Kanny Posted June 21, 2020 Report Share Posted June 21, 2020 (edited) Hi all I'm from the UK and I'm new to the site and new to lure making this is only my 4th creation and I'm looking for a little advice. So my question is do I use the window screen mesh method to put a scale pattern or not on this large flat sided crank bait I've made and painted in my take on the classic fire tiger pattern, I'm really happy with how things have turned out and I don't want to kill the colours. The options I think I have are 1: Mesh it and spray it as it stands now (what paints would you recommend?) 2: UV clear coat then mesh it and spray then clear coat again ( again what type paint would you recommend?) . 3: just clear coat it as it stands and that's it . Anything I've missed? Atb Kanny Edited June 21, 2020 by Kanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted June 21, 2020 Report Share Posted June 21, 2020 I would clear it as is. Any scale you add at this point will have to be a very light mist of a pearl or you will kill your colors. Lay you base color first next time then mesh. Then paint your bait remove mesh and do the stripes and gill detail. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGagner Posted June 21, 2020 Report Share Posted June 21, 2020 The scales are usually put on when you paint the main colors right after the white base coat. Often only with one color. You can keep adding by color layering them.. i.e. on that bait you made you could do the yellow and green in one screen coat. When you do this though it sometimes lifts the previous color off in places but if careful it doesn't. One thing that really looks nice if if you put a layer of silver then paint colors with screen over it using transparent or fluorescent paint. The silver still comes through under it. Nice looking crankbait btw. I wouldn't mess this one up by painting scales on it now. Wait till the next one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanny Posted June 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2020 (edited) @DGagner @Travis Thanks for your replies and the advice...clearcoat it is then. I guess I got a little ahead of myself on this one but never mind,onwards and upwards lol Edited June 21, 2020 by Kanny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly voodoo Posted June 22, 2020 Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 Go with whatever turns your crank. The fact of the matter is when you get into the finer details of lure painting its for catching the human eye not fish. In my opinion there is no wrong or right answer to your question. Try different things and see what you like. Worst case you cover it up with a new base coat or clean it up and start over 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBehr Posted June 22, 2020 Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 I stopped worrying about little details (except in baits I was painting for show) after anglers started catching bass on Umbrella Rigs ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGagner Posted June 22, 2020 Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 10 hours ago, Hillbilly voodoo said: Go with whatever turns your crank. The fact of the matter is when you get into the finer details of lure painting its for catching the human eye not fish. In my opinion there is no wrong or right answer to your question. Try different things and see what you like. Worst case you cover it up with a new base coat or clean it up and start over I'm afraid you are probably right. I'm finding out that I seem to be making lures for the fun of it now, trying new artistic avenues. When I put them in the water it seems to be more the movement that makes them work not the paint job. I started trying out lures with just the white base coat on them (no eyes yet) to cast/troll them to really see if the movement was going to be good before I put the paint on. They seem to catch fish. Some of them better than others but I've decided that if I have a white one that works better than another white one it's the particular wiggle that seems to be the factor. Sigh..... shouldn't be but I think it is..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanny Posted June 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 I totally agree with what's been said, a case of style over substance just isn't going to cut it , being new to lure making I'm just trying to get a good foundation of practice down on the known working formulas before progressing with my own styling, I'm a cabinet maker by trade so process its kinda ingrained in me, I'm not looking at selling any lures they are just for my own satisfaction so I don't mind going that bit extra for something a bit different to add to my own collection. As a hobby I'm really enjoying it. Atb Kanny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanny Posted June 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 (edited) Well I went with advice and just clear coated it as it was , I think it looks great I've put a picture up in the gallery along with a little action video lol Thanks all for the advice I'm going to be doing a couple more paint variations of this one, thankfully I made paterns . Atb Kanny Edited June 22, 2020 by Kanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly voodoo Posted June 23, 2020 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 9 hours ago, Kanny said: I totally agree with what's been said, a case of style over substance just isn't going to cut it , being new to lure making I'm just trying to get a good foundation of practice down on the known working formulas before progressing with my own styling, I'm a cabinet maker by trade so process its kinda ingrained in me, I'm not looking at selling any lures they are just for my own satisfaction so I don't mind going that bit extra for something a bit different to add to my own collection. As a hobby I'm really enjoying it. Atb Kanny In the end it’s your hobby and really you choose where you want to take it. Your lure looks good with an action that should get bit Don’t get too caught up on having to follow what others have done to learn how to build or paint lures.I am the poster child for just winging it and making it happen lol @DGagner research the colour spectrum and what washes out as light is filtered out by depth of water. Then add in the fact murky or stained water filters out light even more then clear water. You begin to realize it does not take much before a lot of paint jobs become shades of grey in a hurry. But you can use this to your advantage choosing colours. Action is still king and have caught many fish on unpainted wooden lures or white resin blanks. One of my go to’s is always a pure white lure 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
