cory721 Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 I've been struggling to find a shad pattern that I like. Does anyone care to share some picture and color combinations to help me out of this rut? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 Check out the Hard Baits Gallery. There are lots of shad baits there with great paint schemes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cory721 Posted March 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 We're is this gallery I haven't seen it on the site. Mobile version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 Go to the bottom of the page and click " Full Site".. You should then be able to see the gallery link at the top of the page..Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Funny that this thread was started now. I'm just finishing off a wooden bait shaped as best as I can as a gizzard shad. Painting took some time to get simular to this species around here. I've got to clear coat them tomorrow or this week. The shape to me is a flat, high profile. Which makes the shape hard to get ballast in it without blowing the wood out. You may need to compromise a tad, I don't feel that I did. If so not very much. Suggestion, look at pictures to see details of the shape and colors and shades. The scheme was a challenge for me because you can see gold with a touch of greens, blues, large scales, etc. I use createx, wicked and auto air paints and sealer (primer) so here goes. I seal with a white, then I paint the back liberally and dust the sides with pearl black, I then dust the sides with a pearl pineapple (to give a shiny green look), a real light ducting of augua blue, dust over these with pearl silver but let the other colors just shine thru enough, then a pearl white to take the shine off of the silver, a bone color on the belly. Gizzards to me are not a real flashy fish. So that's why I don't make it to much then what it is.I'm a naturalist when it comes to making my baits, so I try to really mimic the forage fish or whatever. I don't make them pretty and shiny, I make them real looking as I can possibly do. I'm not new to painting but I'm new to designing baits. Hope this helps and good luck, Dale Oh by the way this bait was about 4-6 months in the making. In my spare time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 Oh yeah, scales....oops. I use luffa, I put it on before the silver. Not to big but good size. One last trick, I pull the lufa off a tad early, paints is still just a little wet. You need to pull straight up. As the paint sets take your fingers and knock them down a bit. When you clear coat it will five it a 3D look to the scales. This just to let everyone know I can paint. Need help with the designing tho......lol!! Dale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 (edited) I've been struggling to find a shad pattern that I like. Does anyone care to share some picture and color combinations to help me out of this rut? Tennessee shad has been a proven producer for many, many years. And it's an easy pattern to paint. Ben Edited March 26, 2016 by RayburnGuy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cory721 Posted March 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thanks dale. Have any pictures of a finished lure? Would love to see your take on a gizzard shad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Funny that this thread was started now. I'm just finishing off a wooden bait shaped as best as I can as a gizzard shad. Painting took some time to get simular to this species around here. I've got to clear coat them tomorrow or this week. The shape to me is a flat, high profile. Which makes the shape hard to get ballast in it without blowing the wood out. You may need to compromise a tad, I don't feel that I did. If so not very much. Suggestion, look at pictures to see details of the shape and colors and shades. The scheme was a challenge for me because you can see gold with a touch of greens, blues, large scales, etc. I use createx, wicked and auto air paints and sealer (primer) so here goes. I seal with a white, then I paint the back liberally and dust the sides with pearl black, I then dust the sides with a pearl pineapple (to give a shiny green look), a real light ducting of augua blue, dust over these with pearl silver but let the other colors just shine thru enough, then a pearl white to take the shine off of the silver, a bone color on the belly. Gizzards to me are not a real flashy fish. So that's why I don't make it to much then what it is.I'm a naturalist when it comes to making my baits, so I try to really mimic the forage fish or whatever. I don't make them pretty and shiny, I make them real looking as I can possibly do. I'm not new to painting but I'm new to designing baits. Hope this helps and good luck, Dale Oh by the way this bait was about 4-6 months in the making. In my spare time. Dale, Since I work from a centerline that I put on my baits once their profile is cut out and sanded, but while the sides of the bait are still flat and parallel, I can clamp my lure into a wooden jawed Jorgensen clamp and drill my ballast holes with my drill press while there's still enough meat to protect the sides of the bait from blow out. The wood clamp jaws give the bait sides enough pressure to prevent it. I use that clamp because I don't have a drill press vice, and I'm too cheap to buy one. Hahaha I use PVC, but I did the same when I used wood, and it worked. It will involve sealing inside the ballast holes before you float test your bait, but it will let you have decent sized ballast holes, perfectly centered, so you can add whatever ballast you find you need where you want it. I know where I want to add ballast, even if I'm not sure yet how much, so I can drill the holes ahead of time, and just vary the amount of lead wire I add to each location to get both the attitude at rest, the action, and the fall rate where applicable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SugarHillBaits Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 couldn't get picture to load Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Thanks for the tip Mark, I found that I "was" doing a few things backwards during the carving and this is evidently one of them. No Copy, I have only posted two pictures for Dieter to look at and to talk to him about the baits. I was trying to just try to let you know that I thought you should just give it a go. You will get it if you don't give up. Like Ray states it's a easy scheme to get it close, where it's harder is to add details. Don't worry about details, yet. This bait will catch fish. It doesn't matter how well I like the look of my baits or for that matter anyone, but one. That one is the fish. So give it a try and keep trying. Take Care, Dale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
