mark poulson

Ted, Do you have to reheat the lure body when you're doing multiple powder colors? If so, how do you do it?

I'd suggest you look at one of the successful commercial lures, and use it as a starting point. You can always use PVC for prototyping, since water intrusion isn't a problem, and then move to whatever material you'd like to use for the finished bait. That way, you can make as many changes as you want to quickly, without worrying about ruining your bait.

That sounds simple, but, then again, so does using a smart phone.... I would ask you for a copy of your spreadsheet, but we both know I would never be able to use it>

I found there were two keys. The first is having the belly flat, so there is more surface to force the water to the sides, which slowed the fall. The second is having one third of the ballast +-above the centerline of the bait. I needed to figure out how much ballast weight to use, and where it needed to be, to achieve a slow, level fall. I built my spy baits out of PVC trim board, which is very buoyant, and drilled several 3/16" holes up from the belly to well above the centerline of the bait. I used 3/16" lead wire for my ballast, and played around with different lengths and different locations until I achieved a slow, level fall. Then I pushed the lead wire up into the ballast holes until it was partially above the centerline and made the bait kind of unstable as it fell. The combination of the slightly unstable ballast and the flat bottom made the bait wobble side to side as it fell. It took some experimenting to get it right, but the PVC is waterproof, so I was free to change stuff until I got it right without worrying about water intrusion. My biggest bass on one of my homemade spybaits is 7+lbs.

Kurt, Someone is spamming the Hard Baits Forum again.

Are these Z Man baits made with the stretchy "Elaztech" type plastic?

I use the MUSTAD 32786 NP-BN JIG HOOK and the hook points don't roll, even when I snag a tulle.

Ace Hardware sells .065" dia. residential grade trimmer line that I use for weed guards. It is basically a heavy fluoro carbon line that comes in a 5" spool, so it comes off the spool already curved, and can be installed as close to the hook point as I like.

If you add the weed guard after you pour, you can remove a few strands from it so it's thinner, and then lay it back closer to the hook point when you glue it in.

I buy my air brushes and parts here: https://www.coastairbrush.com/categories.asp?cat=234 I've found their prices fair, and their service good.

I do not pour lead, so I don't know what hooks will fit that mold. I have fished them, poured by a friend, and the ones he poured had round bend hooks. I don't know who made his mold. The Barlow's site has a picture of the finished jig with a weed guard, and the opened jig mold. To my eye, it looks like a round bend hook will work. It also has a chart of which hooks will fit it. Plus they have other 30 degree jig hooks that should work, too. Take a look and decide for yourself.

When it's back in stock, or try Zeiners. https://barlowstackle.com/do-it-poison-tail-weedless-jig-mold-starter-kit/ https://www.zeiners.com/doit/do-it_poison_tail_jig_mold.html

I do touchup with sharpies.

Thank you.

If you mix in some yellow carpenter's glue after the plaster's been mixed, it will make the plaster stronger, and it will help details hold up better.

It looks like a transparent (very little) white with some small silver flake.

I would test them before I went to the trouble of painting them, in case they don't work or have problems.

I always have box fan on low blowing past me toward an open door when I use superglue, which I do all the time. Super glue fumes are hard on the sinuses and nasal passages. I learned that the hard way, when my nose wouldn't stop running for two days.

Rattle can primer, hand paint lures with water-borne paints, top coat with clear nail polish

The cement sealer I used a few years back reacted with soft plastics, and got soft if I left it on wet boat carpet overnight. Once it dried out it was hard again.

I do this, and never have a problem. There's something in the Rustoleum Self Etching Primer that, as it says, etches the surface so my Createx paints bind really well.

I'm pretty sure they would work, but they are larger than diagonal cutters, so they may be more awkward/clunky to use. Google tile nippers, and you'll see lots of choices.

Just a dumb question from someone who fishes jig a lot, but doesn't pour them. With all the great hooks already on the market, is that Zo hook enough better to bother altering a jig mold to make it work?