bluetickhound

I dont know if there is a more hotly debated topic on the entire site than the Great Topcoat/Sealer Debate... As for me, i probably have 80% of the products mentioned (and at least one or two nobody has brought up..) and am trying out each to see which i prefer to continue working with. I have some DN S81 on order and cant wait for it to come in for testing...

Now that my bait has had some time to cure i sanded it off a little only to notice a "Don Ho" effect.... Tiny bubbles, to be exact... I thought i had submerged my lure long enough to allow all the bubbles to subside before removing it from the solution but apparently there were some surface Klingons that have now been covered bu subsequent dips. How worried do i need to be about this and should i break out my Hawaiian shirt and ukelele? Tiiiiiiiiiiny bubbles..... In the prop......

Really happy with the prop so far. I am using the instruction laid out here: http://www.tacklemaking.com/default.php?pageID=112

Thanks Y'all! Im having a blast and so far, every lure i've made has: A) been a learning experience that has made each lure better than the one before it and (more importantly!!) has caught fish!!

New laptop is up and running... Pictures posted in Gallery!!

I didn't actually get a chance to call him today... Will do it Monday.

Yeah... I paid for it a few months ago. Good info but what i get here at TU for free is WAY more valuable...

Amazing stuff!!

No... Im going to call him this afternoon. Im in georgia and i think Dick is on the west coast... Not sure hed appreciate a call at 7:39 his time right now!!!

I actually kinda wondered if the blushing might be a benefit.... If the seal coat is already white-ish i wiuldnt have to use as much paint to cover....

I know... I just didnt want to start (yet) another thread when theres already 5,289 other ones....

By the way... Ive got a little over 13 pounds of propionate pellets... If anybody needs a few ounces PM me and i'd be happy to send some your way...

I hear you... Weedless is worthless if its fishless!! Good luck and keep us posted. I saw your baits in the gallery and they look great! Im sure under the right conditions theyd be deadly!

Sorry for being the "bumpmaster" once again (especially on a two year old thread!!) but im getting into the propionate game now and this last question is pertinent to my situation.... As most of you know, i live in Georgia where it is ungodly humid... My prop is dissolved in straight acetone but can i add anything ( MEK, thinner, etc) to slow down the flashoff of the acetone and hopefully prevent blushing? Im only using prop as a sealer so its entirely possible im getting worked up over nothing but im turning to you guys for a little advice !!

Have you considered that the wide gap (especially if its an EWG hook) might be the problem? I cant tell you how many fish ive missed due to using an EWG hook.... I started using a 1.0 offset shank hook and my hookup ratio skyrocketed. That hook may not work for your application but narrowing the gap may be your ticket to a full livewell....

Co-signed, BTH. I have quite a few yellowed bill cranks that outfish brand shiny new ones. Sometimes i think the yellowed bill actually helps as it may blend in with the water... I dont know this for fact ( not being able to see things through a bass' eyes seriously handicaps me there...) but on a practical level i wiuldnt worry too much about it. As long as the action is ok, the lure is ok IMHO...

Just to be clear... I didn't get my DN from eBay... Just the proprionate. I got a PM asking for the link to the auction where I got DN on eBay and after reading my post I can definitely see where it looks like that's what I said!! I WISH we could get DN that easily... I called Dick myself to get the S81 and am waiting on my PayPal invoice now...

I'm kinda new to the program but most of what I'm doing is either bluegill pattern or shad type baits. What I'd love to see is just a good scale pattern in several different sizes ( size of scale for a given bait length, not overall size of stencil... If that makes sense). I've tried everything from tulle to bath poofs to mosquito netting and haven't really been exactly thrilled with any of it. Another stencil that would be helpful is one that perfectly lines up "kill spots" in 1.0, 1.5 and 2.5 sizes common to the cranks everybody seems to be selling. BTH Those are some cute babies, BTW!!!

I have a feeling I'm about to become a big fan of the DN however... I already have a couple of cans of Bloxygen and some mason jars ready!