jcromerangler

I fish Santee cooper where the big girls live.......8-9lbers are common in spring... have no issues..your drag should take care of the the amount of resistance a fish may have. Throw mine on 10lb-12lb fluoro have zero issues. At the end of the day it's balsa wood, it's weak......but so are Rapala lures

Through wire is way too much overkill......use stainless steel wire and twist your own screw eyes and set with epoxy. No fish is going to pull the hook hangers or line tie out.

Make more baits at time (Pre top coat) and use KBS.!! I love it.

Lots of guys thin epoxy for their reasons. I use KBS. I'm trying to make as many baits as I can. not one at the time

I would just start with little bit and mix and make sure to watch the viscosity to see how it thins...Don't want it too thin.

I would recommend Devcon 2 ton epoxy and can reduce with denatured alcohol or some xylene thinner.

dipping method that is

@CoreyH if your top coating balsa Id highly recommend 2-3 coats. I do 3 coats. the first two about 2hrs apart, then another next day. Trying to build up that thickness to ensure proper protection and a semi-long lasting balsa bait for what's its worth. KBS is not a one bait here or there kind of top coat lol.

@DGagner I'm struggling on what to use as a base coat (White). Im sealing with an acrylic lacquer. (Balsa). But I'm unsure of what is the best base coat before painting the lure....I want a nice base to start with and I need some help. This is why I asked about the lacquer b/c I heard that it covers very well and was thinking about using a opaque white as base coat? If there is a simpler option could someone please share?

Who is using lacquer based paint on balsa wood baits and who is using createx. Im thinking about moving toward lacquer due to the better coverage....

PM me with details I may be interested

Thanks @BobP Very useful info man. dv2t is too runny once you first mix.

If you can make low density fit your production process that's great however it is very weak therefore drilling balast holes hook hangers and lip is a nightmare haha. Medium density to high is still way more buoyant than any plastic manufactured bait.

Balsa USA is great supplier. They often have medium/high density in stock which is what you want in building a plug..... Easy ordering over the phone. I've tried National Balsa etc. but they often send low density and it is like a sponge and extremely hard to deal with.

Yea @BobP I'm curious about this.....I use devcon 2 ton epoxy it is a mess but strong as an ox. Is the paste strong strong. Like I'm not going to be throwing the lip off my balsa baits am I?