Fishwhittler

I use whatever I have on hand, usually pine.

Thanks guys. Dave, the action on my jitterbug is about the same as a standard 'bug. Islandbass, lexan will usually give a better action than a metal bill of the same size and shape but the metal bill will run deeper.

I carve my own blanks, but you can buy them at jannsnetcraft.com or crankbaitcomponents.com.

Here's something a little different, the "PacMan" popper/diver. 3" crank Big popper. Tried a new paint pattern on this one... 3" fat crank 5" jitterbug knock-off 4" pikie minnow This one's for my sister for her birthday. Maybe I'll actually let her fish it...

Here's a couple more chains, both slightly different from my other one posted here.

Cool, ever think of doing a suspending jerkbait? Like a rogue? This is the first (and only) one that I have done so far, but it would be easy to do an upside-down paint job on a jerkbait. The only difficulty might be putting scales on the back (belly) because the bill and hook hangers would get in the way.

Here's one that I did.

Thanks for the compliments. Dave, the bottom B7 is a swordfish (freshwater ;D).

Thanks for all the help. I think I'll watch in the flea market for a reel that fits my price range.

Added new pics

Some of my B7 cranks. On my jitterbug: I repainted it, added split rings, and painted the bill with Krylon X-metals spray paint.

Does anyone use any of these reels? Abu Garcia Black Max Bass Pro Shops Tourney Special Cabelas Fish Eagle Tournament II Cabelas Tournament ZX FS Daiwa Strikeforce Shimano Callisto Are any of these any good, or should I wait until I can buy a more expensive reel? This will be my first baitcaster, so I'm looking for a reel that isn't too difficult to use.

Thanks for the compliments, guys. Dave, yes the eyes are hot glue on foil tape. BigRickRolled, that last bait is a walleye. Ben

A couple more. Neither of these are epoxied yet.

Some deep,medium and shallow divers and a couple topwaters. I updated the pics and added a few lures that I missed before.

Here's what it looks like right now, before I do anything to it. This is the only rod I've done so far, and I didn't know much about rodbuilding when I built it. I used U40 low build on the wraps and I didn't put nearly enough on. Soooo... I'm refinishing it. And adding a few touches. I'm going to marble between the grips do a few other things. Let me know what you think. Ben

That rod is sick.

I thought about ordering a replacement from Daiwa but it would just be the same soft aluminum. cadman, thanks for offering to make me a new bolt. I think I'll look for a new reel though, and keep an eye out for a bolt. Thanks both! Ben

I wasn't sure where to post this, but anyway: I have a broken Diawa silvercast reel. The bolt in this pic is the part that's broken. A while ago when I was pulling in a fish the bolt bent. I straightened it, but the next time I went fishing I tossed it on the ground (VERY careless :-[) and the bolt broke. It isn't covered by warranty anymore and I wouldn't want to send it to the factory for repair anyway because the bolt is aluminum and they would just replace it with the same thing. Does anyone know where I can get a steel replacement bolt?

Sick! What finish did you use?

What will happen if you use non UV treated lexan for diving bills? I want to order some from usplastic.com but I can't tell if it's UV stabilized or not. It says 'Polycarbonate is UV stabilized giving it effective resistance to sun exposure' at their website but at the product page for lexan it says 'No UV treated surface'. Can anyone shed some light on this? Ben

Chain Pickerel. The other side.

Thanks all! NewAngler, I have sold some of my baits and you're right, you can make decent money at it. As for cost, once you're set up for making baits, it will only cost $2-5 to make them, plus time. Getting set up can be pricey though. Here's a list of most of what I use for my baits. Wood- I use whatever I have on hand (usually pine) Paint- Wal-Mart craft paints, Rust-Oleum spray paint and some Krylon spray paint (the Rust-Oleum spray is much better quality) Hook hangers- 18 gauge galvanized wire Epoxy glue- Flex-Coat rod builders glue Topcoat- Flex-Coat Ultra V rod finish Hooks- Mustad 35647 hooks (they come very dull) Split rings- fishing split rings can be bought at just about any tackle retailer This is not a complete list, but it covers the basics. Flex-Coat can be bought from Mudhole. I buy my hooks, split rings and scale mesh from Barlows. Hope this helps. Ben

None of these are put together or have epoxy on them yet. I made the fins for the shark out of an inner tube. My Titan swimbait doesn't seem quite as large any more... ;D Head shot. You can't see it very well, but the mouth on this one has been carved out so that water runs through it and out of the front gills. Here you can see how flexible it is. The same shot from the bottom... ...And a close-up of the walleye in the top pic. This one is basically the same as my blue swimbait in another thread, but this one has three gills and the joints are spaced differently. I still need to cut a lexan tail for this one.

Sorry that I didn't get back to you sooner. I wasn't too clear in my original post. What I meant was, can I put on a couple coats of normal Flex-Coat over the paint and then cover that with Ultra V? And will that keep it from turning yellow? Thanks, Ben