AZ Fisher

I used Skimp's mod on the mold with relative success. I don't know how to post a link, but search softbaits for "Do-it essential molds" and there is a post from Darkman Prado with a tutorial vid for modifying the mold with"Hi-temp Engine Enamel." It helped me with the cloudy colored surface common with the Essential series molds.

Thank you, Mark!

Nice score!!

Just noticed Barlows now has some unpainted swimbait bodies as well a 5.25 inch two piece rat. They also have a 3.5 inch bluegill glide.

Thanks Ben. I'm using small quantities, 15g of resin and hardener each and have had no issues.

Gary, you must have had the 5 min DT2, you don't get much working time with it. If you were to try the 30 min version and add a few drops of denatured alcohol to thin it out a little you can get about 10-15 minutes work time(max). I know this doesn't sound like much time but I can clear 4-6 small to medium baits in that time, but you have to learn to work quickly. Now granted I have a lure turner to put them on to get the epoxy to level out nice. Now Brian mentioned how Etex epoxy dries slower so you get a longer working time. I find with Etex I can do 7-9 of those same baits within the working time. If you don't mix Etex very, very thoroughly you can get some finishing problems. But I find Etex will take at least 2 coats,sometimes several, to achieve that depth of color we all strive for. I will usually add some iridescent glitter to my first coat of Etex, followed by 1 or 2 mores coats of straight Etex and WOW you can't believe the depth of color and sparkle you get. I can't stress how much a lure turner will help with epoxy. It sucks to do a killer paint job and have clear coat problems that screw up a nice bait. Turners are easy to make, I think there is a tutorial here(TU) or there are some on Youtube. I made mine for less than $20 and they will help you get a killer finish. Also if you can, get yourself a small digital scale for mixing the epoxy, maybe $10 at Harbor Freight. This way your mixing ratios are exact every time. You can find Envirotex lite (ETEX) at Michaels crafts and use their online 40% coupon, HobbyLobby might have it as well and they also have a 40% coupon. Tower Hobbies has DT2 online 13$ for the 8.5oz size with free shipping I believe. I have used moisture cure urethane and was not happy with the look of the finish. You get more of a flat or matte finish. I haven't tried KBS yet so I can't comment there, but don't give up on epoxy yet. We all had issues when we first started and you'll work through yours too. Welcome to the Underground!! First step down a very slippery slope!!

Check out Cedar Run Outdoors, they have a couple glide type baits. I say glide "Type" baits cuz they didn't glide so well, kinda twitched like a jerkbait. They "Glided" maybe 12 to 16 inches from side to side if that, more like a wake bait.. These were cheap, on sale for 2.45$, they weigh 2.55 oz , just under 7 inches long, shad shaped and are stated to be a slow sink but they didn't sink. Maybe that's why they were cheap and on sale. Now the one I test swam was not painted or cleared yet and the water was 68*. I am going to drill a small hole in the belly to add some ballast and get them to sink a little better, then patch and paint. They are a two piece glide with a solid plastic tail. I bought these to fish in Mexico where they have 1000's of gill nets for tilapia everywhere. We will lose a couple dozen lures to the nets each trip. I'll make a few for each depth range and paint them shad and tilapia colors and won't have more than $4.25 in each one so it won't hurt too bad to lose a few. While they are not Negotiators or 178's, maybe they will work for your application. BTW, Cedar Run had the cheapest Mustad 2x, short shank, triple grip trebles I've found anywhere so far, #6-$16.00/100 and #4-$18.00/100. They have other hooks at stupid cheap prices and a bunch of the same cranks and jerks as Shelts,W/lure and those types of companies. Hope this helps bro, tight lines.

To me the black looks like paint splatter. The green/blue on the back of the lure looks like an iridescent glitter that I got from Hobby Lobby in a metallic/pearl/iridescent 24 pack. Test the iridescent glitters on a practice bait to make sure the final color is what you want after clearing. The iridescent looks one color until you clear it then it can pick up a different hue. I had some iri purple I applied to a black popper and the glitter turned blue under the clear. My guess on the side glitter would an iri gold or yellow hard to tell from the pics. I can't see any red from the pic. I just recently purchased from LPO, item code 3093, GT1 Flex Coat Iri Crystals, 4 color pk for less than $5 I think. I don't have much experience with them yet. I have a bunch of Normans, just no trout ones, but I bet it looks killer in the water! Good luck and tight lines.

Did you have glitter in them? If you had glitter and overheated the plastic sometimes the glitter will bleed into the plastisol and change it's color. Silver glitter has done this to me before. my .02

On page two under the Hardbaits forum, there is a 5 page thread on Shelts baits. Ya get whatcha pay for!

I couldn't find it, but there was a thread on BBC about this subject. Berrnie are you saying the two plastic halves of the bait split or just your clearcoat and paint? Like Mark said if the bait itself split, that is from the air inside of the hardbait superheating with nowhere to expand. Rick Clunn's RC Stix are famous for this as well as some Strike King baits. Most likely the hardbaits were stored in a closed tight 3700 box or something of the kind, and left in the sun or stored in the boat during a very hot part of the year. That was from the BBC thread. My own experience living in southern AZ, with 110* temps regularly in the summer, you can't leave anything in the boat, rods or tackle, or I will suffer the same thing. Can't leave a 3700 in the sun for any period of time. Open the hard baits box to find a bunch of them split from the heat. If when you go to clear your baits after painting and the paint crackles under the clear once the clear dries, that means your paint was not completely dry. I don't know if E-tex will expand enough to not split when a bait gets super heated. I could be way off base here but I don't think it has anything to do with your paint or clear, just good ol' Mother Nature.

Score! My Master compressor started overheating after about six months of occasional use. Don't have a lot of faith on their stuff.

That's a giant leap in the right direction from a Master kit! Keep us informed and tells us how you like it. Hard to go wrong starting with good equipment. Happy painting and wait til you catch one on a lure you painted, that makes for a great day!

Use the search feature in the top right corner of this section as your question has been asked many times before. Go with Iwata of Pashe. Welcome to the Underground!

Cool!

Sweet, nice fish!! Congrats man.

I would drill a hole on the left side of the base that the non-pointed end could fit snugly into. I have done that with similar tools with small components, keeps them all together and in view for easy access. My .02

I can see it, don't know what it is though. Bandit maybe, kind of their shape?

FYI, I found Devcon 2T (30 min)at Tower Hobbies online for $12.79 for the 9oz size with free shipping. Had it in a couple days. That's the cheapest I've found anywhere, I can't get it locally. Carry on!!

Check Ebay for "Fishincomfort". This guy sells and 8.5 inch Spro BBZ1 KO double jointed swimbait blanks 10 for $49.95. Just paint them like a trout!

Sorry, I've used that same brand of blue and that same purple and they both bled upon reheating, blueish plastic with silver glitter. I could of gotten them too hot I guess, I have a non contact thermometer so I'm pretty careful. Both Do-it and MF glitter did not bleed under the same heating conditions. Never found High Temp glitter anywhere other than a fishing supply source.

Use the search feature in this forum and you'll find out why it's best to go with the good stuff right off the bat. The previous posters gave you good info, over heat the cheap stuff and you ruined a whole batch of plastic. Use the search feature, the answers to all your ?'s is right there.

There is a link in IPT's post.

I like to fish stick baits(Senkos). Black and blue with a blue tip and green pumpkin with a chartruse tip. Had pretty good luck with these but I fish them pretty fast.

Personally I am a visual learner. You can tell me something 3 times or show me once. I find pics like this very beneficial. Some guys know how to post a link to the gallery, some don't. When I have to hunt thru the gallery to find someone's pic it tends to cause me a loss of continuity with the thread. That's probably just me. I haven't been a member here real long but I think I've only seen a couple people abuse the show and tell pics in the threads rule since I've been around. I don't think MonteSS abused this rule at all and the resulting decision was a little heavy handed. Not to rip on the mod, it sounds like a judgement call. This is the most mild mannered, well behaved forum I am a part of. I would like to see this rule relaxed some. I know that leaves the interpretation of the rule in question. For me this website is about learning, teaching and sharing info for the benefit of everyone and the rigidity of this rule is archaic. My.02