radu

hi there, nice to be back again. my question is as following: i am trying to build salt water surface poppers, the kind that is used for fishing giant trevally and similar. i am talking at least 10 inches long and 5-10 oz heavy. i know that usually they are build out of foam, the kind that is used for making surfboards. but there are a couple of them made of wood. i was wondering, if anyone of you guys that fishes salt and has any idea what i am talking about could give me any idea about the type of wood used (there are some from balsa, but they are too weak i suppose). i dont have the hardware to pour my own foam therefore the only solution is wood. did any of you guys build such kind of poppers? i am also interested in the technique used. one obvious solution would be through wire, but to resist a 2-3 feet monster bite, you need some serious glue. thanks

AlamOso, every time i used to clearcoat the lip (either with urethane clear or with with cellulose cement), it would peel off the lip (polycarbonate, sometimes acryl). i agree with the good sealing properties when it comes to scratches, but since it peeled off all the time, the solution for me was to come out with more clear and taken care of lips. regards radu

Soupysayso the japanese technique for building lures with a slider (used by Daiwa, Shimano, Zeal, Lucky Craft, Yo Zuri, Cultiva, Zip Baits and others) is exclusively used on plastic lures in Japan, as far as i know. And these companies go to great lenths to provide the scientific background behind these creations. Unless you have a scientific lab and electronic tools to measure the shifting balance at different angles the lure is pulled, different water pressures, different speeds and in the same taking in calculation the overall weight of the lure and the changes caused by the wiggle, it seems like an awful difficult task to me. Don't forget also, the lures using this technique are used here by people who want additional friction on the chassis on which the weight is moving, because they believe the fishing conditions are such, that a very fast shifting balance as the one offered by for exemple a rattling chamber filled with small balls ( where you have practically closed to zero friction when the balls move from one end to the other ) is not the best, therefore they want slower weight shifting (so , at this point, add into your equation the friction on the axis please ). Above all this, you should consider as well the magnetic force being applied in case you decide to use a magnet instead of a simple sliding weight on that axis, and what you have is simply rocket science. And overall this, having to worry about all the details about how to fit all this into a wooden belly, in case you are not using plastic, and if you are using plastic how to find the most balance firendly shape and fit all of the above into it...this is not lure building anymore, if you ask me. i have fished sliders and personally i found no difference comparing to the simple rattle chamber lures. maybe others can tell the difference, i couldn't. besides, i haven' t acquired the degree of perfection as to ask for slower shifting balances because i can really tell the difference between the two... this reminds me of the talk about people using carbon rods vs. people using fiber rods, the later ones asking specifically for fiber rods because, having such fast reflexes, with a carbon rod they can feel the fish and set the hook too fast and too early therefore pulling the lure out right from between the 2nd and 3rd premolar on the upper jaw of the predator, and using a fiber rod, they would get a few 1/...... of a second delay in setting the hook and making a good set. personally, i don't have such fast reflexes, and i am very happy because of that.

hello, i have a question about cutting the lip slots. i usually cut them before starting to shape the wood round, using an electric saw, just after cutting the rough shape of the lure. this way, my only care is to make sure the saw is perfectly square on the flat body. it was impossible for me to cut the lip slot in the rounded body. did anyone try cutting the lip with a circular disk attached to a Dremel tool or using a thin drill with the Dremel, after the body is shaped? i feel it would save some time this way, but i think it is harder than using an electric saw because it is harder to position the body perfectly aligned and because one must use more the eye and hand than simply putting the lure on one side, and pushing it in the saw. cheers

"Now, this '76 Chardonnay would be perfectly accompanied with a floating minnow, i'd even skip the cheese!"

that's what i call a great way to end a year! Great lures, keep up the good work!

Skeeter, even if you didn't sign your postings and your name didn't show up next to your post, i would recognize your messages from a mile away. Always with the final and decissive touch, you know what and how to point out extremely well. I don't know what you do for a living, but you would make for a perfect teacher. I am your biggest fan. Radu

when you write a message, or when you reply to a message, just go down the page, until you find the *attachment* section. there attach your pictures and click *submit*

my best Bagley up to now. i just finished it 15 min. ago, next is sealing and balancing.

i mean, for exemple, if i were to choose an Iwata, how small should the nozzle be and how large the cup? how many nozzles of different diameters and cups should i buy to cover my needs? what do you guys use? thanks again r

does anyone know any good site where i could read some theory about the use of airbrushes on lures? like what kind of nozzle diameter, what kind of colors to use and alike... thanks radu

the bass problem is a long, old and big problem in Japan. the bass stocking had a very negative effect on the local species. because the local species were not predators, there was no "fish eat fish" process of natural selection taking place in the japanese waters, therefore there was no natural adaptation to survival to predators. the local species were vegetation eating species, they were very fragile and delicate species and it very easy to destroy the balance. the result was a tragedy. now in the waters populated with bass, nothing breeds except from carp (the clearest exemple is the 1st and 2nd biggest sweetwater lakes in Japan, Biwa next to Osaka and Kasumigaura next to Tokyo). There are only 2 kinds of fishermen going there: bass and carp fishermen. nothing else exists in between. and the carp exists there because it is artificially breeded and released in these waters, as these lakes are used for carp farming. many say that this whole thing against the bass in Japan was created because of the "islandeers mentality" of the japanese people (kind of "we don't like anything with foreign origin"). like "we want japanese fish only in the japanese waters"...it is a big mistake to think like that and one should consider the serious problems that irrational stocking with predators has over the local species, especially when there is no natural adaptation to survival against these predators. The Japanese are very conscious and practice in the vast majority the "catch and release", and always suggestions that this practice should stop for bass has been wrongly in my opinion encountered with suspicion and "animal rights abuse" claims from different ecological groups. Catch and release should not be practiced for bass, i believe, in Japan. anyway, the harm cannot be undone, there is no way to extinct the bass anymore.

I have this problem: for sealing the lure, i use a flooring sealing urethane. it is shiny after drying. When i want to prime the lure by hand, i use a water based email paint. And even when i do not prime, applying this water based paint, it runs, it is not stable on the lure and the colors will mix, resulting in a very berserk-looking lure. question 1: will the use of an airbrush for both priming and painting with water based paint over urethane make the paint not run? q2: if i still want to paint by hand, if i change and start using oil based paint, is it sure it that the paint will nor run over the sealer surface? thanx radu

Skeeter, Thank you for your wishes...you know what? i'll bring my wife here and make her read the posts...hopefully, this would help! LOL you are so right about the SVS adjusting process. It is difficult and uncomfortable to remove the cover every time you want to reset the settings. Calcutta has brought some improvement in the field, by putting more clicks on the the spool knob and on the star drag knob. but you still have to unscrew the cap and do everything manually. fortunately, with Calcutta i set 2 rings on and the rest is done with the outside knob, so that all day long i don't modify the rings. This is where Scorpion has the big advantage. Also, Scorpion's wiffle ultralight spool is awsome. I haven't used EONs but i heard that SX series and Eon PRO have peaky settings hard to achieve when you only fish during weekends. As my friend put it, "Eon's super heavy spool spins free for more than 1 min, meaning you'll see Gozzilla birdsnests, or don't cast at all with tight brakes" The point is that we should move towards making fishing more fun. I don't want to worry about my settings and i would like to focus on my fish when fishing. Also, these new and advanced reels have all of us transformed in engineers and mechanics: you must be able to oil your reels, flush the bearings, replace them if needed, replace parts, do and unto the reel after every fishing trip...before i wasn't able to oil even my bicycle's chain and now i can do and undo the Scorpion almost with my eyes closed LOL...not to mention the all the reading and stuff...maybe we somewhere on the way lost control and took the wrong route? my grandfather was catching pikes in Eastern Europe with fiber glass and iron rings rods (my grandma's broomstick looked much better, i assure you) and with "made in ussr" rusting spinning reels which looked exactly like their tanks: square and ugly. And he was successful at it. noone worried at the time about braking systems, anti rust ball bearings, wiffle spools, drags, rocket fuel, magnezium made chassis and air light metal and stuff...we become more addicted to technology and transformed fishing into something else. By the way...i hear more and more the gossip that that Daiwa will show in the market a new TD reel in the spring. regards, Radu

Skeeter, i understand your feelings towards Daiwa's TD reels. You see, the problem is as following: at the moment, i believe that Daiwa's MagForce V magnetic brake system used on TD's is far better than Shimano's SVS or centrifugal braking system, not to mention they are equipped with superior tournament multiwasher drag. (contrary, Calcutta has better gears and smoother "reving"). And the smaller the lure it gets, the farther you can cast with a magnetic braking system. With small lures (i am talking 1/16-1/4 and up to 1/2oz) the brake settings become more difficult to adjust and consequently achieving the optimal setting is very difficult with SVS, which is defined by "rougher" settings playing with the braking rings. On the contrary, the magnetic system, although it requires some setting as well, can allow you to achieve a more profficient setting without the trial and error of SVS (and the backlashes this process involves). Therefore, i believe that TD Z's are suitable for small lures (along with Daiwa Liberty Pixy, used for lures under 1/16 oz). Besides, TD Zs are designed for small test lines up to 8 lb (TD Z 105H, HL and Palming Left) and up to 12 lb (103 H, HL, ML). For big lures, the MAGV doesn't add so much an advantage, most of us cast with SVS at minimum brake settings provided they have educated thumbs. It is the small things where TD is good at. About the paint, i don't know, but it depends also on how each one uses and cares for the reel (i mean, bumping it here and there and alike). I am not sure whether the paint would simply scorch and fall down from a 400 usd reel just like that. Magnesium should be ok wth fresh water, i don't know the life span though, the reel is still quite new. Here Daiwas have all a life guaranty so i suppose there are parts very easily available. And so should be the case in US as well. I am thinking of a TD Z 103 or 105 for Christmas, to tell you the truth...it my Santa Claus wife would indulge, that is! regards, Radu