Joe

MarshManiC Check your PM. Joe

Thanks DeVery and Jim, I have been contacting other sites that share similar interest. I have several link swaps in the works and I hope to do more as time permits. I am new to the computer world and I am learning as I go. Realistically, I figured it will take six months to a year for people to learn about and get familiar with my site, I don't know if that is an accurate time table or not, but I see people go into different ventures and if they don't see immediate results they become discouraged and quit. I hope to be in this for the long haul and don"t expect everything to happen over night,but I will do everything I can to help it along. Being able to get help and information from all the folks on this site has been a great help. Thanks, Joe

Hi Guys, Thanks for all the kind words about my new site. I have been working on it for several months and was hoping it would come out ok.A friend of my son is starting a side business doing web sites and she was a great help in getting it set up. I would now like to get on the major search engins, so that people can find me. Can anyone give me some direction as where to begin? Thanks again, Joe

Thanks for the compliments. I tried to keep the site clean and simple not only for people visiting the site, but for me as well. I'm not too good with these computers and I need something fool proof.As it is, I'm having trouble setting up my avator but thats a problem for another day. MarshManiC, sounds good to me. Thanks again, Joe

Hi Guys, Please do me a favor and check this out , let me know what you think. www.cjbasscustomlures.com Thanks, Joe

Thanks guys I appreciate the info. I'm just getting set up with Pay Pal and wasn't quite sure how it worked. Joe

Hi Guys, How are payments made to the seller when using Pay Pal. When a purchase is made, does Pay Pal deposit the funds directly into your account or does does Pay Pal send out checks monthly? Thanks, Joe

Mark,I'm not really sure what you saw on the compressor. Both of mine have 2 guages, one tells how much pressure is in the tank and the other tells what pressure the regulator is set at. The tank max. pressure is pre set, but the regulator pressure can be adjusted by the turn of the adjustment knob. Hope this helps. Joe

Cody, I like to use the 5 min. epoxy to set my bills. This epoxy sets up rather quickly and I uaually have time to attach 4 or 5 lips before the epoxy starts to set. The fact that it sets up quickly is a pluss for me, since I don't have to keep going back to check and adjust the lips as they dry. I use the Devcon II for my screw eyes because it sets up slower, I have time to install lots of hardware before the epoxy sets up. Yes, this is the same Devcon II I use for the top coat. I have tried to mix enough to do several baits at a time, but have run into problems with it setting before I was finished, so now I mix just enough for 2 baits at a time. As I said, 1/4"of Devcon is plenty enough for 2 good sized baits. Joe

Hi Guys, My wife gave me a new compressor for X-mas. If noise is a factor you DO NOT want the one I have. It came from Home Depot and is made by Campbell. It looks like the one Chip posted, but it is blue. It charges up quick and works great, but you can hear it running from 150 feet away in the garage with the door closed. Joe

Cody, The Devcon II has one clear tube and the other has a slight yellow tint. This epoxy does dry CLEAR. The 5 min. epoxy has both tubes clear, and will dry clear, but will yellow over time. When using Devcon II, a trick I came up with is to mark the barrel of the syringe with a marker every 1/4". This way, every 1/4" of epoxy coats two 3" baits with a good thick coat of finish. I have found I have very little, if any waste doing this.Good Luck, Joe

Jed, it could be that you have brass screw eyes. Most all brass eyes are nickle plated. Check yours with a magnet to see if they are brass or steel. Joe

Jed, I use screw eyes for all my baits. Some of my baits are used for salt water fishing as well as bass fishing. All screw eyes are set with epoxy not only to give added strength, but also to seal the hole and not allow water to enter the wood body. I sometimes use ss screw eyes for the rear hook and belly hook,either .062 and .072 in 3/4" or1" depending on the size of the bait. I also be sure to use only brass screw eyes on the line tie, as it is easy to adjust them with not much pressure. If you are careful, you will not break the epoxy seal. Joe

For some reason, every time I try to send the attachment, the internet has an error and shuts down. Don't know why. Where's an eight year old kid when you need one? If anyone has an idea why this is hapening let me know. Computers arn't my strong point. Thanks, Joe

Shawn,Sorry it took so long to get this up.Here is a scan of the bait as well as the template for the body and bill. Joe

Coley, On my next batch of baits I will try it your way. The baits I had posted all have screw eyes for line ties and hook hangers. Sometimes its hard to find exact center on the belly, but it should be very easy doing it your way. Thanks, Joe

Cody, If you look in the Gallery you will see 3 baits I posted a few days ago. All three of these baits were made in the way I explained. Joe

Cody, The flat sided crankbaits I make look just like yours. The difference is I cut the bait on a band saw . If the body of the bait is 1/2" wide I mark the center of the nose and center of the tail, then I carve the bait so that the front width is 3/8' ,the center is 1/2' and the rear 1/4'. After carving, only a small portion of the bait is left with a flat side.This has worked well for me, but I guess it's not a true flat sided bait as Skeeter discribed. Joe

Skeeter, the action of the bait under water was the same as a topwater bait walking the dog. Only the shift from sise to side was slow and deliberate. The bait kept the same rythum and while doing that the baits wobble was good and tight, no rolling or turning on its side.I have tried to post a pic as a attachment, but I'm not sure if it didn't go through, or if the pic has to be approved before it comes up. Joe

Thanks Blackjack, I was thinking you were using through wire for the line ties and hook placements. Basically, I can continue using screw eyes for the same end result. Thanks again, Joe

Looks like I may be making a trip to the garbage can. I understand how the holes are drilled, but not sure of the purpose. I use screw eyes, so thrugh wire is new to me. After the holes are drilled, do you use two peices of wire? One for front and rear as well as a second drop wire for the belly hook? Is the hole for the belly hook larger than the others to accomodate a twisted wire loop? I really would like to keep my tools! Thanks, Joe

Hi guys, Well, I finally have a computer at home. I just posted a couple of pics to the gallery. Hope I did it right. A while back, there was some discussion about baits that hunt. While putting hardware on some lures, my hand slipped while making a pilot hole for the line tie screw eye. The hole was about 3/16" above the center of the crankbaits nose. I figured I would try it and see what happened. Well, while trying the bait in the pool, the bait would run side to side about a foot in each direction all the while, the bait had a good tight wobble. The fact that the bait ran side to side didn't please me, but at the same time,the action was very interesting. I never really understood the hunting action of a bait. Could this be called a bait that hunts or did I just really mess up what should have been a good crankbait? The bait is 2 1/4 " long flat sided and weighted 1/8 oz. All other baits of this type ran true. Did the location of the line tie cause this to happen? Thanks, Joe

Jed, The best way to cut out any bait or other carving from a block of wood is to start with a block about 1/2" longer than the lure. Trace the top and side profile on the wood starting at one end and finishing 1/2" from the other end. Make your cuts only to the end of the lure, leaving the last 1/2" intact. Back the blade out of the block and make your next cut. Back out again and then cut the excess off with a cross cut. By doing it this way you are always cutting on a square, flat surface. Good Luck, Joe

Hi Guys, On the topic of lure holders, I use 3/8 wood dowls cut about 6" long. Some of my dowls have a finishing nail inserted to one end and set in place with epoxy on others, I use a small dia. screw. These holders work fine for me. I also have six peices of 2x8 lumber 12" long. Drill 3/8 dia. holes every 3" down the length of the board and two holes on the width. If you start drilling your holes 1 1/2" from the end, you can fit 12 lures to a board. After drilling the holes, use a counter sink to dress and widen the top of the hole. This will make it easier to insert the dowl into the holder. I also have a small box type jig that I made to help hold the baits while painting. It is hinged and has netting held in place with push pins for painting scales. It can also be used to hold baits while using a template to paint detail. I have a couple of pics that will show what I am trying to say, I have not been able to post pics, as the computers at the office wont allow. If anyone would like to see the pics I'll be happy to e mail them to you and if you wanted to post them for others to see, that is ok. Joe

Cody, I may not be the best one to respond to this as I am just learning to airbrush myself. I have learned a lot from guys like Skeeter, Coley and others. These guys know what their doing and can teach us a lot. There are some things I have learned on my own through trial and error and sometimes being too hard headed to listen to the people who know what their talking about. I use Ceratex paint that is for painting T shirts. I fill a 1 oz. bottle 1/2/full add 1/4 more in water to fill the bottle 3/4/full. This mix has worked well for me. As far as the paint running, I tried praticing on white paper and my painting looked great, no runs or drips, but when I painted a bait, it was another story- nothing but runs. I have found for me it is best to adjust the airbrush so I can hold it farther away from the bait and I get good results. If you need smaller detail I mask the area and paint , giving me the look I want. If you do not want a hard, clean edge on your detail, lift the edge of the masking tape just a little as to allow the overspray to go under the edge,this will give you a feathered edge. As I said, I'm just learning, hope this helps. Joe