lockjaw

As others have said - the action catches the fish, but as an artist myself, I can see the need to create more realistic finishes. It's just a personal thing. So with that I'll offer some constructive criticism. Blend your colors (as madbass already stated.) Put less paint on your brush/sponge and gradually apply color as you transition from one color to the next. It takes practice and a lot of touch. If you can learn this now, when you get an airbrush, it will make it much easier. Although not too important, you could paint some extra details like fins or the big black dot on the gill (not sure what that's called.)

Have you tried Google images?

I started out hand painting also. I'm getting better with an airbrush but I still add fine details with a brush. It's a nice talent to have. She did a wonderful job.

That's pretty cool Snax. I was planning on attempting a similar experiment now that I have a mold set-up. I guess now I have a bit more info to start with. Thanks for sharing.

Like everyone else has said - nice lure!

Sounds like a wonderful opportunity. I'll have to check it out. edit: Drats, if there's one thing I hate it's locked boards and forced registration! I like to get my feet wet and get a good look around before signing up to new sites. Guess I'll pass. But I'm sure others will find it useful. Good luck and thanks for the update.

Wow! Great set of pictures. Looks like you've got a whole woodworking shop. Good luck with the lures.

I've got a bunch of your soft baits, they are just killer. I was kind of wondering if you were ever going to play around with hard baits...wonder no more Awesome job! Did you actually hand carve all the scales on the master?

I think everyone's waiting for the video I'm curious to see how it swims also, especially with how you have the weight distributed. Looking nice so far for your first.

I assume you're talking about airbrushing a scale pattern onto a lure. What kind of lure are you scaling? I use small clamps I purchased at Home Depot. They are about an inch long and slightly weighted. Wrap the scale around the lure and use the clamps along the bottom to hold it in place . With 4-5 clamps, the weight is enough to keep the scale from moving.

Impressive photofinish. Well done.

That looks nice Snax. Great detail. Were the tail fibers molded in with the resin or was that added after? I'm about half-way through my own mold project and I certainly agree with your comments on the ease of reproducing additional lures.

I picked up two at the garage sale. So far I'm enjoying them. They both work great but I have limited experience with airbrushes as they are my first. So far so good.

I think if we could see the lure it would be more helpful. Not being able to see where the hinges are placed makes it difficult to narrow down where a problem might lie. How many sections do you have? Perhaps omitting a section (if possible) might help.

Funny, the first lure I built was a pike swimbait too Instead of getting my feet wet, I decided to jump right into the deep end. It actually came out great and it swam - bonus! So, yes it's possible.

Redg8r should put some notice on the gallery page itself that only members get to upload. This would eliminate confusion for new members and others who aren't aware of the new policy.

Might I suggest you start with something simplier - like a glider or spook. You can gain a lot of experience in how the whole process is done by working with an easier lure first. And go slow - understand what you're doing and why. That way when problems arise, you have a general idea of where to fix the problem or make adjustments. Take notes! Write down everything you do. That's saved my butt a few times. If you're really set on making a swimbait, then be prepared to do a lot of "search"ing and reading. Tight budget? You don't really need expensive tools to make an effective lure. I started with a block of wood, x-acto knife and spray cans (black,white). There are guys who do amazing jobs with just spray cans - check out rlcam's work. I still rotate my lures by hand. It's a fun and addicting hobby once you start building.

There's a trout swimming in your pool! Nice lure.

I purchased a few sets from Lisa & Ed's recently. They have top notch service and a nice selection. All their eyes have posts on the back which you can easily cut off. Their eyes are a bit more rounded than what you'd find on a typical fishing lure but if you make sockets for the eyes they look great.

That's nice...both lure and fish.