Wrapping baits

[Flaswimbaiter]

I have seen some realistic wraps placed under heavy clear coat. Anyone have any experience making these type baits? What kind of material is used for the wraps, do I have to buy it or can I print my own? I do have some vinyl printer paper, would that work? 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Flaswimbaiter

[JD_mudbug]

I don't know about the vinyl paper. You could try water slide decal paper.

I have used JigSkinz wraps.  There are several youtube videos on them. They come in a variety of patterns. I like the foil ones in particular. You put the bait in the wrap which is a tube, hold with forceps/vicegrips, and dunk in boiling water (see below about using a heat gun to pre-shrink the head area before dunking) or you could try it with heat gun alone. They are essentially shrink tubing with lure patterns on the outside. D2T sticks well to them.

It may take a couple of tries to get the hang of it. Use a sharp Xacto knife or razor blade to do any trimming.

They run from $2 to $3.50. Price depends on size. They go up to  9" in length.

https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Foil-JigSkinz

https://www.lurepartsonline.com/JigSkinz-Real-Life-Series?quantity=1&custcol12=241

https://barlowstackle.com/lure-paint-lure-eyes-and-lure-adhesive-tape/jigskinz-proskinz/

 

 

Below is an old post on them.

https://www.tackleunderground.com/community/topic/34295-wraps-skins-for-big-swimbaits/

From the link above:

I have used the Jig Skinz Pro and the foil Jig Skinz on 6-12" Slammer type baits and other big jointed baits. I have done about a dozen so far. I do apply D2T for a clear coat after the skin is put on. 

On jointed baits with V cut joints, I have found it best to use a skin a 1-2 inches longer than the bait. I cut the skin into sections with each skin section slightly longer than each section of the bait. I make each skin section slightly longer than the bait section in case it shifts a bit when it shrinks.  You can trim any extra with a razor knife after shrinking.

 I do the back (tail) section first. This way you can tuck that piece of the skin inside of the V cut of the section in front of the one you are covering . This way you can get coverage right up to the joint. Then, I work forward  putting on a section of the skin one at a time.  

If you can, install the diving lip after the skin. Cutting a hole in the skin for the lip can be tough on a large bait.  I cut the lip slot in the bait before skinning.  You can cut out the skin covering the lip slot with an small razor knife.

Skinz don't shrink completely even around the circumference of the bait. Sometimes it can be really noticeable at the eyes which can distort. Before dipping the front section of the skin, I have been hitting the  the back (top) with a heat gun.  This way only the top part of the skin will shrink  reducing the chances the eyes will distort. After heating the back (top), I let it cool for a minute before dipping in the water.

On a real big bait, I have used a couple of inches from the end of one skin to do the tail section of the bait. Then, I finish the bait with a full skin of the same color. You can use the remainder of the first skin on a smaller bait.

 

[Flaswimbaiter]

I tried those before I started making baits with little success, BUT I was not using clear like now. I may still have a few laying around, I will give it a try. 

[JD_mudbug]

I struggled with the regular skinz when they first came out. I had better luck with the ProSkinz and foil skinz which came out later. The skinz are not durable without a clear coat protecting them. Hook rash, impacts, and toothy fish can easily damage an unprotected skin.

There is one video where epoxy is put on the body before the Jigskin. Then the skin is put on on with a heat gun or using a turkey baster to apply boiling water carefully. The epoxy cures and creates a bond between the skin and lure body. I would still put a topcoat clear on it.

At 3:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8LBi1H7gTc

 

 

 

[Kinkaid Muskie]

I sometimes incorporate CrankWraps products into my muskie baits for variety. They are made primarily for bass baits but I cut them to size and then blend with paint. They are adhesive backed. I have never figured out airbrushes but have developed a style of texture painting instead.