painting Lures

[Hoffer]

I have some deep diving lures that I would like to add some paint to the bottom. I looked on line at a few places and they do sell vinyl paint and other similar paints. However, it looks like you need to also buy their brand of thinner as well as some kind of final coat product.

I just want to find an easy on quick paint to basically paint a line down the bottom of my lures where the bottom is currently just white.

Has anyone tried this before and do you have any hints or brands you have tried that work well?

Thanks!

Hoffer

[ted4887]

Someone might chime in and correct me on this one, but water based acrylic paints should work. They're cheap too.

[efgh]

I use nail polish to paint my decoys. There are every color you cam think of, even reflective and sparkle.

[Hoffer]

I have actually done that with my jig heads and it worked well.

I just didnt know how it would hold up with a lure that is being trolled for long hours at high speed.

I may just try that first though. If it works, its easiest and very cost effective to get a bunch of different colors.

I have also looked at this "tape" that they made. It comes in all types of different reflective colors etc...but again I wasnt sure how well that would hold on to the lures?

[Borch]

For doing quick customization like dots, lines etc... nail polish or auto touch up paints work well. They are pretty durable, come with a built in brush, inexpensive and come in many, many colors. Won't hold up as well as if you clear coat them but like I said it's easy to touch up lures with it.

[Hoffer]

Thanks for the advice!

Anyone tried the "tape" ? I may give that a try as well although I cant see it sticking that great - but who knows. The stuff I have looked at has VERY high reflective properties and looks pretty cool.

[Surface Tension]

The acrylic paints will work. Put a top coat on when your done painting. It'll protect the paint and make the paint job pop.

If your just adding a stripe then a clear acrylic or lacquer will work out of a rattle can.

For complete paint jobs I use Devcon II Two Ton epoxy.

[Hoffer]

Will clear liquid polyurethane out of a can work applied with a small brush. i already painted an underbottom stripe on them. i just used paint in a orange fluorescent color and sprayed on a few coats. now I just want to do something to make sure it stays put.

[Surface Tension]

I guess brushed on poly will work. The brush marks should blend OK and you'll likely need to turn the lure to keep the poly from sagging.

If your going to make a hobby out of this then you'll eventually want to make a drying turner.

A rotisserie motor is perfect for a turner, You can find them in 110AC or battery operated.

[Hoffer]

hey surface

So last night i put the coat of poly on. I waited an hour or so and went back and it was sagging a little so i just brushed what was on there around again and it spread out even and looks just fine now this morning. No streaks and it looks and appears good.

However, here is the issue. The poly still seems tacky and it also really, really smells like poly bad. Does this stuff eventually dry completely and the small go away? I have spray scent I can put on the lures so maybe that will help - but I do hope the poly dried comepletely to a hard finish and then hopefully the small goes away too.

I may try something else next time around for the overcoat

Thanks!

[itchmesir]

I've started using nail polish... 2.50 a bottle.. comes with its own brush.. dries shiny.. and like another said.. comes in every color known to woman... You know.. those colors other than just "blue" and "red"... The 100 shades inbetween those two colors

[Hoffer]

yeah next time I am going to go that route I think!

I had just found a can of fluoro red and also pink spray paint and it looked like that would be cool. I did about 8 lures last night. Taped them up on each side and then painted a nice think line down the middle on the bottom. Then when that was dry- coated with poly. i just hope it dries up finally and the smell goes away. I have never worked with poly before - and I am thinking now there was probably a better choice for the top coat.

[itchmesir]

Also the nail polish of choice is Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails.. I always just read people using "Hard As Nails" and thinking it was some sort of epoxy.. had no idea it was nail polish! it's basically like epoxy with color added.. makes for a very hard coat when dried

[Hoffer]

Thats cool!

I checked on the lures tonight now after work. They are definetely basically dry now and arent as tacky. So that is good. I do think they still have quite an odor though. I may buy a bottle of the fish attractant stuff and just "bath" them in that a few times...hopefully it will replace the poly smell.

[Surface Tension]

You should turn the lure more often so it doesn't sag. Hitting it with a brush an hour later could have smeared the poly and turned ugly.

A rattle can of clear lacquer put on in thin coats won't run and you won't have to turn it.

[Hoffer]

sounds good!

I will try the clear lacquer next time! is it less smelly?

Although I may just go the fingernail polish route too...

These look pretty good. No smears or anything - its very cleat looking. The only thing I would do different is take the hooks and o-rings off first. I was kind of in a hurry and just wanted to see how it would turn out. I did tape over the o-rings and hooks but some paint still got in there as well as the poly. So, they are a little "gunky" around where the hooks are attached to the o-rings. Hopefully that will loosen up and wont effect the lure action.

[Borch]

The acrylic paints will work. Put a top coat on when your done painting. It'll protect the paint and make the paint job pop.

For complete paint jobs I use Devcon II Two Ton epoxy.

Same set up I use and it works well. You'll need to turn the bait for at least 20 minutes or the clear coat will sag. I use a metal coat hanger reshaped and put into an electric drill chuck and use masking tape to hold the trigger for a slow turn. Also store baits out of the sun in a boat or the clear coat will yellow over time as 2 ton epoxy doesn't have a uv protectant in it.

[Piatu]

I think that in US can found similar varnish than i use sometimes. Urethane based cement varnish, more harder than basic epoxies and you can dip lures on it. I these i have used it:

By piatu at 2012-04-01

By piatu at 2012-03-31

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Wow, nice looking paint schemes. Some of the most realistic perch Ive seen.

[c0untryf1sh3r]

Man those are pretty realistic, they look like Rapala DT series bodies.

[Piatu]

Wow, nice looking paint schemes. Some of the most realistic perch Ive seen.

These are covered by real perch- and roachskins. I use as less paint than possible with my lures.

Couple of examples:

Roaches

By piatu at 2012-03-17

Ansd siberian sturgeon in icejig:

By piatu at 2012-02-16

[Hoffer]

Wow! Those are fantastic!

Do you make all your lures from scratch?

Very cool!

[Piatu]

At first couple crank-pictures are maked to buyed plasticbodies, but other models are maked my bare hands.

I usually desingn and make all myself. Not easiest way, but why to buy bodies from others, if i can make these myself and i can really say that i have maked my products.

To open water minnows/spoons/rigs and to icefishing balanced icejigs.Over 95% with diffrent species fishskins and rest with paint/foil and flakes.