Last run of lures for 2012

Well we managed to get one more batch in. Frank felt he needed more baits, so I finished a couple more for myself. A couple of pictures of the same baits ,different angles to show the tape colors.

Lures and tail hook dressing

More of the same

Something different

More tail hook blades

Rear hook worm barb

Another rear blade

We have been fishing with dressed rear hooks from just about the beginning. I put a lot of confidence in the idea and have hooked quite a few muskie on the rear hook only. At the very least it  needs a worm, that's where the second to last picture comes in.
In the past I would bend a light gauge wire in half, run it through the eye of the treble, down the shank, bend the tag end back onto the shank and wrap it with thread. The free end, which is extending out a little further would then get a loop bent in it. I would then use the Hitch Hiker ( worm spring  ) to attach my worms.
I prefer this method rather than what is in the picture. To me the jointed connection gives the trailing worm it's own action separate of the bait and not just a squirmy flat piece of rubber.The picture is of what I came up with trying to eliminate wright. It is the same gauge wire but it is bent in half, ran through the eye, down the shank and then twisted, kind of like a haywire twist. Pick the length you want clip it off and bend the two tag ends back for the worm keeper.This eliminated the thread wrap and the Hitch Hiker, which will all play into letting me put some hair on the rear hooks. This is so simple and fast I can't believe I didn't think of it before.
The rear hooks with blades came from seeing the two tag ends and thinking, why not. This will probably be too much weight for my baits but I want to see how they work.
Things to consider:
Deer hair works with just about anything and doesn't absorb much water.
Marabou unless very fluffy looks like a worm when it's wet and soaks up water, also likes to stick to worms.
Flashabou, Mylar very light, no water retention, but will tie a worm up.
Chicken feathers,( hackle ) very light. very little water retention and you really only need a few.

Some 2012 all dressed up

This is the remainder with tails and a few bucktails rejuvenated, I wanted to take with. A couple of big tens and a few # 8 Fluted Colorado. With the exception of one double prop top water, everything is something I have made right down to my leaders. Goal accomplished, no store bought baits this year.

All dressed up

Same as above

A few old bucks turned into new ones

Same as above

( Keep it in the Water )

Third batch 2012 Muskie Baits

This is six pictures, three each of four baits. I kept all six to try and show the different look of the prism tape, hope you can get something from it. These are 10" thru wire.

I might be able to get one more batch done, which are a few of the 3/4" aspen. Then it is prep work to actually go use them!

( Keep it in the Water )

Second Batch 2012 Musky Baits

Well, this bunch is a little better than the first batch. If I was dipping these in Envirotech they would really look sharp. But I pushed the edge on weight, going for neutrally buoyant and can't afford to add any more.

I still haven't found the right edge to use when trimming the prism tape on the 3/4" baits. These are a full round over for the sides and I still don't care for the line it takes when cutting the tape.
The little gold guy in the first pic and the one walleye looking guy in the last pic are 3/4" baits. I had messed up the tape on the two walleye and just used some Kandy to put some life back into them.These were a couple of the first that I was clearing with Envirotech spray and sanding to loose the tape edge. The Envirotech spray has always been good to me, except this time. Could have just been the temperature and humidity but it wasn't getting clear, always left a haze. I will try some more later on. 
The coolest part about using the tape for me is, the ability to use a Kandy ( transparent paint ) to add, change, blend and enhance any color of tape you choose.
The top pic with the yellow looking bait and the second pic with two yellow looking baits is the chartreuse tape. It goes from solid chartreuse to yellow to a pearl green blue, very nice stuff.    
Hopefully I can get a another batch done this Sunday.

( Keep it in the Water )
 

The first finished Muskie baits for 2012

These are the first in my batch to get cleared out. I am still working on a set of stencils for gills and a fin, along with how to spray them. This batch I tried to detail the areas with a Sharpie, probably should have left them alone. I don't believe the detail catches more fish, but it is fun to play around with it and really helps to understand how to use the airbrush. By no means do I claim to know how, but I do enjoy doing it.

The last two are of the3/4" aspen and  pretty  rough, but the green one has the mirrored silver and the prism silver on the blue. I used a scale look tape ( clear scale tape ) from Moore's Lures to try and salvage the baits. I wasn't to happy about it when it showed up and was a pinkish pearl. The tape is like the hologram scale type, very thin and flexible. I wish I had bought more, it is pretty cool tape.  Even though it appeared to be pink, it takes on the colors of the bait. Now all I have to do is decide which baits will use the rest of it. This tape would work well over a paint job and have a very thin tape edge.

( Keep it in the Water )

2012, Nine ready for clear

 I took new photos to help ease my mind, enjoy.

The tape we are using is a lot thicker than foil or leaf. You can see from the pictures that there is a definite edge. You can spend the time to soften this with multiple coats of clear and sanding, if you chose to spend your time that way. I have been there and done it, looks cool but not worth the time for this batch. Hopefully the Muskie Gods will forgive me! For those who may think it sloppy, evidently you have more time than I do.

This batch is for fishing, not personal critiquing. Use the knowledge you gain. Good or Bad.

As I have said before, I am not a photographer. I wish I could do justice to how this tape really looks. Maybe Frank will get some real photos going.  But anyway, it is cool to say the least. These are the first nine ready for clear. Seeing that I am unable to show the real value of the tape, the solid chrome is mirror chrome, the solid gold is mirror gold and both are a real mirror finish. The green and chartrues are prism, that pulls in colors of the bait. This is also the same for the one that looks orange to chartrues in the pics. 
I have no data to back it up, but I think all tape will reflect U V light, if present. This tape is so reflective it is unbelievable. If there is a light source it will reflect it.

Solid Gold tape

Solid Silver tape

Green prism tape

Chartreuse pearl tape

Solid Silver tape

Perch photo over gold leaf

 These are all in House of Kolor inter coat clear at the present, it gives me something other than paint to scuff before the real clear.
If you look at the two lures in green tape, you can tell how the tape picks up the color of the baits and changes. These are both the same tape, just different light. As for what it does in the water, if the sun is out, it is wild. If there is no sun, it is green prism tape.

Now that UV coatings have arrived on the market and seems to be coming the rage in manufactured baits,  slight delay from the original in 2006,??? I do not see a purpose, if you can reflect light and use hot colors when needed, it works. Not to say, a bright colored lure in clear water is bad, I do that quite a bit when the sun is out.

I am not a believer in the U V coatings being offered now days to enhance your lures color. I do believe in anything than can reflect light. Whether it be tape, foil or leaf, if it can reflect light  it can reflect U V. I personally can't get a grip on something I can't see and something that can not be proven or dis proven. Any promo you see that depicts a U V bait and fish, the only thing that is different is the bait. If U V light changes the color of the bait, then why doesn't it change the color of the fish ????

On the same vain of thought, you can see so far all these baits are hot colored. I might do all 76 this way, the water clarity for Green Bay at the Fox river is Zero. The Bay is are intended target.

The chartrues, chartrues green, and light orange are my triggers along with rattles.The reflective tape is a bonus. This will pick up and reflect any visible light source. So I believe, U V included

( Keep it in the Water.)

Muskie Baits paint & tape

I already know that this should have started about a month ago , but as the world turns this is reality.  We all do the best we can for the time we have . So as a quick note, these are a few I was able to get paint on in 92 degree, 58% humidity weather, it's always fun. 

These musky baits all have tape on them, the new chrome and gold tape is fantastic. This new tape is a lot thinner than the colored tape, and really lays down nice. It has the best flash that I have seen to date.

There are four baits ready for clear in the pics and the others with a white top and belly are ready for color.

When  using the prism tape just remember, tape will not adhere to curves, keep it tight. If it buckles, bulges or creases it will be that way when it's finished. Any open or lifted edge will not work well in the end.

Frank, did a great looking hot perch and maybe he will pull it from the vault and share some pics. You can add it in here, if you would Frank.

I am not a photographer, as you can tell from the pics, but this tape is the ultimate if you are looking for flash. In solids or prism , you could not go wrong with using it.

There were a couple of memory lapses getting started , but I think we will get it on a roll quick enough.

 I not sure, but we may have lost Al to back problems and Tom finished all but three of his baits already.

So it appears that Frank and I are the slackers!

A little side note to all of this , we will be fishing dark water this year. A Canadian trip is out of the question for me . So the Great Lakes , Green bay is what are intent is, hence the hot colors, rattles and flash that will be created. You would be lucky to see something 2'-0" below the surface.

I wish they had  Zander in the Great Lakes, they get huge.

( Keep it in the Water )