BIG M

After your first batch of baits, there is nothing left for you to learn. Just turn your creative ability loose and start painting every bait you can find.

Sterling, those are just Sick! That's pretty smooth work with the brush.

I'd like to see the (trigger guard) turned so my index finger would hook it. Looks like a really cool idea.

Bassman, that is pretty darn good painting for your first batch. You've got a nice touch with the airbrush and picked using the netting very quickly. I looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Thanks Kb, I've got some ideas on how to use it:)

T-Rig, that is a cool looking lure. Muddy, method cranks are good little baits. But this is my favorite little craw crank, made by me:)

I never hit the river without my rebel craws and I just chunk and real. I try to hit all the fishy looking cover I can.

I never thought about drying the wood in a microwave oven.

deep little N's, bomber deep thin A's, Bandit 300 and 400, rapala dt 10, are few of your choices.

Another lure maker told me that Poe's was using air dried wood and that was the cause of the bad the finish. You have to use kiln dried wood or the moisture in the wood will swell the bait and the paint cracks.

I use wildlife color by Smith Paints, it's a waterbased taxidermy paint. I also use a few color from createx, com-art, and golden.

kb, the wood has to be kiln dried or it's not any good to build lures with.

the Smoo is ugly Sorry Deep-cranker, no go on the Poe's copy.

Airbrush is the best tool for painting bait. You can't fade and shade paint with a brush. Now I caught fish on my early baits that I painted with a brush, but those don't come close to looking as good as the baits I paint now.

the same set up you used for model painting will work for paint cranks (plastic or wood).

I think that is Asian Jumping Carp, would hate to catch one in the mouth

cool rig

Kb said he contacted Poe's and they said white cedar. Maybe the old man I talked to was on to something. I got to find some white cedar.

Mike, you put a bigger bill on the fat one and it jerk your arm coming back to the boat. Jon, wait until you see those colors in the sunlight. The pic does not do those baits justice.

Kb, a PM has been sent. Remind me next time to tell you about the eyes.

Jon, you are correct Steve Blazer from Tenn. What is a Smoo?

I fish with spinning gear 90% of the time and I find the lower gear ratio to better for crank baits.

Here a few new cranks, the deep bait has a new weight transfer system in it. Hope it helps to extend the casting distance. A fat shallow wobbler and thin shallow wiggler.

Kb, I tell you the little secret in your next PM

Kb, I'll have to make a guess here, but I would say western red cedar. The white cedar seems to be a little harder to find but I'm going to find some and eastern red has a lot of excess oil in it. A Old man told me once that I should be making my deep divers out of white cedar (best wood for making cranks) in his opinion. I'm at a disadvantage I don't have a planner and some of the other tools needed to mill lumbar down to crank bait size. Allen, that is one of the better pre made lure bodies I've seen on the market.