RiverMan

Hey that is great thanks!! Jed

I don't think you could have done a better job on those baits, those are beautiful! Congratulations. I'm curious: * Did you have any problems getting a smooth surface to work with on the Featherlite? I have noticed some pitting on the surface of the stuff while working with it. *Did you have trouble finding the correct weight? *Assuming the mold was built of RTV? Jed

I think you did a wonderful job on it Andrew. Is the bait made from wood? Also, did you do the tail yourself? Your improving greatly Andrew, keep up the good work! Jed

Great Job Andrew! The back profile looks like a "real fish". Jed

Martin, Great article and a great looking bait! Hey thanks for sharing the story. I would like to make one of those myself but they do look a bit on the "labor intensive side". What you could do tho is make a prototype and then have Shawn (ArtBrush) make a silicone mold for you which could be poured with an expandable foam. Then you could make as many as you like identical to the one before it..something to think about. I'm curious, does this bait glide at all? I wouldn't guess that it does much gliding given the small size and tear-drop shape. As far as the problems with Devcon you mentioned I have experienced none of them. Some here have suggested problems with finishes (Devcon, Enviro, etc.) sticking result from: 1. Not allowing the paint to properly cure 2. Not sealing the wood properly...if water gets in, the wood expands, and the finish comes off. Thanks again Martin. Jed

Great job on all! I particularly like the jerkbait minnow, very nice! Jed

Martin, Put your stuff on the Web my friend, they will sell! KcDano.....very well said. Jed

A coworker found this well written piece by Ron McClellan and sent it on to me. I copied part of it that I liked the most for those interested to read below. I posted the link at the bottom of the page. To summmarize, the article talks about why hand-made lures are still needed in todays market and why we should be paid more for them. This is some great reading, take a minute to go over it, you will be glad you did. Jed Written by Ron McClennan, When Jim Heddon was sitting under a tree, knife in hand, wittlin out that first minnow, he was working in what was at the time "the present" He was a "Contemporary lure carver". Ever since that time, there has been a steady stream of "Contemporary Carvers" all working in the "present", at least until the passage of nothing more than time has turned them into so-called "Antiques". I've also been accused of trying to get too much money for my lures. THAT is ridiculous! A hand carved, hand-made, hand painted, hand assembled lure takes time to make, simple as that. Folks have been spoiled by the pricing of the factory made stuff assembled in foriegn countries by an exploited labor force. In the early days, before mass production and Foriegn Labor-exploitation were widely utilized, a nice handmade lure could cost a man a days pay. While todays corporations have reduced the cost of producing an effective fishing lure to less than an hours pay through the use on mechanization and ethically questionable labor practices, A fine handmade lure has stayed roughly the same. If anything, they cost less than they did, adjusted for monetary considerations. And, meaning no offense to the lure carvers of the past, The best handmades ever carved are being done TODAY. While some may say that with the availability of three dollar lures, there isn't any need for modern carvers, I beg to differ. We are needed BECAUSE of this mechanization! If you go to K-mart you can pick up a coffee table for well under a hundred bucks. To step up, you can go to a Furniture showroom like Ethan Allan Galleries and get a coffee table for six hundred dollars, You can step up FURTHER and get a Handmade table by a noted Craftsman for five thousand dollars, after being on his waiting list for two years! And they all do the same function, sit in front of your sofa so you can sit magazines and coffee on them. It all comes down to individual values and personal preferences. And I haven't even mentioned true antique tables! Another thing many people have missed is continuity. Think about it: In the year 2045, do you really think collectors aren't gonna be activly seeking out handmade lures from the "late 90's era"? Some of us contemporaries will be forgotten, others won't. This is no more predictable than the weather at this date and time one year from now. One thing is for sure, with communications being what they are, there is going to be PLENTY of DOCUMENTATION about todays makers, and documentation is one of the ingredients for collectibility. Here is the link: http://henryslureworld.com/cont.html Here is the link: http://henryslureworld.com/cont.htmled

Well at least PART of the bait will hold up....the bill that is, lol. Jed

Hey those are some great looking baits, must admit. Just think how good they could have looked if you would have used Devcon tho.

Is there supposed to be an attachment here? Otherwise your Envirotex has caused the lure to disappear!! You are right, the Enviro is Amazing! Just kiddin ya.......but still using Devcon, might try the Enviro if it didn't have a 7 day dry time, lol. Jed

A downrigger or a three-way swivel and dropper weight of probably 5 or 6 ounces will easily keep you where you need to be too. I can tell you that the 3/4 ounce Hot Lips do dive as deep as they say and more. I run 30# Power Pro which is 8# diameter for steelhead and will often fill the plug bump bottom in 30' of water. Michael Jackson...best color there is for steelies that deep...black with silver speckle. Jed

Here is a link I found for the Everbrite..... http://www.everbrite.net/ I wrote this company several days ago and asked them about the cure time, still haven't heard anything from them. Sounds like great stuff except for the thickness to me....3 microns is not much! Jed

That's cool. The trout looks similar to many of the decoys that have been made by spear fisherman trying to lure pike to within range through the ice. What is the new "hard lure" made of? Does it sink, does it float, are the fins flexible? I would think something this large may be prove difficult to get a natural looking motion into particularly if it is not jointed. Jed

Wow, sounds like it's made with our "minds in mind"...kinda like a porno flick, lol. The only thing that looks of concern is the dried thickness...3-5 microns, very thin! It might be necessary to apply several coats for good protection, particulary from the more toothy species....like MUSKY! Jed

The list is growing RAPIDLY Jerry. Jed

I noticed the same thing, like the new icons on top tho. Jed

Awesome job Robert! I really like the long thin body on the baits, should provide a very good hook-up ratio for you. The bills are very well done too, very even and consistent. Congrats. Jed

That is good point Husky, one that I hadn't thought about. I don't think just laying the bait out on the pavement is a fair evaluation tho as few guys are probably going to leave the bait outside forever. Any suggestions? Jed

Interesting.

Jim.....splash is a big fan of the nu-lustre 55, you could write him and see what he has to say about it. He claims it is by far the best thing out there but I haven't tried it as of yet. I tried to find a link for you to his web-site but can't seem to find it right now. Volp...from the description the EX-74 does look good, might be worth a try....wonder if they have a trial size. Jed

All this talk about Devcon turning yellow...so where is an example, where's the beef? Seems there has been an equal amount of problems mentioned here with the Enviro. If the Devcon turns yellow then there must be an example as it has been used for literally years and years by tackle-builders. I looked at some floats I made about a year ago with Devcon the other night and they are as clear today as they were the day I completed them....lets see some pics. Jed

Rich, It was BlackJack that mentioned having the problems with yellowing...I only made reference to this. Your experiences with the Enviro are most impressive however I must admit. Thank you. TBait Ah, Devcon may yellow over time, this remains to be seen, but please don't tell me the stuff isn't clear to begin with.....two coats of Devcon on this bait and I have a 100 others that look equally as good. Devcon has been used on this site and tacklemaking for several years at least. I would be interested in hearing from guys that coated their baits 3,4, 5 years ago, how do they look now? Jed

I think BlackJack brings up a very important subject that all of us should be considering and that is UV damage, particularly if you are selling your baits as I am. What are you finishing with now BlackJack? I know I have beaten this subject before but I don't want to see my baits do what he saw the Enviro did after just three years!! Some have said here that after a couple years they expect to throw the bait away anyway, I disagree. A bait if properly made and cared for should last decades. I am conducting my own experiment at this time with Devcon...as I write this it is sitting on the dash of my pickup in direct sunlight, half of the bait I covered with tape. I intend to leave the bait there for two or three weeks, if nothing has changed I will continue to leave the bait there until some noticable damage has been done. I also intend to conduct a test on the durability of devcon, still trying to decide how best to do this. Chip......16 hours on the dryer!!! Yikes! I run my Devcon finish for 20 minutes and stop the machine, 30 minutes max. So does the Enviro have a UV protector in it? Jed

My experience has been the same as yours Skeeter, haven't had any problems with the Devcon whatsoever. I am however, willing to give products that I have yet to experiment with a try. Not in any hurry at this point but will probably give the Enviro a try if for no other reason for the sake of discussion. Anyone know what the Hughes River Baits have on them..it's gorgeous!! jed