VermontPhisher

I have been dipping with marine spar varnish. It comes in a few different forms. Read the labels before you buy. Make sure you get a good water resistant formula. I don't have a drying wheel so I have to keep after the drips with a throw away foam brush. I do 3 to 6 coats waiting 2 hours between coats and doing a light sanding followed by a tack cloth between each dip. I have been happy with the results. I don't think it will save time at all but it is an option. You might also look up something called probianate. I read a thread about Rapala using this. They are plastic crystals that you dissolve in acetone and then you dip baits into the mixture. I hope this helps you:)

I have been thinking about this all day now. I might try a few things out this weekend. I am going to try to mold a piece of plexi-glass onto a spoon in an oven. I am going to do this outside in a toaster oven just in case.

Laser inscribing is becoming a hit these days. Check a trophy shop they might have a laser there.

I too have searched everywhere for these plastic lips. I have seen them on a few lures at the store , but nothing for us yet. The frog looks cool, good luck and let me know If you find them.

Thanks Dieter. The one in the back of the photo needs its own photo. It is a unusual type of tamborine jingle that I got from work. It is brass , smooth on one side and patterned on the other. I received it as a circle shape but traced and cut it to an oval. We buy some of our jingles from a local family I am going to ask some questions next time I see them. They are equipped to do production . They stamp out and bend in one action leaving it smooth. If you are worried about smoothness when using a hammer you could smooth it over with a cork wheel. I have maxed out my upload quota so I will have to wait until I put it on a bait.

ah ha! thats a nice trick. I bet you could make thousands of these. Where do you get etex? I like this alot . I cant wait to try it.

Hey I was messing around with this idea last week and here are a few I made. I traced an oval shape onto a piece of aluminum cut it out leaving the line then I used a bench grinder to shape it to the line. A wire wheel removed sharp edges then I hammered the center on a padded surface with a ball peen hammer. This gives it the cupped shape. Find center and drill 3 holes . Done!

Sounds interesting but they might be too soft. It may be good to prototype different bills and baits for free. I have been considering using guitar picks which come in a huge variety of size ,shape, thickness and color. They are only about 50cents. They also come in a few different types of plastic.Good luck with your project .

I have been thinking about the aspect of fish being conditioned to seeing the same old thing every company makes . I am going outside the box with color while using proven lure body styles . If that doesn't work I'll try a more traditional approach.

Epoxy works or go with the 4x4 DSV suggested. If you must join use good quality clamps and adhesive . If your are still freaked out about strength, pegs or biscuits will do the trick. I know how much it sucks to lose the big one so I tend to over build. Good luck with your Project.

Right on! I am watching Versus right now while I surf TU. I wish there were fishing shows on all the time.

I am kind of new too. But I have been finishing and painting a long time. If you are just doing a few lures at a time you might be able to convert a stove hood as a venting unit. some of them even have a light built in so you can see better. You might want to place an air filter before the intake to catch your over spray. If your basement has windows you could even replace the window with a duct of some kind so you wont have to put a hole in your sill. If you have a building salvage store in your area you could get everything you need for around $100. I am not to knowledgeble on the createx issue, but I hope I helped you with the booth question.

Great stuff! I think its for both fish and fisherman. 3-d eyes look nicer but I don't think humans will ever know how a fish really feels about it, they are just hungry or aggressive when they strike. I am becoming a big fan of over sized 3-D eyes. Next you will start wondering if baits need fins and tails , its good to keep thinking and wondering:D.

I never tried shooting one , the thought is a little scary. We make all kinds of colonial period toys ,games and gifts right here in tha good ol USA. We have done better recently because all the lead crap coming from china has been banned. We pour with lead-free pewter. It costs more but we don't get in trouble with osha or the govt.