Chuck Young

D2t is one epoxy you can get away with turning by hand. It's so thick it takes time to sag. Moisture cure urethane (MCU) is probably too much of an investment if you are just painting a few or just painting once in a while. With that you can dip the lure and let it run off, dabbing the eye occasionally. Dakota lake tackle has a video on each. And don't worry about those battle scars - plenty of real fish have a few also!

Wonderful! Have a great time. My dad served in the pacific in WW2 and in Korea. Those guys payed a high price.

Amazon has a bunch.

Also note that thin layers of certain colors work really well to deepen or earthify (just made that word up) other colors. You have three already -wicked sepia, Moss green and burnt Sienna. Burnt Umber is another good one. Createx colors (like T Black) can be mixed with the transparent base and reduced. You will be amazed at how much you can change a color by adding very thin layers of these colors. Buy a color wheel. It will point you in the right direction when layering on the bait or custom mixing in liquid form. When doing the latter, the manufacturer says do not mix the "Createx: and "Wicked" lines together.

http://www.rotometals.com/Low-Melting-Fusible-Alloys-s/21.htm

I package my baits in small ziplock bags - just big enough to hold the lure. My thinking is that a bagged lure can be put in your box with little wasted space. If anyone has had bad experiences with this, please comment. Thank you, Lure Me In, for your posts and you tube videos. They taught me a lot.

Lest people think this is a NH issue - at least three other states have legislated bans based on this groups lobbying. They are also pushing for a federal ban. I don't pour (yet). But for those who do, how much will a ban of 1 ounce or less jigs and sinkers affect you? It may not stop there. Other wire form baits have been referenced as well. Heck - one study held that just as many waterbirds were adversely affected by non lead fishing items (hooks, line, plugs, non-lead jigs, etc) as lead items.

Too funny! And also too true.

The loon population in NH has tripled since 1975 according to the "Loon Preservation Committee". I believe that is because of a reduction in pollution and increase of habitat funded by fishing and hunting license fees. But the LPC says it is because of "The tireless efforts of the LPC"

I don't mind friending dogs - Like 'em better than most people.

The tufts study was done in the 80s. The usgs study and several others quoted in "waterbirds_sinkers" were done from 1995-1999 and they all came up with similar statistics. A little more research did provide some insight. The data came from an organization called the "Loon Preservation Committee". They are the driving force behind the NH lead ban. They are the organization quoted by the NH fish and game. This ban was origionally on sinkers less than 1/2 oz and jigs less than 1/2 oz or 1" long or shorter. Now the ban is on all lead weights, and jigs 1 ounce or less. They are also the ones collecting they dead bodies and supplying the data on loon mortality and lead poisoning. Talk about an opportunity to manipulate data - otherwise known as lying. I wonder what they do with all those bodies that don't fit their conclusions?

Loons nest near the shore and away from humans. So If they really want to protect loons they should donate their waterfront property and buy up as much as they can from others to create nesting habitat. If loons can't find nesting habitat, they kill another loon to get theirs. Another good suggestion is to build and maintain Artificial Nesting Platforms. These have to be removed, repaired and replaced yearly or the nest will fail. Clean water is vital for loons, so lawn fertilizers and pesticides should not be used around lakes and watersheds. The following suggestions come from: https://www.northland.edu/sustain/soei/loonwatch/protect-loons/ Loons need healthy aquatic ecosystems with good water quality, abundant prey, irregular shaped shorelines or islands with native vegetation, and nursery habitat with little to no human disturbance. Practice Good Loon Etiquette · Watch loons from at least 200 feet away. Get a powerful lens for your camera, use binoculars or a spotting scope, and never explore a loon nest site. Close encounters can be deadly for swimming and nesting loons. · Avoid exploring or camping on islands before July 15 of each year. Loons prefer islands for nesting. Disturbance can cause a loon to abandon its nest. · Dispose of household garbage at a collection site. Garbage draws raccoons, foxes, gulls, and eagles, which prey on loon eggs. Trash can also ensnare wildlife, including loons. · Be an ethical angler. Never fish or cast near loon nests or swimming loons, properly dispose of extra bait and trash, and pick up monofilament line. · Keep dogs and cats away from loons and nests. Pets disturb nesting loons and can destroy loon eggs. · Be a responsible boater. Never chase loons or run motorboats or personal watercraft over areas where loons have been seen. Loons and loon chicks have died from being hit by boats and pro­pellers. Boat wakes and waves may also wash eggs off of nests. · Practice and teach wildlife stewardship…always! Protect and Restore Loon Habitat · Protect native vegetation on all shores. Loons nest on natural shorelines and use natural materials to build their nests. Native vegetation also protects water quality by slowing and absorbing runoff materials from entering the lake. · Use only phosphorus-free fertilizers on shorelands, and only if needed. Fertilizer that runs off into lakes increases aquatic plant growth, making it difficult for loons to swim and find food. · Protect loons from your pets. Keep dogs and cats away from loons and nests. Pets disturb nesting loons and can destroy loon eggs. And please clean up your pet’s waste—pet waste can also contribute unwanted nutrients and bacteria to the water. · Pollutants from fertilizers, pesticides, streets, and rooftops are contaminating your lakes and rivers. If heavy rains collect in pools and puddles in your yard, the easiest way to help water infiltrate into the ground rather than run off into storm sewers is by creating a rain garden and using rain barrels to collect rain water from your roof gutters. · Loons need good water quality, healthy lake habitats and ecosystems to survive and thrive. Local government agencies do not have the capacity or resources to monitor the water quality on all Wisconsin lakes; therefore, volunteer monitoring is a vital component to determining the water quality of our state’s lakes and rivers. Learn about Wisconsin’s volunteer water quality monitoring. · Make sure your septic system is functioning properly. When septic systems don’t work properly, they pose serious risks to human, animal, and environmental health by releasing contaminants, including harmful bacteria and chemical pollutants, into the groundwater and into surface water—lakes, rivers, marshes, and streams. Reduce Your Energy Consumption · Sources of mercury in the United States include: 40% from mid-western power plants, 40% from New England power plants and incinerators, and 20% from global sources. · Most, if not all, mercury entering the Earth’s surface waters comes from the atmosphere. Particles generated by power plants are emitted into the atmosphere, and raindrops form around these particles. If you are considering an ANP, there are a number of questions that should be considered. If you can answer yes to any of the first three questions, a platform is probably not the right management tool for your lake. · Do loons produce chicks on your lake once every three years? · Do your loons successfully nest on a nearby lake? · Are there natural nesting locations on your lake that could be enhanced rather than place a platform? · Do you know the history of loon nesting attempts on your lake? If you answered yes to the last question your first step should be to document loon use. You need to determine if: 1. The loons are territorial (exhibiting defensive postures such as the penguin dance); non-breeding residents; or just occasional visitors. 2. If nesting has been attempted, data on nest locations, cause, and number of failures is important. Important: You will be the person responsible for maintaining the ANP for its lifetime. This includes placing it on your lake within a week of ice-out, removing it in late summer, and making necessary repairs at the end of the season. This is an important long-term responsibility. If the ANP is not properly maintained, it may cause the nest to fail. The need for loon platforms implies that humans have manipulated the habitat to a point where natural nesting is not possible. ANP’s are not always the answer.

When you search, be sure to search "forums" not "this topic" (which is default)

The NH fish and game people are publishing that 40% of loon deaths are caused by lead sinkers and jigs. Nothing in these usgs surveys indicates anything like that. How do you go from 1% or 3.5% to 40%?

Here is another table from PDF waterbirds_sinkers pdf I had to reconfigure the data to get it to post Table 2. Characteristics of ingested lead fishing weights and tissue lead concentrations in four species of waterbirds, 1995-1999. NOTE: some birds have multiple objects, indicated by the state being listed once with additional rows of data following. Common Loon lead in ppm state Type (mm) (g) Liver Blood CA) unknown 5x8 1.1 14.7 FL) split shot 6×8 1.8 split shot 7×7 1.8 16.9 CA unknown 5×8 1.1 14.7 FL split shot 6×8 1.8 split shot 7×7 1.8 16.9 ME split shot 8×9 2.9 8.03 ME jig head 0.30 NC jig head 8×25 4.2 16.6 4.24 NC unknown 5×8 0.6 12.8 6.02 NC pyramid sinker 22×39 78.2 16.9 NH jig head NH jig head 0.40 WI split shot 0.97 WI split shot 0.28 Brown Pelican FL egg sinker 13×16 16.2 0.35 FL jig head 10×27 6.4 1.14 FL bell sinker 10×32 12.8 1.32 split shot 7×7 1.5 split shot 6× 7 1.5 FL bell sinker 7 × 11 3.3 0.14 FL egg sinker 14 × 16 15.0 0.82 FL egg sinker 9 × 13 5.6 13.9 FL egg sinker 0.04 FL egg sinker 19 × 25 48.1 0.06 FL egg sinker 13 × 17 14.9 1.45 FL jig head 11 × 28 6.2 Double-crested Cormorant FL bell sinker 12 × 39 21.1 Black-crowned Night Heron CA jig head 14 × 32 15.1 26.0

They don't call 'em sweatshops for nothin'. I was hoping to hear from some of the cage guys here in the US. Climate control would give us one more reason to support their business.

PVC is injected at 350f and abs at 400f minimum. But the halves cool completely before assembly. I wonder if there is any climate control in the assembly area?

Works great with those twin blade window fans too.

An easton 2215 arrow shaft with a target point.Plenty of broken arrows free at the archery shop. Lube it. load it with collars Mix your colors and push them in with a brush handle. Push the flat section where the fibers are joined. Just cut the shaft with a pipe cutter to 1/2 the length of the skirt. Readjust the fibers once on the jig. El Cheapo strikes again.

Those distortion temps are under a 1 lb weight. But you make a good point. Air pressure could exert a lot of pressure.

Some information gleaned from “waterbirds_sinkers” pdf. A summary of the USGS survey done between 1995-1999 and the basis for the ban on lead sinkers and jigheads less than 1/2 oz in the state of NH. This is one of the tables in the report and some of my observations on the numbers contained therein. This should lead to some vigorous discussion! Table 2 Species No. with ingested lead weights Frequency (%) Common Loon (tested sick or dead – 65%) FROM # tested # w/ lead % w/lead Rehabilitation centers 156 6 3.8 Apparently healthy 109 5 4.6 Found dead in field 48 0 0 Total 313 11 3.5 Brown Pelican (tested sick or dead – 99%) FROM # tested # w/ lead % w/lead Rehabilitation centers 308 10 3.2 Apparently healthy 4 0 0 Found dead in field 53 0 0 Total 365 10 2.7 Double-crested Cormorant (tested sick or dead - 90%) FROM # tested # w/ lead % w/lead Rehabilitation centers 68 0 0 Apparently healthy 8 0 0 Found dead in field 5 1 20 Total 81 1 1.2 Black-crowned Night Heron (tested sick or dead – 91%) FROM # tested # w/ lead % w/lead Rehabilitation centers 0 N/Aa N/A Apparently healthy 1 0 0 Found dead in field 10 1 10 Total 11 1 9.1 84% of birds tested were sick or dead. 2.9% had a lead item in digestive tract. Some evidence in report that less than ½ actually have increased lead levels. 23 out of 2240 (about 1%) water birds tested had lead items in their digestive tract.

One reason could be the greenhouse effect. Transparent tackle holders become a greenhouse. I imagine a hollow lure - even with paint on it - will collect and store heat. The closer to a globe the shape of the lure is, the more efficiently it stores heat. Keeping trays in tack e bags with the cover closed will help. The table below may help. It shows the temp at which plastics begin to distort. I believe they make lures out of PVC and ABS. ABS would be superior. But if lures are reaching almost 200 degrees, it can probably be prevented. An extra 20 degrees may not make much of a difference. I wish lure suppliers would tell us what they use. It might make a difference who we choose to buy from. plastic distortion temps PVC 197.6F ABS 216.1F PS 216.5 PE 261F PP 306F PC 312.8

Looks like thin epoxy (envirotex?) with the glitter sprinkled on after the epoxy is applied. Another coat on top or mixing glitter into epoxy would be more durable. Too much or doing both sides is likely to inhibit the action of the blades - especially with willow blades.