SW Lures

Remember you have curing time. It is pretty hard once cured.

No it's just mix together and gets odd shades. But in layers like second and third dips, brushing or tapping you can get some interesting results as stated. Like white and pink I got a pale tan color.

The dipping technique leaves a lot wasted to me. But spraying maybe as bad tho. Don't get me wrong I like it. Dale

Nathan help me to get started using KBS Diamond Clear Coat. He dips his cranks but I want to start spraying KBS. I have a HVLP mini spray gun with a 1.2 needle, gravity with a 2oz cup. The gun can be cut down on the amount being sprayed. What I need to know if anybody sprays it, how much in % do you thin it and any tips you can give. Like how many baits per a given amount of KBS. Also I would like to know of anybody using the aerosol type and what you think of it. Thanks, Dale

I should have and may take picture of these. These are not even in the league with the ones Mark referred to. I guess the original purpose of this thread was about those that I saw. I also believe I was wondering where I should hold to in the cost that I want.....really not meaning to. Keep at it, this is interesting no matter which way this will go for me. It does take a lot of time to make a bait. There were more stick, poppers in the case. I fish the rapala, kings, storm, bagley or whatever and I have many of them all. I just was stunned to see those prices for a low grade product. When I see what I see here. Like I say, it what the bait catches, not always what it looks like. These have to have a helluva action or fish appeal. Dale

I fish for many different species. I am happy with a ultralite for bull bream, I'll go off the coast and fish for tuna. I fish a wide reginal area (mid Atlantic) and will travel further if I get a chance, I have certain areas that I'm fond of. TVA lakes in Tennessee is a hangout for me in the spring. Next month I'll fish for ring/yellow perch in local rivers. After that crappie, after that big bream, bass-smallies and buckets are off and on all the time. Briary Creek lake is a largemouth hangout and local rivers. I go where I believe I will get a chance for this biggest that I have caught. I like going as light as possible in equipment to catch the biggest fish. Your true fishing skills will show doing it like this. Your get a heart check up this way to. Dale

I was out yesterday picking up some materials for hard baits. I found some 1/16" lexan in stock. Yippy!!!! Then I went to a tackle store to get some new tackle bags to replace my wore out boxes and get some new line. As I worked my way round and found a show case and lock with baits in it with swimbaits that caught my eye because of the prices and the craftmanship. These were suppose to be high end, I believe hand made. People let me tell you these did not impress me at all. Not from my work necessarily, but from what I have seen here. I was looking at the baits ranging from $30-85. I chuckled and a sales person setting up to run a spool of line heard me chuckle. He ask would I pay that much for one of those baits? I smiled and replied...no. As he filled my order we talked and he introduced me to his manager. I explained that I make cranks, jigs and could not believe the price for those baits. To boil this down, I have to meet him again next week and show him some of mine. I told him straight up that I'm a part time hoppiest. Never the less I showed him some pic.'s and he was interested. I'm more curious about the offer then actually accepting any. Worth just to learn something. I know about the Roman? $500 bait, but dang $85 for a wide open hinge/joint and a ok paint scheme. When I say that I'm impressed....I am. These are not in the ball park with y'all's. I don't know much, but I do know that these are not. Heck I haven't even seen it swim? WOW, Dale

I agree with BobP on the hit and miss aspect of by the eye. However at the end result it is the eye test that says yes or no. I use the glued pattern technique. This is done by measurement, center lines, etc. I use a profile gauge to check my profile symmetry. I have wrote on how I make/design my profiles. I'm getting into doing the profile now out of lexan, yep both deminions. I give them a name like A, B etc. I drill a hole in the lexan and hang them with the master. All infomation is there or on a spreadsheet. Yes I agree with the location of the tow eye being to high from the balance point. Remember even with shallow runners you are always pulling up on the bait as you retrieve or troll. Speed of the retrieve starts to multiply the pull factor, so you have to allow for this. Not seeing the bait in the water or holding it, etc. Ballast could be a factor along with the rest. Dale

And oh yeah, test baits as if your fishing, meaning with hooks. Watch that liner in that pool if it has one!!!! You will be fine....you have the TU family behind you.....as it is? LMAO Seriously they will help you find your way. They did and are doing it for me. About the bragging part, I'm going to start changing my profile pic.'s soon and occasionally. No holding the fish arms length away from me either. Dale

Lexan is a good material for trolling. The 1/16" is what most here uses when making baits. Lol...... I use 1/8" thick when I first started. I still got some of them. I like this more around rocky waters. However BobP and I seem to fish for the same species and about the same types of water and he now thinks circuit board will stand up. I'll find out about that one soon enough. Circuit board/fiberboard is a very thin material that has a characteristic that performs very well for bills/lips/bibs. It comes in a good variety of colors. Here's one location for the standard color. It can be painted and sealed, I dont totally paint, I cut across the nose of the bait and I don't seal. By the way lexan can to, I do the same as CB (circuit board). Your will find that hard bait making will hit every emotion & nerve you have. But when the dust settles, which it doesn't really totally settle. IT'S FUN!!! Watching a person catch a fish off your baits are more rewarding. Catching one yourself....that's bragging time!! http://www.lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/Lure-Lips-Bills-Bibs/12x12-Fiberboard-Sheets-1-sq-Foot.html, Good luck, Dale

My test station is shut down for the winter. I found a private pond for testing until spring. JR and VMan are right about clear water. I'm going to start using vid's for learning more about the actions of lures. I'll have to deal with it for a few months. Heck I may catch a few fish in the mean time. Dale

I pick some PVC up this afternoon. I still have some things to do before starting with this project but I do have some now. I told you Mark that I would give it a try.

I do mine similar to Ben's. However I have straight wire outside of the bait. I like the wire tight to the lip. I saw something about a person snapping a tow eye in a lip. I just didn't trust this for large size species. It maybe good for bream, crappie and such. I use other baits for these species tho. As far as strength in Ben's way, a 8lbs whatever is not going to pull it out if done correctly. Dale

I like/really like Rapala's for my crankbait. I just started using them when I became a adult and it took awhile before I started looking at other manufactures. I don't copy much manufactures baits but I see a lot in my baits the Rapala characteristics. Shad Raps especially. You asked how to keep the bait running true. Just put center lines on both sides of the wood blank. Practice makes perfect as the sayin goes, which is true. "Symmetry and body balance" is the words here. The more you get the shape equal on both sides of the center lines, the better your bait. Go slow, take your time. I went back and read your post and you didn't mentioned depth. That bait runs about 20'? Remember the lip/bill most be in line and the shape can change action. Ballast location helps with the dive depth also. I have one that runs in the 25-30' range. Setting on the water surface the tails is up out of the water. Other words the weight is forward in the bait. But yet in 45° water it slightly floats. As far as what material to use IMO? I'll leave that alone because you ask between two. I will ask this, what species are you fishing for? Dale

One other question. How long does a perticular pin last compared to a 2oz bottle of paint? If you can compare the two. Thanks

I have been tinkering with making eyes. I have using tape, foil, paint etc. One way I have been doing some is taking a cone head drill bit and making a eye socket. Then punching out some eyes just bigger then the socket and pushing them into place. Doing some hand painting for the pupils then putting a small amount of clear over them. This to me gives them a different look. Not sure if it's a good look for others but it's interesting to me, a concave look and I believe a more reflective eye. I have to do a little trimming for now if I use foil or tape. Dale

I make my own jigs and don't mind losing a few. I don't prefer using guards in open water and even with rock in it. I don't have a lot of problems put them where they live. I fish mainly rivers and some lakes in Tennessee. I also believe that soft hairs/furs are better. JMO

That's is what I refering to with my comment of depth and colors Ces. It is a good read from Doc. Dale

At first I saw a ad that showed Spectra had a rattle can paint. I was wrong evidently. It seems to be a auto spray paint. This would not be confident for most. However while looking I found a Krylon rattle can chrome. Kinda pricey, but if it works you may not think so. The name is Dupli-Color. Wally World has it for $17. Dale

Not quite true, I've seen fish hit unpaint baits. Unless wood color is a factor your theory flushes. So this question is still going. Also I've seen fish follow down a forage like a tiger still not correct. This means reflex is not always true. More like deliberate in these cases. Then color is more relative of water clarity and sunlight. However depth does change the ability of the certain colors to be seen by certain fish species. So all is correct at a given time. No check..no prize. Sorry Dale

Jonister let me know if you catch some fish. I was commenting about this on another thread several weeks earlier and one today. I am curious because I know you have experience to build a very good bait. No paint will tell me which is more important, paint scheme or shape, action, as long that there are fish in the water. I've seen vid's that people have caught fish without a paint scheme and have on one of mine during testing. Dale

I agree with Apdriver. Its a must see. Take the time to view all if you can.

LOL, I was thinking about this as a debate with myself from Ron's side and JP's side. I believe this question goes along with the OP's topic. Here it is; does a predator fish strike from a shape, color off of reflex or does it take the time to look at details? And could it be both at different times to each question respectively? Dale I have my opinion, but I'm holding it to myself for awhile.

After reading both of your statements, Ron & JP I found myself agreeing with you both. I've been painting for sometime now and I feel that both of you are right which is just my opinion. I have notes, I mix paint the same way because I have notes for that. The schemes....very seldom come out the same unless they are a simple schemes. You can get pretty close but not exact. At this point I go with JP more. I don't get hung up on getting the two baits exact. Shading is hard to do the same each time. I guess if I did just a few schemes I could get a lot closer. What happens to me a lot is someone will come in with a pic of a scheme or a drawing of a bait with a scheme they want. So that's going off painting by the seat of my pants. I do work on eye's, scales, gill plate, dot, etc. The reason is I want the bait to imitate a forage bait that the predator fish is after. I'm finding more now a days if I'm painting for myself I painting to an idea, not by a cook book. I do have what I call rules, these are facts that happen in nature. Examples; the shells on a craw and the size of the shell compared to the size of the bait, where the eyes are located on the craw, size that a predator fish eats on average, etc. I will look at pictures of real life forage as I paint sometimes or take a look before I start. Dale

She loves the outdoors Ben. Last year she got her own kayak, really good with it. I've got pic.s of her fishing in her kayak in the upper James River here in Va. However I am trying to make a point for us as bait makers to take the time and pass it along to the next generation if the younger ones are interested. I put a small piece of surgical hose over the hook(s). She made some jigs before Christmas and gave them as gifts. You can get as much or more out of it as they do. I think we as adults miss out on this sometimes. Just sayin