Ohio Game Fishing banner

Fired up the airbrush...

538K views 4K replies 200 participants last post by  Halonsix 
#1 ·
...finally.

Been working on the paint shop (drywall, insulation, paint, light fixtures... yuck, all work, no fun) and have the room finished to a point where I can use the new paintbooth.

I'm a little rusty because I haven't painted for about 6 or 7 months, but I got the first one painted and applied one of three coats of clear. Its a chubby minnow-type bait and its built to run about 5 to 7 feet deep.

I was trying to achieve a metallic copper effect that would change color as the bait rolls and wiggle on the center axis when retrieved. It seems to have worked out fine. It turns from a dark rust color to a light copper color as the bait is turned in the light.





I started a couple more, but ran out of time.

I'll post a few more as the weeks go by and I sure hope some of you post yours too.
 
See less See more
3
#3,104 ·
Thanks Vince. The 3/0 seem to be a good fit. The 4's looked a hair big to me but wasn't sure. One of my 6" baits does not have enough belly weight and I don't think larger hooks will help it. Was thinking about a way to pour a cylinder of lead around the shank of a 4/0 front hook or adding a sticky weight. The weight and balance of my new ones seem perfect. It's amazing how buoyant a 6" cedar bait is. On these shad bodies, it seems like I've found the right amount of lead to make them float but rise a bit slower. The action looks great to me, but I'm not a muskie.
 
#3,107 ·
Vince --I don't get around to logging on here much these days but I never get tired of looking at your "Art" , the depth of detail is amazing (still) , weather it's the lures above, or those flash 'wallets'.
Jack- like your lip jig idea too, great for variable angles.
Pete
 
#3,109 ·
Larry and I fished yesterday from about noon till dark. The lake was almost devoid of pleasure boats, which was nice. We tried trolling with short lines, but could not get any action. All of the action came from casting.

When we were casting, the only lure they wanted was a fire tiger *********. It was a bait that I made about 4 years ago and it is a shallow-running jerk bait that goes down about 18 inches or so.

The first fish was a 42 that rose up behind the ********* about four feet from the boat. I quickly went into a figure 8 and he drilled it. (I was really pleased because jerk baits are not easy to use for a figure 8)

He was a handful. Very green and on about 5 feet of line! Snapped a quick picture and cut him loose to swim another day. He did manage to slash my thunb when I was taking the hooks out with the pliers.

Then next fish was only a 36 but he arced clear out of the water and came down on the bait and t-boned it.

It was a truly spectacular strike and one that I'll remember for a long time. He was in about five feet of water and hit the bait about 30 minutes after I released the 42.

We trolled quite a bit after that in similar areas on short lines, but couldn't get any action going.
Tried some casting again later and missed one that followed to the boat. He caught me sleeping. My rod was not positioned for a figure 8 and he swam off. Later I hooked another, but came unbuttoned.

Beautiful day on the water. A little drizzling rain off an on, but moderate temperature and mostly overcast. Pretty much ideal for both casting and trolling. We heard of a number of fish caught by other guys, including a few in the low forties.

The day ended with a great sunset.
 
#3,111 ·
Nice job Vince. I haven't caught a musky in a very long time but picked up this little guy Friday on a jig and crawler at Berlin while walleye fishing. I've never targeted them and have only stumbled onto a couple small ones over the years. He took off nice and strong when released.
Fish Fish Northern pike
 
#3,113 ·
Thanks Mac. I thought pike when I first caught it but talked myself into spotted muskie by the more pointed fins and looked a bit different to me than some of the pike I've caught in the past. It's been a while since I've caught pike and rarely ever targeted them. The only muskie I've ever caught were hammer handles years ago. Plus being at Berlin, I had more inclination to think muskie but have heard recently that northerns are getting more abundant there. What can I say...I'm a walleye guy. ;) Fun little bonus fish either way.
 
#3,116 ·
Fishing lure Fishing bait Plug Bait Spoon lure
Fishing bait Bait Fishing lure Spoon lure Surface lure
"Are you still building lures? I would love to see what you're working on these days. Post up some pictures if you have them".[/QUOTE]

Yeah mate, still making lures but don't seem to be getting as many fish as you guys over there. Retired now and have all the time in the world to go fishing, BUT never seem to have enough spare time -- I have spent the past month driving around the East half of here - I clocked up over 6,000 miles and only got to fish once, I think I will have to change my route next time and get closer to the water.

Also spent the past 6 months making various versions of a 'duplicator'( because I prefer painting to carving), I was happy with the final result, but am now about to embark on a newer better version :eek:---like cell phones, there's always a better one!!:)

I am basically still making the same lures, although slimmed down a bit, @ 80mm and 60mm (3-1/4" and 2-1/2" ), still way smaller than you guys make there-

Here are some I have made in the past year or so.
 

Attachments

#3,119 ·
Pete, I can see that you haven't stopped moving forward with your art. The thing about your baits that is difficult to capture with a photograph is the scale. Having seen them in person, I can say that they are particularly impressive because there is so much incredible detail on such tiny panfish class baits. I'm glad to hear you are enjoying your retirement and I hope you can get more fishing going in the future.

I'd love to see what you're working on as a duplicate your more classic bait profiles. I still occasionally mess around with resin molded baits but I find myself going back to wooden baits. Both have their ups and downs but I still love working with wood.

I can't tell you which of the baits you posted I favor. They are all excellent and I love the randomness to the patterns. Post more!
 
#3,120 ·
Sky Horizon Blue Atmosphere Black
Eyes, I would love to see Bruce Lee interviewed today. I think it would be great to hear his views of today's martial arts fighters, especially the world of MMA. He was one of the first to blend various styles and I wonder what he would think of full contact competition and how the rules are set out and imposed.
 
#3,122 ·
Thanks Vince, still working wood and have never got into moulding resin, I was talking to the 'Guru' of moulding here when I was in Queensland a few weeks back, what he does with plastic (and wood) is amazing.
Not sure what you meant by this -"I'd love to see what you're working on as a duplicate your more classic bait profiles." - thinking you meant 'copy lathe' ? anyway here is a few pics???

Copy lathe version 3A

Machine tool Machine Toolroom Tool Wood shaper


Version 3B, and about to start on 3C o_O:)
Electronics Machine Toolroom



Some Limited edition sets I was making in 2013 --made 8 sets, I think!!! There were 2 lures in a set, the other was a 'spotted dog'.

Feather Tree Plant


Some early versions of 'snagless hooks' Mullett.

Fishing bait Fish hook Bait Surface lure Fishing lure


Finished 'Trout Parr'
Fishing lure Green Fishing bait Spoon lure Bait


More 'snagless', with a 'spotted dog' in the middle
Spoon lure Fishing lure Bait Fishing bait Surface lure


Red, 3.25"

Bait Fishing lure Spoon lure Fishing bait Red


Enjoy--Pete
 

Attachments

#3,123 ·
Looks like you've been VERY busy! How well does the duplicator work? I've always been interested in them, but not enough to try to fabricate one. Are you trying to get yours to just rough cut the baits or do you want a finished useable bait?

Do you have a jig for cutting the lip slot after carving, or do you cut the lip prior to placing the blank in the duplicator?
 
#3,124 ·
Vince--- After about 6 months work and 2 versions (made my first in the late 80's), and now with the second edition of version 3, it's working pretty good, although a bit slow in that it only makes about 11 x 8cm (3 1/4") or 15 x 6cm (2.5") blanks an hour, for the larger one a cycle takes about 6 min -- With the alterations I am about to add, it should up this output by about 30%.
The upside of all this is, you put a 6' or 8' stick in and walk away and let it do it's thing, and hour later you reload it and start sanding a dozen blanks, yes sanding, we can never get away from this !!!!!!!!!:) BUT while it's cutting the next batch, you are finishing off those blanks, so here is the time saving ---so no they are not a 'finished useable bait', they are 'rough cut, but pretty smooth and accurate to the 'pattern', you just have to allow a few microns for sanding.o_O
Pre-cutting the lip slot became all too hard, too much maths ;), so have jigs for all the holes, slots etc.
It's all 12 volt so I could carry it in the car on the passenger seat and pop out blanks while fishing (or driving) :rolleyes: No mate, I have never done that---------------- too much noise and dust-----------
Pete
 
#3,126 ·
Here's a 44" from West Branch caught on one of Vince's Fatfinger's Flatshads.



The fun thing with this fish was I had 3' of line and a 3' leader out trolling about 4.2 mph in 5' to 7' of water. My brother and I both got to see her launch at least two feet above the surface remaining horizontal and wiggling like a marlin when she bit. Upon reentry she just peeled line like no tomorrow. Very cool sight and a great fight.
 
#3,128 ·
Steve, beautiful fish. That one has some nice markings.

In the spectrum of musky strikes, short line hits are right up there with boat side hits while figure 8ing. You usually get a lot of "hints" that something has eaten your bait!

Congratulations on a fish that would make anyone's season a success.
 
#3,129 ·
Thanks again 'Eyes', those trout were a real test of patience, I think the final colour count on these was about 7 or 8 different colours and took forever to complete :confused: :confused:.

Vince-- unfortunately I don't have any idea about Video and how to upload it -- all 'copy lathes' work basically on the same principles and these 2 are no different, the changes I am going to make are mainly to simplify a few things as I think I 'over engineered' the copying part -- I think I was trying to reinvent the wheel and it's not working as good as it would--- a finer cut, less sanding - sanding / dust, it's the curse of lure making ;) :).
Pete
 
#3,131 · (Edited)
Thought for the day:

I think that passing the test of patience is what often separates a great lure from a plain one. I find it interesting to read the comments on various message boards about how "the fish don't care" about the detailing that many builders put into a bait. Those comments ignore the reasons why guys build baits in the first place. If one simply wants a bait that will catch fish, just go buy one. By default, building a bait is an exercise in detail. It allows you to step away from the norm when and if you so choose.

After you have learned to build "normally," why wouldn't you go to the next level? And the next and the next. Why wouldn't you want to add as much detail as you can? Why wouldn't you want to build a bait that is superior in as many ways as possible to what you can buy off the proverbial shelf?o

Unless one is seriously trying to make a living as a builder, there simply is no hurry. As a matter of fact, "hurrying" a bait is illogical. If you re in a hurry, just go and order whatever you want!

I see the same thing when it comes to final clear coats. Sometimes on lure building websites you see questions about how to speed up the process of clearing a bait...to save time. Again, why are you building a bait in the first place? You just spent several hours carving, prepping, sealing, painting, adding hardware, etc...and this is after you've done the same during the testing process. Now you've got a bait that works and you're going to worry about the time it takes to allow the most important part of the process to properly cure? I don't get it.

To me at least, it's all something we choose to engage in and inherent in the process of producing a lasting, successful, finished product is patience.

When I look at the work of the best builders, I don't just look at their final product. I look their processes and it invariably reveals a lot about the individual. What is revealed is more than mere talent. There is an application of unique and often very clever usage of what is available at a given moment in time in the way of materials and tools. How they are employed in combination is what makes the whole process interesting. It shows how differently we all see things.

Sometimes I see guys using processes that I would never have thought of and it is hard not to acknowledge and admire the ingenuity applied.

There was a builder named Smitty that I shared ideas with on another site, He made foiled salt water baits. But he didn't just apply foil over netting. He applied foil without netting and then carefully and meticulously scribed almost random patterns to the foil using a dull pointed scribing tool. I wish I could find a few pictures of them to post as an example. The results were not just unique and beautiful. Each bait was a "one of a kind" expression of a very personal vision and talent. His work is but one example of what I'm talking about. There are dozens more, and over the years, I've tried to invite builders to post them on "Fired up the airbrush..." It is interesting and humbling to see what comes to these pages.

I only wish guys would keep posting their work here and not presume that we are tired of seeing it because they've posted it here in the past. It does not get old and though the builder often does not realize it, his work is often getting better over the years. (Pete, your work looks better than ever.)

Your home-made duplicator is of the same bent. It tells a lot about how one can enjoy the process as much or more than the product.
 
#3,132 ·
Fished a few hours Saturday and a few hours Sunday. Tough conditions both days, but I gave it a go anyway.

Saturday with only about two hours of run and gun casting, I boated a 37 on the same firetiger jerkbait that produced a 42 and 36 on the previous trip. It's been as if the fish only wanted one bait in my box. Ever have a day like that?

I love jerk bait fishing for muskies and I find it interesting to see fish rise up out of about 8 feet of water to blast a long stick of wood that looks in no way like a bait fish of any species. The strikes on a jerk bait are often particularly vicious. Two of the three fish I boated slammed the bait within a few feet of the boat. It is one of the odd anamolies of freshwater fishing. After nearly two and half decades of musky fishing, it is every bit as exciting as it was the first time it happened.

The bait favored in this case is one that runs particular shallow and does not follow textbook jerk bait protocol. No matter. When the want it, they want it.

I usually never go on the water without at least eight or nine jerk baits in my box. I build them for myself in a variety of patterns and colors and some of the run deep, while some run only a few inches below the surface. It seems that the deeper running baits are better when the light is strong and the shallow ones are better for overcast days. But...there are those days, when the norm is thrown out the window and everything you think you know is wrong.

Sunday they would follow but not strike. Now in fairness, the rain was relentless and as strong as it gets in Ohio.
How bad was it raining? Well, if I recall correctly, West Branch is about 2500 acres and a Sunday in May is usually crazy with jet skiers and pleasure boaters throwing wakes the size of the old Berlin Wall. (You younger guys will need to Google that for perspective). But yesterday, I no other boats at all until the rain slowed down after about two hours. After the rain, I saw only three others.

Later in the afternoon, I picked up Bulldawg at the dock and we tried casting various prime spots. We did a little trolling but not much. The follows stopped altogether and it was work to keep the confidence level where it needs to be when casting. No action. No fish were to be moved and I resorted to trying cranks and a full spectrum of jerk baits. Bulldawg threw his beautiful home made buck tails and little else.

The day came to an end and the temperature had dropped about twenty degrees as the light faded to a dim gray glow.

I began stowing the twenty or so baits that I had tried at various spots. As I was doing that, Bulldawg took the controls of the trolling motor at the helm and kept casting his favorite buck tail. "You never know," he said.

When all looked futile, when the light was pretty much gone, about the time I was latching down the lid of my primary tackle box, his buck tail came back to within three feet of the boat and a lower forties fish took a swing at it. I was about to start the boat and happened to be looking toward his bait at the moment it happened.

He wasn't ready and didn't set the hook. But...in a reaction that can only be summoned by an experienced musky guy, he flipped the wrist of the hand holding his rod and slapped the bait back down onto the surface almost on top of the fish.

You might think that would cause the fish to panic and exit the area with all dispatch. But if that's what you're thinking, you don't understand the nature of the species esox. I wish I could describe the speed at which the fish turned and slashed into his buck tail. To say it was instantaneous doesn't begin to paint the picture.

He leaned back and slammed the bait upward. Fish on!

The water exploded and just as fast as the fish ate that bait, it was off. His leader broke off at the point where it attaches to the 100 pound test snap.

It happens that way sometimes. If there is any weak point in your tackle system, a musky will display it for you.

And that was it for Sunday, after having endured the rain, the wind, and the cold. Five seconds of chaos and the day was over.

And you know what? We were both okay with that. If you musky fish, you understand what Bulldawg quietly stated as we headed for the dock in the dark...

"The muskies win again."
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top