MR KNOW IT ALL KIND OF

Dont take it personal Smokey.. They arent down grading your post bud!!! They are just saying its been done before... So when Lucky Craft tried to market it as something new... I really think they are bustin the chops of Lucky Craft.. not you bud!! I thought your post was interesting.. I like the pictures.. Perdy COOL!!! I tried wrappin a lure in bacon.. but old Seb kept eating my supplies before I could get it cleared!!! It wasnt a profitible venture!!! or a healthy one either!! The Rookie

BJ.. I think I would throw away the Iwata I bought from Dean last week.. He said it was "TIP TOP TOMMY".. I never knew he was english... but the man gets around.. anyway... when It arrived... the needle was bent to he_l and it looks like someone had been throwing rocks up against it... Plus their is backer juice all over it.... I think he was spittin in the gravity feed and paintin his baits!!! Old ways die hard!!! Enjoyed your website and the chat BJ!!!! Dean is the man on this stuff.. Im not a expert at any of it.. Dean is my YODA and Im trying to find the FORCE!!! I do love my iwata's but I think I will have to try this spittin backer thing now..... The Rookie

Dean is from KY..Do you guys really think he paints with a airbrush..!!! They dont even have running water.. HOW IS HE GOING TO CLEAN OUT HIS GUN!!!! I buy all my guns from Dixie Art.. They are the cheapest!!! IWATA is the ticket.. you cant go wrong with any of them.. I own 6 I like them that much. The Rookie

My Last Thread! Thanks for all your help. My friends here can still pm me. FINDING "THE ART OF GREATNESS" in life. What's yours? I found a strange email in my inbox the other day. The sender asked if I had read this forum on the internet! He said it seems you have a fan!! I thought the only fan I had was my mom!! and even she thinks I charge too much for shipping!!! I had never heard of the website or this forum he was talking about but, im human so I had to look!! Wow people I dont even know are talking about me and the lures I sell on ebay on another website! One guy said Tater HOG RULES!!!! That made me feel good... Some thought it was self promotion...Heck I do enough of that on ebay and in my listings.!! I dont need to go on other sites and self promote. I dont have the time..If your work is good they will buy it..If it works they will buy more. I know I get alot of repeat customers. I know there are lots that love my "artwork" but I also have my critics.. everyone has an opinion. You can't please everyone all the time. Sometimes the hardest person in life to please is yourself. Art is in the eye of the beholder. What some call "Art" others will call a fishing lure with paint! I didnt make the lure for this auction. I have to thank Lucky Craft for that.. Like I said the lure is just my canvas. You might think Im a little nuts... or you will close your mind to my work. Some on that forum said there are others that can do it better than the Hog man he is not as great as he thinks he is!! Heck Im my biggest critic. I even agree with them from time to time. My painting gets better everyday! The best is yet to come. But that is choice of the critic and their perspective.. My work may not have any meaning or appeal to your senses. And you might not find the "Art" in my craft. However... . I looked up the meaning of ART and I thought I would pass it on..Did I ever say I was the the best lure painter in the world? I might have said the best on ebay!!! But I will explain the meaning of "The Best" later in this message. There are tons of great painters out their with famous pasts and professional backing!! Please dont compare me to them. Im trying to go beyond the norm in this cut throat industry. I never want to be compared to the greats. I put my paints on everday just like they do. I want to break away and paint to a different drum." Im just a guy from Middletown, USA! There's nothing to compare. Im a nut case!! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND CALLS THEMSELF "TATER HOG"! (made you smile) Im not trying to be the BEST at painting a fishing lure! Im trying to find the "Art of Greatness" in my life. Who am I ? Isnt that the real question in everyone's life? Who are you? I paint lures for the love of the sport! For the passion I have for my family, people, art and fishing. I found something in my life I enjoy to do!!!! My success just didnt appear on ebay! (My first lure only sold for 6 bucks!!!) I have been a member on ebaysince 2001.. It has come from hard work, late hours, support from family,friends and lots and lots of failures. Yes anyone can paint and some can paint very well!! But do they just paint or do they try to find the greatness in what they are doing? I know I strive too! The lures I paint and the stories I tell from time to time have meaning to me and others. Its my "ART." My sweat! My time! Maybe you will catch more fish! Maybe you wont! (I pray on each lure before I ship them..If your still waiting on your lure you needed a stronger blessing.."Lord please let this guy catch more and bigger fish.") Maybe I made you laugh after you read about "Tater Hog and the fictional town of Taterville."....You might never buy or cast my work. That's ok! I understand some lures dont appeal to me either.. I just hope you still see the effort and the passion I put into them. They really do take alot of time to complete. I could do them faster and for less money. But their goes the quality I set as my standard. If I did that I would be cheating myself and the customers that purchase them from me. If you dont catch the fish of a lifetime or win a tournament with one of the lures I touched. Im very sorry. I can live with myself because I know I gave you my best effort and tried to help your confidence along your journey. If you do catch more fish or that once in a lifetime hog. Never under estimate the power of prayer. Are my custom painted lures "ART"? and Are they the Best painted lures in the country? Heck I think the food I cook is great but my kids dont eat it!!! Usually the cook always loves his food. WHAT DOES THE BEST REALLY MEAN? Everyone of us can be great at whatever stimulates our thoughts. I truely believe man was created for that very purpose.. If you have a passion! A meaning! and a goal! Anything in life is possible!! Even if all you ever do is create a new fishing lure pattern for a fisherman to fish. Your passion might be something else. "What is your Art of Greatness?" Here is what I define as mine: My Art of greatness is to never give up on my passions even in my failures! How do you know what success is without disappointments. Nobody is the best at everything they do!! We all have strengths and weaknesses. YET ALL OF US CAN STRIVE TO BE GREAT! If we see the greatness in ourselves. If you can't see it? Look up! Someone else still sees greatness in you. So Tater you never told us!!!!!What is "ART"?.... OH YEAH SORRY I ALMOST FORGOT!!! Leo Tolstoy identified art as a use of indirect means to communicate from one person to another. Art expresses emotions, and that the work of art therefore essentially exists in the mind of the creator. Generally art is a (product of) human activity, made with the intention of stimulating the human senses as well as the human mind; by transmitting emotions and/or ideas. Beyond this description, there is no general agreed-upon definition of art, since defining the boundaries of "art" is subjective, but the impetus for art is often called human creativity. (Source Wikipedia) When your feeling empty without hope and purpose in life!!! Blaming others for unsuccessful events. Running away from problems rather than at them. Look in the mirror and recreate the man looking back. Find grace in the man you are and the man you want to be. I heard a song the other day that never had much meaning to me until I read the lyrics.. I have been listening to it this week. I thought about a good friend of mine that is having a tuff time at the momment. We all have been their. The song is timeless. It should have gotten more credit for just how great it really is!!! "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel .. Here are the lyrics if you want to read them. I suggest you download the song and listen to the words. It has great meaning and maybe will lift up your spiritual side. I could careless what my lure sells for on this auction! Some of you might think this is the dumbest listing you have ever saw on ebay! But, like I said before. Im not the norm. If one person reads this listing and it changes their life for the good. I did something GREAT! A whole lot greater than painting a fishing lure. I will say that much for sure. But don't thank me, thank Peter. He's the real artist.. Im just the guy that took meaning from his art. And expressed the emotions his song past to me. Solsbury Hill Climbing up on solsbury hill I could see the city light Wind was blowing, time stood still Eagle flew out of the night He was something to observe Came in close, I heard a voice Standing stretching every nerve I had to listen had no choice I did not believe the information Just had to trust imagination My heart was going boom boom, boom Son, he said, grab your things, Ive come to take you home. To keeping silence I resigned My friends would think I was a nut Turning water into wine Open doors would soon be shut So I went from day to day Tho my life was in a rut till I thought of what Id say Which connection I should cut I was feeling part of the scenery I walked right out of the machinery My heart was going boom boom boom Hey, he said, grab your things, Ive come to take you home. Yeah back home When illusion spin her net Im never where I want to be And liberty she pirouette When I think that I am free Watched by empty silhouettes Who close their eyes, but still can see No one taught them etiquette I will show another me Today I dont need a replacement Ill tell them what the smile on my face meant My heart was going boom boom boom Hey, I said, you can keep my things, theyve come to take me home. Art to me means "finding your passion and expressing your emotions to others" All of us can be the BEST.. But their will always be someone that does it better. That is the spirit of human existance.. To do something better than the next person. "Greatness is defined by many in different ways. To many, greatness is defined as an ideal that is used as a goal to which many strive to achieve." Will we ever reach it? Only time will tell.. But we cant quit trying! You never fail until you quit trying. Am I a great artist? Im trying to be! But, I sure hope that isn't what defines me. My goal is to be a great father. A great husband! and most important a great person. That is the greatness I hope my life is defined by...its my ideal and the goals I strive to achieve. ITS MY ART OF GREATNESS! "To be the person I want to be." To my friend, "Hang in their Clayton!!! Things happen for reasons we cant explain and dont understand. Stay strong and never loose your hope. Time heals. A wise man once told me. It isnt fame or fortune that defines a man. Its how he overcomes struggles in life. Even in the worst of times." That my friend is "Greatness!" Your friend, Matt (aka The Rookie on TU!! T.H. on Ebay)

Says on the package I buy Crystals..they arent cheap.. so I assumed they are crystals.. If they are not.. then they are lying to me.. because I dont make them.. I buy them.. I have never seen the fiber optic eyes up close.. I just know if you drill a hole in your bait.. you better make sure the hole is sealed up or water will get into the lure body and screw it up.. that is all I was saying.. the fiber optic eyes are cool... but crystal eyes are easier to install and you dont have to drill holes in the lure... The Rookie

I use crystal eyes.. gives off lots of flash and I dont drill any holes all the way through the lure eye socket to install them. I had a buddy tell me his fiber optic lure was junk because water go into it... I know they have to drill in the eye socket to install them..if they are drilling through plastic or wooden lures and not sealing them that is a problem.. the other day this guy that sell those FIBER OPTIC EYES wanted to trade some of his baits for some of mine.. anyway..I talked to him and he told me he didnt have any problem with his fiber eyes... Maybe he is clear coating them to seal them up after he drills in the bait.. I hope so.. Captain Crankbait is his name on ebay.. If your still interested he seems like a very nice guy and if you have a problem I think he would give you your money back... I never tried them.. only giving out info that I have heard from other fisherman that bought some on ebay...it might have been just that one lure..

Pete, MAKE SURE you wipe your lures off with a tack rag after you paint them sometimes this causes cracks and if you get that pressure Hazmail is talking about im sure dust is not your friend.. get all the dust off before you clear coat them with a DUPONT TACK RAG that is what I use... even a tiny bit will screw up a great paint job.. no matter what kind of clear you use.. even DEVCON.. Im just adding to Bob and Hazmail's advice.. they know alot more than I!! I just know if you get some dust on your lure it will show up on the clear and cause it to crack later.. Good Luck The ROOKIE

rlcam, Use Marine EPOXY!!! Im not a lure builder. just a painter.. but I use epoxy alot to clear coat lures.. I broke a lip and fixed it with Marine EPOXY.. I feel like its stronger than normal clear epoxy.. I just cant use it to clear coat because it dry's grey... try both out see which you like best.. but if I fixing stuff I use Marine Epoxy and paint over it.. The Rookie

John told me it was CUB SCOUT TROOP #234 if anyone is interested.. out of Blaine,WA

I know where I can buy some... But that would kinda defeat the purpose!! LOL.. but you might be able to use one to look at and help you out.. Tater.. They are kinda hard to find arent they..

BS master baiters.. whats next.. someone is going to say they invented duck tape!! I heard so much BS my BS is starting to sound like BS!!! And you cant BS a BS'r.. For the RECORD.. I got a BS Degree in BS (the school called it marketing) from.. BSU!!! TOP THAT MY FRIENDS!!! DEAN check my spelling!! Let me know if this post clears spell chekc! The Rookie.. Class of 1994.. BALL STATE University..

If you ever have a paint run... take a small sponge and whip it off very very lightly... it will blend after it dry's and you can keep going without starting over!! Well that is what I do.. But Im just a ROOKIE!! The_ROOKIE

My point system idea was just for fun guys!! Heck I would take doughnuts if you like my work... or send me a fruit cake if you dont!!! Either way I GET FOOD!!! The Rookie PO BOX 6080 CONCORD, NC 28027

I have a idea!!! Well it was kinda Dean's thoughts about if he thinks its 80 its 4 stars... and 95 is 5 stars... why not ask questions.. on a scale of 1 to 10... then add up the points.. Ex: 1. Lure Apperance at First Glance 1 to 10 rate it 2. Overall Lure Design... 1 to 10 rate it 3. Paint Job 4. Life Like look... 5.. you guys finish the next 6... after we are done ... we add up the point ratings.. and you can go to a chart and see where you stacked up against others.. 100 to 97 is HALL OF FAME (ONLY THE BEST OF THE BEST) 96 to 90 All Star Bait 89 to 80 You just turned PRO 79 to 70 Welcome to Tackleunderground you ROOKIE!! 69 to 62. Tiger WOODS (Lets us paint them you should just play golf) 61 and below Great effort!!! Now call a closer to fix your mess. Then you can put in comments... And you could have a avg on his overall gallery... Just a idea.... I know Im kinda new here guys.. But thought I would share my thoughts.. The Rookie..