fatfingers

Read, read, read, before you spend. It will make your dollars go much farther. The guys on this site are really great about sharing ideas and methods, tips on tools, paints, you name it.

That is just one heck of an innovative pattern. I am really looking forward to trying it. Thanks, BB.

It appears that the "black back fade to sides" is done very softly, that is, it appears tha very little black is applied and that the violet pearl over black" sort of fades and tones down the black quite a bit? Am I right or on track?

Good point, Mitcheal

My lowrance occasionally does the same thing. It may be a form of feedback that is only heard occasionally because I don't hear it all the time on my Lowrance. I wouldn't worry about it.

The above were shot with a 3.2 megapixel Canon. For what I paid for the 3.2, you can now purchase something in excess of 5 megapixels. Stick with a name brand as others have mentioned. It is my opinion that any name-brand 5 megapixel camera will probably serve you well until you begin making prints (enlargments) in excess of 11x14 inches or even larger. If I were to hold two 11x14 prints side by side, one shot with an 8 megapixel camera and one with a 5 megapixel camera, the average person would probably struggle to tell the difference, if he or she could at all. What I'd like to buy in my next digital is one with a through-the-lens focusing ability (also known as single lens reflex or SLR) so that I wouldn't have to rely on the tiny viewfinder found on most digitals, or that tiny little window one the side of the camera...which sucks battery power like crazy.

I build for fun, although I'm considering selling just enough to pay for the investments I've made into airbrush equipment, sanders, etc. I'd support an association if there were something in it for me. For example, if the association were to negotiate discounts on supplies, paints, etc. Other than that, it would seem that the association would be almost solely for those with larger aspirations and a profit motive.

Nice work, River. I was just reading an article about how few really huge baits are out there for the musky freaks.

There was a time, if you are old enough to remember it, when "fire tiger" did not even exist. Think about that for a moment. Not everything is done under the sun. The next great shape, action, color combination is out there waiting to be revealed...and this site might be its hometown. Does size matter? It usually does. Can a slight color variation make all the difference? Why does one wiggle/vibration pattern out-produce those that are similar but slightly different? Of course, some are more consistent than others, but there are those days when a slight change... There are periods during a year when certain species, smallmouth bass for example, would eat your shoe if you could tie it and cast it out there. Other species and other days, you'd better have it all with you and cast it upon thine waters with resolve and style.

LaPala, thats an interesting idea you have about using veneer. I hadn't thought of that. Veneer would be easier to shape and the layering would be a great way to figure how much is enough because you could simply count or keep track of how many layers you use on each bait. I also carve a bit, but I'm still in a learning curve (fancy way of saying I'm not that good at it yet. RiverMan, I have the same problem with my bandsaw. It won't handle too much in the way of mass. How did your experiments work when you beefed up the head of the bait like that?

I'm considering builidng a crankbait using three separate pieces of wood. First, make the frame similar to my Magnum Flatshad shown below. Next add two pieces of wood, one on each side of the head/gill area to add a bit of bulk, body, and vibration. Not sure if it will work, but I'm going to give it go as soon as the whitetail rut is over. (Muskies and whitetails are my two passions) I'm thinking that I'll taper and shape the two pieces I add to the head/gill area so that they blend in with the lines of the bait overall. If I can shape the three pieces together properly it will look more like the real thing and provide a larger area for attaching the lexan lip. Anyone every tried anything similar?

Ouch! Sorry to hear you were injured and I hope you heal quickly and thoroughly. Allow me to recount my similar episode. In July of this year, I was in the basement applying a second coat of etex during my lunch break. I was very preoccupied with the events of the day and thinking about the things I had to do upon returning to work... I grabbed the heat gun and was smoothing the etex bubbles from a crankbait, when the phone rang...unfortunately I had a lure in one hand and the heat gun in the other...No problem, I would simply tuck the heat gun under my arm and grab the phone.. As you can imagine, placing the well-fired, red-hot, heat gun under the arm against that rather sensitive area next to the bicep is a rather bad idea. Well, the heat gun quite firmly contacted that sensitive area of the upper-arm flesh, a distinctive and memorable searing effect took place, and...most simultaneously...I had an epiphany. Yes, my friends, at that very moment, it became crystal clear that it was probably a poor idea to use a heat gun when your mind is on other things. But I'm no dummy; I only left the heat gun against the aforementioned tender fleshy area for but a brief moment. Immediately thereafter, a cloud of unrehearsed but very articulate and colorful profanity ensued, which still hangs in my basement to this day.

I've had musky cranks down to 35 feet before. Generally the deeper muskies are inactive so I don't often run baits beyond 16 or 18 feet at the most and even then my confidence begins to drop. I usually troll no deeper than about 14 or 15 feet in my neck of the woods.

Thanks for the thoughtful replies, guys, and special thanks to Blades and Baits for taking the time to provide a detailed insight into his personal experiences. The quote above reflects the same problem I've encountered in other endeavors and this thread reflects some of the different views of builders in this hobby/business/diversion. The one thing I learned from past ventures is that I no longer enjoy a hobby to its full potential after crossing the line into the realm of "business." The demands of "customers" naturally create deadlines and pressures to perform. Money changes everything. Thus, I'm entrenched in my commitment to sell only enough to support my addiction to the hobby. I'm not a complete novice in that I've built musky wirebaits for over a decade so I'm comfortable with the thought of working with only one facet of the hobby (hardbaits for now). I'm am also aware as the result of previous experiences that there is no end to the equipment and gadgets that one can desire and acquire. As my lifelong hunting and fishing partner always says, "It won't be enough until you say 'that's enough'." Another reason that I hung this thread... I'm a serious fisherman and a passionate "hobbyist." I strive to enjoy the things that I enjoy to their full potential. My wife uses the word "obsessive"," but what does she know? Additionally, I've been in business for over thirty years and now own three different businesses...so I'm naturally curious as to how the builders who are stone-serious about selling their stuff approach the inherent problems of volume, quality, changing and fickled market tastes and trends, materials acquisition, etc. Its also interesting and amusing (and I use the word amusing with respect and without sarcasm) to see the comments on this board about what the "pros" look for in a bait and what the builders have to say about the desires of "pros." It sort of like the Wizard of Oz, after you look behind the curtain, you see that to some degree there is no magical mystical lure...and to some degree there most certainly is. Those that fish for a living have my respect; those that build lures for those that fish for a living do too. Yet, at the same time, I feel as though those that do not fish for a living and those that do not build seriously for a profit have a certain advantage, meaning they can enjoy fishing and building as a hobby, not a business. Thats just my opinion, I could be wrong. At my age, I'm no longer impressed by hype, glitz, and BS. Clearly some of the "amateurs" on this board are extremely talented, every bit as talented as the salty old "pros." But those that do this as a business have probably gone through a lot of the "phases" of building and done so at warp speed. We can all learn special lessons from them perhaps.

When do you do most of your painting? Winter? Summer? Year-round? I musky fish for about 5 months and I bowhunt for whitetail deer for about 2 months per year so I have often found myself building during the long winter months here in Ohio. Formerly I built wire baits for musky and pike. I just began building hardbaits for musky in June of this year so I'm scrambling to figure out how and where I can build and paint this winter. I'll need to build a safe room to spray the lures. I'm obviously rather new at this but I'm looking forward to trying to sell some of my baits, which are called "flatshads" for two reasons...1. To try to recover some of my startup costs and fund further equipment and materials purchases and...2. Simply for the ego trip of watching if and how much others might pay for my baits (how's that for being bluntly honest? ) So do you find that you also build more on a "seasonal basis"??? Also on average, how many hard baits do you build per year? Just curious to see what the "average" lure builder is like on this website.

If you go to any retail outlet, don't hesitate to ask if they have any scraps. You may be able to buy the stuff at a steep discount or they may even give you the odd shaped pieces.

Before I became addicted to muskies, I fished for the "little creatures" too. Hands down, my favorite line was the mono made by Fenwick. It is supple, extremely clear, knots well, and is highly scuff resistant. In the stretch department it is forgiving but not so much that it kinks up after being leaned on.

Musky fishing is nuts, isn't it? Whatever can happen, eventually WILL happen! When I read your post I was trying to visualize how you wrapped the tape in such a way that it triggered a strike...hoping of course to try to duplicate that pattern with paint and two coats of devcon.

I got a good laugh out of that story too? Got any pics of that bait?

Not sure a snap would affect the way a bait tunes, but I do believe it increase the action somewhat. I've also read the same in the InFisherman for what its worth. I've also had occasion to have a crankbait that just would not tune for one reason or another; after adding a split ring to the line tie...presto, the bait settled down and tuned nicely. Worth a try if you have a troublesome bait...

I use a variety of small clamps on the netting to weight it down. They slip on and off easily and you can use different sizes for different applications. I also use alligator clips with a weight attached and hemostats.

I also started by refurbishing and repainting my factory-built lures. You may find, as I did, that its actually a bit easier to build new stuff from scratch. As to the choice of netting, while I'll be the first to acknowledge that the choice of netting is a personal one, the finer netting seems to produce more of a graded effect when blending the colors under/over the netting...again thats my preference most of the time. The camo netting you found at Walmart is working well for me. This website is THE place for learning. I'm pleased with the way most guys here share information and I'm also pleased with the relative low display of elitist attitudes.

I've used Suicks extensively and I also have one that has caught over 70 muskies. Had that thing for nearly ten years. I'm not so sure that the Suick baits don't take on a little water though. But, they are great baits if you're willing to do the work required to properly use one.

I know, I know, it was an obvious slamdunk, but hey, I blame Jed and Husky for setting it up.

I always thought size didn't matter, but the bigger I make mine the more fun I have.