jasone

Soft plastic? Heck yeah! I'd use a grub, paca craw, split tail. You could even split a senko or use it straight. Just keep in mind that short striking fish may miss because of it. So use a trailer hook. J

I shouldn't see why not. Like I said, you may want to epoxy over it. It will chip off during use. J

I tried coating the cavities with Devcon 2-ton. That stuff is like luremakers duct tape. So far, it is making some pretty smooth lures. J

I've seen this discussion before on another board. The bad thing about copyright is that all I have to change is one feature and it is a new lure. Look at what happened to Sweet Beavers, Chatterbaits, Red hooks, etc., etc.. I hate to say it, but it happens. It is very hard to market and sell a new lure, especially if the design is radical. Your one shot is to get a pro to fish it (and that is not very likely). Look at your lure again and see if you can reproduce it easily. Make jigs to bend the wires. Make templates to cut it out. Clip alligator clips to boards so you can paint them en masse. If you can't make quantity, you aren't going to make much money or get many out there. J

It may seem like a no-brainer but I would get a lure that I want to simulate (depth-wise) and copy that angle. Just keep in mind that longer lips of course will go deeper. Aaron is right though about the shallow and deep angles. It is hard to be precise. After you get it dialed in, you have to make a template. J

1. You can buy molds from Del mart (they also have the raw plastic (plastisol)). I won't link here, I don't think the mods like that. Just search google for Del mart. You can also make your molds out of plaster of paris. You can buy that at wallyworld. I recommend starting with one sided molds. You will have a flat side on the lure. So start on things like slug-gos, etc. Just glue to the lure to a round cake pan and lube it and the pan with vaseline. Mix the plaster, pour, wait about 20 minutes and remove. A good resource for a tutorial for this is tackleunderground . com. 2. It is better to melt similar colors. When I prototype a new mold, I usually just melt whatever is laying around because I am not concerned with producing a usable lure. I just want to see if the mold works and if the lure has the action I require. Just be warned, if you melt different colors the end result is usually black or brown. 3. Pyrex is a cooking glass-type container. I could tell you how it was invented (fascinating story) but all you need to know is that it won't break like glass or other plastics when you nuke it. ALSO--DO NOT LET WATER DROPLETS CONTACT YOUR HOT PLASTIC. BAD STUFF WILL HAPPEN. BE SAFE, YOU CAN GET BADLY BURNED DOING THIS. Good luck. J

Stern is right. Spike-it or some other dye will change the color of the silicone. Besides that, you could try laying a soft plastic lure with the color you want on the silcone and in the heat and hope the colors bleed (but I doubt they will). As for the head, just about any paint should be good as long as you cover it with a coating of Devcon 2-ton epoxy or some other clearcoat. You can also buy a Blade dip that changes the colors of the blade. I think you would get the most bang out of your buck doing the first two though. J

Not a problem. I wouldn't use powerworms though (I don't think they're good on lungs). You may know this already but cut them into smaller pieces and microwave on high for 30 second intervals in Pyrex. Scorching is bad. J

You gotta buy it (or melt old worms :-?) J

Hey KB. I tried cedar a very long time ago. It was actually my first attempt at lure making. I tried to carve one of those wooden frogs with the two jointed legs. It was enough to halt my luremaking for another 5 years. That stuff is hard; especially the heartwood. You could probably do a pretty good job with a dremel or a belt sander. I wouldn't touch it with my good carving knife though. The lure will be extremely heavy and very durable. You will probably still need weights for a crank just to keep it floating under the right orientation. I guess what I am saying is that if you have the patience that I don't you can make some very nice lures out of the stuff. J

Thanks for the tips. That's my next option is to just rewire the dang thing. I think it's got either #8 or #10. I am not sure which. They are about 16' long. J

That sounds like a plan. You don't think the 40 amp breaker would allow my wires to melt do you? I will give it a try. Test it at home. J

Hey all, looking for a little help here. I have a 40 lb Minn-kota trolling motor on my 17' bass boat. I have been using it on setting number 5 and have had no trouble out of it. The other day I was trolling along and it suddenly gave out. I checked the in-line fuse on the lead wire next to the battery and it was blown so badly that the heat had melted the fuse. After I removed the fuse (30 amp) and debris, I replaced it with a 20 amp fuse and after about 10 minutes it blew as well. After that I got fed up and put the setting on the motor to 4. I never had another problem. What could possibly be causing this? The only thing I did different was to use my bow fishfinder. Thanks in advance for any help. J

KB Use Microsoft Word's WordArt feature to make the letters. Use a gluestick and paste some tissue paper to some computer paper. Print the words on the modified paper on an inkjet printer. Cut out the tissue paper with the words. Glue the tissue paper to the lure with spray adhesive. Epoxy as normal. The epoxy should eat the tissue paper and leave the ink. I know it isn't as ideal as a decal but it should get you by. It is a trial and error process at best until you get the first one out. J

KB--I agree with all here. Nice work. LBH--What would you want to lure to look like? Just white with the BR logo or your own? Spec it out in this forum if you would. My lures aren't as good as most here but I would be happy to supply one of each flatsided crank for no cost provided you supply the split rings and hooks. J

Hey Flechero Thanks for the info. I'm all the way up here in Kentucky. Well, at least the spawn comes earlier for you. That and you get to fish for FL strain. So, don't be too jealous! J

Hey all. What is the best strategy for dealing with sudden changes in temperature throughout the year? We are looking at a drop this weekend from Upper 90's to Mid to Upper 80's. Will this drive the bass any shallower or should I stay as deep as I can? Does anyone have any guidelines for temps? For instance, I know the extreme highs or lows drive the fish deep. Exactly what temp will they make a move. This is of course, assuming food availability is not a factor. Thanks in advance for any advice. J

That is the bomb!! Love the creativity. J

Looking good shape wise. It is hard to tell from the pics but you never can sand too much (well you can, but....) Did you seal them before you paint? The best sealer I found is just some devcon 2 ton with a couple of drops of thinner. Then you may need to sand again. The thinner causes the epoxy to soak in. Gives you a nice smooth surface to take paint. Some other guys use clear laquer, plastic cups melted in thinner, Kilz, etc. Whatever works best for you. As far as colors, stick with the basics at first. Try a white with a black or silver back. Or you could get a little more creative and use purple for a lavender shad pattern. Whittler does those cool scales with some netting. I haven't tried it. I imagine it isn't real easy though. Good luck! J

The bodies are balsa. That is except for the lipless cranks. Those are blanks that you can order from either Stamina or Jann's. I found that it is easiest to order balsa in long, wide stips that are about 1/16" thick. I cut them out in pairs and then mate them up during the process. J

The best way is to buy some alligator clips and a rotissere motor off of ebay and construct a drying wheel. There is a tutorial I believe at tackleunderground.com. The primitive way is to use the alligator clips attached to a 2x4 and clip'em by the eyes. J

I can top you all. The last three times I have launched from my favorite ramp, there have been kids either swimming on or near the boat dock and/or ramp. Unfortunately the ramp is near a camping area. The first time, I launched normal and came back in so my partner could drop me at the dock. There was a pontoon, a john boat and three kids all in front of the dock. They didn't have any intention of moving either until I asked politely. The second time, there were two kids swimming on the boat ramp as I pulled by to launch. My wife motioned with her thumb in the universal sign for get the hell out of there. The third time, I actually had to wait for some kids to quit performing Jackass style stunts on their bikes. They were literally riding their bikes off the dock and into the boat ramp lane. Granted, they were just kids but where they heck were the parents? J

Yep, ditch the Transition. J

I have heard conflicting opinions. I am just wondering if they have actually helped anyone get to plane quicker. I am still a newb at boating and am looking for any advantage I can get. Thanks J

Finally built a drying wheel. Best 20 bucks I ever spent! J