger deep diving lips and hard swing or wobble it is very noticable in the clear water conditions the added flash this provides. In my ongoing tests it is clear this is a added triggering quality that doesnt seem to deter a bait in the least and in my mind improves my strike rate. Many of my baitfish color scheme baits in my personal crankbait box have atleast a half inch strip of reflective holorgraphic mylar clear coated on the underside or the lexan lip from the nose of the bait to the leading edge of the diving lip.. The idea doesnt seem to sell to fishermen, but it sure does add to my catch percentage. In the lure market, its all perception, Whats hot, and what the fishing industrys marketing firms believe fishermen will buy, because you first have to hook them, before they tie it on to catch the fish. Look no further than a Pros go to box on tournament day, I bet you would see some very unconventional baits, color schemes and modifications, these are the tools of their trade. They know what makes them money, Yet the fishing public rarely sees these mods that give the pros a percieved competitive edge. Most of which in general would not be marketable anyways in todays bass fishing world of trendy highly thought out bait styles... When the pros get off the water they hide their favorite tools and tie on their sponsors baits, and we all run out and buy the hottest flavor of the month... marketing!

When I go and test lure design models and make tweeks, I often go to a nearby lake with ultra clear water. I stand on a piece of concrete dam structure adjacent to 20 ft of water and make casts to observe the baits. Most of the bass frequenting this area are a pound to pound and a half range, and there are always good numbers present here. I often test large numbers of baits, 20 or 30 of a given model. When I started doing this years ago I noticed markedly the number of strikes I recieved on the baits that had a "sweet" action, over the average or poor ones. So I decieded to change things up a little, I shot the groups of baits in different colors with basic rattle can paint. What I observed then was I still had much higher strike ratio on the baits with better action no matter what color they were painted. Though even the poor action ones seemed to increase interest when painted a prefered color, especially basic contrasting colors. Light sides, dark back gave best results in any bait. In this clear water, a sweet action bait tuned right, painted white on sides, black on back crudely with rattle can paint job, no eyes, no pretty scale netting, just basic hues, gets bit almost every cast from these over anxious juvenile bass. Though these observations are far from scientific, they do sway my perception of intricate color schemes being necessary in clear water. All the bodies of water I fish are gin clear, and many of the baits I throw are very crude in their paint, either error baits I couldnt sell, or just test baits I so liked the action of I throw them as they are, very basic color schemes with just unreal actions, and they are my go to baits. Beautiful baits catch the fishermans eye, and give confidence to the person using, in their mind it represents a good match for what they see as what a bass would want to eat. Im just not sure the bass processes information quite the same as us, or requires such fine detail. In many bodies of water that are off color of stained, the bass uses his lateral line and keys on vibration to feed, thus action here is much more critical than color or a pretty bait. In the late 60's Tennessee bait builders like Fred Young brough us our first modern style crankbaits. If you take a look back at many of these small regional builders who laid the foundation for what is coppied over and over today, their paint schemes were very crude and yet most became legends with their UGLY lures.

Wow... Here I have been designing and building ugly baits for nearly 30 years... I feel so ashamed of myself... Opinions are like.... So many ways to go here... but the high road is calling...

Im pretty old school in my style and paterns I paint on my cranks, but recently played some with photo printing on my baits... For my first attempt it came off better than I thought, and actually was rather easy method as outlined here in a tutorial. Just wondering others thoughts, myself, Ive made and fished countless baits, and for me, its all about size, action and basic hue or color. Photo finishes make for sexi looking baits, but I'm thinking its more a catch the fisherman than fish issue... Thoughts?

Keep it simple, in your own hands, and help those people meaning well realize you cant make unlimited stock... find methods that keep your stock on hand moving, and take care of those who develop an interest and liking in your baits, the baits will sell themselves if they are of qualities others can see and use. Everyone wants one for FREE to try... sell your baits dont give em away...

If they are just cracked a bit, strip off hardware, lightly sand cracked areas with 600 grit, removing loose topcoat material if any, then mix up some Devcon 2 Ton and brush on a nice even coat on the baits and put them on a drying wheel for a couple hours. They will be ready to fish next day...

To get a little warmer version of bone, substitute more chartreuse for the yellow, as with this color below I call Gangrene, it gives a nice subtle hue.

You can try this one, dont know if pricing is competitive? http://k-mac-plastics.net/g10-fr4-sheets.htm

You could easily cut / file lip flush on a DT16 Rapala and graft any style lip into the balsa bait you prefer at any new angle, just cut a new slot... Thats a very easy project and you could use a coffin style or even a fiber board style at an angle to give it harder swing... I will play with one and post my mods... As for big cranks (3 inch) here's my take on a large flat side with coffin lip and very hard swing... model is Catching Concepts KC3 btw with size 1 hooks, great presence in the water... (shameless plug but worth showing the bait for reference)

Most better cranks are designed to incorporate the mass of the diving lip, size, surface and line tie placement into the critical equasion as to how they preform. Changing those dynamics can yeild some desired results, but just as well can ruin the action of the bait and its fishability totally, its really a gamble you have to be willing to make when you start modifying them. I have designed and built prototype cranks to be injection molded for several bigger manufacturers in the industry. I also have hacked and played with creating frankenstein baits out of almost everything available, some with great results, but most get throw in a box till I get that next "brilliant idea"... You can change almost every dynamic of an typical injection molded bait with a bit of trial and error... One of the hottest thing to do as of late for tourney guys is to drill a small hole in bottom, remove the rattles and inject a small ammount of epoxy into the moving balancer chamber to fix the weight transfer system to one desired position so the bait has the tendencies they desire. On lip modification, you can actually chop off any of the deep diving lips and graft on any shallower type lips you desire, as well as change the angle of the lip dramatically changing the actions. Much of this can be achieved using acetone solvent to melt and weld the plastics back together. Drilling and inserting small pins in both pieces can also help to strengthen the areas being reattached with acetone. This is all very advanced, and I caution that much trail and error is to be expected. Even if you simply just shave or file portions of a lip off, try dipping it in acetone briefly and you will see it cleans up the scuffs and evens out areas. Quickest way to experiment with changing the action and getting a bit less depth is to take a lighter and lightly heat the lip area on underside of bait near chin, then simply bend the lip down at a sharper angle. Very little mod in this way with yeild shallower depths, and make the bait swing much harder, but as with any mods, it may also cause the bait to pitch out, roll and become ustable and unusable... enjoy!

Key to everything... KEEP IT SIMPLE... pic is worth a thousand words so... Basic materials go a long ways and keep costs at minimum...

Hey Guys... Been away for a while, just wondering what everyone is using lately for their crystal clear top coat needs? I will do a search here and Im sure find the usual tons of info, but just wanted to get some quick feedback... Will be coating larger groups of baits at a time, so looking for best product to buy and mix in greater volume. Thanks! Herman

I know this is the wrong thread, but here goes... Need the real deal on how to protect joints and hardware from paint and epoxy, and yet easily remove when dry? This will work on ANY hardware and can easily be removed after painting or clear coating , you can even overspray or coat it, and simply peal the stuff off... perfect way to protect even lure lips, but especially tough spots like hardware and hinged areas of jointed baits... Simple, brushable artists masking fluid or frisket. Available at any craft store, maybe even your Wal-Mart craft section. Need an alternative, try rubber cement or even silicone sealant, though drying time is longer on that... Afraid to get the rubber in the joints? it will usually peal off quite easily and excess can be pulled out, just have to apply liberally so you have enough to grab onto. For applications where the masking fluid may seep to deeply into an area or material is more porous and will soak up the rubber type masking fluid, think modeling clay. When I went on tour of one large crankbait manufacturer I was surprised to see their method of protecting crankbait lips from overspray painting. They used what looked to be bonnets covering the entire lip made out of thickly built up brush on silicone or that stuff for coating tool handles... Plasti-dip stuff, and they would simply keep reusing these coverings until they tore from being stretched too many times over lure after lure painted... Good luck on those baits Tim...

What you looking to do with them Bags Skeet? save the lips or do a transplant job? Myself I like to trash the old lips and go with a new fiberboard lip on them classic cranks... So its a bit of Crankenstein's lab work time... First off, snip that old lip off with a sidecutter about an 1/8 inch out away from bait and rip out the old line tie hanger carefully so as not to damage bait, then use file or dremel and smooth back to balsa. Now you can use dremel and clean out lip slot, or better yet use a jig to hold and bandsaw the slot. If you are going with the new fiberboard lip which is much thinner you only need a couple passes to make the new slot. Better yet, first pre drill a hole on drillpress for the new line tie wireform where the old hole is at bottom area of lip slot about an inch or more back into the balsa, then make your new bandsaw cuts just above into the existing plastic lip portion still in bait. create your new micarta lip with wireform and epoxy the whole thing up and slide in. Everyone follow that?? Check these out... A original 70's lead in lip DB3 with lead hardware re-used, an original first generation poes that had brass line tie in lip, and a old original TAPP bait. All were classic fish catchers! All were sanded smooth and new epoxy primer aplied, ready to paint, though Im a bit torn between leaving their beat up yet classic hues, or giving them new colors... Comments? And if you are looking to use the original Bagley DB2 or DB3 style injection molded 80's lips, I have a good supply of old stock new ones I could fix you up with... maybe what you might need...

Ahhh, Thanks Skeet! really nice to see a few of the ol timers still frequent these parts... Hope life's treating you well my friend! As for the epoxy stuff, Ive been round the block a few times myself, and honestly Im still searching for that perfect product. But... I guess that's what life is all about, enjoying the journey! As for the D2T, I think Ive got the stuff down, I'm to the point that I can mark on the barrel of the applicator with a sharpie the exact incraments to which I can mix and work with before it sets. On average I can brush on a one coat medium thick coverage to about 20 - 25 bass sized cranks per amount dispensed at a time. I do thin very slightly and move quite quickly to acomplish this...

ahhh, Ive used up a few hundred packages of D2T, from experience, and hope Im not giving away secret stuff, but certain types of lighting can actually speed up cure rate. As well as the fact that the thicker (deeper) you have the stuff in your mixing container the faster it builds heat and catalyzes, its like a chain reaction, once it starts building heat it "goes off" and sets... SO the best thing to do is mix your amount needed to coat the bait(s) in a shallow more spread out container or surface, let it spread across the surface, keeping it rather thin in depth. Hopefully the next creation will hit the Delta and not the trash bin! Good luck, and enjoy the learning curve... any questions just drop me an email, maybe I can help... Herman

I'm not finding any chemical makeup specs on DN site for the topcoat product, does anyone have such, or do the containers/ instructions include this and safety notice? I am curious of the hazards and ventilation requirements etc... Does DN contain Isocynates? I will use and completely endorse the DN product if it is the easiest and most cost effective coating available for our purposes, but if I can find other products with same qualities or better I think its worth looking into and sharing here? Moisture cure urethane seems to be the type of creature we are dealing with, and there are quite a wide array of these coatings, some with marine apps that look interesting. A little (very tiny) light bulb flickered in my head when thinking about these urethanes. Years ago when touring a custom paint shop who did a lot of airbrush work and such here in Cali I remember something... They were using components that when I asked if I could have a sample they gave me some, but told me it would be useless in several days as it was self-catalyzing. As they said "it kicks" when contacted by air and once started the whole can will go.. This sounds very much like the type of stuff you guys are dealing with... When I asked how they could store the products for periods of time without it curing on them they showed me a dispensing type rack that seemed to have containers with lids that not only drew off the product but replaced the missing volume with a condensed gas fed by a network of tubing to each container on the rack. Essentially they were doing what you guys are with the Bloxygen stuff, making me think, why couldn't you make a small scale replica of this dispensing system with a couple valves attached to the lid of a container, one draws product from the bottom through a tube in container, the other receives the pressurized gas from a canister / tube assembly. Thus the product in the container would be under pressure making it easy to dispense and any time you draw an amount of product you would be replacing (equalizing) the containers volume with no air being permitted to enter the environment? This sound plausible to anyone? And do we have any chemistry guys aboard? would such an easy compressed gas source such as CO2 canisters or airbrush propellant be viable or would that have negative reaction with the product? Wondering what readily available type of compressed canister gas would be most economical? Just my thoughts for the day... maybe I've been breathing too many fumes, I did primer coat quite a number of baits this afternoon... Here's my primitive system and results... Hence why I would really enjoy finding a topcoat that is user friendly both in application and storage.

Oh, sorry for the confusing post, I was speaking of the DN topcoat product availablity... I would think that DN is a secondary supplier of this product, and another poster had mentioned purchasing the product through another vendor under the product name Pelucid. Is Pelucid the same as DN product and are there other suppliers? Is there possibly a better vendor of the product that might be able to process orders quicker yet still cost competitive with DN ? Also one thing I noticed in the Pelucid description below is that it notes this product is for interior use, does this mean they are not endorsing it for exterior uses? PELUCID™ is one of the most advanced single component clear coats in the world. It's super clear, super glossy, and unbelievably tough! Spray or brush this non-yellowing single-component clear coat over painted or unpainted fiberglass, wood, and other interior surfaces that need a clear lustrous finish. The tough, yet flexible, coating dries clear as water, with a rock-hard finish that won't crack, chip, or peel. It's self leveling, which means it won't leave harsh brush marks. It can be recoated in 2 to 3 hours, depending on humidity, and will withstand temperatures up to 400 F. Two coats should always be applied, to achieve maximum beauty and protection. PELUCID™ has excellent adhesion qualities, and is highly chemical resistant.

Yes, Excellent information here! Just the kind of hands on feedback I was seeking... Makes me wonder why I've been away from this place so long!! So what supplier has been the best to deal with on ordering and shipping in a timely manner at a decent cost?

First of, Hello All... Been a bit since I have last vistited you guys... Nice to see some familiar "faces" still here! Am very interested in hearing more about DN and Pelucid products, I know I could do a search of archives, but I'd like to hear everyones latest wisdoms... Is this NOW the go to top/clearcoat to use? What is the consistancy of the stuff out of the can? Will fine holographic glitters and micas suspend in this coating when mixed and brushed on, then turned on drying rack? Is there less problems with micro bubles as compared to two part mixes? Is DN product "self leveling" as two part epoxies are? How does coating hold up over time when exposed to high heat of direct sunlight baking lures in storage boxes on deck of boats? Is this easier stuff to work with in less heated, higher humidity climates of Winter workplaces? How about odor / toxicity in workplace while curing? Finally, how does the price per unit to coat the average sized bait compare to using other 2 part type epoxies? I didnt see much on the DN product, but found this on the Pelucid stuff... PELUCID

The fingerling series was first marketed by Crankbait Corp and designed by Tom Seward for the Ohio firm. Later after changing hands a couple times before Luhr Jensen bought up and actually moved Tom too. I would believe that LJ still owns the molds to the entire fingerling series and one occasionally still sees some of those LJ baits in the bargain bins now and then. The baits were solid and molded of some type of dense foam or plastic material. Much like their "sister" baits the Lazy Ike Natural series of the 70's of the same designer. I had quite a number of the original Crankbait Corp baits, many new in packages, but sold them all out on Ebay some time ago... I guess they are rather collectable to some...

I have been a loyal Etex type user, but recently in an effort mostly to provide several others with best method for using 2-T Devcon I have been learning... first off, I mark the syringe into 1/4 inch increments, then I empty 1/4 into a mixing cup and after mixing I add a measured ammount (just under 1/8 teaspoon) of something called Ellis 80 quick set reducer. Reducer is the way to go with epoxies, Acetone and Laquer thinner "soften" and compromise the integrity of curing of epoxy, but reducer seems to thin and evaporate after application without any unwanted effects. I am sure you could go to a good paint shop and buy actual epoxy reducer, but I had a gallon of this product to experiment with and found it works well for me. The can says it provides excellent flow and gloss, and I agree, it seems to have no effects other than to keep the 2-T workable and actually brush on smoother, yet not lose the ability to get a good even coating when dried on a wheel. other benefits, as the reducer evaporates it cools the epoxy, and it also helps epoxy "de-gas" meaning after mixing the bubbles easily float and are popped by simply blowing lighty on them. Ok, so here is what I found... out of one syringe, I can coat right around 10 bass sized (2.5 inch cranks) per 1/4 of thinned 2-T, meaning I can get 40 baits coated out of one package, and with very nice results, and much faster curing time than etex. depending on time you take to coat each lure, you may find the epoxy remaining of the 1/4 in cup getting too thick, all you have to do is add the next 1/4 and another measured ammount of reducer and just keep right on coating... after some practice I was able to get this output using an entire syringe to complete 40 baits in much under an hour (nearing 40 minutes).

why not attach by the back of the lure and then cut the lip slot after the epoxy sets? if you cut the slots for the lips about 24 hours after curing before the epoxy gets fully cured you will get cleaner slot, as it cures further it becomes tougher to get good slot cut as epoxy becomes harder (brittle)

yes they do exist, I dont have a supplier, but I imagine if you take the time to wade thru the net searching for screw eyes in craft/ jewelery supply outlets you may find something