saltwater

Fish_N_Fool, thanks for the advise. I have been making cranks since the 1970s. I know what I am going to build, I have 9 models, all have been tested for many many years, all winners. I won't bore you with my reasoning on not building unique blanks but, as a patented inventor I know the troubles, My blanks simply copy nature so no one can say I stole from them or my chasing those who copy me. I am asking blank painters what they would like because I see a lot of complaints about some brands of blanks. Poor weight distribution, poor action, poor quality etc. So I can build a better blank.

Vodkaman, 1 - Shape and size customers want: Researching all data bases, I have compiled a list of the most popular shapes and sizes for both freshwater and saltwater baits for northern and southern waters. I am making sure that I do not copy existing baits, only a generalized style, that is somewhat similar. 2 - Consistency, so if I buy ten blanks, they will be identical: This is what I am striving to accomplish, difficult but not impossible. 3 - Variety, plenty to choose from: At this time I have 9 blanks, 3 small, 3 medium and 3 large. Each can be made for top water or slow sinkers. 4 - .Custom shape service: Not at this time. Custom blanks will be available after I am well established. How are you going to do the cross section shape? I carved each bait and had a computer guided 3D printer create each two sided molds.

fishon-son, The size and type blank are a couple of the questions I am asking. What are some preferred sizes and types? Also the design is what is found in nature, small, medium and large bait fish. Designed for individual target species. Thanks for your advice. Vodkaman- No not made in China, made by hand in the U.S.A. from American components. Not made of plastic from injection mold. At this point it is a small venture. With just a few employees. My task is to make a better bait than all the others, most durable, best action and highest quality. Thanks for your suggestions.

With the intelligent, clever and experienced members here at TU, I have learned so very much. Thank you for the education. I am taking my education to the next step by manufacturing blank crank baits. I hope to get some input about what is lacking and what is needed from the blanks that are available on the market today. In other words, what do I need to do to make a better blank that in the end catches fish? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Or go to craigpowersbaits.com and look for it there.

Durham's Water Putty or Plaster of Paris.....

Dink, I remember my grandfather chewing tobacco and spitting it on live night crawler earthworms. Gramps always swore by it and his catch was always big. He didn't chew tobacco except when fishing...

What about Bait Girl? Rumor has it she was a hooker... Get it? Bait Girl...Hooker Sorry people I had to do it....

Fish smell through the little holes that look like nostrils called nares, they are not nostrils but openings to a sensory chamber. Most but not all species of game fish have taste buds around the out-side of their mouths, catfishes taste with their barbels.

Time to call our super hero to action...Bait Man. Bait Man and his young side-kick Bait Boy will collar the arch criminal known as the Copy-Cat Rat. KAPOW BASH KABOOM Stay tuned to the same Bait day and the same Bait channel...

JRammit, I asked the insurance agent about shipping baits without hooks. His response, "People could easily injure themselves when they try to attach the hooks". Gee Wiz.......damned if you do-damned if you don't

A recent Topic in the Hard Baits section about copyrights, trade marks and patents has brought-up a touchy subject that applies to manufacturers as well as the hobbyist, product liability. At first it seems silly but there is a legal precedence, think plastic bags with printed Warning A Choking Hazard For Children and food containers warning Contents Hot and Could Cause Burns. At first it does seem ridiculous that you can be liable if your product causes injury. But, it isn't far fetched to find yourself being sued because someone lost an eye from an errant cast or a child died after he swallowed your small jig and the hook became imbedded in his throat and couldn't be removed in time. True, I am not personally liable because my company is an LLC but my company can be liable. Speaking with a liability insurance agent he set certain requirements such as a clearly written warning label printed on my packaging. It states WARNING: CONTAINS SHARP HOOKS WHICH MAY CAUSE INJURY-NOT FOR USE BY CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWELVE. He went on to say that if the label was printed in several languages the premium would be lower and if the warning was permanently affixed to my product the premium would be lower yet. My company now has limited liability insurance with a warning label on the package. My policy has limitations and subject to circumstances with a limited amount of pay-out per incidence. Any thoughts?

There is a tend developing in my state (Florida). Many of the state recreation areas have banned the use of live bait, cut bait and attractants. So, the future for artificial baits is looking-up.

Be careful about naming names and making claims. You could find yourself being sued for defamation etc.

This reminds me of a study I saw using young sharks. Fish blood was added to the tank and the sharks went crazy looking for the source. Then human blood was added and the sharks had NO reaction. The point being that the smell of human blood was totally unfamiliar to them.

Venutian, oustodd makes a good point. For a copyright, trade mark or patent your work must be unique, that is it can't be like any other. Just because you seek protection it doesn't mean you will be granted protection. The process requires you to submit your work and it will be reviewed and compared by an agent to other similar works by others. If your work is similar or indistinguishable from another you will not be granted protection. If you build and paint an exact copy of a real perch you will not be granted protection because it is not unique. However, if you use a unique process, use a unique material, add a unique part or novel motion to your perch, chances are you can be granted protection. Of course other works like a painting of a perch, that is different from another painting of a perch that is a totally different matter. Your pattern, paint palette etc. must be unique. As far as having a great number of patterns and paint schedules, you can group them together as a set or series. As for the comment, "you are a legal business and you do have rights", try naming your restaurant McDonald's and see what happens, even if your last name is McDonald. Even if you have a, "legal business" what ever that is... I do use lawyers that are specialized in copyright, trademark and patent. I have no affiliation but I use LegalZoom.com, they are competitively priced and easy to work with. For a copyright on a work of art they charge $114.00 plus $35.00 for the Govt. fees. They will also stand by you for litigations etc.

I have been down this road before, both coming and going. I have had people claim that I have stolen their intellectual property when I did not and others who have stolen my intellectual property and they claimed they did not. So I have been there and done that. All I can do is share my experience. I too, don't like it but, it is a reality. All I can only advise to do what you can to protect your intellectual property, no matter what the know it all's who don't know it all claim to know.

Here again we have the wrong advise. If you think you automatically have a copyright from the moment your art it is created, guess again. A copyright must be registered. Other wise what is the purpose of a copyright? A work of art is copyrightable when it is created. But, do what you want to do, good luck. I guess thirty years as an artist and inventor means I don't know what I'm talking about...

No kidding Jdeee, except, a registered company name is registered by the state. Not anything like a copyright from the United States Government or the rest of the world for that matter. So it is you who can, " ask any two bit lawyer", and I suggest you do just that before you give advise on this subject. Just jerking your chain, LOL But really people should refrain from giving advise on a subject that they don't know anything about. I'm sure you agree with me.

Gee Whiz, what part of "you can't bring a lawsuit for something you don't own" do you not understand? Stealing an identity is not the same as stealing a name. I give-up, I tried but failed. I'm done with this topic, good luck.

No rcbv, that is completely wrong. Sorry but, you are giving totally wrong advice. A copyright exists when it is registered with the government. It must be registered and the mark shown before any presentation to the public. That is how a copyright works. If you don't have a registered copyright you can't bring a lawsuit. A copyright is not given when a work is created, a copyright is created when it is granted to you. It is as simple as that.

There is no argument here, your lawyer will tell you that you don't have a case. This is true for the hobbyist as well. You don't own the right to your work so if you sell it or give it away you relinquish any control over it. It becomes public property and anyone can claim it as their own. They can even register a copyright of your work and then stop you from selling your own work. The same is true for the name of your business. If you place the name of your business onto the public domain and you don't own it, you give it away. In fact, you don't own your own name. If you don't show ownership for your own name, anyone can legally take it and own it themselves. This also applies to what you write, say or show. All I can do is urge you to register a copyright for your artwork with the U.S. Government and it will be placed in the Library of Congress for everyone to see that you produced it. All I can do is urge you to file a trademark for you business and anything else that you want to claim ownership of. Me? I take the time to fill-out the form and pay then the $35.00 fee. Just my advice....

For a copyright, the Government fee for registering a single original work of art is $35.00.

The cost for registering a copyright for an original work of art depends on several factors. Not including government fees it can be done for you at a cost $114.00 or so. You can do it yourself and just pay the government fees and nothing more but, it is best to spend the money on a professional to do it for you. My personal opinion.

No, you cannot apply for a copyright on a lure, however you can apply for a copyright on the original artwork on a lure. You can apply for a patent on a new lure design or a new process for making a lure or a new process for coloring or treating a lure, not on the art work on a lure. You cannot apply for a trademark for art work on a lure or the invention of a new lure. You can apply for a trademark symbol only for your business or company etc. As a patented inventor I am familiar with this subject.