muskie magnet

No need to sand unless you are smoothing rough spots. The second coat will bond to the first coat. They recommend wiping with alcohol though. I used a rasp where necessary.

Todd It sounds like you are trying to achieve a neutral buoyancy thing. I do jerks and glides where sometimes neutral buoyancy is desired but I believe with cranks the main purpose of weight is to alter action. I might be wrong on this but usually the less weight the better I would think if the bait is balanced properly just enough weight to keep it vertical is optimal. Water temperature has little effect. 39 degree water is the most dense so technically this is the temp that your bait will float the highest anything higher or lower the bait will not float as high but the variance is so small as to be insignificant. Welcome to the world of baitmaking it can be fascinating. phil

I am guessing that bait is going to be better than good.

I'm surprised Riverman is the only one that mentioned a rasp. I use a fairly fine flat rasp with a round on the other side. You can probably get the job done faster and with greater accuracy using a good rasp.

I'm forget who was looking for info on Louden Ky, Gene Smith would be an excellent contact. That is his neck of the woods. He is a great guy very helpful and from what I understand runs a top notch guide service. I'm sure he could give you some answers. www.kentucky-muskie-fishing.com Phil

John I'm not sure about the microwave but a couple of days in an oven at a very low setting will do the job. Several days in the sun under an overhang would probably be better if you have the time. That way a little breeze will keep the air moving around it. Phil

John You know that thing might work for bass too. Let me know how you make out with it. Looks interesting, I was just reading where they claim Muskie like something away from the beaten path. Your Enigma is definitely that. I'm guessing it's a winner. Phil

John You know that thing might work for bass too. Let me know how you make out with it. Looks interesting, I was just reading where they claim Muskie like something away from the beaten path. Your Enigma is definitely that. I'm guessing it's a winner. Phil

Would like to throw in my 2 cents here but i'm not a crankbaiter but a jerkbaiter. I would strongly recommend a book Through the Fishes Eye by Mark Sosin and John Clark. I have a first edition 1973 not sure if it is still in print. I suppose it was written for fisherman but the lure maker can learn a great deal from the book. It is not targeted toward any particular species but does cover a few idiosyncrasies to specific species. I will give one example from the book that might draw some ire: Reflective Coloration---Up to this point, no mention has been made of the fishes that are silver colored beneath a dark upper surface. The dark top is certainly understandable. But the silver sides would seem to be a poor defense. Actually, silver pigment cells (called iridocytes) reflect the surrounding colors of the water and the bottom. The enemy does not really see an outline of its prey, but instead a reflection of the water. It's almost like hiding behind a mirror. From certain studies we know that underwater the body of a perch is so perfect a reflector, that except where the bars are present, it takes the exact shade of the water around. It is almost impossible to detect the fishes outline, and when looking at it from under the surface, through any extent of water, you see merely a few dark shadows moving along, such as might be caused by reeds or weeds. I left some stuff out but makes you wonder about using pearlescence on the belly and sides. Phil

What are you fishing for? I can't help you but know someone that can if it is muskies you are after. Phil

I too use e-tex. Not real happy with it but I guess it is better than most. I get very few bubbles and can do about 6 baits at a time. It is very important to an exactly equal mix. I mix in the container I measure in then pour to a fresh container and mix for at least 2 min then repour to the original container and mix another 2 min. There will be countless tiny bubbles form. Allow to set for about 5 min. then paint on with a fairly fine bristle brush. The brushes are a little expensive but can be cleaned in lacquer thinner. I turn by hand over a can of Sterno, be sure to hold high enough that the bait doesn't heat up. I also on occasion use a hair dryer on the low air setting. The Sterno is for the few remaining bubbles and the hair dryer is to warm the epoxy for a smooth finish. As I get to the last couple of baits the e-tex begins to thicken a little and the heat helps in forming a uniform thickness. Then hang and let dry. The epoxy will flow and with the first baits done will form small blobs of epoxy on the low side which can be wiped away after about a hour. I use three coats. Our baits constantly roll then reverse which causes severe hook rakes. The e-tex isn't perfect but does protect the bait for a reasonable time. Forgot to mention if using plastic cups to mix use a plastic or wood mixer so small bits of mixing cup aren't scraped off and become imbeded in the mix. Our baits are 9 inches long and take 3 coats neadless to say we go through a lot of e-tex.

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Aspen beavers like it but I don't think many bait makers do. It is a light wood sp gravity about .4 It is brittle, works fairly well but with more fuzz than most, does not hold screws as well as most, glues fairly well but does not hold paint as well as most. My favorite for most applications is Atlantic White Cedar. Eastern White Cedar would be second choice. Phil

Utah I always thought of Utah as a trout fishery with some largemouth thrown in. With a hook set that strong with 50lb line I would expect to see the fish 20 or 30 feet on the other side of the boat LOL. I would have to agree with Matt %100 the drag is just to tight. You might check to see if you have a sharp on the tip that might be cutting the line. Mono has more stretch and would be less apt to break than no-stretch braided. A less progressive action would give you a little more cushion but rod actions are more akin to presentations. I fish Muskie and some of my baits do better with m- actions while with others I prefer a faster tip. Phil

Do lacquer based paints adhere better to latex or oil based base coats? thank you