mark poulson

Dave, Thanks for all the hard work, thought, and analysis. It's very generous of you to share this with the rest of us. I never considered how the force of the water would act differently on each part of each section. That makes perfect sense, and makes the double pin hinge a great solution, and you diagrams and explanations make it understandable for me. Thanks again. Mark

Scott, I received a notification that you emailed me, but I can't find any contact info. Did you mean to pm me, and wind up emailing instead? That's fine, but resend it with your contact info, if you don't mind. Mark

Great. I'll reply as soon as I receive it.

Ben, I really think this is probably the answer. We get so enchanted with how well Createx goes on that we tend to put it on too thick, and not dry it well enough sometimes. At least I do. Thicker coats skin over, and leave unset paint trapped beneath the surface that rears it's ungly head when we top coat, or apply additional coats and heat set them. I think thin coats, and well heat set coats, are the key to a successful paint scheme. Of course, I'm just a carpenter, so what do I know?

Dave, I was so impressed by your double pin swimbait, and the steady head, that I'm going to build a lure with my usual V shaped joints, and see how it works. I really like the idea of the additional room for ballast and hook hangers in each section that elimination of the screw eyes provides. The making of the second set of pockets is a little more work, but a drill press and dremel with sanding drum makes it pretty easy. I don't have any soft sst wire to use, so I'll probably use double pins and heavy sst snap locks for hinges. I have the round bend snap locks in different sizes, so adjusting the joints will be a little easier. I'll post my results.

If you decide to use crayons or wax colors, be sure to shave them into the plastic. It takes forever for a larger piece to melt and dissolve in the plastic. Lumps of wax are a pain when you're pouring. Also, be sure to stir the plastic really well to get the wax spread evenly, unless you want swirls.

Thanks Dieter. You are indeed the Metal Meister!

I use blue painters masking tape. I bought a 1" roll, and cut 1/2" wide pieces off to follow the sides of the bill where it goes into the body. I put it on, starting at the line tie or front of the bait, and folding it over when I reach the edge of the bill to mask the other side of the bill with the same piece. I do this one each side, and then cut another piece of tape to mask the rest of the bill. It takes me a couple of minutes to do each bait, but it is easy once you get the hang of it. If I'm doing a bunch of baits, I precut the tape, and hang the pieces in front of me so I can take them as I need them. That cuts masking time in half.

Pearls are thicker, so you may need to heat set them longer to achieve max. film strength. You might also try spraying a coat of Createx clear over the pearl before you dip.

Last year I bought some 1/8oz and 3/16oz cylindrical drop shot weights from a forum member, and now that I'm ready to buy more I can't find his contact info. Doh!!! I think his name was Cortez, but it's been a year, and I'm just not sure that's right anymore. Does anyone here know him, or sell dropshot weights themselves?

Don't forget to pinch a big split shot on the bottom of the hook. It really helps keep the bait upright on the retrieve. Good luck at Guntersville! I'm drooling.

I think Dave's on the right track with the leverage idea. You might try putting two smaller screw eyes in the tail section, to spread the load, and cut down on the rotation. I typically use .092 sst eyes for the first and second joints, and .072 eyes for the third. Having two, spaced eyes, even if they're pretty close together, takes away the leverage that the tail section has against the hinge pin.

That is a fun video to watch. Thanks. Larry Dahlberg is always great to watch, and makes things simple.

It's a good looking site. I wonder if a lighter background would help your color chart stand out more? Basscandy, remember that the flake will change the color, too. Purple tends to bleed, and green will sometimes give a clear bait a green cast, too. I find that small red flake makes my light browns more oxblood looking.

I posted 2 pics in the softbait gallery of my hook holding rig, if you're interested. When you see it you'll say, "Dang, that looks easy". That's why I could do it! Of course, I started out using a solid dowel to hold the hooks, but it left an impression in the plastic, so I started thinking (always dangerous) about how to suspend the hook, and keep it positioned while I pour, and this is what I came up with.

Cliff, I'm pretty sure there is camping close to the lake. Here is a number for the lake: 661 295-7155 If you're planning a family trip, look at Piru, too, now that it's full, and been taken over by Vent. County. They have onsite camping, and the site is really well cared for. Plus they cut out alcohol at the lake, so there are no drunks raising he!! all night. What you do in your trailer, or camper, is you business. 805 521-1500 They are both water ski lakes, so, if you want to tow a tube, you can. Have fun.

X2 I agree. I also think a single top hook is a much higher hookup percentage, since the fish has swallowed the bait, and that big hook at the end of heavier line, on a heavier rod, sticks them really well. A good sharp hook is key. A hook that big that's dull won't get into the fish's mouth. I'll go one step farther, and say that I think using a big, solid, embeded hook, instead of a through line and top set treble, gives me a much more solid hookset, too. I used to throw Optima through line swimbaits a lot, with a #1 belly treble, but I found that the multiple points seemed to spread the force of the hookset, and a lot of fish came up and spit, or had the hook fall out in the net. That doesn't happen with a sharp 6/0 tophook, and I don't worry about getting snagged when I fish the bait slow and deep. I use the same swimbait mold as Longhorn, the Lurecraft 5" 5/894. It only uses 37 grams of plastic, and it's big enough to attract good fish, but small enough for them to engulf. If a bait gets torn up, I cut out the hook, remelt the bait, and repour.