Chuck Young

Thank you both for your response. I can assure you that Createx fluorescent paints truly do light up under the black light. I believe all glow paint also does the same thing. In one sense it is a k2bw1s solution. But glow is going to add a green tinge to a paint job. I have googled both glow and fluorescent white. Wicked auto air is one possibility. I want to avoid solvent based paints if I can. Size of particles is definitely a factor. That is why I want to tap into the vast experience on this site.

I have been looking for a fluorescent white paint. Createx is what I usually use. Any recommendations or links?

BQ22 and A Carrell, There are three of these interference colors available at Jerry's artorama. Each gives a different effect. Which are you guys using?

googled this in under 10 sec: https://www.marketplacepulse.com/ebay/usa/fishincomfort

Great to have you join. Soon you will have things to contribute as well.

You would have to buy a finished one and repaint it.

Outstanding job, Jim!

I use the heavy duty ones. It helps penetrate all the post - it notes and white out.

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Nice to see humility prevail and smooth things out.

I was just stapling mine to the screen. No wonder i never got any likes.

It's a northern thing. Where i am the ice can get 3 ft deep or more. It's usually 2 ft or more mid winter. 50 miles south you probably will never even get fishable ice in the same winter. Further north or west and you have to use a 3 foot extension on your auger. The only thing I ever caught from the freezer was hell from my wife for putting trophy fish in there.

I heard that someone trained monkeys to make modern art using the spatter technique from a scaffolding using paint brushes. So why is it so hard for us to do on purpose, and so easy to do by accident?

Here are some helpful pointers for airbrush: 1) Use thicker paint. 2) Use low air pressure - 10 PSI or less. 3) Flick the trigger. Start with your finger slightly off the trigger. Then, as quickly as you can, push down, pull back, and release. The idea is to get the paint to pool up a bit in the end of the nozzle rather than to atomize. Angling the brush upwards may help. So can applying a short piece of dinking straw over the end of your nozzle. 4) Keep your bait at a distance. Mine is 6-10 inches. Yours may vary. 5) Aim over your bait. The atomized paint will float off. the heavier droplets (spatter) will arc down onto your bait. 6) Practice practice practice. If all else fails, there is always black glitter sprinkled on the first top coat. I hope this helps! I use a Badger 150. Granted it is not the best brush out there. But you can still do some amazing work with it.

Those are beautiful baits, even though mud puppies are kind of ugly. The largest salamander i know of lives in Mongolia (I think) and gets 3-5 ft long. I don't recommend them as bait for two reasons: They are endangered. You can't find a big enough hook.

The melting point of HDPE is 358 deg F. Then you face the issue of how to get both sides to melt at the same time, and only where you want it to. Sounds like more trouble than it is worth.

That makes a lot of sense. Fish probably kill them to protect their nest, whether they eat them or not.

When applying topcoat, I first do inside the attachment points. Then the rest of the lure gets a smooth coat, avoiding these points. There is usually very little clean up. Even if do plug up an eye, It is not too thick and is easily removed with a fresh exacto knife. If you do it after you can handle the lure without leaving prints, but before it fully cures, it cuts easily. First I plunge cut next to the body so no epoxy gets pulled out of any holes. Next I cut around the base of the hangers. Then the rest of the hanger gets cleaned from the sides. the rest pops off with no buffing needed. It sounds like more work than it is. If using epoxy, you may want to thin out your epoxy with denatured alcohol. If you are dipping your lures, dabs with a paper towel will get rid of most of that mess.

I would suggest you try with a proven balsa lure like the phox minnow. A google search will get you detailed plans and a good general intro to balsa construction. The bonus is you get a lure not every one has.

We have some tiny ones up here in NH. They are about 4" long (tail included). The population is pretty dense too. But I have never seen any fish bother them. I've been in ponds and watched one or the other surface from about 5 feet down every 20 seconds. They are in wide open and fairly clear water. I always thought they were poisonous or bitter or something. I have never found one in a stomach either.

Thanks for the trial. I will try to remember not to repeat the error.