mark poulson

If you're talking about my baits, thanks, but you can see I do minimal painting, and throw a lot of clear/transparent baits, because our water here in SoCal is clear and pressured. Yesterday I dipped half a dozen jerkbaits which I had already painted with Createx and coated with both urethane and nail polish. None had any issues. Be sure your paint is dry and cured for a day, and you should be good to go, unless you're painting in an unheated, cold shop. Then you might have to hit them with a hair dryer before you dip, just to give the AC1315 a head start in the curing process. The bait should stay warm enough that the sealer off-gasses the solvent pretty quickly, which cuts down on the smell. I would move them inside somewhere heated to cure. I wouldn't leave them out in the cold to cure, because I don't know if the chemical reactions involved can really work at low temps. I'm spoiled. Here in SoCal temps seldom get so low that I can't work in my garage. If I know it's going to be cold, I turn a light to shine on the lures hanging above my bench to cure, and that keeps them warm enough.

Here's a link to one online store that sells stuff like that: http://www.micromark.com/tools-and-accessories.html I'm sure there are more, but that's the only one I know.

Is that a lure you painted? If I could paint like that, I'd think that I'd died and gone to heaven.

I found that bending the blade lets me fish them at any speed without roll over. And it lets me burn them without coming up out of the water, so I can wind them across submerged grass at a good rate. A bonus is they "hunt" on a fast retrieve, moving erratically from side to side. When the Chatterbait first came out, my buddy and I made our own by cutting and drilling spinnerbait blades we pounded flat and cut to the same shape as the original. That's when we discovered (actually he did) that bending over the blade made such a difference.

How about using rubber bands from one treble to another to keep the hooks tight to the bait so they don't swing around and snag for shipping. I'm sure you can get them cheaper than the plastic protectors.

Thanks.

I heat set my Createx and other paints really well as I'm painting, and then let hang them to cool before I dip them. So far, no wrinkling. Of course, now that I say that, all my baits will wrinkle! Hahaha

I put the needle back in before I try to screw in the new nozzle, so it sticks out past the tip of the air brush, without tightening it down. Then I put the nozzle over the point of the needle, and use it to be sure the nozzle is aligned as I screw it back in.

Does adding salt to the melted plastisol help it to absorb scent that you put into the bag?

Have you tried the AC1315 concrete sealer?

Those sound like great reels!

It would help if you told us what brand and which specific RTV you used.

And how long it took him to carve that lobster!

X2!

If you give most people in business a chance they will do the right thing. That's how they stay in business.

I didn't realize you were a music critic, too! Hahaha I guess I should have said I tighten it until it makes a higher pitched sound, like a mid rang note, when I twang it.

I think having the blade on the bottom lets it turn in "clean" water behind the body of the lure. On top, it would probably hit the lure body and not spin as well.

How long did you soak them?

Dave, that's exactly how I do it, too. Just be sure to back the tension off when you're done. or your blade can take a shape from being in the stretched position too long.

BPS Stacey King cranking rods are great, and are a great value. I use the ML for topwater, mostly Sammies, and they cast and work great.

I use a Chronarch MG 50 for my 1/4 oz and 5/16 oz. jerkbaits, on a 7' Falcon Shoal Cranker rod that is no longer made. Oiling the brake pins lightly (thank you Dan Isaacs, of ReelEx) has made the reel even better for throwing finesse baits. I actually have four of these reels, all 10+ years old, and oiled all their pins. It truly made a big difference in cast light stuff, and in casting in general.

I also have dipped the bills, and it stays clear. I dip wiggle warts, too, and hang them tail down to dry. I just use a paper towel to remove the last little buildup after I've removed the last actual drip with my finger. Once this stuff has stopped dripping it skins over pretty quickly, and doesn't run or sag any more. After it's hung long enough to be dry looking, I hit it with a hair dryer on low to speed the drying. I have fished them the next day with no problems, but I'd let them cure an extra day if I were going to be grinding them along a rocky bottom.

Great idea! Thanks.

You can find very good knockoffs at Predator Baits. Jim deconstructed an original wiggle wart, and has come up with a copy that is very close. I love them with a red or brown phantom craw paint scheme in the spring. Here are two I made, and they have both caught fish.

That's why it's also important to use super glues in a well ventilated area, with a fan blowing from behind you, so the fumes never reach your face.