BBK

2.5" jerkbait would be similar to a size 7 rapala. I use #2 on those. Baits less than 2" or needing #10 or smaller hooks I drop down to a #0, 15lb ring. #1 will work also assuming you are putting #8 hooks on them.

The only way I've ever gotten a broken lip out of a bait is to soak it in acetone. You'll have to reseal the bait before painting usually. Only works on wooden or lead/metal baits.

Break open a lindy splash brite and reuse the internals inside of a crankbait body.

My old 10lb lee I had to clean all the time. I would take it apart and run a brass bristle brush chucked in a drill with a couple extensions on the plunger seat to remove gunk.. then I wire wheeled the steel plunger. It would make the pot run smooth as butter for a while. I switched to the 20lb lee a few years back and haven't had to clean it once. Never drips when up to temp and almost always smooth flow. I do have a piece of steel wire that I run up the spout from the bottom with pliers to knock out any junk in there if the flow gets restricted. Takes 3 second and back to good again. But have never even emptied the thing in the years I've owned it. I pour down to half a pot and then stop and refill until 3/4 and go again. Always refilling to 3/4 before shutting it off.

Absolutely, even when dipping outdoors. That stuff is NASTY and will get you high as a kite in a few minutes. The first time I used it (indoors without a respirator), I couldn't see the color red for about an hour and was pretty dizzy. With the proper filters you can't smell a thing. It literally takes 5 seconds to slap on the mask and if you get a well fitting one you will forget you are wearing it. I walked upstairs to get a drink of water once while painting and put the glass up to the mask.

I use a 3m 7500 series mask with the 6001 cartridges and the 5p71 dust filters over them. You can get the whole kit on amazon. mask- https://www.amazon.com/3M-Professional-Facepiece-Respirator-Medium/dp/B004HXBCMG/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=3m+7502&qid=1552505802&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-2-catcorr filter kit- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A7PCS8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use 6's for walleye. I don't like 4's, they catch too many debris on the wingdams and you dont need that big of a hook for a sauger or walleye. I use vmc 9651, same as rapala uses.

Most sterile fish breeds still spawn.. just unsuccessfully... shooting blanks so to speak. Saugeyes, wipers, tiger muskie, etc. develop eggs and go through the motions of spawning but the eggs and sperm are not viable. Where do you live? If you live down south, there is a good chance they won't do any spawn ritual if your water does not get cold. Pike spawn at 35-38 deg water temp, muskie at 55-60... I have no clue what a tiger muskie would do or when it would do it. But your local fisheries biologist working for your dnr would be able to tell you all the info you need.

The chrome and gold of a rat-l-trap are plated on. That's why it rubs off and doesn't flake off usually

You may be experiencing expansion and compression of the wood that is causing your lures to crack. CS would help with that as it doesnt dry to a hard coating like epoxy, but it will be far less durable... especially with lakers. Are you sealing your wood fully before painting? That is a crucial step for any lure, especially for something like ice fishing lakers when the lure is spending several minutes submerged at 100' plus and being reeled from bottom to top chasing the fish on the screen. I would use KBS on them, but I have not tried your specific situation so take that for what it is worth... my ice lures are a whole different class. As for temp, down that deep it will be warmer than you think. Mid 40's I'd say. Up closer to the ice the colder it gets.

I use cs seal coat or KBS on ice lures depending on style.

I've never seen a brass body over 1/2oz, to go heavier you would need to go to a lead body. http://www.lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/Lead-Lure-Bodies/Lead-Lure-Bodies_2.html Blades http://www.lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/-040-Muskie/ bucktail trebles http://www.lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/Dressed-Hooks/Tied-Bucktail-Treble.html

Createx white SUCKS. I quit using it. I just use reduced folk art for base coating, and us airbrush for white detail work. I also mix paint in the brush, in the front of the cup (tilt airbrush all the way forward and mix up in the cup so it doesn't run down to the needle). Seems to work well for me.

Discolored doesn't matter. If they have any powder on them, you will want to remove that.

Reducer is cheap, a little goes a long way. I use createx 4012, its $16 with free shipping for a 16oz bottle on amazon. I have a small 2oz dropper bottle that I plan to refill out of the 16oz... I don't do a lot of painting but I do paint every day, I'm still trying to empty the first 2oz fill up from a couple months ago.