fishordie79

Actually, and I don't know why I didn't just do this to begin with, here is the link:

@Hillbilly voodoo @Big Epp of course both of you are top contributors to my success, or at least perceived success, in this hobby and many thanks for agreeing to let me use your screen names. The channel is called Fishing with Friends and I have the first four videos recorded and edited but they are not published. I released the trailer this week and the first video I think I will release on Sunday but I am taking it slow and making sure that it's done with the goal of being something I would want to watch myself as opposed to being something created with the goal of getting as many subscribers as possible. The logo is attached so should you want to view the trailer you'll know which one it is. You may have to scroll down a bit to find it:) I hear it takes a year or two to get these things to gain some steam.

Hey Tu Folks! So I talked to Curt (Site Admin) to get the okay to do an episode of my YouTube channel about the TU site and what an amazing and helpful community it is. I want to walk the viewer through the site, how to use it, show them some of the threads, etc., and I would like to say a little bit about those of you who have helped me get better at this hobby. I would do this by showing some of the threads I have posted and the discussions I have had with many of you. I would of course be showing your screen names and talking a bit about how each of you have helped me in a particular way. However, I do not want to do this without your permission. That said, if you have ever helped me out on this site then this is me asking for your permission to use your screen name in a YouTube video. If you are okay with this please respond to this thread with a YES or NO and I will include as many of you in the video as time will allow. I apologize for the off topic thread but I figured this would be the best way to go about getting permission from everyone. Of course once the video is created and uploaded I will link it here. Thanks to you all and Tight Lines!

MIND BLOWN. Incredible thread everyone!

@danthefisherman Sorry man...IPA = Isopropyl Alcohol. I should have been more specific. Thanks for your comments man! Much appreciated:)

Okay everyone so I did another bait with lure tape and this time got the result I was looking for. After I poured the resin copy I sanded it smooth and sealed it with superglue. I then sanded again with 320 to smooth out any imperfections caused by the superglue. Then I did a white base coat on the lure and then a transparent base and let that dry for a day. Then I put the lure tape on and let it sit for two days just to see if any bubbles arose. So far there are no bubbles, which, compared to the bubble minefield the last one produced after two days makes me happy. Once I get the bait completed I'll give you all an update.

Thanks @danthefisherman! What about using IPA to remove oil and residue? I don't have a faucet out in my shop but I do have IPA.

I was thinking about trying a coat of superglue to seal and then trying the lure tape again this evening. I’ll let you all know how it turns out.

@BobP That makes total sense! The particular baits I am having issues with are resin pours. Would you suggest a coat of epoxy before the foil goes on?

@UKandyThat would make sense. Also what @exx1976 said about it pulling air out of the wood would make sense. These baits are resin but maybe it is pulling air out of them as well. Hard to figure out and really frustrating because you're really close to a great bait but there is that one little nagging problem you have to work out that keeps you from reaching the finish line. I poured another on of these just a bit ago so Ill just set it aside for a week or so and come back to it. I'll get back with you guys once I've applied foil again. Thanks to you both! @Vodkaman any suggestions?

@UKandy @exx1976 so here is one I did a while back that I did with some crappy epoxy that I could just never get to work well. Had the epoxy been good the bait still would have been sub par because, and I don’t know if you can see it in the picture or not, but the foil ended up just full of bubbles after initially going on smoothly with no issues. Maybe a transparent base topcoat then a wipe down with IPA before applying the foul would work?

Hey TU Folks! I'm running into an issue that hopefully you all will be able to help me with. I have recently begun using lure tape on some baits just to see what kind of options it gives me and I really like some of the looks I get out of certain patterns. That said, and as seems to always be the case in lure making, it presents a problem. I can get the tape/foil on perfectly aligned, perfectly smooth, heat shrunk to a tight, clean fit, then come back after a couple of hours and there are bubbles popping up in the tape. I'll work out the bubbles, think they are eradicated, then begin airbrushing, and low and behold a bit later there will be bubbles in the tape and I can no longer fix them without ruining my paint job. Is there anything I can do about this? Any tips you all may be able to share with me? Thanks for any assistance!

@bogdan_alex Thanks for the tip! What primer do you use?

@Big Epp @exx1976 @Hillbilly voodoo Nothing wrong with the wobble at all. What I have noticed over the past couple of years is that I've been more successful with natural looking/swimming baits. Loooooots of Germans use big soft plastics for pike from companies like Westin and Fox Rage. Those baits usually have that side to side wobble along with a lot of tail action so, and it may just be me being picky, I feel like I need to present something to the fish that everyone else is not throwing. This year was very successful for me using slow sinking jerks that had no action on the descent so I am trying to figure out how to replicate that. Not only because those baits have been working for me but also because it has been a freaking challenge trying to do so:/ I do see the value in the wobble on the drop, however. @Outlaw4 I couldn't agree more. I've currently got a wooden master with which I tried to replicate the Rapala Haku jerk. The Haku is actually the lure that caught the fish in my profile picture. Slim, tapered belly, as you said, and interestingly placed ballast that, as you also said, is probably the result of some crazy $$ spent in R&D:)

@Vodkaman Laminar flows, dimensionless numbers, viscous forces, average velocity, slugs/ft........yes I Googled it and yes my brain is smoldering:) @Hillbilly voodoo Sounds good man. Hope you're able to catch up on some sleep.

Another question for you guys. I have yet to find that perfect balance that allows a jerk bait to sink without rocking slightly from side to side. I've gotten pretty close but I haven't found the sweet spot yet. Do you guys have any tips learned from your experience that might help me to master this? I don't know if any of you guys have used or seen used the Rapala X-rap Twitchin' Shad but that thing has an absolutely beautiful sink. It tilts slightly forward and sinks with zero side to side movement. It's that kind of sink I'm looking for and I am not sure what design properties account for that.

@exx1976I sure will man. Thanks! @Hillbilly voodoo I am in southern Germany. Not nearly as cold as where you are but most of the waters are still frozen. There are a few streams where I work that I could test in although the current there is pretty strong and I'm kinda thinking I might get an inconclusive result. Really interesting to hear that you use only resin as your ballast for some builds. I'd like to pick your brain about how you do that sometime. Do you mind if I send you a PM? @Vodkaman if you think it will work then that's good for me:) Thanks for the response. I'll do my best to remember to come back here and give you all the results once I've had it in the water. Thanks again!

Hey TU Folks! So I carved, molded, and poured a jerk bait last night. I used a 10% mix of microspheres to part A of the resin. When I went to add ballast my goal was to add it at each end of the bait for a more steady action. What I realized is that adding a single point of ballast, about 5.35 grams about 2.5 centimeters in front of the belly hook hanger gave me a level descent and the sink rate I was looking for. The only time I’ve ever used a single ballast point on a jerk bait is when putting it at the center of balance. So I filled in the ballast and did some more dunk testing and low and behold it sinks perfectly. All of the waters around here are frozen so I have no means of testing this bait. I know I should test it first but I’ll be waiting for a while to do so so I think I’ll just complete it and give it a shot. I don’t think it will work but what do you all think? Take a look at the image to get an idea of where I placed the ballast. Thanks for any comments/suggestions!

@Gone Fishin Agreed man. The stuff is absolutely awesome.

@Travis man those cranks look great. I noticed your lips have a notch cut into them. Can you explain why you do this? I am genuinely curious as I've made mostly jerks and lipless cranks thus far. I'm right at the point of being ready to make divers so any insight into lip design will be a plus:)

Dave says "nerdy". I say "sexy". @Vodkaman you are amongst nerd friends here:) The nerdier the better:)

@mark poulson Man that is a great idea! I'll have to see if I can get something similar in metric diameters over here and give it try.

@Anglinarcher thanks man I was thinking that it wasn't a requirement but I honestly had built several before the thought crossed my mind so I thought I would ask. Thanks again!

@Big Epp linke @Brick Steel said above I also use a 6 gallon compressor. Works great and has a built in regulator with water trap. I usually just turn it on and let it fill up, which takes about a minute and a half I guess, then I turn it off and use it until empty. Depending on the paint scheme it can sometimes get me through an entire bait before I need to turn it on to fill up again.