Kribman

Hey Zib did you hook into any St. Claire Hogski's? Hopefully the fish population in St. Claire isn't too badly hurt by VHS

Gator clips are the bomb. Even if they get a little epoxy on them, they still will hold strong and if you just clamp and un-clamp them a few times, they are good as new!

Does one need a lathe in order to properly shape a topwater? How do you scoop out the mouth on a popper?

1. Perch 2. Natural Shad 3. Bluegill

That thing is sweet. I am looking into building one, and if you don't mind me asking, how much does a set up like that cost?

Don't mean to steal a thread, but its about swimming action. Is it better to put ballast weight near the front or the center of the lure if you want to maximize action?

I really want to get out salt water fishing some more. I was out with my cousin and he put me in a mangrove pocket and I caught the snook of a life time and it was great!

I think when ever someone refers a new member that is asking basic questions about shaping and general lure construction, the first thing everyone should do is point them to the tutorials. In the words of Tony the Tiger, "They're Great!"

do you make and paint your own spoons?

I wish I could splurge on those, i have seen some color changing paints on street cars and they're sweet!

Get an airbrush, it will make you have better detail and it dries very quickly!

A $500 budget is an excellent starting point. I mean, you have a lot of possibilities to start with. My advice would be first get some wood, a dremel (if you don't have one already), a compressor for the brush, and some wood. Cut some lure blanks, if you have lexan already then you got lips, and test them in a bath tub. Paint them and see what your lures need, then you can spend the rest on what improvements you need.

That thing is crazy. I mean, its hard to find a good bass lake with fish suspended at 25 feet! How does it keep its wobble at that extreme angle when retrieving it.

Want to see what trophy you guys put all of your hard work into catching. I personally are an Esox/Bass man. Northern Wisconsin has a bounty of these fish to offer and I can't get enough of bass, muskie, and pike. Some lures you throw out, you never know what kind of fish you're going to catch.

Haven't You ever seen Frosty the snowman?!!? You can wage war on the snow! I love the snow, my philosophy is, if its cold, let there be snow! Beside, Northern Wisconsin was definitely had low water levels and hopefully the more snow we get, hopefully it will snow and snow and snow until the levels are back to normal

Gotta say F1, I like the looks and the speed. But Indy in the US is probably my favorite.

I guess the rut was really just me getting overwhelmed with the possibility and wondering what I should do and whether I am i able to do it. I guess I just have to set my own goals and not try to live up to the lures made by pros.

c;mon anyone see any flaws or have any suggestions about this?

Wow! Lots of helpful and inspiring words here. I ordered a new Badger 360 off of the Garage sale and can't wait to get it fired up. I was contemplating a lot on which path i should take: 1. Produce many baits that might not have the best quality, or 2. Spend an entire day or two making on magnificent bait that really will give me a sense of achievement and not give me a sense of having to keep up a quota. I chose path two and can't wait to start making some intricate musky and bass baits. I was thinking of doing a series of lures. here's how it will play out... 1. LOTW Perch, to appeal to the large amount of fishermen that fish this lake. (I would only sell a few to people I know) and pretty much every other lake that holds em 2. Hayward Cisco, for those trollers that look for hogs in fall 3. Eagle Lake Walleye, those things are very common in Eagle Lake, Ontario 4. Kentucky Shad, for the Southern states that have a heavy gizzard shad pop. in their lakes 5. Oklawaha River Shiner, for lunker bass in Florida 6. River Chub, Lots of guys hit the rivers for muskie and pike 7. Sucker, applies to pretty much every musky lake This seems like a fun way to put in a rotation of different shapes and colors to keep me excited. I would always try to mix up the color schemes and add foil here or take it away there in order to change effect. And I could always make something new if it pops into my head!

I have been building cranks and jerkbaits for about 3 months and have hit a sudden halt. I know my painting skills aren't what they could be and I feel it is because I try to get the paint job done quickly. The results are less than optimal for me. How long does it take you guys to crank out a quality bait with drying times and epoxy layers if you do that? I am thinking about spraying a layer or polyurethane in between each color change to preserve what I have just done as best as possible. It will also give me more time to think about my next move or to clean up if I made a mistake. I am wondering if a thin layer of this stuff will add too much weight to the baits? If anyone has felt like this, please respond! Kribman

Perhaps you could add a strip of foil to the sides so it can catch a little moonlight and trigger some strikes!

how do you peel the mylar off?

that was one of the most comprehensive explanations of foil, to paint, to finish, I have ever read. Very helpful!