Ryan V Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 I posted this in hard bates for and someone suggested I try posting it here so here it is. I've started making ice fishing lures lately and I've had several of my lures clear coats crack on me when I'm fishing. I'm guessing that its the cold that's making them crack so what I'm wondering is if any of you guys have had something like this happen and what kind of epoxy or resin I should buy that wouldn't crack. I'm fairly new to lure making and I have been using a 30min epoxy from Tracker supply for my clear coats. Any help would be great thanks Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 I've ice fished for year and have had my ice jigs crack as well. The only thing you can try is maybe e-tex, as it isn't as hard as D2T (Devcon 2 Ton) epoxy. The other thing you can try unless you are using multicolor jigs is vinyl paint. It stinks like hell but it is very durable. Other than that I really don't know. I think the epoxy coating cracks, is because it is so cold outside when you use ice jigs. I never let the cracking bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apdriver Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 Another topcoat that you may try is KBS crystal clear. It’s also not as hard as D2T. It is a Moisture cure urethane (MCU) and some Care has to be taken to keep is useable over time but it’s more user friendly than some other popular MCU’s. I use the “ tap the can” method of handling with great success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 Give clear nail polish a try. It's cheap at the dollar store, so you aren't out a lot of money if it doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan V Posted March 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 4 hours ago, mark poulson said: Give clear nail polish a try. It's cheap at the dollar store, so you aren't out a lot of money if it doesn't work. I tried that last weekend and it almost worked. I was fishing for lakers in 105 fow and it didn't have any cracking but after about an hour water started to get under the clear coat. I think it was just from the water pressure or maybe a small blimish in the clear coat that made it fail. It would probably work fine in shallower water. I had 6 coats of nail polish on maby if I tried a few more coats it'd survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBK Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 I use cs seal coat or KBS on ice lures depending on style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan V Posted March 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 25 minutes ago, BBK said: I use cs seal coat or KBS on ice lures depending on style. I make wooden baits which would you use cs or kbs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBK Posted March 4, 2019 Report Share Posted March 4, 2019 You may be experiencing expansion and compression of the wood that is causing your lures to crack. CS would help with that as it doesnt dry to a hard coating like epoxy, but it will be far less durable... especially with lakers. Are you sealing your wood fully before painting? That is a crucial step for any lure, especially for something like ice fishing lakers when the lure is spending several minutes submerged at 100' plus and being reeled from bottom to top chasing the fish on the screen. I would use KBS on them, but I have not tried your specific situation so take that for what it is worth... my ice lures are a whole different class. As for temp, down that deep it will be warmer than you think. Mid 40's I'd say. Up closer to the ice the colder it gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
