Vodkaman

I thought you had posted the wrong vid, it looked like a jointed swimbait. Nice action. I could hear the clacker too. Congratulations on a successful design. I hope the fish nail it for you. Thanks for the BIG share. Dave

I came across this problem. I solved it by wrapping rolled tissue paper, soaked in water, around the end needing protection. Dave

Nick, welcome to TU. 20 grams per cubic inch is about right. You could probably add more if you did not mix enough, provided you did it straight away. But why would you need to? You can easily measure the volume of your mold and mix the exact weight of RTV that you require. Read the instructions on your RTV container. Usually they quote by volume for mix ratio's, but may quote the weight ratio's also, but you may have to search (I am assuming a two component RTV). My point is that the two components will have different densities and accordingly a different ratio by weight. RTV's from personal experience can be a little fussy about ratio's and thorough mixing. I mix mine in a clear plastic cup. This allows me to view the mixing progress at the bottom of the cup, especially in the corners. Basically, what Husky wrote (he beat me to it), I just like to complicate things a little:) Dave

Happy birthday Milia. I miss your injection of humour, so get back to us soon. Have a great day. Dave

Put the hooks on and test it for swimming action BEFORE you do the art work. If it doesn't swim like you want it to, post it and the members will help you fix the problem. Dave

I found this link about pecan, last time it was discussed, but not sure if I posted it: Pecan Wood Properties by Connected Lines It states pecan is 0.62 - 0.66 density (38.6 - 41Lb/cu ft). The link is worth reading if you have some pecan. Dave

Atrophius, those eyes look great. I would not worry too much about the pupils, as fish rarely have perfectly round pupils anyway, but we are always striving for perfection, so I do understand. Another way of doing the pupils is with a hole punch and some black card. Put a drop of the clear on the holo' then position the card pupil with a fine needle, then add the rest of the clear to suit. Dave

How are you mixing your flex coat? Problems have arisen in the past if you use the wrong cups, due to wax coatings. Syringes sometimes have a lubricant inside that causes problems. Latex gloves only work as long as you do not touch your face (as mentioned previously. It is easy done without thinking. Every time a wear my full face mask, my fingers always poke into the glass a couple of times, as I forget and try to touch my face. Dave

If you do a video google of 'carp bait' you'll find a bunch of easy to follow vids. I viewed one recently which used fluffed up cotton wool in the mix. This helped hold the soft mixture onto the hook. Nothing worse than wondering if the bait is still attached. Dave

Will their be an extra charge? (JR started it). Dave

In the UK, not all the waters contain carp. Usually you have to pay $20 a day for the privilage to fish a carp water. All the good fishing holes are private and member only, with waiting lists years long. I did not catch my first carp until I was in my 20's when I could afford the day ticket. Carp do not fare well in clear or moving waters, preferring muddy holes. I am not including crucian carp in the above statements, as they are a very different animal, rarely growing much more than 6ozs, the record is 4Lb 9oz. The biggest I ever caught was 15ozs, at Blenheim palace (my uncle worked there). If the carp senses or feels the hook or line, it will eject the offering. For this reason, carp anglers use hair rigs. This involves tying a short piece of spagetti (uncooked!) to 1/2Lb mono. Thread the line through the compacted bait with a needle. Then insert the spagetti into the bait to hold. Tie the leader to the hook, such that the bait trails the hook by about 2". The carp mouths the bait and once happy, sucks the bait in, along with the hook. Anglers either buy preformed baits, called boilies or make their own concoctions. A few web searches should reveal lots of recipes. Dave

Good read Dan. I was hoping that they would have mentioned the feeding habits of the two groups of fish. The vulnerability may just be down to choosing the wrong food. Still dumb though. Dave

I agree with Phil. It is just the way we were brought up in the UK. Next to salmon and trout, the common carp is probably the next most revered fish, pike comming in at No4. Snagging carp in the UK is a definate no no. I tail hooked a 4Lb tench once. It took me the best part of an hour to get it in. I was totally distraught, partly from the embarrassment of foul hooking this descent sized fish, but mostly because I was convinced that I had a 7Lb specimen on my line. If you fish for carp in a traditional manner, you will not be disappointed. Dave

neophytes, had to look that one up! I think your definition of the various coatings with regard to lure building, is very clear and concise. It will be a good reference link to send in reply to future queries on the subject. Dave

Pete, you're scaring me now Dave

Good tip Tim. I have been tying my lead (flat strip) with cotton, but it is a nightmare as it keeps slipping on the curved surfaces. The cotton also stretches when wet and I would always forget to wet the cotton before tying. Dave

strange, but it worked. The link did not innitially load.I think you are right, a light box is required. Notice how subtle the shadows are. Without shadow, the picture would look very flat, so they are necessary. But with flash or a single light source, the shadows can get too harsh. Two light sources would be a better solution, a major source and a minor source, each side (not overhead). The minor light source washes out some of the shadow of the major light source. Experiment with tissue or other materials between the lamp(s) and the subject, to diffuse or reduce the harshness of the light. Lots of experimenting is necessary. Also, slower shutter speeds and high aperture numbers will give you better focus or depth of field (if your camera allows). Dave

First off, I think that the little two piece is a beauty. The movement sounds about right too, not much more you can expect from a two piece. But if you only want the tail to move, then your own suggestions sound about right, shifting the weight to kill some of the front section roll. But I think you will just end up with a narrow 'S' swim. But only testing will tell for sure. You could make the tail hinged, to get more shape to the movement, but maybe this is defeating the object of the exercise. For the hinge, I am thinking the way JR did the pectoral fins, only for the tail. Dave

If 'your river' is in the UK, it is called methylated spirit. Dave

I will do. I will be making a mold very soon. I have bought some gelflex in a model shop. It is a re-meltable plastic, solid color, but can be tinted. This is what I used for the vacu-venting tests. It is quite expensive, but if you are only making a few baits for yourself, it would work fine. Dave

Nice job Husky. You got me thinking now. Do you think this stuff would work in a 2pc mold, or is exposure to air necessary. I'm thinking that it comes with an injector, this would solve the pouring viscosity problems. With some well placed vents to remove the trapped air, it could work. Dave

Their has been and always will be, a fascination with novelty lures. The only explanation is that it is a hunter-gatherer thing. The ultimate is to make a lure that catches fish, using only materials available around the house or better still, at the waters edge. This instinct has been demonstrated in recent posts: bottle caps, carrots, bamboo snake, cheap throw away lighter etc. I'm sure I missed a few. Remember Rookie's truck lure. It could just be the idea of catching a fish on something that does not look like a lure. It is probably the basic reason why we bother to make our own, because we certainly don't save money in the process. It's us versus the fish. Fortunately fish are not too bright, we just have to beat the fishes instincts. Dave