Norwegian

Probably by mixing water soluble and not so water soluble substances in the right proportion. I can unfortunately not go in depth on exactly what is in it but I have spent a lot of time making such a gel. Edit: here is some underwater video of the gel. Two identical baits, one with the gel. This is not a commercial product.

This is just my opinion but "not water soluble" is very relative. There are components of oils that is soluble in water. This may mean only a very small amount can be dispersed in a a lot of water but as fish can detect some substances in 1 part per many millions it can not be ruled out even if they are defined as "practically insoluble". Also, taste may play a part.

Yes, eye sockets or fins or whatever I want to be at the same place on both sides.

If you don't use stencils it might be useful filing down something like an old wire cutter so that the edge only meet at one point. Then by gripping the lure and make a small mark it's pretty easy to get them placed on the same spot on both sides. Sorry about the clumsy explanation but the picture might help

Great idea. Perfect for testing new blends of powders too. Thanks for sharing.

I have used porcelain paint over powder cot then clear powder coat over that again. Also available as markers Just let it dry well before heating it for clear coat or it might make bubbles.

Coming in a bit late here but I make single hook spoonplugs(one in the rear end with hook point upwards) I found that adjusting the size of the hook has great impact on stability and how the lure run. A lure that flip around with a small hook will behave better with a larger hook. Since I did not want the hook too big I added some bucktail hair to the hook. The extra drag has the same effect as using a bigger hook By taking a pair of scissors when testing the bait you can cut off bits of hair till you are happy with the lures performance.

Hi, I thought some might be interested in the method I use to paint and coat metal lures. When I started out I I wanted to do most of the work in my garage in winter where temperatures can be pretty low, 2-4 Celsius. The lures I wanted to make was molded lures of tin, with the line going through. These are molded in suitable silicone molds. Because of the low temperature in the garage a lot of coatings like epoxy etc was not suitable. An letting them cure in the house was not really an option as it would require some ventilation system. I did not want to airbrush either as that required a lot of equipment I don't own. I have a small oven out there so powder coating was appealing. However, I wanted to be able to make more details, patterns and eyes etc. After some research I found that porcelain paint and pens cure at a suitable temperature and can be used in the house without much smell or fumes. So now I work like this: Lures are molded in the garage. Most times I give them a coating of powder coat, usually black or white, and cured in the oven. Then they are taken inside to painted with porcelain paint. This is available in a all sorts of colours, both transparent and opaque. I just use a brush or a sponge and a fine brush or a pen for smaller details. There is also possible to mix some glitters and other pigments with the porcelain paint thinner and add some sparkle or other effects. I then cure them in the oven and when they are done and still hot they are given two or three dips in clear powder coat. This method is probably not suited for any mass production but is a valid option for small scale.