Fishwhittler

Thanks guys. Dave, I used my airbrush for the splatter on these baits. I remove both the needle cap and nozzle cap and just use the nozzle.

Here's what I've been working on lately. This is a very large jerkbait at 2 1/2 ounces, and it's 6 1/2" not counting the bill. Catfish The next two jerkbaits are more or less normal sized lures, although they're still 5" without the bills. Yellow-belly Bluegill Lava Tiger Chartreuse Pepper Here's another attempt at crackle. I still haven't quite got the crackle nailed down, but I'm very pleased with this one. Molting Blue Razor Craw Let me know what you think! Ben

Very nice! All of those look great, but I really like the second one.

You should be able to log in with your old account using your username, which is not the same as your display name. In the announcements at the top of the page, there is a post that covers this. I had the same problem logging in last night when I couldn't use my name "Fishwhittler", but my username worked fine.

Thanks guys! I've never heard of the "three hooks per lure" rule. I looked at the Massachusetts D.F.G. regulations, and here's what it says: Further down the page, it says: Based on that, I'd say you can use as many hooks on a single lure as you like. The rules are about the same here in Iowa; you can have as many hooks on a single lure as you like. Really though, there isn't much point in using more than three hooks on a lure. If a lure is large enough to need more than three hooks, two or three larger hooks will lead to fewer missed strikes, and they will also hold fish better.

Thanks guys. 8-) Bass Junkie, it walks very well. When worked slowly it has a wide action, and as you speed up your retrieve the action gets tighter.

Here's another new bait I just finished. 5.5" long, weight 1 5/8 oz. It walked well in the pre-assembly test, so I'm hoping it will work as well now that it's finished.

Here's a jerkbait I just finished. PVC, hand-carved 3d scales, crackle-back paint, U-40 Permagloss topcoat. I tried using the Elmer's Glue crackle method, and I think it turned out pretty good. My next attempts didn't work out so well, but I'm going to keep experimenting with it.

Those look good. 8-)

Very nice! I like the two bottom baits. 8-)

Very nice! 8-)

There is a very good lure-making tutorial in the articles section of this website: Making Crankbaits Part I & Making Crankbaits Part II. That covers the basics, and from there you can experiment with different materials, construction techniques, etc. But for starting out, just keep it simple. If you have some scrap wood laying around, it will probably be just fine for lures. You'll want to avoid Walnut or Oak as both are difficult to carve and not very buoyant, but most scrap wood should work. The only tools you really have to have are: Pencil Carpenter's Square Knife Drill Coping Saw Sandpaper Those are the absolute necessities for building lures. There are many other tools that will enable you to build lures quicker and more efficiently, but when you're just getting started there's no point in spending a boatload of money on expensive tools. Ben P.S. I couldn't agree more with what V-man said about this being a tackle making forum. If someone posts a question and all he gets is a reference to another forum, what's the point of having the first forum?

All of them look great, but the last two are amazing.

Those look great! I like the third and fourth baits. 8-)

Nice baits Big M! I like the two green/yellow ones. 8-)

I've used Flex Coat Ultra V, Envirotex Lite, and U-40 Duragloss with good results. Of those, Envirotex is the cheapest and most readily available, but it's also the brittlest and the most prone to cracking. It's still a good topcoat, and very popular among lure builders and painters. Ultra V is basically a somewhat tougher version of Envirotex, and it costs a bit more. Duragloss is the toughest of the lot and my personal favorite, but it's also slightly trickier to master. It will fish eye unless you use U-40 Color Lock as a pre-topcoat, but once you've gotten comfortable with it you won't have any problems. Any of these is a good topcoat for lures; it's mainly a matter of personal preference. I really appreciate your kind words about my baits, but I can't claim to be a master lure builder! I've come a long way from when I first started, but I still have a long way to go.

All of those baits are gorgeous, but your Pumpkinseed, Albino Pumpkinseed and Lake Toho Elite Shad are amazing. Question: Are the lipless baits and the RC-type bait knockoffs?

I didn't realize you already had a compressor. In that case, all you need is an airbrush, air hose, and possibly an adapter for attaching the air hose to the compressor. I don't know if you'll need an adapter or not, as the only compressor I've used is the one in the kit. I use a Master G22, which is the airbrush in the kit. I've had mine since the middle of last year, and I really like it.

I've never had any problems from PVC dust, but if you do there are several things you could try. A hat, dust mask, safety glasses, apron and a long-sleeved shirt should keep most of the dust off of you. Also, using a knife for initial shaping will vastly reduce the amount of dust generated. If you want a smooth PVC bait, you're going to have to do a lot of sanding. Here's my technique: I start by carving the blank bait to a more or less rounded shape with a knife. A utility knife works fine for this, but any knife you use should be sharp. Next, use a dremel tool to rough-sand the bait all over. There's no need to try to get it very smooth at this stage; you're just trying to get it a bit smoother than the knife left it. Hand-sand with 80 grit sandpaper. All sanding subsequent to this will be done by hand. Now put a couple drops of water on the bait and wet-sand with 80 grit sandpaper. Now repeat the hand-sanding process above with 120, 220, and 500-600 grit sandpaper. It helps if the sandpaper you wet-sand with is a little more worn than the piece you use for dry-sanding. Now if you want to get the bait even smoother, use a piece of paper to polish the bait. I don't always do this step, but it does make the surface a bit smoother. Finally, I spray on a clear water-based sealer just before painting. I generally use a mix of U-40 Color Lock and Seal Coat Lure & Jig Finish, but any clear water-based finish should work. With this coat I just build up enough paint over the bait to make it as smooth as possible for the final paint. This coat is not actually sealing the bait; it's just there to provide a smooth surface for painting. It also helps prevent the PVC from expanding while heat-setting paint. I didn't have many problems with PVC baits expanding, but since I started sealing before paint I've never had any problems. Actually all that happens when PVC expands is the surface gets a bit rough; the bait is still perfectly functional, but it affects how the finished bait will look. There you have it. It takes a bit of elbow grease, but the end result is a smooth PVC bait that is easy to paint. Ben

That's probably the best paint work you've posted here. Great job! 8-)

I get mine from Vintage Woodworks. They sell both smooth and textured PVC, so make sure you request smooth PVC in the comments section of the order page. A box cutter (utility knife) works well for carving, but just about any knife will work as long as it's sharp.

The paint bottles do not attach to the brush; you pour paint into the bowl on top of the brush and spray.

If you can afford it, by all means get a compressor. The can of propellant won't last long, and you will eventually spend more purchasing propellant cans than you would if you get a compressor now. Here's an inexpensive airbrush/compressor combo that includes everything except paint. I have the same setup, and it works very well. I think the airbrush in this kit would also be easier and simpler to use than the Paasche brush. I don't have any experience using vinyl paint, but I would recommend using Createx paint instead. Createx is water-based, so you don't have to use any special solvents to clean your brush. Plus it's non-toxic, so you can paint just about anywhere without worrying about paint fumes. You can get Createx paint from Chicago Airbrush Supply or Jann's Netcraft. Another nice thing about Createx is it's much cheaper than the vinyl paint. Hope this helps. Ben

Thanks! These baits have a tight/medium-tight action, and dive to around 5'.

A few new PVC medium-shallow divers.