Painting Hardbaits With Sharpies?

[Fish_N_Fool]

I starting touching up the paint jobs on old crank baits with sharpies a few years ago with great results so I tried painting a complete new pattern using just sharpies this is the 2nd one I did. I lost the first one after I hooked a bunch of big pike and muskies on it, So any of you guys painting with sharpies?

here is my 2nd "paint" job

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/gallery/image/8907-perch-painted-s-waver/

What you think?

Edited July 31, 2011 by Fish_N_Fool

[MuskyGary]

I have always been told that sharpies will fade. I know some guys that use them on plastic baits--in the boat when they are fishing them. Do you top coat your lures? and if so with what? No problem of fadeing?

[Fish_N_Fool]

I have always been told that sharpies will fade. I know some guys that use them on plastic baits--in the boat when they are fishing them. Do you top coat your lures? and if so with what? No problem of fadeing?

My first bait that I painted with sharpies i fished for about 3 months and didn't see any fading at all. I didn't clear coat it at all, but I did clear coat the last bait with just a clear spray can from wally world. I also have used them on soft plastic with somewhat poor results, but I think they work great for hard-baits.

I just picked up a unpainted 240mm Sebile Magic Swimmer that I plan to paint up in the next few days. Trying to decide what colors to paint it, I'm leaning toward baby bass, but I've never tried that color yet so it could be fun.

[BobP]

They say "beauty is as beauty does" so if you and the fish like the end result with a Sharpie, who's to complain? I don't use them because you can't wash it off and do it over if you make a mistake. And if you want to topcoat a lure, products containing solvent will cause Sharpie to run. Topcoating is not necessarily needed on plastic baits if the color scheme is done completely with Sharpies but it's a definite consideration on wood baits. Nice work on that bait.

[cheapskate]

Sharpie states that they are permanent but I have not found that to be true when it goes in the water. The flyfishing guys use the more expensive marker pins found in stationary stores that are called Pigment or Dye markers. The are pricey but the are much more colorfast in the water.Permatex or Permatone or something like that . Just ask they will tell you what I mean.

[mark poulson]

I find the black sharpies don't run, but the colors do.

Heat setting the sharpie colors helps to make them run less, and coating them with Createx clear before I top coat helps, too.

Edited September 16, 2011 by mark poulson

[A-Mac]

I find the black sharpies don't run, but the colors do.

Heat setting the sharpie colors helps to make them run less, and coating them with Createx clear before I top coat helps, too.

+1

I use a black sharpie fine point to sign the baits. i also had used a permanent highlighter before to do my chart line on my sexy shad baits... mainly because it looks good and is easier than shootin through a stencil with airbrush. However, I lost that marker in a move. The sharpie highlighter will actually disappear after clearing, even after using createx clear over it... trying to remember what brand I was using.

[cheapskate]

I forgot those permanent markers from the stationary store I am thinking are good because they also have finer points than the sharpies and come in more artistic colors including lots of earth tones

[Sonny.Barile]

If you dont clear coat over the sharpie colors on a plastic lure, and it fades, you could always touch it up. Clear coating will prevent you from doing so or atleast easily....

I always thought the odor from markers would repel the fish..........

[woodieb8]

i re-paint lures for many fishermen. sharpies are a death nell on re-paints. i tell folks if its been sharpied i wont re-do them.. the stuff runs when clearcoated and paints dont stay leaving smudgy messes.

[Fishindoc]

I have long used sharpies on soft swimbaits and the colors do run and fade but I have learned to just let the bait bleed into what it wants to be. Recently I have started doing hard baits. Some is airbrushed and then I highlight with sharpies. Fish love them but I am still learning. 

[Flaswimbaiter]

If you cover the sharpie on soft plastics with mendit it won’t bleed as bad.  I like sharpies for tiny details and patch jobs. 

[mark poulson]

Nice!

[Fishindoc]

[mark poulson]

I used to use red sharpies to get a bleeding gills effect by not heat setting the sharpie before I dipped it concrete sealer, and then hang it tail down, so the sharpie ran down a bit.

Here's a picture of the effect:

 

[Norwegian]

I paint metal lures and have used the Posca markers These are expensive but have very high pigment density (if that is the correct term) 

I do clear coat after.