jigginpig

Treble hooks sure do a number on them, no question. I might use cranks with single barbless hooks for them. Honestly though, trout and flies are like ham and grits, they were made for each other. So much more fun to catch a trout on a fly rod, my 2¢...

Yeah! They are five times as stupid as a bass. But fly fishermen like to think they are all born with advanced degrees in physics.

It would work well, but I bet he would not want to use an opaque material on a tiny bait for trout. Just a guess.

Nice looking blanks, BTW.

Lexan. Worst comes to worst, you could sand it thinner. I like to chamfer the bills in my baits anyway to enhance the diving ability. You would have to wet sand to get it back to crystal clear after you got it to the right thickness. Obviously not a viable option for any large volume of production, but it would work fine for small batches.

Honest to God, the best and easiest way to do a bait that is round in cross section is to lathe the basic shape, then while the ends of the stock are still square use the table saw to make all the cuts, taking care not to cut all the way through the stock. You finish the cuts by hand, but with them laid out by the saw it is easy, a monkey could do it. I mark all centerlines prior to putting the stock on the lathe, and drill pilot holes with a FINE drill bit for hardware and eyes. This way everything comes out symmetrical. After that, it is all over but the screaming. As far as doing it the way you are doing it, I hate to say it, but... you are doing a good job. Freehand is tough! Just think about marking the stock before you start carving it, because it is a lot easier to lay it out whilst everything is still nice and tidy. Take your time, and remember that each hour you spend on this is time in the bank. It all starts to come back eventually. SS

Mr. Ben, I am habitually, chronically, unendingly irreverent. If I ever say something that makes no sense or you are not sure about, assume two things; 1) I am being a smart ass, and 2) I am doing so in a good-natured way. If I am ever upset about something, I tend to either not comment on it, or address it in a way that is unambiguous. I have been participating in boards long enough to have learned that even though it can be hard to communicate with folks online, people who operate in good faith will usually be able to get along. Cheers all. SS

Yeah, they are more or less round.

Nice pumpkinseed paint job 21xcd! IDK about Lexan tails for those things, sorta like the way the plastic moves. Once y'all get a handle on the Slammer, make a Rago "Top Trout" copy. They are a more naturalized version of a Slammer, and they use a Lunker City 10" "Fin-S-Fish" for a tail. Actually, a Fin-S-Fish works really well as a tail on a Slammer too. Just sayin'.

Yeah, my UV goo-curing torch for my fly tying is LED's.

I try really hard to avoid toxic vapors. The effect is cumulative, and we only get one body. Adequate ventilation and a mask rated for organic vapors is always a good idea. Wet sanding is good for keeping nasty dust at bay too, don't forget.

Azek brand trim board (not the decking, the trim board) from Home Depot. As others have mentioned, the dust is a PITA.

Actually don't have a lathe at the moment. All my woodworking stuff is in storage in Colorado still. No place yet to set up a shop out here. I found a 12X30 shop space locally but it has been tied up with the current occupant. Hopefully by spring I will be able to go get all my tools. I am just hand carving everything right now, but I am good at it so it is OK. My carving is more or less up to speed, I have been practicing my painting a lot recently. From what I understand, the smaller Jet lathes are well regarded as a less expensive option, but for $100 I think you will have to stick to Craigslist. You can't hardly buy your gouges for much less than that. Do give me a shout. It is sorta crazy at the moment, but we can get together sometime in the next month I am certain. Cheers! SS

Obviously, you don't cut all the way through the stock with the table saw, and have to finish the cut by hand. A pull cut razor/dowel saw works very well for that step.

My method is to shape the bait on the lathe, then BEFORE YOU CUT THE SQUARE STOCK ON THE ENDS OFF, go ahead and make the cuts for the sides and bill with the table saw. Easy, clean, repeatable. You can keep one blank with the cuts made in it as a gauge to set the angles for the cuts if you don't have a miter gauge for your saw. Just mate the saw blade to the kerf in the stock and adjust the angle of the blade until the stock is flat against the surface of the saw. This method in not at all required, but if you like to be a little OCD about things, it ensures baits will be more uniform. SS

^ I understood that. I think it would work great as a seal-coat. Can't see why not. Sounds nasty AF though, and don't want to deal with that sort of nonsense. I am about to try Art Resin for the first time, I got the test kit ages back but have not been doing any lure making since we moved in to the apartment. Topcoats are a never ending struggle. If anyone here is ever on Talk Bass, topcoats are the "best bass for metal" of Tackle Underground. SS

Hey Gliders, yeah, just the hardware. No additional weight or ballast. They are totally round in cross section, so that is all it takes. And yeah, sorry I didn't see it earlier, that hook is just waste if you buy the gate hardware. SS

I'd say about 80% of the time I have no good Goddamned idea what Vodkaman is talking about. I like him anyway, and I am glad he is here.

Crazy! Right on.

Yes, it is better and safer to mate them up outside the lure! I found it is easy to open them with a side-cutter (dykes) by putting the cutting edge into the small gap where the eye is formed. You give a squeeze, and the gap is opened. You can then use the inside edge of the side cutter to pry open the eye further. This trick works with any screw eye that has not been welded, and I even use it to open the eye of hooks (after annealing) to add a solid ring (for different rigging options.) You have to re-temper the hook eye after you close it if you anneal it, or it will possibly fail. Thanks for the tip on the bulk option, I have never found them that way. Cheers! SS

Ballast, Gliders? You overthink it!There is no ballast in one of those things apart from the hooks.