diemai

@ YoungForge Great to hear that you've made your way in here on behalf of my humble YouTube videos . As RayburnGuy had already described you've gotta seal and harden your balsa blanks somehow , .......not only in terms of sharpie painting but , even more important , in terms of the durability of your lures . I haven't made a lot of balsa lures so far , ......but one can seal off such baits with a stuff named "propionate" : http://www.tacklemaking.com/default.php?pageID=112 A more economical way is probably using modelling dope and it's thinner(read this on an Australian site) to dip the balsa blanks . Modelling dope does not seem to be too expensive , go for the clear type , seems to adhere better than colored versions . For brush painting I am using modelmaking enamels , .......started out with these so many years ago and I meantime I've got a pot of almost each available color down my shop . I'm used to these paints because when I was a boy I used to make a lot of plastic models , .........I know a guy on a German forum using acrylic paints , with very good results , .......if I had to start new , I'd go for these as well , as one has more options and possibilities using acrylic paints , .....my modelmaking enamels can't be mixed to different tones nor thinned easily , acrylics are just more versatile . I only don't want to litter all of my paint stock and buy all new in acrylic ! For brush painting you won't need so many different colors , ......three or four contrasting colors are enough to make up for a nice looking pattern , .......mottled or a simple spotted pattern as well . Apart from brushes you can also use ear cleaner sticks , pieces of sponge , etc . .....to achieve different effects , dot on round dots and so on . Check out the gallery pictures of TU member John Hopkins , he is brush painting his most beautiful swimbaits as well , .......admiring his work you'd get an idea , what someone can do with just a hand brush and acrylic paints ! You'd only have to take care of your color paints to be compatible to your topcoat , some kinds of topcoat laquers do dissolve prior paint coats and ruin them , ........solvent based paints(like my modelmaking enamels) are more vulnerable compared to acrylics , ..........clear modelling dope as a topcoat can be hazardous to prior paint coats , as it contains a strong solvent ! To prevent such issues I've got used to paint over my color designs and permanent felt pen signature with two coats of acrylic clear , ....after that I'd apply a few coats of my prefered epoxy topcoat . good luck , diemai

Don't know muskie fishing either , don't have'em over here , but in younger years I used to do a lot of nightfishing for zander (European walleye) and the missus would target eel , ...both with bait like dead minnows , minnow chops(zander) or peeled crabs , meat pie , nightcrawler worms(eel) . These species are generally more likely to strike at nighttime , at least in certain waters over here . Nothing better than seeing your float with the chemical light attached starting to dance on the dark waves only to be rapidly driven sideways or ripped below the surface in an instance , .........or to see the bite indicating bobber hung underneath the mounted rod getting knocked against the rodblank and after the most exiting wait seeing the line pulled down off the spool by a hopefully strong fish and finally the anxious decision , when it would be the best time for a hookset ! greetz , Dieter

................you're welcome , ...glad if I'd be able to help a fellow tinkerer out . cheers , diemai

Welcome in here , mate , ......actually this is just aluminium tape , ...has a very sticky backing , plumbers use it to fix insulation material to hot water tubes , also used to fix soft foam material for inner roof insulation . I find it cheap in local dollar(Euro) stores , but also any tool mart should carry it . I'm using this tape for hardbait foiling as well , the adhesive backing saves me from applying extra glue to stick on simple aluminium foil . Some layers of suitable clearcoat should be applied for more durability . greetz , dfiemai

I'm located in central Europe , ........Germany , ........, we do not have any bass up here(only some stocked in Spain and maybe Italy) , .........I'm fishing these chuggers mainly for pike , they really have a strong appeal for them under certain conditions , ........I've found , that about 3 1/2" versions work best , ..........smaller versions also catch European perch on occassion(very similar looking to the American yellowbelly perch). greetz , diemai

Welcome to TU , ........hope , you'd enjoy yourself in here ! Sorry , but it's not clear to be seen on the picture , ........only took the pic to display the rattle assembly , .........this is still a blank , readily carved , but never separated into it's two sections , .......it is simply wood material inbetween the two sections . I do all of my jointed lures this way , since it is a lot easier to carve and sand , ........first to hold the blank pieces with your guiding hand and second you'd get better transitions between the single sections this way . I'd separate them finally , when all fine sanding is done , afterwards I'd sand the opposing planes smooth and round them off . The hinges would either be interconnected screweyes or wireforms . Sorry about getting you confused , ..........cheers , diemai

..............looks like I tend to overlook the easiest things , Mark , ......... thanks a lot for pointing out ! greetz , Dieter