JD_mudbug

I also mostly make baits over 6" up to 12". I typically use the LPO .092 stainless screw eyes for a pre-made screw eye. I will use .072 if I make less than 6" bait. Occasionally, I will make a bait over 12". On the largest baits, I have used up to 2.5" inch long screw eyes when there is room in the body. Most of my current baits are made with .051 or .062 stainless safety lock wire twist screw eyes or are wired-through. I sometimes use gate hardware screw eyes that I find in the assorted hardware racks of may local Ace hardware. These are the screws that are used to latch a gate or door in a wood frame. They are like size 208 to 212 screw eye but have a longer thread. These types of screw are great if you want a sloppy joint with a thick gauge screw eye that make a lot of noise like on the MS Slammer. I only use stainless screw eyes. I have a bad habit of not drilling a big enough pilot hole and snapping the non-stainless screw during installation. If fishing in musky or pike waters, I like to make a recessed cup in the lure body that the base of the eye on the screw can sit in. When I epoxy the bait, the part of the screw that can open gets covered in epoxy reducing the chances of it opening.

Have you tried disabling your pop-up blocker? Every so often, my posts don't go through because of that. One thing that worked for me was not going to the site directly from a browser or bookmark. I periodically save a notification email sent by the site. I get to the site by clicking on the 'go to this post' in the email. Once at the site, I go to the forum I want.

When you start painting plastic blanks, you may want to put some superglue around the hook hanger eyes and line tie eye. Some of the blanks may leak around those spots. Sometimes your paint and clear coat doesn't get in around the eyes to seal those spots. You can buy 30 cheap small arts & crafts paint brushes for $2 at walmart to smear the superglue around those spots. There are several suppliers who make those types of blanks. You can check the pinned post at the top of the hard bait forum. Here are some links https://www.sheltfishingtackle.com/shelts-rap-ko-shad-blanks-p-100.html https://lurebuild.com/ols/products/3-flicker-minnow https://fishheadcustomlures.com/d7-crankbait-chrome/ https://fishheadcustomlures.com/d7-crankbait/ https://backwateroutfitting.com/product/rap-crank-unpainted/ https://www.sugartitcustomlures.com/product-page/basic-5-shad I find the narrow rolls of painting tape to be useful when painting small blanks. 3M makes 1/8" (0.125") and 1/4" (0.25") rolls. https://www.amazon.com/3M-2090-0-125in-60yd-Masking/dp/B007Y7GPQU/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3Q6MY49OQXCYU&keywords=3M+2080+ScotchBlue+Painters+Tape+–+0.125+in.&qid=1702823144&s=industrial&sprefix=3m+2080+scotchblue+painters+tape+0.125+in.%2Cindustrial%2C112&sr=1-10 https://www.amazon.com/2090-ScotchBlue-Painters-Tape-Preparation/dp/B0079NPE6G/ref=sr_1_4?crid=NOB3GQWOLAX0&keywords=3M+2090+ScotchBlue+Painters+Tape+-+0.25+in&qid=1702823395&s=industrial&sprefix=3m+2090+scotchblue+painters+tape+-+0.25+in%2Cindustrial%2C104&sr=1-4

They are called 'connecting links'. Jann's has them. https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/335505 If you search for 'fishing connecting links' or 'sinker slider links', you should be able to find more suppliers. Sea Striker, Rosco and Luxon make them You can find them sometimes in saltwater tackle stores with the plastic sliding sleeve attached if you don't mind paying extra for the plastic sleeve you will not use.

Don't forget the difficult-to-paint patterns such as the all-white and the all-black. And if you want to get truly artsy, you could add a bit of red to throat.

I have used a part of a feather cut into a tail shape, paint brush bristles, or a fin cut from a thin silicone place mat or under sink mat. These don't noticeably affect the action on my baits. I also make the tail fin slot wider at the end of the bait and cross pin the fin through holes in the fin that are bigger than the pins. The fin will flap with the motion of the bait. Similar to the tail fin mounting on the Black Dog G2 Shellcracker. See the post below. https://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/38362-jointed-lexan-tail-what-effect-does-it-have-if-any/#comment-313700 It is possible to make a flapping feather or bristle fin. I have done it by laying the feather or bristles out on a piece of scotch tape with just the mounting part of the fin on the tape. I then put epoxy on the part resting on the tape. Once the epoxy cures, I carefully peel off the tape and epoxy that side of the mounting part of the fin. Once that cures, I can drill holes in the epoxy part and cross pin in the bait. Sometimes the epoxy cracks and I have to fix it with a bit more epoxy. It's a pain to do, but can can give some really nice waving action even when the bait isn't moving.

The top bait is a Gary Yamamoto Chikara crankbait. The leaping bass in the pupil is the tell tale sign. The second bait is similar to a Mister Twister, Bandit or Bill Lewis crankbait. It could also be a knockoff. They all had a groove going down the body coming from the lip. Bandit and Bill Lewis typically had painted on eyes. My guess would be the Mister Twister crankbait because some of their baits had recessed eye sockets with flat tape eyes. I think the Mister Twister bait was called the SportFisher. It sometimes came with painted eyes and sometimes had the tape eye in a recessed socket.

I once got a bad pack of Gami Superline hooks. The points would bend over on the first fish. Even fishing with a wimpy spinning rod those hooks would bend over. I believe any hook manufacturer can get a bad batch of wire on occasion that can cause a run of bad hooks. Tactical Bassin has talked about it before. Start at 17:30 if you don't want to watch the whole video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91EnJ0dGRXg&t=221s

I think the vintage schemes will work as well as the new ones except in a few situations. I think the action plus overall color scheme is more important in most situations than the detail. I paint some of the baits I make all white or all black. Sometimes I will add just a bit of red, orange or chartreuse to the throat. Those baits catch plenty of fish. Now if you are fishing in clear water using a jerkbait with pauses, I think the new realistic schemes will help as the fish can get a good look at the bait.

Marvel Cinematic Universe and also Moisture Cured Urethane. A one part clear coat like KBS and Dick Nite's.

I used to get to meet a lot of people in the industry. Over the past 20 plus years, I have met less and less people as the internet has taken over. Most of the local tackle shops disappeared in my area. There was less contact with the manufacturers because everything was switching to online and through large stores. A lot of people I knew have retired or went to different fields as the industry consolidated with mergers. I still work 3-5 regional fishing expos early in the year before ice out. The regional shows of today are nothing compared to the shows of the 80s and even the 90s. Back then all the manufacturers went all out to generate sales because they had to. My first fish caught on a lure was on the Mud-bug in the 70s when I was around 7. It has a square aluminum lip with rounded lobes on the leading edge and a bulbous butt. It sits close to a 45 degree angle in the water the lip down because of the reverse design. It is a hard wobbling squarebill that deflects well. If you stop the bait or pause it when it gets wedged on something on the bottom, it will float up going slightly away from you due to way it sits in the water. The backwards float often triggers hits and allows you to back out of some snags. The Seein's Believin' crawfish paint schemes still hold up against todays lures. Back in the 80s, it came in at least 7 sizes ranging from single treble flyrod/ultralight size to a trench digging 1-1/4 oz striper size. Fortunately, I was able to get a stockpile of discontinued baits from the various Ebsco (Pradco) brands that were sitting in a warehouse at the end the 90s . It's interesting fishing old baits like the Mud-bugs, Heddon Clatter Tapollys, Heddon Rivers Runts, and Creek Chub Wiggle Fish along with the modern stuff. I would love to see these lures comeback with updated hardware like the Jitterbug 2.0.

How bout this current one by Hynes Bay Outdoor Products. https://hookremover.com/ https://www.texassaltwaterfishingmagazine.com/fishing/hynes-bay-outdoor-products-swallowed-fishhook-remover

Just saw this post. I am not sure if the one of following hook removers are what you are thinking of. Hopefully, the pics in the links will be of help. Once you find the actual name, it should be easier to track one down. I know I had one of them at some point but can't find it. Rainbow's Shoot Out Hook Remover https://www.ebay.ca/itm/255783290966?hash=item3b8ddf4856:g:ExcAAOSwWfVjTtWb&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8K2cVIMPDre8SLkdNaaR46%2FYqi4OELNvp4hLbtFLZCduB521f2iyPqp5pFN8UyWLFDyuiLLCPZUgBoYbfI1XeAeNN6X68fInmN4hA0%2ByhXMaDc%2FuamNk2U0vl08EdBtfWLCvdZ5p8ETbScHFEr3IvllWqUf7Rdmc%2BSMKmhcr0rFWKrhhsEAqPJKGH%2BwzWyUn1emJGBqDeQAsEiny8HCNBn4Cuhb65gRquaNbVWgjx7GatD4XoJv0RfKqmB4NwO3nv3aJwOc71qbjY%2FVUELGzsZw2vmhhb3pEPobIrSpSC9ew%2Bvz4JsxDOJeLmIgS6J9MXQ%3D%3D|tkp%3ABFBMusGLpPth Hank Shawhan's Out-O-Matic Hook Remover https://www.etsy.com/listing/1417749691/vintage-hank-shawhans-out-o-matic-fish Double X Tackle Shoot Out Hook Remover https://www.ebay.com/p/1901029931

On the belly hook, you can try a T-type Treble like an Owner ST-35, KVD triple grip or other EWG treble where the points are slightly tipped in to reduce hook damage. You can make your own T trebles with pliers but be careful. Some hooks like Owner ST-36 are too stiff and snap when bent. If you are not careful, you could hook yourself or take a hook shard to the eye.