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Fishwhittler

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Fishwhittler last won the day on September 8 2023

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  1. How large are they? Are you asking about the lure in that particular color pattern, or just the lure? Without any more information, they look like pre-Rapala models in the 020 size. Found this image that seems to be a match.
  2. Older Citicas (everything before the G) were phenomenal value. I own an E, D, and B, and I just bought another B for my son. Rebuilding it now with added bearings, carbontex drag and a few other goodies. The only reason I would not recommend them is that those older reels can be in rough shape and need some significant TLC. My son's reel had an almost unusable drag when it arrived, which was expected so no loss there. That reel doesn't even have Shimano's Dartanium drag washers, which are silky smooth when new but require regular maintenance to not fall apart and/or fuse to the brass gearing. Bottom line, older Citicas represent truly excellent value for the dollar. But they need some work, and if you don't work on your own reels - which isn't hard, mind you - they may not be the best choice.
  3. Looks amazing. Painted by hand? Those dots would've made my eyes cross.
  4. Don't know if they're exactly what you're looking for, but Barlows Tackle has some deep diver blanks that look similar to what you describe. Lurepartsonline is a TU sponsor and has a decent selection as well, and Janns Netcraft has some Bandit blanks.
  5. Just finished this batch. Mostly PVC with a few basswood, poplar and balsa thrown in for the sake of curiosity. Flatside and round body. Most are original designs, except for the silver guy at the bottom center which is a John Mills/Whittler template built by me.
  6. Ditto. I currently own 3 used Shimano Citicas of various generations. Also bought a Daiwa T3 for $200 when they were on clearance due to the T3 being discontinued. I still need a Citica 200D for my collection, and MAYBE a Citica G, but for my money the Citica D and E were some of the best value for the dollar ever produced. The only reason I'd avoid buying used is if you're not 100% comfortable with the idea of maintaining and/or repairing your own reels. Not every seller is completely honest, and buying used can be a very mixed bag if you don't know what you're looking for.
  7. Cut up an empty plastic milk jug. You can get a decent number of stencils out of one jug, and it's basically free if you drink milk.
  8. Apologies for the late reply. If that's the case, pretty much anything from Daiwa and Shimano is going to be good. Lews has quite the following as well, as does Abu Garcia. I will say that most low-profile reels from Lews, Abu, Pflueger, and a number of other brands all come from the same factory, though Abu's round reels from the C3 up are still made in Abu's own factory in Sweden. So as far as low-profile reels go, anything from the brands mentioned is more or less just a different iteration of the same reel. Shimano and Daiwa both make their own reels (as well as making one or two for other brands). I tend to assosciate Shimano with slightly better low-end stuff than Daiwa, while Daiwa and Shimano both have excellent top-tier options. he biggest difference between the two, IMHO, is that Shimano uses centrifugal brakes for almost everything while Daiwa tends to go for magnetic brakes. I'm partial to centrifugal brakes, though I do have a Daiwa T3 that I've no complaints about. Honestly, most reels around the $200 price point will be perfectly satisfactory and will mostly be fairly comparable. It's still going to come down to what you like the best.
  9. Most metal-frame baitcast reels are at least decent. Non-metal frames aren't a deal-breaker per say, but because of the flexibility of the frame they tend to be less of a long-term investment than a reel with an aluminum frame. I've fished with two baitcasters with graphite frames, and while they work just fine and I've never had any malfunctions, under heavy load (such as fighting a fish) you can feel a tiny amount of flex that isn't there with a metal frame. Can't speak as to how much effect that has on the lifespan of the reel, but using a graphite reel with heavy line for winching is probably not going to do any favors for the reel in the long run. When it comes to brand, I'd say try to get to a store such as Bass Pro, Scheels, etc., and see how different reels feel in your hand. Then buy what you like. Most reels at a given price points are fairly competitive with each other. Bottom line, the only thing I'd really avoid is a non-metal frame. There really isn't a "best", there's just what you can afford and what you like.
  10. Fishwhittler

    IMG_4182

    Very clean work! Always loved the look of Norwegian-style cranks.
  11. My solution ended up being a coat of thread sealer before topcoat, which took care of the problem. I never had problems with fisheyes when applying Etex over thread sealer, come to think of it. I had some minor issues before I started doing that, but none after.
  12. I think you just explained why I was having issues at all. I never really thought about Etex containing more solvents than other epoxies, but that would explain why I experienced the issues that I attributed to uncured paint. I was using Etex when I had problems with running paint, and I had the most problems with lures that had been painted the same day as they received topcoat. If they had been painted a day or so before, the running was decreased or nonexistent. Come to think of it, I don't think I really had the same issue with running paint while using other epoxies, and I experimented with a number of rod-building epoxies for lures back in the day.
  13. I rough-cut both polycarbonate and garolite with tin snips, then sand to shape with a dremel and/or a file. Works like a charm.
  14. Welcome! I'd try posting your question in the Soft Plastic subforum. I haven't poured plastics myself, but there are guys on here who've been doing that for years. Offhand I'd say that for making a mold, your most common options will be Plaster of Paris or RTV Silicone. Though if you're looking for injection-type molds rather than open-pour, you'll probably need something rigid such as plaster or a hard-cure plastic. If you have a CNC or access to one, that's probably going to give the best results overall in terms of mold quality and longevity, but that's considerably beyond the price range of most hobby lure makers. For injection molding, I'd ask around about what others use and recommend. Though if you're just getting into plastic pouring, starting with open-face molds may be the simpler and cheaper way to go. Hope this helps!
  15. Dang. This place has changed over the years. Managed to reawaken the old itch to both fish and build lures recently, and figured I'd see if TU was still kicking. It is, but...man, ten years is a long time. This place is much, much quieter, though I'm glad to see a number of names I do recognize still floating around. Time unfortunately has not been kind to internet forums in general, particularly specialized ones like TU. Too much commitment to long-term conversations...heh. A few of the long-standing members may remember me. Been about ten years since I was active on here to any real extent, and it's been just as long since I did any lure building (or fishing, for that matter). A bit of water under the bridge since then. Quick synopsis: Got married, had two kids, changed jobs several times until finally finding a good one I can stick with for the foreseeable future; bought a house for the first time almost a year ago to the day, and now my son is old enough that he wants to go fishing. One thing led to another with that, and I've actually started carving and painting again. Just collected most of my old lure-making stuff from storage and with a considerable amount of shock discovered how much crap I actually have. (Side note: unmixed Envirotex Lite has a shelf life less than ten years. Don't know how long, but less than ten years. Can confirm.) Now my son is in love with my old lures and stuff, so that's some fairly strong motivation to get back to it. He found an old swimbait I never finished that he's begging me to paint, and to make it blue, so that's going to be a project. Beyond that, not really much point to this except to say hi. So...Hi. Tight lines all!
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