rjbass

Use devcon 2 ton and it will stop the problem. Listen to Bob, water seapage is your problem. There is no way the paint and finish will crack unless water is getting to your bait. I frequently fish for lake trout on downriggers with my cedar baits at 100 ft depths. The finish and the paint never crack. Rod

I experimented alot with lip size and line tie placement before I settled on how I do it now. The key for me was the distance from the line tie to the lip. I do not use any weight. Baits are turned on a lathe and I am very finicky about getting everything exactly centered with the line tie. I take them to the lake and put them behind the boat for the final test. Usually if there is a problem I can micro-adjust the line tie to fix it. Rod

Finlander, I make Musky Trolling baits called Musky Rockets. They are a cross between Wiley's and Musky Specials. They will not blow out up to 6 or 7 mph. I have been making them for years. They catch fish, trust me. I will be glad to share with you, let me know. There are some posted in the gallery if you look under my name. Rod

I believe everyone is looking for something different in their lures. But if you post pictures of your lures, admit it, you are looking for acceptance or some type of aknowledgement from this lure making society. That's why I believe the comments are much more reliable and valuable not the star rating. MHO I do like my lures to look good, but more importantly I want them to catch fish. That is the real judgement. They only stay nice until something eats them especially if you are catching musky. The good looking part doesn't last long. Rod

The way I look at it is that everything should be aligned in a straight line from the line tie to the rear hook all facing the same way. The lure will perform better with less tweaking. Talking from my experience. Rod

Sore of....They are not exactly t'd, but in line with the shank. Check them out. http://www.vmcpeche.com/inline.htm Best hooks I have come across in a while. Rod

For those of you that make musky baits, or any baits for that matter, VMC makes two new in-line trebles, #5680 in #2, #4 and #6 and 5686 that go all the way to 5/0. The hooks are in-line with the shaft so it promotes more hookups, less hook rash and you don't have to "T" your own hooks. They come Bronze, perma steel and black nickel. I just got some 4/0 and they are awesome, cone cut point and very sharp. If you have a tax ID number or business license, you can buy them in bulk from VMC's maufacturer's catalog. They are definitely worth a look. Cabela's just started carrying them, but they are much cheaper wholesale through VMC. Rod

Let's put this into perspective on larger fish.....I have used musky baits without split rings and have had them open the screw eye in the net and thrashing at the boat because they do have considerably more leverage straight to the hook than with split rings! I learned this the hard way. Now use Wolverine #6 split rings at 220# test and never have a problem since....this should also hold true on any type of bait, it is a matter of physics. Think about it. On all my bass baits I use #3 heavy SS split rings and they catch alot of fish. I also use VMC Vanadium hooks on bass baits because they are super lightweight and laser sharp and VMC #8650 on Musky Baits. You can't go wrong with either of these hooks. Bob is right, having no split ring does not help things. Rod

Water leakage is probably the culprit. I use minwax sanding sealer, then a coat of devcon 2ton previous to prime, paintand top coat and have never had a problem. I have done it this way for hundreds of baits. Maybe overkill, but the water does not get in. I can tell you though that basswood is very absorbant like a paper towel, and if any water gets in it will expand a ton and split your top coat. Places to give extra caution are around the lip area, line tie and hook hangers. I usually use cedar for my musky baits for the action, which does not absorb as much as basswood if water does get in. This has been my experience. Rod

BJ, https://www.theleadlightworkshop.com.au/catalogue-foilbritebakadhesivefoils Try this site. It is used for stained glass work. They make both silver and gold. Rod

Because of the nature of devcon setting up fairly quick, I would think that 2RPMs is too slow. You would probably get sags. All of my drying motors turn at 6 and I use devcon exclusively. Try it and see what happens is the real way to test it. Rod

The Rigid 14" bandsaw is awesome. It received the "Consumer's Guide" best buy award. You can't go wrong with this tool Rod

Just an FYI... I used to get into major, lengthy discussions with friends of mine in the Musky circuit about that subject. My theory is "that it is more so the shape and action of the bait that induces the strike" Other seemed to think it was the color, or type or whatever.....so I did an experiment and included in my spread one of my trolling crankbaits made of cedar, left unpainted without and detail and clearcoated over the sealed wood. That summer and fall we caught 6 Muskys on that bait. Not as many as some of the others, but we did get one 51" pig that went on my friends wall. Rod

Went out for a couple of hours this morning and this 44 incher pounded one of my home made baits.....great release.....

This must be it

What is nice about a booth is you never have to worry about overspray or a mess or fumes of any kind. You can build your own for a few bucks and it is a fun project to boot. Just MHO.... Rod

I have three Iwatas and they are all awesome. I have an Eclipse HP-SBS for general work and heavier paint flow with a .35 mm nozzle. Next I have a HI-Line HP-BH with the Micro Air control ( small valve on the bottom of the brush for more control) which is awesome for detail work and last but not least I have a Custom Micron SB with a 1/8 oz side cup and a .18 mm nozzle also for detail work. I like the side cups because they allow you to see over the top of the brush for better accuracy. All have super atomization and are all very easy to clean and change colors. You can't go wrong with an Iwata brush. Rod