bockscar

can anyone recommend a way for me to size the images to fit onto my blank crankbaits? I dont have publisher like OP mentioned and am on a mac

No problem. Just dont like scammers or thiefs of any sorts....especially when money is tighter with all the crap going on. Once I found out she was actively doing it....and getting multiple people, especially those guys that gave her/him more than $100! According to facebook someone reported them to their city and I guess are looking for those she scammed. so hopefully this puts an end to her bullcrap. If anyone was taken by her let me know and Ill try and look up that contact info for the people handling the situation in her location.

So...this lady (might be a guy or gal since the profile is female but paypal is the male) Elora Wolden has been hitting the facebook crankbait painting and selling groups pretty hard over the last few weeks. She claims USA made vision 110s, pre rap wiggle warts and all kinds of other blanks....and to throw some extra cheese on the tacos mentions something like her grandpa/friend made the blanks and she saw them do it to try and lend credence to her lying claims. She's 100% full of crap....and she even adds in a sob story about her kids and not being eligible for the stimulus (90% of americans were eligible for the stimulus)....and goes for the killshot of asking the buyer to send F&F and spins up a story about a "guy that trusted" them and they sent they lots of extra blanks and free paint for trusting them. It was facebook drama, and I did call her out...but didnt really care much beside giving them a hard time in the comments for making claims that were flat out lies. BUT...yesterday some guy posted to one of the painter groups that he got taken for $200 and it was sent friends and family...and then other guys came to chime in about losing $50ish bucks by sending it to her via paypal also and then having her block them on facebook after. There was a guy that posted and it looked like he sent her the money yesterday/day before yesterday since he screenshotted the ad that got him to buy....so this person is still actively scamming and looking for people to take advantage of. Her name is Elora Wolden...and the boyfriend is called something Foland(or Froland something like that, but not sure since i never interacted with him). just a heads up before she hits someone else.

that tape from home depot is not noob friendly! LOL I think I painted the ugliest craw you seen! Thanks for mentioning this...ill look for that stuff.

stuff brushes on well, and dries to a matte like gloss if that makes sense. BUT....it doesnt hold up well under water. Even after the 5 day cure, a quick 15 minute soak in water makes it easy to scratch the paint off to the blank. Might try to spray this and use it as a mid coat before using KBS.

I have a 1.5 from a lower end supplier (not gonna name them since the rest look good) that has an issue at the hook hanger eye. Seems like testing them before you start painting is best practice? I think I saw one maker testing them with a pressure cooker or something like that....but not sure I can pull that off. Thinking maybe swim test them in a tub and maybe leave them submerged overnight or 24-48 hours to see if any water leaks in? any tips to try and avoid bad blanks?

Yea, I already have some beaters that are on deck to be painted by myself once I get decent enough with the basic patterns im running. I really cant afford to buy name brand baits and just paint over them tho! lol Im not really picky.....and in all honesty am kinda confused with the blank hate I read. NEW to this....but I saw blanks the same I saw strike king and other mass produced baits just unpainted. 6th sense has good paintjobs, but Ive actually never been the biggest fan of their blanks/bodies. I always liked and throw SK (Red eye shad caught me a 9+ and my go to lipless), but didnt have the exact patterns I wanted. But...when i decided to start painting I didnt think/want to drop down in bait quality and didnt think I was...as long as I bought the pricier ($2+ blanks from places like dinger and predator) blanks. I figure as long as it runs, doesnt need to be true as long as its tuneable, and doesnt take on water....thats a good bait. Am I wrong? What issues come up using these blanks people like me are painting? Totally new to this...so I dont know what im in for. I figure some baits will be bad in that they take water (already got 1), but I also figured if you hollered at the maker they would make it right since Ive seen many mentions about good customer service at "XYZ Baits" AND....that happens with the brands in retail stores. EVEN to overpriced baits like megabass! Had a damn 110+1 sink on me! So I know problems happen...but are they worse or way more prevalent with these chinese blanks that new painters are using?

VERY good to hear! If the blanks are at least of the quality of SK and other mass produced baits that is all I ever want and could ask for. Literally just doing this for myself...and literally only have plans to paint about 5-8 patterns. Im sure ill expand once I dive deeper into this hobby and have more time....but you nailed it. My ultimate goal in all of this is to catch fish! Im not artistic at all and would rather drink beers and watch sportscenter than get artsy....but I am picky and want what I want! SK, 6th sense, rapala dont really nail the 2-3 colors I REALLY want....so just looking to fill that gap. Dinger and predator are gonna be my boat baits...and if I feel like I get to that point, theyll be the ones I trade with other baitmakers. But if I throw them I dont want to ever have to think "is this bait trash" while im on the water and fishing...cuz thatll just mess with my confidence and we all know how important confidence is when fishing! Thank you! I was really getting worried! LOL

are they good enough that you would fish them regularly as confidence baits? I was kinda shocked how much hate the "cheap chinese blanks" were getting in this thread. Im just doing this for myself....so I started to worry that the baits arent even worth fishing! lol

first post....and I am a bandwagon painter!!! LOL Just starting out Ill never get to the point where I carve my own balsa, or make my own baits completely from scratch the way some of you do. I always just planned to get good enough to paint some patterns that match the hatch at my lake...and buy the "expensive" blanks and replace my current collection with my custom painted blanks. Currently I bought some wLure and lower priced shelts/alternative lure blanks. Just gonna use all these to start learning. I will fish these, but these arent likely to see time/take up space on the boat regularly. I figured once I get good enough, Ill buy some "expensive" blanks from places like dinger and predator baits and use those as my regular baits that stay on the boat. Are "expensive" blanks like those from dinger and predator lower quality, in the big picture of things? I fish strike king and love it, so my standards arent high....but I do want a consistent/quality bait. Do you all fish your blanks regularly or primarily? Not doing this for money and doing it for myself....so im not trying to catch any fisherman!!! LOL but if I do this for my own use am I still getting quality by using these blanks? I figure they are all coming from china since I called alternativelures the other day and they told me stuff is out of stock due to quarantine in China and that site has a good rep for quality from what ive read...and when you pay shelts via paypal the seller is in chinese characters/letters. So just want to make sure the stuff is decent enough that youd fish them regularly....figure they are since that would suck to know people are selling custom paint job on trash blanks! but looking for the TU educated opinion Thanks.