Sonny.Barile Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 A few months ago I started posting here and made a bunch of lures. When it came time to topcoat I ended up using polyacrylic. Most of you regulars that got involved in the conversations were dead set against using this stuff because of hook rash and durability. I aquired some and tried it anyway because it was so darn easy to use I just couldnt help myself. I have been busy with work and was also in the proccess of replacing my boat...so I didnt get to do any fishing until last week. I took my tackle box full of lures out on the bay for the day. I had a great day boating over 2 dozen 2 foot long bluefish. Every one of my lures worked well but got shredded easily. For you guys that dont know what a bluefish is....the only way I can describe it is.....take the jumping and running ability of the largemouth bass and the teeth of a big pike, put'em together, and multiply by 10. Even just running on the sandy bottom takes this stuff right off. All in all as a learning experience I would say this was a great day. My lures swim good and catch fish. I also learned alot about topcoats. It is epoxy from now on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be spending saturday bandsawing as many blanks as I can to stock up, building a drying wheel, and shopping for some epoxy................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish devil Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Nothing but metal will survive bluefish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bombadier Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 A blue will take the finish off just about anything with their razor teeth. They also fight like the devil with no let up. Get a 15+lber on the line and it will work you over pretty good. If you're target is blues, don't even waste time sealing your lures. It's a waste of money and time since the blue is going to tear it up easily. Make the lure a quick shot of paint and then fish it. If the lure isn't too bad just reshoot it with paint for the next trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny.Barile Posted June 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Well......I used a variety of wood for my lures. Pine, poplar, white oak, and hickory. The pine and poplar came back with chunks gouged out of it. The white oak faired a little better. The hickory only got scrapes in the top coat and paint. If the top coat were epoxy I think they would have come out unscathed.................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Just a thought, but you might do better with a resin body (alumilite). I think the wood compresses slightly with the teeth and this allows more penetration into your top coat. With a very hard resin body, the top coat might have a better chance of survival. It's another option available. Congrats with the fishing success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Nothing wrong with trying something new, at least you know it does not work, unlike me who is usually just speculating. If you never try it, you will never know. pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodieb8 Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 wow. first off your lures got you tgreat fishing. congrats to that for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomah21 Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Ive never fished for blue fish but I agree you may want to try the alumilite even when gouged with teeth water has no real effect to it. It also can be made very hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 I'm a carpenter, so I always think of lures in terms of wood, which I can work with. The harder the wood, the better it will stand up to teeth. That's why white oak worked for you. But oak doesn't really like water. So, unless you're going to soak your lures in an oil based sealer, and then let them hang for two weeks to get rid of the volatile in the sealer before you paint, I'd look for a wood that's water resistant from the start. Cypress, cedar, redwood, and teak come to mind. I haven't worked with cypress, so all I have is second hand info that it is water resistant. In New Orleans, my neighbor, another carpenter, said they used cypress for it's water resistant qualities before they had pressure treated lumber. And redwood and cedar are softer woods. So that leaves teak, and other teak-like imports. If I were making lures for barracuda and bonita, two toothy inshore fish here in SoCal, I'd use a teak-type wood because they have enough oil to be water resistant even if the finish fails. And they're really heavy and hard. If bluefish are anything like 'cudas and bonita, it's not if, it's when the finish fails. I might try Abatung, a Malaysian hardwood that's almost as heavy and oily as teak, but a heck of a lot cheaper! We use it here for decking. I sure wouldn't sweat an airbrush finish on those lures. Rattle can paints only, and oil based. And a clear gloss rattle can topcoat. I'd know I was going to repaint them after each trip, so I wouldn't worry about perfection, or durability, when it came to the finish. Let us know how you finally solve this riddle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captsully18 Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Just my .02, if you are looking for a HARD topcoat, use Dick Nites. It is a lot harder than D2T and is very easy to apply and work with. I can't say that blues won't hurt it, but I do know that you can't hurt it by bouncing a bait off rocks, and hooks leave no rash at all. I would urge you to try the Dick Nites before you buy the D2T. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 the finish I like to use is called Ultra Glo.... I get it from tap plastics..... it has a longer drying process and requires a drying wheel..... stronger than anything else I have ever used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny.Barile Posted June 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Wow.....thanks for all the feedback guys...........That is why I love this site...........I spent alot of time reading the old posts before I built anything but there is plenty of new info doled out here every day........ I think I can find cedar and some teak here but the others would have to be ordered.........what about the Hickory? I cant really find any good info for its properties on-line.....just mostly food/grilling.....which is still usefull....cause I like to eat almost as much as I like to fish....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Balsa Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 If you are making the lures just for your own use, then stick with what you are doing. I mean, use the wood that is working and seal it as best you can. Then paint it and the Dick Nites that Capt. is talking about it great stuff for a topcoat. The heavier you go with the wood the less the action with your baits. If I had a Bluefish factory near by, I would love to see how many baits I could destroy in a season. I would have a trophy wall to hang them on. I might have a few photos to go with them. Might even try to see how messed up a bait could get before it just gives out. Learn to make through wire baits and fish the hell out of them. Bluefish and Bowfin (Mud Fish) are the ultimate destroyers when it comes to any kind of lures. Every time you look at those lures you will remember the times and exact days and locations where you used them. I don't know how old you are but there will come a day when most fishermen give up the hunt but those lures will bring it all back to you and either urge you to get out there one more time, or just bring back the memories that made your heart race. (if you are a true fisherman you know what I am talking about. It's that feeling you get, when it feels like your heart is pounding and about to jump out of you chest.) Send me a PM with you mailing address and I will send you 3oz. of propionate to seal them with. It won't make the baits indestructible but you will get more fish out of each bait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Just Goggled 'Bluefish', now I understand, they are called Tailor here, normally about 2-4lb on this coast and get to about 5' long (not sure of weight) on the N.West coast. Dirtiest, line cuttingest, toothy bastards in the sea -I had one hanging off a finger once, and cut like a razor blade. A pest, that when you are trolling for anything, they are bound to finish up, hanging off your line. Good sport in the surf though and good eating, if cooked straight out of the water. Those teeth are something, I can only imagine what a 10 -20lb thing can do to a lure, must be like shoving your lure into a pencil sharpner. pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 If they're anything like Barracuda, they are mean. I remember reaching down to get the lure that I'd removed from a 'cuda that had stopped flopping on the deck next to the lure. When my hand came down, I swear it lunged and tried to bite me! And they're the slimiest fish in the sea. I know that slime coat helps them cut down on water friction when they're swimming, and most of the torpedo shaped predators have that coat, but it's still nasty. But they're aggressive and fun to catch, and fight like the dickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny.Barile Posted August 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 (edited) Hazmail................my biggest blue was last year and 19 pounds...caught off the bottom with a live Bunker (Menhadden?) I pulled him up with 10 lb. PowerPro braid on a 7 foot bass rod. My heart still pounds when I think about it. When I got him up on the boatdeck he was thrashing and lunging like a rabid dog. I unhooked him with a very long pliers and rolled him back in the water with the butt end of my net......... I havent come back to update this post in a while.....My latest experiment is with lipped 7" stick baits. I want to have a few in my tackle box for the Fall Striper run.......As far as top-coating is concearned, I am still using up my poly supply as i have plenty. Considering that these are only in experimental stages I dont mind them getting chewed up............I did do a few with D2T and it isnt easy without a lure turning device. It seems to hold up better than the poly..... Edited August 20, 2008 by Sonny.Barile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazmail Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 Al these coatings seem to have their down sides, and these Blue fish would only magnify the problem. D2T is hard, maybe too hard- if you mix some up, and have some over, leave a 1" pool on a strip of silver tape, and in about 1 week peel it off the tape, it will shatter like glass, so imagine what those razor sharp teeth are going to do. pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clamboni Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 Sonny...........just make sure your lures are sealed very well with something that will penetrate the wood well. If you're fishing the NJ coast, you're gonna come across bluefish, and I don't care what you're using as a topcoat, it's not going to hold up. 2ton will be better than the polyacrylic, but trust me, they're gonna chew through anything. Not even factory paintjobs last against them, and though some can be pretty tough, none of the custom paintjobs are as tough as a factory one. The only way you're gonna get a little more time out of a topcoat is to really put it on way too thick, it'll deaden the lure's action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
