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Home made/painted lures-flies

293185 Views 1637 Replies 86 Participants Last post by  BigfishMike
Guys,

I'll bet that some of you tie flies, or in some way, play around with/modify/tweak/customize/revolutionize lures-spoons-etc.
And I don't mean a pro who does it for re-sale, and I know we have a few gifted lure makers aboard.

I mean just a weekend warrior who is into it and likes to see what he can come up with.

I know guys who add skirts, spinner blades, glow, mirror tape, etc.
Regular Dr. Fishin' Frankensteins. The tinkerers....

If you DO, it would be cool to see what keeps you busy between trips or in the winter months.
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The last few years in Rivers Inlet, all kinds of salmon were being taken on a "Wonder Stripe" spoon.
I get that it looks vaguely like a "Wonder Bread" wrapper, but I don't remember ever seeing anything
native to the Pacific Ocean that looks pink, white and blue, and is a natural food of salmon.

Be that as it may, I started to experiment a few weeks back with my new toy, the airbrush, and
did up a bunch of variations on the damn thing. I added enamel dots using pencil erasers of various sizes
dipped in paint, and here's what I came up with.

I sent one to a buddy in Washington, and he bagged a 28 lb and 41 lb Chinook,
and enough coho to not pay attention and eventually re-tie it, and he ended up
surrendering it to the fishing Gods. He has asked for several more.

I'll add some 'gills', stripes, etc and fart around with combos.

It's a bit like tying flies, I suppose. Head out to the 'lab', get a few photos in front of you for guidance,
crack a beer and let it rip.

Some look better than others, but it's a lot of fun to see what you can come up with.

I've done a bunch of other color combos and will add pics later.
Doing some pilchard patterns now and they are looking pretty good!!

PLUS, after buying blanks and paint, they still only cost me about 40 cents apiece.

And I'm not about to give fish enough credit for being able to tell the difference between mine and any other.

The white in the center is actually a powder paint, applied first and with heat, and the colors are sprayed-on enamel. The white is "Glow", by the way...apparently a tasty combination.

If anyone wants one for free, PM me. I'll send up a bunch to one guy and you figure out the rest.

And of course if a pro wants to chime in, so much the better!

Cheers!:cheers:

Nail Pink Nail care
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Mike, that's awesome!

I get why coho eat up the "wonder bread" patterns, it has to do with the crab larvae they gobble up... not sure about chinook.

Is it too late to send you my address?

DF
PM me.

But gimme til after the weekend. Wife doing a girls road trip this weekend,
so I can paint like mad in peace, not shave, drink right out of the orange juice bottle,
hang my clothes on the floor, feed the dog steak, etc.
:thumbup::cheers::D8)


My "Cop Car" and "Army Truck" versions are also looking nice...
Plus..."Devil Dancer", pilchard patterns, and others taking shape.

"Party Girl" gonna slay tyee in August.

Will pm u back. Will send plenty pal. A few for the boys included.
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nice work Mike, the gf is impressed and so am i, i think im gonna get on this as well, but with casting spoons for the rivers and lakes.....holmes*
Thanks!
Its a gas holmes.
Fun to experiment and try to copy patterns that have killed in the past.
Ill send you a couple.
Been doing the same for a considerably long time. Plugs and spoons. Will again be running a large run of plugs this winter (~ 250 or so) once the hunting season is wrapped up. Chiefly pilchards.

I'd be interested in seeing the pilchard pattern for the spoons you produce. :cheers:

I'll load up a pix or two of the plug pattern once I get rolling on them...

Cheers,
Nog
Likewise Nog.

I have 3 or 4 different sizes, finishes.

This is as much to keep me doing something while there's 5' of snow outside, and the temptation is to do nothing, and I really enjoy it.

I'll do a couple of different pilchards---some straight enamel, and some a powder paint-enamel mix.
I like the way the powder paint sits right down on the metal!

Q--Do you just paint and go? Or do you clear-coat 'em?

As soon as I get the right combo down on scrap, I'll make the push on the spoons, and post 'em.
I hope you like what you see.

Glad to see (read) you up and about, and that you got in some hunting.

Did Ma 'Noggin get her elk? Moose? :cheers:
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these were my top producers this season (the hook was just to show my buddy what to buy for big halis). the hammered green was phenom...it was given to me at a hali derby, cant find em anywhere :( Fish hook Bait Spoon lure Fishing bait Fishing lure
at one point in Aug the blue betty was killin coho at forty feet, then dropped it down to eighty for springs, the alligator hootchie was a 33ft success.. the pilchard spoon was magic towards the end of the season...cheers
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Nice!

I'm still up in the air about the little spinner-looking blade on the spoons.

They don't really spin....maybe they're designed to look like a flapping tail?
I've always removed them if they were attached.

Maybe I'll leave a few on to test-

I like that green/spotted pilchard color --maybe I'll give that a go.

Thanks C.
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Q--Do you just paint and go? Or do you clear-coat 'em?
Always Clear Coat! makes the paint last a LOT longer! ;)
Especially when you have a Winner Pattern! The teeth marks will shorty overpower the paint if you don't.
Did Ma 'Noggin get her elk? Moose? :cheers:
Antelope. Yes, Boone & Crockett actually!

Looking forward to seeing your spoons!

Cheers,
Nog
Makes sense. I bought a spray can of it...
it would take til the cup finals
to do 'em all with the air brush.

Volume, at that point.

And I must acknowledge and be appreciative of
your optimism about any of my creations acquiring bite marks...
especially enough to compromise the paint!

Thanks Matt.
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Here are a couple of anchovy-type---- I stress "TYPE" here--- as there are so many variables.
I DO know this...these killed chinook in September in Puget Sound.

The base is a high-gloss white, and the color is glitter applied to the tacky base coat.
The spots are hand applied enamel.

I could go ape on the glitter colors too, as every color in the rainbow is available.

Initially buying an airbrush, then powder paints, and now glitter crap, and this whole lure painting hobby has
mushroomed into a real operation.
And it will serve it's purpose...no slacking around on the couch doing zippo during the winter months!

Plant Fashion accessory
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Thank you!
Im sending some to one of our site moderators who is in the Vic area.
He doesnt know it yet. Ill pm him/you and send you along along a couple.
Cheers.
I'm a bit worried about the girly colours. can you do some 'manly ones'.....?:p:p
Mike, I keep checking my mailbox.....
Ken,

Every time I get ready to pack 'em up,
I do a couple of new ones that (I hope) will kick a$$!!

I have a care package for you and the boys.
Some "Wonder Thunder", Anchovy, and Cop Car spoons for each of you.

Looks like I'll see you for beers/food/stories on the 5th, so I'll hand deliver them then.

If I can't make it, I'll post them.

The longer you wait, the more you'll get!

Cheers bud.:cheers:
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The longer you wait, the more you'll get!
Yeah right! That's what my wife says, and it never comes to pass!
Yeah right! That's what my wife says, and it never comes to pass!
Seriously...I just finished wiping coffee off my desk, computer, wall, shirt....
Frickin' hilarious!

You must not be behaving yourself there, Casanova!
I'm a bit worried about the girly colours. can you do some 'manly ones'.....?:p:p
Workin' on it, Adonis.... patience!! 8)

Got a takeoff of the Devil Dancer curing.
White-black-red ....frickin awesome! Manly!!!

This is NOT one of mine....I'll be copying it.

It's worked worked well on deep feeders early in the year,
and buddy Dave came up 3 oz short of a tyee
with it in May in Rivers Inlet, down about 100'.
Automotive lighting Auto part Automotive tail & brake light Automotive side marker light



AND... I'm doing a slick version of the Cop Car,
which killed for me in BC and Sitka last year.
It was an Apex, not a true spoon, but something about it drives salmon nuts.

Green/Red Army Truck getting done tonight.

Also a gold colored blank spoon, with the "bloody nose."

Looks a bit like the original Super Duper trout lures.
Gold body, red head, a little black detail. Manly...MANLY, I say...

Cheers:cheers::cheers:

ps Caught a tub full of Coho on the Wonder Stripe...you know....the 'girly' one??! they wouldn't leave it alone....:thumbup:
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