fatfingers

I quit trying to figure out fish (and fisherman) a long time ago. Who knows why they strike what they strike? None the less, I have been having a lot of fun trying to capture the hues of the threadfin shad with a chunk of wood and paint. I've even gone as far a bringing my camera on the waters and taking a few pics. In this one, you can see the hues and patterns of the threadfin, which is a major food source for a variety of fish: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/vc1111/Threadfinclsup.jpg As you can see, painting the creature is more than a bit of challenge. The individual scales are multi-hued and some are just plain multi-colored. To make matters even more interesting, it changes colors as the light changes. Even in a constant, stable sunlight, it changes colors as it moves, flashing gold and then silver and then blues and even black. Note that the spot is forward and high, about even with the eye. Also not the eye is very far forward near the nose. The pupil is not really teardrop shaped and is rather large. It is a common fish in many freshwater bodies of water, but I think its one of the most beautiful. http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/vc1111/ThreadfinSideview.jpg http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/vc1111/Misc2008039.jpg

Is that the bait by the Tom Mann company? If so, there are several on Ebay now for about $4.50.

You know they scream when you put em in the water.

I have a story similar to that of Downriver Tackle. I made a highly carved musky bait and spend a lot of time detailing the paint, adding four types of scaling, razor thin gill highlights, and put on a finish that I figured would last several lifetimes. I clipped it on and began trolling. Didn't go 50 yards and snagged it (hopelessly) on a well-submerged nylon anchor rope. Probably got to use it for a total of three minutes after pulling it out of the tackle box. But...I have a lure retriever that has saved my partner and me many, many baits, perhaps several hundred, from sleeping with the fishes. So I can't complain I guess.

If your going to apply the primer coat directly to bare wood, then ordinary paint would probably not be your best choice. A good quality primer would be the ticket....but... If you're building baits and sealing them with certain materials, then ordinary white would not only work, it would be preferable. For example, if you seal with propionate ...or Minwax sanding sealer and then a coat of envirotex, you can (and I do) use a quality white paint for the first base coat. Now I say that having not actually tried propionate, but I've seen a few other builder's bait who do use the stuff, and I would not hesitate to place a quality white paint directly over that stuff instead of primer. I routinely use the Minwax sanding sealer, a coat or two of envirotex, and the begin painting over that with a quality white paint followed by the base colors of whatever color pattern I'm working with.

That should done while standing amidst an army of well-trained attorneys.