mark poulson Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 (edited) I was at the Anglers Marine Bass-A-Thon yesterday, and Butch Brown did a workshop about how he fishes swimbaits, and what he throws. He's the guy who has several hundred bass over 10lbs, and a five fish limit of 54lbs, all on swimbaits in the Castaic afterbay. The swimbait he was talking about yesterday was a resin core two piece, with a soft, air filled tail. But the thing that was really unique about it was the soft rubber skin over the foiled body. The bait he talked about is called the silent swimmer, because it doesn't make any click or rattling noise as it's fished. He said it took him a year to figure out how to fish it in all situations, but he fishes 300 days a year. Does anyone here have any idea what kind of soft, transparent rubber they might have used for the bait? Here's a link: http://www.westernba...bat-t81319.html Edited November 18, 2012 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted November 18, 2012 Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 Mark, There is a product that fly tiers use called sili-skin.it is a soft plyable material that has a adhesive back.It comes in a bunch of colors as well as clear I believe.The stuff is a little pricey .Your problem will be your top coat...It's going to need to be pliable as well...Fly tiers also have a top coat they use called softex that may work...I've been playing around with this for a while.....Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2012 Thanks Nathan. You saved me a lot of research. I'll look it up on the internet, and check it out. But I'm probably not going to get that deeply involved in learning a new process with new materials. I'm thinking the soft skin isn't critical, except for the teen bass that Butch Brown fishes for. For him, the search for big bass is almost a religion. He doesn't even count bass under 10lbs any more. I heard him speak at the Anglers Marine Bass-A-Thon yesterday, and he is passionate. Even though I've known him for years, I was amazed how deeply he cares about the fish he catches, and how committed his is to making any bait he uses perform to it's maximum potential. He said one of his big bass died in his livewell, so he called a DFG biologist and gave it to him The biologis placed it's age at well over 10 years, so Butch said that bass had seen lots of Huddlestons, Triple Trouts, and every soft swimbait out there. He said, for bass that old and experience educated, the smallest detail that's off will turn them away. But, for most of the fish under 10 lbs, I think they can still be fooled by the hard skinned baits most of us make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokeyJ Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 The soft skin on the Deps is not actually a topcoat, its like a silicone rubber sleeve that fits over the lure portions and you can actually remove it. Deps actually sells a weight kit that you install by removing the soft body cover and gluing in place on the bottom of the resin lure, then slide the skin back on. This image is of an unfinished lure and gives a better idea of what's going on with the lure. I think to replicate it you would need to make an open top mold of the finished dimensions, possibly in a solo cup, then pour some sort of clear, flexible silicone into the mold, the insert the main lure body (or a replica) covered in mold release into the mold to squish the silicone around and up the sides. I don't know if that makes any sense, and I have no idea where you would get clear/translucent, flexible casting silicone rubber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 Another thought would be too either use the plastic dip clear spray on material or you their clear dipping coating and actually dip the lure in.Your bait would be left with a softer rubbery textured top coat that is nearly bullet proof.I've dipped jig heads in this stuff and have sprayed a few baits with it and it is tough!!! But you have a flat finish to it..no gloss at all..(the fish didn't seem to mind!!) ..Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimb8s Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 Another possible way to make this quite is to use dbl sided foam tape where the joints meet. That is too cool , butch rocks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitro98 Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 its higher shore harness silicone and if your not set to pour it your going to be out some $$ experimenting. stuff is not cheap. You can do it with plastisol but it will tear and rip on you if you try to remove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny.Barile Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 Smooth-on makes some not so costly silicone molding materials that might work for you. Also, if your just gonna sleeve the thing use the silicone caulking/water thing that was discussed here on TU a while back. I think it was brought up by a guy with the name Huskie????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 Wow, that's a lot of info and options. Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretcher66 Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 looking back through some old threads and ran across this. video by Lee Butz. This clearasol might work on hard baits as well. not sure how well it would stick, but it would be a clear, soft, flexible coating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Great video. Thanks for finding it and reposting it. I've found some clear spray-on electrical insulation that works well for me here: http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Liquid_Tape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 What a great Idea Mark!!..lol..Did you ever mess with that realistic Water?..Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretcher66 Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 have you had much success with it? does it quiet down your swimbaits? and how does it look and hold up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 I can tell you that Plastic Dip is tough..tough stuff. You get a Matt finish with it ( all finishes look the same underwater) and it has a rubbery feel to it...A couple thin coats of the clear spray and you are ready to go...Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) Nathan, It's still sitting on my work bench, already decanted into a dipping jar. I just haven't remembered to try it. By the time I go out into the garage to do something, poof!!! But I'll give it a try on a sample this week, promise, and let you know how it handles. Stretcher, It does quiet them down. I sprayed on that was already assembled, and it did make it more quiet. I haven't taken one apart and sprayed the individual pieces yet, which would get more material into the joint faces, but that's next for me. It's been such a slow bite this winter that the only swimbaits I've been throwing are soft plastics on the bottom. But I spooked a fish off a bed Sunday, so things should be heating up here now. It's been a looong winter. Edited February 20, 2014 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretcher66 Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 i hear ya mark, and with the lack of water, almost all the lakes around here are dried up. Lake San Antonio 5% capacity lake nacimiento 21% santa margarita 38% lopez 56% its a good thing i live 15 minutes from Morro Bay so i can get some saltwater fishing in..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 i hear ya mark, and with the lack of water, almost all the lakes around here are dried up. Lake San Antonio 5% capacity lake nacimiento 21% santa margarita 38% lopez 56% its a good thing i live 15 minutes from Morro Bay so i can get some saltwater fishing in..... It is dry!!!! Both Castaic and Pyramid have water, but they are only 2000/2500 acres. With Casitas locked down, Cachuma waaaaay down, and Piru contaminated by quagga mussels, both Castaic and Pyramid are getting hammered. It seems like they each have two tourneys every weekend, with the local trails and clubs having no where else to fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretcher66 Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 yes its that way with santa margarita over here, and it gets hammered by local clubs and then bakersfield clubs as well. its a tough lake to fish, but when you get them on the bite its awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 (edited) I love Margarita. Pray for rain!!! Edited February 21, 2014 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretcher66 Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I love it too. especially since i can hook my boat up, throw all my gear in the truck and be there in around 20 minutes. hit me up anytime you are going to fish any of the central coast lakes and ill go drowned a few lures with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Sounds good. The only thing holding me back is time and money. Hahaha Our club usually does two two day away tournaments every year, one at Cachuma and one at Margarita. But with both so low, we're thinking of going to Perris for one, and maybe both, this year instead. Sucks when we're in a drought. My youngest is in school back in Toronto, and they have the opposite problem, too much water, although right now it's hard and white. Since the western states, and particularly CA, feed a large part of the country, are a major exporter of food, and contribute a great deal to our national economy, it's time that the Federal Govt. come up with an overarching water plan, like they did with the Interstate Highway System, to deal with this nationally. It's not like it's going away any time soon. Big stuff like that is what they are supposed to deal with. Oops. I just fell off my soap box. Rant over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Moreau Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I thought abou this awhile back when the deps SS first started the rage. Havent been building much lately got married and work is killing me....BUT my idea was Clear brush on latex. Never tried the stuff and dont know about durability but just a thought if someone wants to try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretcher66 Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 you might look at Lopez for your tourney Mark. there is still alot of water there actually and alot of fish as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted February 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 I'll mention it to the Club. Thanks for the heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemmy Posted February 24, 2014 Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Just did some searching, and found this stuff, but dunno if it wouldvwork.. https://www.miapoxy.com/p-11-bluestar-v-3040-silicone-rubber.aspx Clemmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
