markinorf

Its been months since I dealt with them. I did see the site, but didn't notice the message. Sorry bout that. http://www.cedar-4-sale.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=CS0102 Ebay is another source. http://www.saltybugger.com/cedar%20balusters.htm I have a couple more sources. All online suppliers. Hope that helps. Too bad about Easy Creek. They had THE best deals. I bought so much that its been a long time since Ive pulled up the site.

easycreeklumber.com. is a great source of luremaking wood. They even cut yellow cedar spindles for the saltwater plug turning fans. They have the smaller cuts readily available, and shipping is very reasonable. Ive dealt with them many times and they are first class folk. Lots of "drop specials" to choose from. I hate basswood......if I whittle a bait from wood, yellow cedar is the only choice. It can still "blow up", but if you seal it with low viscousity super glue before prime and paint, you can really hedge your bets. Balsa for top, PVC for any other type. M

I feel like Ive been warned. Ok, you got me.

http://www.smooth-on.com/Urethane-Plastic-a/c5_1120_1162/index.html search around the side tabs and you will find the foam products. Good luck dealing with foam. PITA. F'Lite has oil products that make for adhesion issues. Most resins have this similarity to some degree. Its a big learning curve. But, very strong and viable luremaking materials.

Thanx guys. Im a popping cork fanatic, so I know the casting technique (slow lobbing and feathering the landing) and tackle issues involved. Really appreciate the history and stories! Im real close to figuring out the balance concerning the flight thru the air with this crazy combo. Im watching it intently, and its "the angle of the dangle" as to why it fouls. Im gonna make some bulkier/heavier flys and keep fooling around with this. "...'gotta keep em seperated'..." Ive had so many reds and trout try to kill my corks that Im hell-bent on using tradtional walkers to make this work. I remember a guy using a Dolly fly under a big Spook at a B.A.S.S. tourney waaaay back in the day. Said it fouled like 8 out of 10 casts, but he just killed em when it all went rite. Got doubles on it, too. Ive got topwater O.C.D. I'll show my work when I proof it out. M

Oh man, Good job SS, I forgot about that. That works like a champ. No doubt the same resin is even better than The ZapaGap. Just harder to clamp odd shapes and wait for curing. I do bubble repairs and mods for ballast holes with the same resin. You know, Ive got 24 cases of memory suppliments somewhere in my house. The best part of resin repairs is filing and sanding the excess. Zapagap is like Kryptonite compared to resin in hardness.

I have been trying to make a fly that would follow a topwater plug like a big Zara Spook. The problems Ive run into is the the way it flies (on the cast) along side the plug and fouling issues. The only setup that works is a 4/0 EWG Owner screw lock tail hook ( I removed the cork screw) on the plug with a direct tie to a weightless 4/0 "z" worm hook and 4in fluke style soft plastic trailer using (18-24in) 25# mono. I even replace the plugs belly hook with a snagless bullet sinker of the same weight. This restores the balance of the plug. If you think of this as a popping cork with a Spook; you get the jist of my idea. Its the hand tied flies that are giving me problems. Is there a fly with the mass/ volume, and negative-netrual bouyancy available to buy, or any suggestions on how to construct such a fly that doesnt drag down the tail, and flys "true" on the cast??? I was using a no1 Octopus hook to make my flies, and had a low success rate for fouling/damping lure action. The snagless belly weight worked like a champ, so that part of the puzzle is good. Any help is greatly appreciated. This is for Specks, reds, and bass, using approx.' 5in plugs, like One Knockers and homemades. If you look at my gallery pics, you will see the kinda plugs I throw. The soft plastic version of this rig is solid, but I want to tie/buy my own feathered flies for this. Sorry if I over stated all this. Just trying to make clear the options Ive tried up to this point. Mark

You gotta work fast and neat for sure. I had dowels in my patterns, so I could just put em rite together quick, and just squeeze like hell for 15 seconds. No clamps.You will need some acetone and an Xacto blade handy, cause I promise you that you will glue your fingers to the sides every now and then.Sorry if the pic is uber big.

When I tried it the first time, I kept thinking "no way'. So, I threaded one of the screw eyes (the eye was installed on the parting line)with a small cable and wrapped that around a pipe. After this abuse, I clamped down on the eye with some vise grips and proceeded to bend it back and forth. The halves never split, it just started wollering out the hole and I never did pull the screw out. Zap A Gap med ca+ is the only glue that worked. I tried all the others like pvc weld, epoxies...none would deal with the petroleum oils like the ZAG Ca. The biggest trick is to NOT glue your fingers to the halves!!!

If I foil a bait, then I wind up with 2 coats. One for the foil, then comes the paint job, and the final coat of D2T. Balsa gets 2 either way. One to seal, paint, then the second.