doomdart

I will second that, One Sock. Think that anytime between late winter and before the spawn this is one of the best choices. Works for me. As far as color, don't know that it matters that much. Good luck recently with purple back/chartreuse throat and glitter. In addition to the sweep I will make a couple of twitches, but let the bait sit still a lot. This will often produce a three pounder or so.

Yeah, Clemson here too. They usually have a decent football team, stink pretty badly in BBall. Guy on the radio the other day said you can tell the quality of Clemson's graduates by the number of orange jumpsuits you see cleaning up the highway under watch of a shotgun. That gives you guys an idea of the rivalry around here.

Must be nice living that close to the water. I can only dream....gotta drive.

Ever fish Moss Lake? Got tips?

You can find a good respirator at any paint or hardware store. I can't suggest any particular brand. You might consider checking out the cost of the replacement filters before purchasing, though.

rj, the pic took forever to load for me, but I'm glad I didn't click "stop." Both look great...it looks like you use stickers for the belly signature and the fins, right?

Clemson or USC? Welcome.

I've seen that explanation many times, and cannot say that it is "wrong" but I have painted many times on bare wood and applied Devcon 2T with absolutely no bubbling/void type problems. So I don't think it can be the only factor. More than likely it is too stirring rapidly, wrong temperature, trying to work it too long after it begins setting, etc. JMHO.

Also, they might look better underwater.

Cardboard and duct tape will fix a lot of things. Not trying to crack wise, but that is the Southern solution.

Another good place to try is tire balancing centers. I don't think the weights they use are pure lead, but if you ask nicely, you might get some free.

I agree, silly all around. I was only saying that if you don't want further hassle and potential liability you could consider changing the name. Or just reply and tell them to pound sand.

who was in there?

The only quicker method I know of than microwave is to buy them at the store. But at Wal-Mart sometimes it could be quicker to grab a tire off a junk car, cut up the rubber, set it in the sun, and focus a magnifying glass on it until it runs.

Hello from North Carolina's smaller and uglier sister (SC).

I see the auto censor got part of the post. The word I typed includes the same string of letters as a four letter curse word. It is a kind of mushroom.

Just a thought....how much would it really affect your own sales if you changed the name? Your existing customers probably don't care what the name is if it works. And new customers wouldn't care much if they can see what they order before they get it. So, maybe ####oki head or toadstool jig? I wonder if the act of changing the name legally equals "admitting" that there is an infringement issue? I agree with the others that the company might be stretching to claim "mushroom" as their own. I think a quick consultation with a knowlegeable lawyer would be in order unless you just want to change the name.

measure, weigh, and photo boatside if possible. Then hightail it to the nearest 24 hour grocery store. Sweet talk the butcher/meat manager and ask them to weigh it. Those scales are inspected regularly by state employees in most states (if not all). I believe that would be sufficient data to support a state record.

I have found the SOLO cup solution useful for certain applications. But still early and can't swear that it will hold up in the long run. If you go the cup route, buy the type that are semi-transparent (the soft kind). Don't get the hard plastic kind (whether clear or colored). Also, you don't have to buy the SOLO brand. As far as I know, the knock-offs work just as well.

HAAA!

I can only speak for Devcon topcoat, but would assume that the same is true for the other topcoats.....yes. If you use Devcon, the coated lure needs to be turned for at least twenty minutes, maybe longer. You still can't touch the lure after twenty minutes (don't try for at least six or seven hours if not longer). But if you are just making one or two at a time, you might not even bother with the turning wheel. A set of locking forceps can grip the line tie so you can turn it by hand. If you don't turn the lure, you'll get dimples, incomplete coverage, a superthick coat on the lower portion of the lure, and little to no coverage on the upper end. Plus it will likely drip on you and make a big mess. You need to turn, just be careful not to drop the thing whether turning by hand or clipping to your wheel.

Most have constructed a lure turning wheel using a small motor. Rotisserie motors have been used, but some have reported problems with the motor burning out too frequently. Of course, you'd need some way to attach the lure to the wheel (alligator clip, clothespin, etc.). Do a thread search...there used to be a complete tutorial on this. Even if that was lost in the crash a while back, I'm pretty sure you can find enough info to get you on the way toward a completed wheel.

You might also try applying a small glob of contact cement or something similar over the eye to mask it for painting. That stuff should peel right off after painting....but I'm not sure if the chemicals in it could react with the eye surface?

LP, I slowly go toward that philosophy, but still believe that the topcoat, whether epoxy, Etex, fishermun's, etc. is the most critical part. You can try to protect from water penetration, IMO the best place to start is where the water first contacts the bait. clemmy, can't help much. I think that many times the topcoat will be determined by weight considerations if the builder has options. Some baits are designed around the weight of the topcoat.