Skeeter

I agree with Kellure. If you just want to seal and protect the bait then clear coat it with Devcon and rotate the bait for about 25 min and hang it to dry. You can use it after 12 to 16 hrs. Skeeter

Tell'em Tally !!!!!!!!!!!! Skeeter

Beautiful lure!!! Forget the fish, put the bait on the wall. Skeeter

Geee John...... Just think of what you will catch after you paint them. Good job!!!! Skeeter

I wouldn't mind a get together at all. I don't mind up to a 8hr. drive to get somewhere to meet with The Boys. I would like to attend the show Nathan was checking on. But that would be something like 14 + hours for me to get there. To me that is just alittle too far. It is hard to get a spot that everyone could easily get to without having to take out a loan to get there. Club chapters would be good but I don't think that (except for those TN. boys) there are enough folks in one state to start one. Maybe we ought to throw out a state and get an idea of who could make it. We did that once before and it just kind of died. The main problem was everyone getting the same time off. I think it would be good and we could have allot more participation if we could have a working get together and get someone like Bassmaster to do an article on the event. Members would probably put a little more effort in making the event if that were to happen. Skeeter

Like was already said... Ed Chambers of Zoom does this. Calvin Johnson does it also. Looks like they use a small tool for a dremel that is made for engraving personal belongings. If you go to Wal Mart they have them. It is a shaft with a real small ball on the end that is scored so that it will cut. Skeeter

I hope it fishes as good as it looks. That's one nice job. Skeeter

Bob, Dean is right. Once you bend it and put on your top coat the wire will get really stiff. It will definitely hold. Skeeter

CC, Thanks for explaining... I'm starting to get it now. This is all extremely interesting. I am not much of a mixer. I do love the translucents though. I am about to really start playing with this before it gets too cold for me to shoot outside. Skeeter

One of the best ways that I have found to get close to a custom color is to use a color wheel that you can get at craft shops. It is a cardboard wheel that you can turn that will show you what colors you need to mix to get another type of color. They are real cheap to buy. I assume that is what you are asking. Skeeter

I'm not sure that I completely understand..... are you saying that you are adding pigments to thined lacquer clear to get your colors and therefore getting your depth? I am getting ready to try some pigments in pearl lacquer. I have never used the pigments before. I am anxious to try it. Couldn't you use candies or translucents in multiple layers to get the same depth effect? I have seen the depth effect. It is extremely cool when done right. By the way.... I like all of those baits. There all really beautiful. Excellent work. Skeeter

I thought Jeff Davis was still president!!!!! Skeeter

cullin8s, If your mixing is complete, the ONLY thing that could cause the clearcoat to remain tacky is not an even mixture of hardner and resin. Period. Skeeter

I use the same link that Coley gave you. Good price and ship quickly. Skeeter

My whole family back to my great grandfather was military. My wife and her father were military also. I spent 11 yrs. in the Air Force, and my son just returned home 2 mos. ago injured from Iraq. I pray every night for the brave people that are throughout the world protecting our country. I also pray for all of the brave souls that never returned home. I was blessed ....... I got my son back. Skeeter

The problem was the Temp. The optimum temp for Devcon long cure is 75 deg. You can spin the lure for 15 - 20 min. and then hang it to dry if you have to. It will not sag. For every 5 deg. below that down to about 65 deg. add 10 additional minutes to the spin time. Below 65 deg. Devcon gets too thick to spin with the normal drying wheel speeds that most of us use. Most dryers will not spin slow enough to even it out when it becomes that thick. Then reason that you got the sags was because you put too much heat to it. When you get the temp too high on Devcon or any other epoxy, it will get a water like consistancy. It needs to be spun faster then. If you do not then it will run and the sags and runs will start to set as the hardener starts to cure the resin. This is what happened to you. You can sand the Devcon level and recoat and the lure will look just fine. You won't be able to tell it if you do it right. However, it will add weight to the bait. If it is a hardwood bait it might slowly start sinking. If it is balsa you may get away with it. Bottom Line...... Your going to have to do this inside during the cold winter or you will be fighting this problem throughout the season. Skeeter

Use a glass and steel bearing type of rattle. They are the best to use. The click is much sharper and louder. I have some good ones. If you are interested send me a PM. Skeeter

See, I told ya. Get an EFI or carburated engine. Much much cheaper. They still run like a scalded dog. I have a 115 carburated Yamaha. I have had no troubles in 4 1/2 yrs. I run Penzoil in mine. I run it on a 16' 8" Skeeter and it will run a consistant 58 mph with a full load. Skeeter

The Optimax is a 2 stroke engine. It injects fuel by atomizing it at a greater pressure so that the fuel burns more efficiently. You will get more power and acceleration out of the optimax. Personally, unless you are going to run allot or really long distances I would just purchase a fuel injected or carburated engine. You can get the same hp and get the same punch that you get from the other two. It is allot cheaper also. A carburated engine is about 3500 bucks cheaper than the Optimax. The four stroke was really made because Ca. has such strict environmental rules. You have to either purchase a 4 stroke or an Optimax in the Merc line to have it legal in that state. Skeeter

Perfect !! Skeeter

I have never done it that way. I don't see why not. Give it a try. Let us know how it works. Dean, I use to be sponsored by Brothers and used the limberneck allot. I especially liked their Buzzard buzz baits. The only problem with the spinnerbaits is that they were a little light. They didn't like my advice on them. But you could really slow roll one of those things. If you go to Bullfrog Creek tackle shop in Louisville, someone is making them again. They are allot cheaper too. One day I went by the company to meet with them and there was a lock on the door. I never found out what happened to them. I still have some of those baits. I think I even have a Buzzard patch around here somewhere. Skeeter

LaPala, Maybe I seemed to harsh. I do appreciate good craftmanship. I honestly understand making an excellent lure can be a very personal thing. Thinking about it I guess your right. As lure makers we do give the wood life to a point. I guess that is why most of us do it. True bait makers want to proove something to ourselves. We want to see if we are true craftsmen. I can appreciate that. Skeeter

Blades and Baits, I met Lee at this years Classic Outdoors Show. Charles Mitchell and I talked to him for quite some time. He seems to be a straight up individual to me. He was more than kind to the both of us. He was a class act. His baits were extremely well made also. Maybe we will never know. I can definitely understand that you would let the world know. Guess I would too. Glad the weighting advice helped. It wasn't just a tip my friend, it was 4 months of work. Did the action stay with the lure? Skeeter

Love it. How many times have I told you to quit drinking your whisky in through a baby bottle? Skeeter

LaPala, Son, quit making love to the plugs and make them do what you want. It is a piece of wood, not a living decission making thing. Your designs in the whole process makes the lure either good or bad. I make a bait do what it should do so that it puts fish in the boat. It is that simple. Skeeter