Lucky Craft Real Skin

[blackjack]

If I insulted your intelligence I apoligize, that is the skeptic in me, been in this business in one way or another since 1993, seen lots of fads and hype come and go, does that make me an expert I would say no, but it does give me some insight into what goes on in the industry. Because LC posted some pics of a guy applying some wet squid skin to a plastic lure body, and then dipping it in a can of something is not proof enough for me.(Ever look at a real skin fish mount after a couple of years?) So being the skeptic I ordered some and will certainly report my findings here on this board. If I am wrong I will be the first to admit it. As far as being 3 dimensional, you highly underestimate the abilities of many of the highly skilled painters that frequent this board(Myself Not Included). There are many here that have the ability and know how to replicate any baitfish that swims and craps in the water. My posts were not a personal attack on you or LC, just my casual observations. Lucky Craft already makes great baits no need for the hype. You have your opinion I have mine. That is what makes this site a great place to be!!

"Hype is the awkward and desperate attempt to convince journalists that what you've made is worth the misery of having to review it.”

Federico Fellini

[SmokeyJ]

Don't get me wrong, I didn't take any of these attacks personally. No one made any comments directed specifically towards me, and I didn't take them as such.

Blackjack-Maybe I spoke a little too strongly about my intelligence being insulted, but I find it incredibly hard to believe that a major lure company would advertise a bait as having real skin, post pictures on their website of the process being done with real skin, and then not use real skin. It would come out pretty quickly what they had done, and it would be financial suicide. As far as the ability of the painters, I have gone been through the galleries here many times, and I am constantly amazed at the ability of the painters here. I know they can do amazing things layering their paint, but I am just going to have to humbly disagree with you that they can get the same effect as the real thing.

To everyone else, I also understand that LC is in the business of selling lures. They try new things, if the work great, if not, the sales will reflect it. Look at the live series of baits that they did, with the segmented versions of popular baits such as the pointer. These lures haven't sold as well because most didn't find the action to be superior to the original versions. If these real skin lures don't help catch more fish, then they will fade into obscurity as well.

Like I said, no offense taken. It's an internet forum, you are reading words, you can't see the person saying it, or hear the tone of voice, so you have to take them for what they are, just words. Yeah, I was expecting a different reaction, but c'est la vie. I respect everyone here, and have learned quite a bit in the short time I have been looking around, and I won't stop coming here just because others weren't as enthusiastic about something as I was. I'm just pig-headed and will defend things I hold in high opinion till I am blue in the face. Annoying personality trait, I guess.

Anyways, I'm going to take my own advice and have a beer. Look forward to posting some of my work and arguing with people here about it over minor details.

[Nathan]

Welcome too the zoo SmokeyJ..Just like that eel skin you talked about..I think yours is plenty tough for this bunch:yes: ..Nathan

[Lure--Prof]

And don't let Blackjack mislead you with his humility...Everyone here has their own concept of the particular characterstics that constitutes a lure, and Blackjack executes his visions with beautiful precision. Some of us do not wish to have a tackle box full of 3-D carbon copies of baitfish; while this type lure is effective at the right time and place, it is also going to be the most perfectly camouflaged lure you could fish, making it the most difficult to find visually for the predator you're after.

[RiverMan]

Anyone that has dabbled with photo-finish lures has probably thought of this concept at some point. Twenty five years ago (starting to sound like my dad) I built a shrimp by using the actual carapace of a real shrimp......looked very real! I would think fish skin would be a mess to handle and difficult to clear coat. A photo of the fish would be much easier to deal with.

RM

[MR KNOW IT ALL KIND OF]

Dont take it personal Smokey.. They arent down grading your post bud!!! They are just saying its been done before... So when Lucky Craft tried to market it as something new... I really think they are bustin the chops of Lucky Craft.. not you bud!! I thought your post was interesting.. I like the pictures.. Perdy COOL!!! I tried wrappin a lure in bacon.. but old Seb kept eating my supplies before I could get it cleared!!! It wasnt a profitible venture!!! or a healthy one either!!

The Rookie

[Coley]

How this for real skin. Yes, real Rattlesnake skin on

a top water I made awhile back.

[BobP]

I'm not a taxidermist but the fish skins must be cured. My eel skin wallet is tanned and lasts better than cowhide, plus it's very thin. What do they do about the scales, which are the external manifestation of a baitfish, not underlying skin? Smokey, I think the lures are beautiful like most LC's. It's an interesting process. But I don't see it as so beautiful that I'd pay a premium above an already premium priced lure. That's JMHO. LC regularly differentiates a small segment of their product line and charges a premium for it (American Shad finish is another example). I think those decisions are usually marketing strategy and not related to manufacturing cost. If so, yeah, it's a gimick to sell more lures. That's what LC is in business to do. I'm not offended and have a bunch of LC's in my tackle box to prove it. Just not any real skin Pointers Yet.

[dampeoples]

I was thinking the same thing, I have no idea, but I don't think a squid has scales, so what you're seeing is paint, which brings me back to my original point. Then again, a squid might be covered in scales and whatnot, but they applied a dull grey skin, and the finished lure is nice and pretty paint.

[Lure--Prof]

Coley, You da man! Talk about your passion and dedication!!! Here's a guy who goes out and kills a rattlesnake as his first step in making a lure. He probably does it bare handed. I just go and cut a piece off a little old balsa board. That Lucky 13 is truly meaner than a snake, but not half as mean as its builder! (Now I understand why you got that blue ribbon and I only got the red).

Dean

[SmokeyJ]

They don't just use squid skin, they also use sea bream, half beak and cod skin, according to their website. Certain paint schemes use the squid skin, but the one with the scales, with the blue paint over it, is fish skin, halfbeak to be exact (halfbeak being the family that the ballyhoo is a part of).

Looking more closely at the pictures on the LC press release of the skins other than squid, I think that the scales may have actually been removed from the fish skins, just leaving the pattern behind (if you've scaled a fish, you know the pattern left on the skin I am talking about). Some paint is shot over the skin to give the different patterns of lures. The speckles on the brown lure and the scales on the blue lure are the patterns contributed by the skin, the color schemes OVER those patterns are added.

I was thinking that the squid skinned wrapped around a trout imitator with then just some colors shot over the skin (the greens, pinks, etc.) would give a very nice, realstic finish without requiring tedious handpainting of a bunch of dots, as well as add depth without numerous layers of paint. An article I read on ESPN.com said that the squid skinned is dyed with coffee before being put on the lures to accent those dots and such and get rid of the grayish color.

I'm really not a Lucky Craft fanatic or anything. I just thought it was a cool idea. My day job is as a researcher, so it's engrained in my thought process to research every last detail of something. That's why I have presented so much info on it. Might try it myself after I get a few simpler lures under my belt. Will post my results, but until then, I can't think of anything else to contribute to this thread, so I think I'm going to courteously abstain from saying anymore on this thread.

[RiverMan]

Photo finish:

[KcDano]

Nice bait Jed!

[wrw1509]

Wow, those look incredible!

[willie525]

i think rapala used to do that with herring skin, a long time ago though.