Custom Color Arbogast JitterBug *UPDATED* Finally DONE!!!

[b.Lee]

As a headsup using my camera phone, sorry for the low quality. So... This will be my first topic. Been fishing for years, didn't really think to join a bass fishing forum until now. But I love fishing jitterbugs, have been for years. This idea came to me the other day while I was tubing at my local pond. I saw a dieing trout on the surface (little tiny thing), kind of flapping away at the surface, I felt bad, but as I was going to approach at help put it out of its misery, a huge bass jumped out and snatched it. This was approximately around 5:30 in the morning. I was throwing a black zara spook. So I got the thinking and wanted to start painting jitterbugs. This is my first attempt. So please be kind. All was done with spray paint and a little patients.

Supplies:

1500 Grit Wet Sand Paper

800 grit regular sand paper

1 Can Gloss Gold

1 Can Florescent Pink

1 Can Gloss Clear Coat

To Start, I took off the lip, and hooks. And start sanding with the 800 Grit sandpaper until all the paint was gone and it was smooth. I washed it and let it dry. When completely dry I started to wet sand it with the 1500 Grit to make sure there was no lines and grooves.

Now comes the painting. Now I used one of the tiny screws and tied some fishing line to it and hung outside. I base coat the Gloss Gold until completely covered. You want to stay about 10-12 inches aaway from it and spray in bursts of 1-2 shots. A little trick I learned was to twist the line to make the body spin, and that way you can get an even coat. I completely cover it once over,wait about 30 minutes. You want to let it dry before putting on more coats, because the paint will run.

After running about 5-6 coats, this took my a few days, I am nut and want it perfect, so yeah. After the gold, I sprayed 5-6 sprays of the pink. Now you can see the gold undercoat with bright pink. Trying to get a trout color going on here. With the gloss gold and pink, I think it looks cool.

After this all dries, I used 8-10 coats of Gloss Clear. At about 5-6 coats, you need to wet sand it again. This helps maintain a very glossy look. After all this is said and dried. I would wait a good day in hot weather. Put a nice polish wax on it.

Paint of your Choice:

Out of the Box Look:

Sanded and Prepped for Paint:

First Coat Complete - Gloss Gold

First Coat of Pink:

Drying in the sun, and Ready for Clear Coat:

Finishing up the clear coat as we speak. Will update when complete.

Can't wait to fish it!

UPDATED PICS

8 Clear Coats with some wet sanding in between. Coming out real nice. The paint set in real nice.

Final Product: Please Comment Let me know what you think.

[ernel]

Looks good.

Two pieces of advice.

1) Use a hairdryer between coats to heat set the paint. You will only have to wait 3-5 minutes.

2) Use a an old exacto knife handle to hold one of the screws that you leave in the lure to get better control of the lure instead of having the lure free spinning. Then you can aim even a rattle can and get multiple color patterns top and bottom.

Eric

[b.Lee]

I appreciate the tips. i like the exacto knife one.  But the drying one, I rather wait and make sure it is dry because when you wet sand you need to make sure the paint is all dry anyways. So waiting 3-5 minutes with a blow dryer, really doesn't help. If I was just putting coat after coat maybe.  

[RhodyBass]

I have always loved fishing jitterbugs.

I can't wait to see pics of the monster bass that inhales that lure. My favorite fishing hole is one of the few in RI that holds trout year round and i have done pretty well with a trout pattern there.

Great idea good luck with it

[.dsaavedra.]

are you going to put any green into that paintjob? also, not sure how the spray clear will hold up as a topcoat.... let us know how the bait ends up working!

[b.Lee]

Thanks guys. I thought about putting some green. But I don't think it will matter. We'll see, I can add later if I'm not catching as many.

[b.Lee]

Well finally done, took me about a week to finish.  Let me know what you guys think. Not too shabby for just a few cans of paint.

[.dsaavedra.]

looks pretty good. let us know how that spray on clear holds up for you.

[b.Lee]

its on there pretty good. I actually put it in the oven at 200 degrees for 5 minutes. I think thats what changed the color a bit also.