mark poulson

I used to use Etex Lite. Two coats of Etex should be plenty. But you do need a drying wheel. You can re coat before the first coat is completely cured out, but you need to wait long enough to let it get "stiff", so you won't drag it with the second coat. I use the salsa mixing cup to gauge when it's ready. I now use Nu Lustre 55, and it works the same as Etex. I added a little extra hardener, 2 grams of resin and 2 1/2 grams of hardener, to the last top coat I did, because it was cold and I wanted it to set a little quicker. It came out fine. I assume you can err on the side of more hardener, just a little, with Etex, too, although I've never tried it. If you're in doubt, do some test mixes on a small scrap of cardboard, varying the mix, and see what works and what doesn't. And if you put a batch on a lure and it stays tacky, it's probably because of an under mixed batch. I know I've rushed the mixing process to try and get a lure coated quickly, not letting the batch sit before I applied it, and paid the price when the lure stayed tacky. You can save the lure by mixing up another batch really well and applying another coat. Let the mix sit for a minute before you apply it, so the ingredients have time to react with each other. The properly mixed batch seems to set off the unmixed stuff in the first coat.

Spoken like a true fireman!

I think the swimming motion of fish and eels is different because eels don't have enough mass in their heads to use for leverage when they move their tails, and fish do. That's why eels, and snakes, have an S shaped motion when they swim, even at low speeds. Fish, on the other hand, at low speeds, move only their tails, using their heads as the rigid base for the tail movement. It's probably more efficient, or they wouldn't do it. At faster speeds, most fish employ a more snake-like motion, because they are moving their tails so much their heads can't stay still. I've seen a trout that was trapped by some bass in the shallows make a mad break for it, and it was doing a speedy S swim, leaving nothing back. I've caught fish on both my three piece and four piece lures. The three piece have a more subdued action at low speed, but still swim well. At high speeds, the head is almost steady, but the rear sections flap like a flag in the wind. My four piece swim with an S shape, slow or fast. The Huddleston 8" trout, the best soft plastic swimbait ever made, swims with a tail only action, slow or fast. I bought a clear Hud., and can see that there is a lead section on the hook shank that starts about 1" back from the line tie, and extends past the hook bend, so the front 1/2+ of the lure is rigid. It swims really well at both slow and fast speeds, but really shines as a slow, natural, finesse lure. When I'm fishing slow, or on the bottom, the Hud. is deadly. If the bass aren't keying on trout, I throw a ROF 12 (rate of fall 12' in 10 seconds) Hud. into pockets and swim it back at a med. slow retrieve. It looks like a real trout, just cruising. I have gotten most of my Huddleston fish on a straight retrieve, without any additional action of the rod or reel by me. Bass just think it's a stupid trout, and swim up and eat it. So I fish the Hud. as a finesse, search bait, and the jointed lures as reaction baits. If I'm fishing more aggressively, like early in the morning, on windy days, or on dark days, where the bass have moved up tight to ambush points, I throw a jointed lure across the point, start it back slow, to get them following, and then, as I approach the point, I speed it up so it looks like it's panicked and feels trapped. Bass think it's prey escaping, and hit it. I'll give you an example of a reaction attack. I was throwing one of my 6" fast sinik silver crappie 3 piece lures parallel to the rock walls in one of the deeper coves at Castaic early last spring. I had already caught one 3lb. bass on it that morning, and my partner had on of my 8" fast sink trout lures tied on, and was casting it behind the boat. He had already had two big followers, but no hookups. I threw my crappie parallel to a long rock wall, on a long cast, let it sink 20', and was bringing it back on a slow, steady retrieve. As it neared the boat, I began to speed it up as it started to rise toward the boat. When it was about 6' deep, a huge bass came racing up under it from the inky depths, but turned away when it saw the boat. It's tail was as wide as both my hands. Scrared the crap out of me. Obviously, it had been watching or following the lure, and got turned on when I changed direction and sped up the retrieve. I had triggered the escaping prey reflex in her. Now, my paint job on that lure, and the body shape, weren't anywhere near natural, but the swimming action, both at slow speed, and when it was burned fast, were enough to interest a big bass, and trigger an attack. Did I tell you I'm in the market for an invisible boat?

With your skills, I can see how they'd make that mistake.

Dean, The Dick Nite's really lets the scale build up show. Nice job.

I found that drying each section with a hair dryer for thirty seconds to a minute, so it's dry, but still flexible, seemed to give me the most consistent results. And peeling the mesh off slowly and smoothly, from one end to the other, was really important.

I'm sure that one will do the job, but, if you can manage it, I'd look for one with a larger storage tank.

I can't figure out how to post a photo here, so I've put one in the gallery titled "7 inch trout scales". The scale pattern is clearly visible, and more pronounced than in previous photos. It's not clear how much they stand away from the body, but the difference between the sections that are raised and those that aren't is dramatic.

Snax, I've also found that four piece lures swim with a more fluid, snake-like action. I make smaller, bluegill/crappie shaped flat sided three piece lures, and they seem to have a more stable head with a flag waving flap for the rear sections on a fast retrieve. I've posted some of them in the gallery. I'm really impressed with the amount of detail you put into your carp lures.

Bondo is too easy to use. Light, strong, dries/sets fast, sticks to both wood and PVC, sands and shapes well, can be applied on a curved surface without a sag, the list goes on. If I've epoxied in the hardware and there is a non-structural void, I use bondo.

Think of us as a following wake, just catching up as you come off plane. Besides, it beats 38 looks and no commments, doesn't it?

You can still see the scale effect after the clear coat, but it does smooth the surface of the lure. I was hoping the raised scales under the clear would give more reflective angles for the light to bounce off of under water, and the water passes through the clear coat, so I don't think the effect is lost. I'm trying to figure out how to photograph one so the pattern will show. Give me time. I'm not very good with a camera.

If you're getting down to #8 trebles, you don't have to worry about how strong the split ring is. I use sst rings, because I don't want rust. But you're going to have to play any fish you catch with a #8 hook anyway, so there is not need to worry about the split ring. You'll straighten the hook, or it will pull out, before you open any split ring. I use rods with an 00 or 1 power rating, like a Loomis popper rod, for throwing small lures with small trebles. If you don't have a really flexible rod, you'll never land a fish with that small a hook. Not to mention how hard it is just to cast it.

I'll try. I'm no photographer, so I am making no promises! Thank goodness for digital cameras!

No, I'm not a smoker, but both my parents were two pack a day smokers (it killed them both) and my first wife smoked, so I have diminished lung capacity. Back then, everyone smoked. Plus, working in construction before we knew about dust masks (we tied handkerchiefs over our faces like outlaws) I'm sure I'd hate to see all the crud that's stored in my lungs. My compressors are all const. compressors. I have a 5hp in the storage area behind my garage that I don't even use any more. Emglo compressors are so much lighter and easier to carry and use. You drywall compressor should work fine. Just build a weather-proof enclosure for it, with plenty of air intake capacity, and insulate it and the air supply hose, so it's not bringing super cooled air into your basement, or you'll have unintended AC.

I did a remodel for a patent attorney, and he suggested getting a copyright for any designs, since copyrights are much easier to get and easier to enforce. If you're serious, I'd suggest you contact another Jeremy, from Black Dog Baits. He "invented" the Lunker Punker, which he patented, I think. He's a real person, not a stuffed shirt, so I'm pretty sure he'd give you the straight dope. You can also go to the Big Bass Zone, and asked Bill Siemental, the designer of the BBZ1, which is the best, cheapest swimbait out there. He's a straight shooter, and will certainly give you good advice. Good luck.

You (and John Hopkins) 'da man!

My Mom was from Detroit, so when my Dad brought her out here to SoCal after WW2, she was amazed when people out here complained about "hard water". To her, hard water was frozen! But be careful. Even water based paints atomize little particles that may not be poisonous, but which will still clog you lungs little by little. When you hock up a luggy that looks better than the bait you just painted, you'll know what I'm talking about.