Mike Winthorst

Best thing I can tell you is head for the craft store and buy a few basic colors that you will use on many baits. Black, pearl, white, chartreuse, yellow, red should be a pretty good start. Buy water colors, especially starting out. Easy to thin down if you need to and clean up is a snap. Then get about 10 old baits that you want to paint and well.....paint. Do what ever you think looks good. Here's the best part, with the water based paints if it doesn't come out the way you want just dunk it in a cup of water and wipe it off. You've got a clean bait that's ready to go again. I always shoot a good primer coat before so I don't have to redo that but otherwise I love the water based paints because of this, If I screw up I just to it again! Once you are happy with how your controling the brush and basic paint colors you can go wild.

Just wondered what the thoughts were on shaving lips versus tweaking the eyes for tuning crankbaits. Some say not to ever tweak the eye if it is straight just shave the bill to correct the running problem. If so which side of the lip do you shave to correct the problem IE running left, shave left or right side of bill?

Great tip, just made up a batch and found a couple of those dreaded spots on one bait. Got another question to though. I also had a bait that came out with a small soft spot. Don't know if it was a hole in progress or just some of the epoxy didn't mix well although didn't have any trouble on any of the other ones. Any fix for that other than stripping it and redoing??

I joined a while back, have to thank you all for a lifetime of info in short order. Had a couple questions 1) How Deep has anyone ever gotten a crank to go? One that floats at rest not a sinking model. 2) What bill shape do you think is best for getting down, round, coffin, or some type of heart shape like on the bombers?