Coley

Hey Nathan. Thanks for all the info. I do have one but. it is a 5 1/2". I am kinda using it as a pattern. The front and rear taper should be the same. I will just shorten the center section. Thanks again, Coley

Pic of my dryer made with Tinker Toys. Coley

Welcome aboard Jim. This is a great place with fantastic people all willing to offer the knowledge they have. And they have alot. Help is just a question away. Glad to have you, Coley

Your colors will look much better with a white undercoat. I use a piece of magazine paper and wrap the hook and wire and staple it. I use a spray can primer, either Kilz or Krylon. Coley

Has anybody tried the Kameleon paint that changes colors. Just wondering if it worked under Devcon 2 T?? You can see pic at : Lure Wizards http://www.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?&user=Tydwater2 Coley

Great job seabass. Are those metal lips? Your paint jobs are fantastic, what type airbrush? Coley

Thanks Nathan for being so nice. Do you make a 3 1/2" spook? How much weight do you start with? What type of wood do you use?? Thanks again, Coley

First thanks Skeeter for the nice comments. Without all the help from you, Jerry,Tim, Ken and the rest I would never have made my first bait. I screwed up and put pic in custom rods again :oops: :oops: Posted a pic of the finished cedar/balsa bait. Still waiting on airbrush parts and painted the pearl with a brush (which I talked about in another post) and the rest with a spray can. The action is a tight wiggle with an almost vertical dive. I only checked it in my Koi pond which is 30" deep. What do you think?? Coley

I can't believe this is happening to me. Word has gotten out that Coley is making crankbaits. One guy came to me with a lure called a Fishpup. I had never heard of it. He asked me make him two. They looked and worked great. Now, some guy wants me to make him a 3 1/2 in. spook. He said they don't make it anymore. A question about the spook, does it need any weight added to it anywhere to make it work right??? If so where?? Thanks, Coley

Thanks very much Jerry. Finally got pics to load. Front view of Cedar/balsa lure and a couple of top waters painted with a spray can only. Will have finished pic of cedar/balsa up tomorrow. Will also report on lure action. Coley

Do you drill the holes in the flat part of the blade or the turned up part? Does this make it any harder to keep the bait on the surface? Coley

Can you brush it?? Coley

I leave my brush sitting in an airtight plastic bottle with about an inch of acetone in the bottom. Its ready to go next time. Coley

A beautiful pearl finish may be obtained with a brush using Daler Rowney liquid acrylic ink. And best of all its water clean up. Comes in many different colors, which can be mixed. I tried the silver and it left no brush marks. Check it out. http://www.dickblick.com/zz211/11/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=1464 Coley

Don't get discouraged. The first bait I made was a top water popper. The next was a crank and it sunk. Thats right it sunk. My advice is read all you can in here. Read the tutorials. Look up skeeter and hughsey with the search tool. Or ask them direct?? Or any of the others in this forum are willing to help you. I asked so many questions I felt ashamed. But, someone was always there to answer. All the cranks I make are flat sided. I am not good at carving or sanding to shape. But now I am adding balsa sides to my harwood and it makes it very easy for me to shape. Just hang tough, it will come. I made a small crank with a metal lip yesterday and all it did was spin. So, back to the drawing board with that one. Coley

I think I found something that will dye Lumaflex with very little bleeding. Today I tried India ink. It comes in many different colors and is permanent and waterproof. Does a nice job. Coley

Uploaded a couple pics of primed cedar/balsa bait. Getting ready to start on more. What I have found out is to make sure you have 100% glue contact between balsa and hardwood. If not the balsa edge will feather as you sand and chip out. I also suggest you cut hardwood out first and cut lip slot in it. Then glue balsa sides on and cut and sand to shape . The lip slot can be sanded in the balsa. This is the way I will do next one. A 1/8" band saw blade wants to flex when guide is raised too high when cutting through thick pieces. Also posted pic of a couple of top water baits that were painted with spray can paint only. Waiting on parts for my airbrush. ****One of the pics uploaded, in Custom Rods, Then I got error message. Will upload others as soon as Jerry gets it fixed. Coley

Some sponges and a bug pad, along with a mesh laundry bag have good scale material on them. Coley

I notice some of you guys make lures with metal lips. Funny Farm being one who does. I am trying to make a lure similar to a Spence Scout. I think Strike King makes them now. My question is this. Where does the lip need to go? And do you have to add weight? If so where? I made one without weight and all it did was spin. I drilled out the nose and added weight, it still spins. Does the weight need to be below the CG?? Its about the size of Funny Farms mini-diver. Coley

Cedar & balsa laminated bait pic posted. I am not good at hand shaping. This seems the easiest way to get there for me. Coley

Outstanding!!!!! Excellent paint job! How did you make those eyes??? Hook rigging is awesome! Looking forward to your next one. Coley

OK, I started on it today. I already had a flat sided cedar bait cut and shaped. It is 3/8" wide. I cut 2 pieces of of balsa 1/2" wide. I used super glue and glued one piece to the cedar. Then I rough cut the balsa with a band saw following the cedar. I glued the second piece to the other side of the bait and cut it to rough shape following the cedar. I am now in the process of sanding the balsa to shape. I will send pic after its shaped, before primed. Coley

Just uploaded pic. Do you consider this lure to be a hybrid?? Coley

Because balsa is easier to sand than cedar. And because cedar will hold a screw eye. Has anyone tried making a flat bait from cedar and adding balsa sides to round it out?? Seems like it would be an easy way to get the Big-O shape without using a through wire. Coley

Good job Nathan. Its nice to see new ideas. What type of wood for the body? What size is it, length and weight? Waiting on your next hybird. Keep up the good work. Coley