Mountainryan

Search for chefchris’s method. It can’t be done to your bait now but can on your next bait. I’ve done some tests and gotten more than 1/4 inch penetration on end grain and it makes the wood hard as rock. I use superglue on testers when I’m in a rush but it’s not as good as the other method.

Before ice out I made this gill profile. Made a few variations like a 4 piece and 3 piece, wake and a crank/ suspending. Carved from Alaskan yellow cedar, wood sealed using chiefchris’s method. Figured out some cool methods of adding holographic effects and wrapping them. They swim super sick and I have been steadily catching dinks. Went to a new spot last night and caught this fat 4. The dark gill I made for @northeast_trev IMG_8356.MOV

Any members heading down to boxboro today? I should be there around 12. Be cool to meet people in person from the area. Shoot me a message!

That’s sick! You should see my lexan tail. It’s embarrassing haha

Nothing quite cuts the fishing time as having kids… I have a 5yo girl and a 3yo boy. They are able to hang longer in the boat so it does get better lol. I spend all the time I can with them, including when building baits. I usually work at a station in my living room. So they are always watching and asking questions. My 5yo has been asking to make a bait with me so of course I couldn’t say no. She picked the bait to make. She stood close by as I did the dangerous bits like the bandsaw but helped cut the joints, watched me carve and did a bunch of sanding. Then I asked her to draw how she wanted to paint it. Here is her drawing ( including where wood would show through!) yes her favorite color is “rainbow”. She did a bit of airbrushing the baits base coat as well. This bait is going to be tied on a lot this year. Hope it hurts some feelings haha.

Like that profile and mouth! Is that a hard tail?

Thanks guys. This is white oak. I went with oak on some baits because I couldn’t fit enough lead in them to overcome the buoyancy of cedar haha. Takes muuuch less with oak.

Thanks Dan! Seriously I almost wish I didn’t put the gold on, the top and bottom are so flashy in person.

I’m curious about what happened to your paint. I’ve made and painted quite a bit of resin and I’m happy to troubleshoot for you. Can also give you some really good products for clear.

Epoxy came out very nice. IMG_7925.MOV

I found some random logs I cut on my property in my basement . Pretty sure they were table legs at one point… I think they are maple. I threw them on the bandsaw and cut them into a few blocks. The grain was super fine and really nice. I wanted to use as much as I cod so I went with a broomstick/ slammer sty bait. The color lent itself to a gold/ yellow base fish color so I went with brown trout. I usually draw my designs on paper but this was a one- off so I went right onto the wood. The line tie will go through the lip to add strength in that thin section but this wood is like rock. I did 3 coats of polyurethane and it really made it pop. I made a set of 20 degree blocks that I clamp my blocks to to cut very accurate joints by hand. Super light spray of fine gold and on to hand dotting. I didn’t have dotting tools so I used an eraser . Made nice dots but was hard to see how far down to press because it’s flat. (You don’t touch the tool down, just the paint) For the other side I got some $5 dotting tools from Michael's and they worked really well- trout painters take note! Worked in the white then dotted on the black and red. Some home made eyes and it’s looking sick. Epoxy clear coat is drying and will post more pics tonight. it’s hard to describe how iridescent and flashy good wood grain is. It’s like the road sign reflectors.

5” bodied 3 piece rat. Weighted to be a low float/ crank. Carved this in oak and the grain looked too good to paint. Thanks for looking. IMG_7904.MOV

Thanks man!

photo transfer crappie 5” crawler