Outlaw4

Wake bait is up next on my to do list. Always wanted to build one just never seem to get around to it. Planning on a good size bait like maybe 6" or so minus the tail (if one). Any tips from wake bait gurus? Lip angle, joint segment ratio, tails, weight / balance?

i thought maybe it was Alumalite, but could have been another place that had a chart to match wood densities. ive not made a resin bait but hoping to experiment with it this season some

man ive caught a lot of bass on a green pumpkin hack attack jig with a 4" chigger craw. it'd be a great way to build confidence. ive had good success with jigs on clear water fishing deep weed lines. most people figure jigs for shallow water but sometimes bass really like the vertical fall, and most strikes will come that way, often you'll just see your line move.

opaque white

this is not a spitting sound. the swoosh comes from the side to side displacement of water. sometimes referred to as the "death march"....swoosh swoosh swoosh

also remember its not just the motion you need to think about. there is a sound associated with the motion. swoosh swoosh swoosh

my first crack would be to bend to tow eye down below centerline. that helps keep downward pressure on the lip. it looks like a thru wire so maybe could cut a small notch below it to get it down easier? This would be easy to move back if its not it. second thought would maybe be some weight in small increments between the front hook hanger and the lip? cool looking bait though and sounds like you are close. The dialing it in is so very fun and frustrating

try soaking overnight in cleaner. i had one do this one time and i was about to just throw it away. im not sure where or how but it cleaned itself out and worked properly again. ill also when shoot thinner or isopropyl though at higher psi like 40-45. that sometimes clears up a nasty acting brush.

the hardened .062 bucktail wire will work fine in there. If you are looking to make it close to original you can get the hook hangers. Otherwise on new ones i drill to the middle and use a swivel for the hook hanger. If you need i can show you more detailed picture later but here you can get the idea another thing you will want to do if fishing it is to back off those blade screws a bit so the blade is loose so it will "chirp". This chirp is why they were often called bird lures

bass fishing it'd be considered a jerkbait musky / pike fisherman may be inclined to call it a minowbait

Airbrushes are just precision spray paint tools. They can shoot most any kind of paint you want. Lure paint depends a lot on topcoat plan. if your going to epoxy then any of the water based stuff works good. if no epoxy then lacquers are a better choice, or anything not water based. Just need the appropriate cleaners and PPE. I'd always vote for as large a compressor as is feasible. But as previously stated the water trap / regulator needs to be used with any.

for less than $20 you can build a turner. A disco ball turner and 1x6 and your good to go. It's well worth the time if your thinking epoxy. Clear coating is one of the trickier parts of a build to get right. I'd put as many advantages as you can in your favor.

check out mini flake buster. i have not tried this yet but have watched a couple of videos on. this seems like a reasonable solution

i have a 5" horny toad stone mold. Its a direct upsized knock off. You wont get that stateside. It makes serviceable baits for personal use. Kind of dull but look shiny when wet . Puts fish in the boat. CNC molds make nice baits. I'd pick CNC at a higher price if given the choice. They just make nicer baits.

ive dabbled in all sorts of concoctions but mostly just buy the iwata cleaner in 32oz bottles now. in between colors mostly use reducer to flush. i have had some funny reactions between paint and some homebrew solutions so pretty much just stick to the brand name stuff.

morakniv 120 for me. i like some curve in the blade

i use two coats of polyurethane on wood with pretty good success. with a couple of coats of epoxy over layers of paint. I've also used polyacrylic on a few and really that worked good too but i dont have tons of time on those baits but its super clean and safe so im going to build more this year this way. 1st coat of poly as a sealer and to lift the grain sand in between coats to smooth grain. 2nd coat to smooth for base coat of paint. Epoxy sealing is really good too, i think maybe its the best way but it always seems to take xtra time vs poly for the added benefit. But i'd use if i needed one lure to last as long as possible. Super glue is awesome for building test baits as its fast. the super thin stuff. ive not yet tried the UV route but that seems like it could be nice as well.

when you are a person that does things. you make mistakes and learn. this is not consistent with being an idiot.

i like to start with a rectangle and centerline everything and place eyes, hook hangers, weight placement etc then build off of the centerline. you can build very accurate repeatable baits in your garage with basic tools this way. fancier tools will just make it faster

interesting, ill have to fire up the jig maker one day and see what's up. i get color blending like crazy once i stick my jigs in the oven when there is one color over another.

what temp do you guys heat the jigs to (before) spraying? when you do two colors do you heat set the first then spray the second?

bet those suckers would look good on a drop shot