Next up is a lure that actually predates the French Vivif by a couple of years. Around 1950-51 the Plucky Minnow also known as “The  Swimming Lure” was  exported out of France through the Rublex company. This bait was very popular for bass throughout Europe as well as trophy brown trout as far away as New Zealand.

Initially the Plucky was an expensive boutique bait that was 5x the price of most artificial lures. Casted out of a thin tire like rubber the bait needed to be maintained or would unfortunately degrade if left under sun light. The bill,dorsal and tail fin were molded with the bait so they’re attached rather well, but were made of leather so they would dry out,crack, and degrade over time.  The joint consisted of a small metal piano style hinge, coupled with the leather bill and a life like tail this lure had a very convincing swimming minnow action that could be counted down.

What is interesting about these lures is the bait had a unique line through design. After hooking into a fish the double pointed hook would detach from the bait and slide up past the small swivel and be free of any additional weight.

All baits were painted by hand and came in a variety of finishes.There were three sizes released 2 3/4″ 1.6 oz, 2 1/4″ 1.3oz, and a 1 3/8″ 1.2 oz. Since the lures were a bit small anglers would often rig up a 1/2 oz weight ahead of the lure to get distance from the bank.

After getting some momentum sometime in the late 50’s early 60’s the Garcia/Mitchell company (now Abu Garcia)  picked up the rights to the lure. Garcia decided to try and streamline the lure and extend the lifespan by changing the makeup of the bait. This is a common theme once a lure gains status and can often lead to its demise. The new bait made use of a new rubber bill and tail fin and opted to lose the dorsal fin. The body material changed and was made of a stiffer more durable plastic material, and the head was reinforced to stop it from caving in (I read somewhere that guys used to inject cod oil in this new mod).

Even though my lures are 50 plus years old I could not detect a noticeable difference in action. With the cheaper injected plastic lures starting to dominate the scene I think one could argue that boutique baits started to really lose their lustre.

Dipping back just a few years before the legendary French Vivif reveals a soft bodied lure with a dual point hook and awesome swimming action. While the Vivifs were lipless it’s hard to not see a few similar traits with it’s French made predecessor.

Anyone that has followed some of my forum posts over the last few years has more than likely seen my interest in older lures. While I am a novice collector at best it’s been fun collecting older lures not because of their value but because of the intended action behind each lure. Since I have started making my own home made lures I set out to look for lures from the past to present to get a better understanding of what makes them tick and see how each lure might have influenced the next.

Going back to as early as the 1950’s a company in France started producing a lure called the French Vivif Living Minnow. This lure was arguably one of the first “swim baits” produced. This 5 1/2″  2 1/2 oz lure caught on throughout Europe and accounted for many records. Within a short time a man named Cecil Hog who was running a mail order company at the time (Waldorf Record Company) got wind of the bait and decided to import it.  He used a distributor out of Harrison,New Jersey called Harrison Industries (now Harrison-Hope Industries) and started the very popular tackle company Panther Martin. Within the first year Mr. Hog sold a million dollars in French Vivifs! Something almost unheard of at the time.

The original baits were casted from a hard tire like rubber, had an internal weighting system,fixed duel point hook(frog hook), and a heart shaped tail that wagged like crazy. What is interesting is the lures were actually hand painted by French prison inmates until switching over to PVC foam in the 70’s.

With the growing popularity of people using spinning outfits the smaller lighter 2 1/4″ and 3″ versions were developed. The lures sold well over the years but by around 1982 the French stopped production for reasons unknown. Fast forward to the late 90’s and Cecil Hog’s son Cecil Jr. started taking notice of baits that were entering the market that were very much inspired by the Vivif.  Cecil decided he wanted to reintroduce the Vivif back into the market, but with a few modern day tweaks. Instead of the older PVC foam he opted for the use of soft plastic,as well as a single top hook, and a foil insert to give the bait flash. The “Living Minnow” was remade and exported out of China and was back on the shelves!

A friend from France contacted me a few months ago and said he had a fishing buddy who was in town for a few months, and asked if I would take him out fishing. Time permitting I agreed and got in contact with this anonymous fisherman. Sylvain Garza was his name and he was open to fish where ever when ever……great. Having heard Sylvain was a tournament guy and knowing big baits haven’t gone mainstream in France yet I thought I’d take him out and give him a little taste…why not? it is after all pre-spawn in California. After setting a date for the trip things were looking good and in our favor with a long steady warming trend. As the day neared and as luck would have it a small cold front and rain hit for the one day we had set aside…ugh! The day was here and it went from a warm 70+ degrees to a somber low 50’s with sheets of rain paving the roads. Headed out with a few home brewed baits to test I arrived at the local transit system to find Sylvain waiting in the pouring rain with tackle n’ reels and all smiles!

Despite standing in the rain for 15 minutes (he was early I wasn’t late) Sylvain had an upbeat excitable attitude and seemed anxious. Right away I knew this was a guy who was willing to pay some dues next to this Seattle transplant. During the car trip we spoke about his previous trip with another guy who was prefishing for a local tournament. The bite was tough and the water still cold. Filled with optimism and an itch to soak a few new home brewed lures we were off. Arriving at the lake there was hardly anyone in site wetting a line…great! After getting on the lake a few hours passed and we concentrated our efforts on deep outside structure adjacent to popular spawning areas with various swim baits. Sometime in the early afternoon we…sorry Sylvain got his first bite around some timber on a jig, but missed the fish.

With the pouring rain and wind still pressing we ran some spots that had been good to me in the past…no luck. Another couple of hours passed and the rain was coming even harder. Switching gears I decided to tie on a few baits I’d been tinkering with. The baits ran straight and sank like I wanted but not quite the kick I was looking for…back to the drawing board. Over the day we tried both pre spawn staging areas and some wintering haunts throwing big swim baits and football jigs… however the fish were not cooperating. With the recent temp drop the assessment was these Florida strain transplants had a mild case of lock jaw! so we called it..

Not being able talk in the pounding rain and wind on the way home Sylvain and I got a chance to swap stories….and dry off. He lives in southern France and has been fishing tournaments the last 4 years in both Spain and France. He mainly fishes bass tournaments but also fishes multispecies tournaments for bass,yellow perch,and pike to keep his line wet. With gas prices roughly at $7/gallon most tournaments are team style events vs.  pro events and sponsorship is mandatory. In the past he’d been sponsored by Lucky Craft and various other tackle companies, but has chosen to stick with a new up and coming outfit Illex and Humminbird. What was interesting is most of the fisheries in France have regulations that date back to the Napoleon era therefore there are hardly any boat launches and no night fishing….ouch!

Although the fishing didn’t turn into catching I was fortunate to gain a new fishin’ partner and get some insight into tournament fishing across the pond. Shhh right about now Sylvain should be in Malaysia targeting New Guinea Bass so I don’t feel at all bad sending him home with Pepe Le Peux…. doesn’t he belong in France anyway? ha!

Much like the fishing we were just out of reach of some good fish. To be continued….

Sylvain’s Sponsor in France has partnered with Jackal and made some interesting rods. You can see them here.

http://www.illex.fr/en/team-member/sylvain-garza.35.html

This is the last of the eye candy, enjoy!

No details are overlooked in the Vagabond camp.

great lookin’ crawdad bait and an even better looking dog bait!

the big 10″ & 12″ King Hustlers are looking extra chewy

can never have enough hollow bodied baits to choose from

I bet these baits cast a mile..

some interesting paddle tails coming out of France

It’s great to see the double paddle on the Stella. I remember when the Spirex came out with this feature.

The New Revo Elite fitting right in on the big island

the Revo Salty sportin’ a sharp lookin’ handle/grip combo

some interesting UV colored finesse baits

I’d like to thank David Mery of Reins Pro Staff and French Touch Fishing for the pictures and insight. David lives in Paris,France and is a die hard multi species fisherman who also fishes tournaments. He was fortunate enough to fly over to the Osaka show and fish Biwa with fellow staffers. Merci beaucoup copain!

For those of you who haven’t followed my posts on the HBC this big fish tournament is already in it’s sixth installment. The event started in January of  ‘08 with 50 big fish anglers fishing for one big bite on the legendary Lake Casitas in southern California. The trail has since bounced around to trophy haunts such as Clear Lake, Lake Don Pedro,and the CA Delta. The current setting Diamond Valley Lake has been on everyone’s radar as a new up and coming fishery that has yet to see it’s prime. The first generation of Florida strain bass were planted in ‘99 and in only 8 years kicked out a 16lb lake record! With a growth rate like that there is obviously something going on within this 4500 acre fishery.  Since it’s closure to ramp construction over the last year many are hoping that the fish are a little less weary and are ready to chew in the super clear 260′ deep reservoir come Friday March 19th,2010.

This round of anglers shows no shortage of talent and experience, but if I were to put down a quick wager for the event it would be on Butch Brown. This hardcore trophy fisherman has buckled up for every HBC event, sits in fourth place in point standings, and has consistently done well in the prefish days leading up to each event. It’s only a matter of time before his skills show through on game day.

update: John Wick wins HBC with a 6.13

http://www.heavyweightbassclassic.com/default.aspx

Duel spared no expense for the show with their massive displays

good lookin’ trout and ghost patterns from the Zip Baits camp

some beautiful patterns from Combat Lures!

looks like Combat has introduced a new Royalflash Jr….such a great name for a bait

this lure looks like an interesting concept….possibly similar to the Greg Silks Z-Plug?

interesting big bait from NorthCraft wondering if this is a floater or sinker?

some tasty lookin’ jigs..

tungsten making its rounds

the Crankin’ Frog sounds very interesting!

stay tuned there’s more to come!

With the big show having taken place last month in Osaka,Japan I was fortunate to receive some pics for the Tog. If there is ever a fishing show I’d like to attend this show is it! Every year the show draws thousands of people from all walks of life.  One day I hope to get there and be behind the viewfinder until then the computer screen will have to suffice… enjoy!

lots of beautiful patterns at Megabass….they still pump out more variations than many of the big companies

an interesting hard headed soft body shad,along with what looks to be a lipless jerkbait,and possibly a topwater front runner? interesting prototypes to say the least!

Jackall knows how to meet and greet!

really looking forward to this new big swimbait…looks to be a larger swimming Ninja!

and the lovely Gamakatsu girls!

I’ll try to get some more pics up in the next few days….

MANAUS, Brazil – The strike barely dimpled the water, but it sent waves hurtling throughout the freshwater fishing world by shattering a coveted world record that stood for 16 years.

At about 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 9, 2010, the sixth day of his first Amazon adventure, Bill Gassmann of Des Moines, Iowa, fished a clown-colored Luhr Jensen Big Game Woodchopper Slim topwater bait in a tributary of the Rio Negro in northern Brazil. The yellow, red and black spotted lure landed atop a monster speckled peacock bass, which sucked it under with hardly a ripple.

“We were fishing in a wooded area of a little backwater off a main tributary,” said the 44-year-old chief executive officer of BGS Enterprises. “When the lure hit the water, it just disappeared. The fish went straight to the bottom and started spooling my line. Immediately, the guide with more than 12 years experience began jumping up and down and started yelling ‘Grande! Grande!’ I had no idea how big it was or that it might be a record. Then, the fish stuck its head out of the water and I realized how big it was.”

“We are very happy with the opportunity to show the fishing world our exclusive concept combining mobility, safety and first-class service in order to create unique moments like that for every angler from the first-time peacock bass fisherman up to the most knowledgeable ones,” said Leonardo Leão and his partner Nasser Fraxe.

“This is exciting news,” exclaimed Billy Chapman, Jr., owner and founder of Anglers Inn International and a 2009 inductee into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame for pioneering peacock bass fishing in the 1980s. “I was in Brazil in 1994 when Doc Lawson caught the 27-pound peacock. If anyone wants to fish these record-breaking waters, we can make that happen together with the Captain Peacock.”

After getting word from a friend that he was headed to a fishing expo in Central France I asked if he could spare a few pics for the tog. He obliged and sent some over…From the looks of things bigger baits are making their rounds for the multi species anglers in France.  Skeet Reese was in attendance while  Patrick Sebile was here in the states…go figure. My friends magazine did an interview with Skeet…we’ll see about squeezin’ him for that later. You guys can check his mag out at www.predators-fishing.com for some monster freshwater fish.

Thanks for the pics Renaud!

from the IGFA Homepage……

Freshwater fishing’s “Holy Grail” now has dual holders; 22 lb 4 oz bass caught by Japan’s Manabu Kurita matches IGFA record held for 77 years by Georgia’s George Perry

DANIA BEACH, Fla. USA, (January 8, 2010) — After nearly six months of waiting, Japan’s Manabu Kurita is taking his place along side Georgia, USA angler George Perry in the International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) World Record Games Fishes book as dual holders of the All-Tackle record for largemouth bass each weighing 22 lb 4 oz and caught 77 years apart.

Today the IGFA approved Kurita’s application for the fish caught from Japan’s largest lake on July 2, 2009. The 70-year old non-profit fisheries conservation, education and record-keeping body, received Kurita’s application and documentation on Sept. 19, 2009. The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), was caught from Lake Biwa which is an ancient reservoir northeast of Kyoto.

Kurita, 32, of Aichi, Japan, was fishing Biwa that July day using a Deps Sidewinder rod and a Shimano Antares DC7LV reel loaded with 25 lb Toray line when he pitched his bait, a live bluegill, next to a bridge piling. It was Kurita’s first cast to the piling where he had seen a big bass swimming. He only twitched the bait a couple of times before he got bit. After a short, three minute fight he had the fish in the boat.

Kurita was quoted as saying “I knew it was big, but I didn’t know it was that big.”

But big it was. Using certified scales, his fish weighed in at 10.12 kg or 22 lb 4 oz. When measured, the fish had a fork length of 27.2 inches and a girth of 26.7 inches. The IGFA only has line classes up to 20 lb for largemouth bass, so Kurita had no chance at a line class record as well.

IGFA rules for fish caught outside the U.S. allows anglers 90 days to submit their applications from the date of their catch. The documentation was received through the IGFA’s sister association the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA). IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser said Kurita’s application was meticulously documented with the necessary photos and video.

Kurita’s fish ties the current record held for over 77 years by Perry who caught his bass on Georgia’s Montgomery Lake, June 2, 1932, near Jacksonville, Georgia. That 22 lb 4 oz behemoth won Field and Stream Magazine’s big fish contest and 46 years later, when the IGFA took over freshwater records from Field and Stream, it became the All-Tackle record now one of over 1,100 fresh and saltwater species the IGFA monitors.

IGFA All-Tackle records are now free for viewing by the public by clicking here. Kurita’s name is now on the IGFA Web site with that of Perry’s and will appear in the 2011 edition of the World Record Games Fishes book…. unless that record is broken this year.

The IGFA announced the decision at its headquarters with a live video feed carried on Bassmaster.com, one of the most popular fishing Web sites in the world and the official site of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS).

In North America the largemouth bass, and especially the All-Tackle record, is considered by millions of anglers as the “holy grail” of freshwater fish because of its popularity and the longevity of Perry’s record. That fish undoubtedly helped to spawn a billion dollar industry that today makes up a significant part of the sport of recreational fishing.

Schratwieser said, “The moment Kurita weighed his fish, word spread like wildfire. We knew this would be significant so we immediately contacted the JGFA for more information. Established in 1979, and JGFA compiles and translates all record applications of fish caught in Japan before forwarding to the IGFA.

“It works out well because they not only translate applications but can also contact the angler if more documentation is needed.”

It turned into a lengthy process
“Since the IGFA requires three months from the time of capture before a record can be approved, the official word would have to wait until October 2,” said Schratwieser.

“However, almost right away rumors began to circulate that Kurita may have caught his fish in a ‘no-fishing zone’. In response, the IGFA immediately corresponded with the JGFA to speak with the angler about this issue and to gather information regarding the legality of fishing where Kurita caught his bass. Official word came back that the location of the catch was not a no-fishing zone, but was an area where anchoring or stopping was prohibited. This spurred more correspondence with the JGFA and the angler, including affidavits asking the angler if he stopped his boat at anytime. Again, the testimony and affidavits that came back indicated that the Kurita did not violate any laws and that his catch was indeed legitimate.”

It didn’t end there.

A considerable amount of time and correspondence was to continue between the IGFA, JGFA and Kurita, a primary reason it took so long to come to a decision.

During this time, the IGFA was also besieged with letters and emails from the bass fishing community, said Schratwieser.

“Many were incredulous that the All-Tackle record could be tied from a fish in Japan. Others beseeched the IGFA to approve the record and give Kurita the credit he deserves. Still others wanted to know why the entire process was taking so long. It soon became clear to the IGFA staff that this would be a contentious issue no matter if the record were approved or rejected.

“The IGFA was also sensitive to this particular record because in past years there have been several attempts to sue us over largemouth bass record claims. Although none of these claims have been successful, they have resulted in considerable legal fees for the IGFA,” he said.

In the end, the IGFA staff concluded it would be both in the best interest of the IGFA and that of Kurita if he submitted to a polygraph analysis. The IGFA reserves the right to employ polygraph analyses to any record application, and this is explicitly stated in the affidavit section of the world record application form.

Again, more correspondence was issued to the JGFA to request that Kurita take a polygraph test.

He immediately agreed.

On December 15, Kurita was examined by a professional polygraph analyst in Japan. The many questions he was given included if he was truthful about the information reported on the application form and if his boat ever came to a complete stop while fighting his fish.

The results from the polygraph concluded that Manabu Kurita answered the questions honestly and that the catch was legitimate.

George Perry’s 77 year old record was officially tied.

Due diligence pays off
“Six months may seem like a lot of time to determine if a fish ties a record,” said Schratwieser. “Hopefully, people now understand the amount of due diligence the IGFA conducted on this record. Although we treat all records with equal rigor, the All-Tackle largemouth bass record is nothing less than iconic and the bass angling community deserved nothing less.”

Schratwieser added, “The IGFA wishes to applaud Kurita on his outstanding catch and would also like to commend him on his patience and candor during the entire review process. We would also like to thank the JGFA for their diligence and tireless assistance in corresponding with Kurita and fisheries officials.”

Biology and bass across the globe; where will the next record come from?
Largemouth bass have also been introduced in many countries but in Japan fisheries officials consider it an invasive species. In addition, because bass are not native and are stocked in Japan, many speculated that the big bass was a sterile triploid. However when biologists in Japan examined the ova of the big female, Schratwieser said they concluded that the fish was not triploid.

For over 77 years the record stood as bass fanatics theorized when and where the record would be broken. Over the years there have been rumors and unsubstantiated reports of bass that could have tied or eclipsed Perry’s record, but nothing ever passed IGFA criteria. Some anglers did come close, however.

Schratwieser said the closest came in 1991, when Robert Crupi caught a 22 lb bass in Lake Dixon, California USA, that still reigns as the 16 lb line class record and the third heaviest approved bass record in IGFA history.

“Most people thought that the next All-Tackle record would come from California. Until Kurita’s tie the seven heaviest bass records behind Perry’s came from California lakes. Although not native to California, it appears transplanted bass have adapted quite well to the deep, clear lakes and reservoirs and the abundant trout forage found in some of them.

“Little did people know that introduced bass grew big in places besides California, and that there are true monsters swimming on the other side of the world in Japan.”

link to official weigh in video

http://www.igfa.org/theater/IGFA-Fishing-Hall-of-Fame-and-Museum/Manabu-Kurita-Potential-World-Record-Bass.aspx

With the last HBC taking place at Lake Don Pedro earlier this year 50 anglers met once again for another stab at getting that one big bite. With a mandatory 6 hour tournament rule in effect anglers were forced to find the winning fish in a shorter amount of time. Compared to the tough bite that anglers faced on Don Pedro earlier in the spring a few quality 4-6lb fish made it to the scales this go around. Steven Yee of Sacramento found the big bite and is $10,000 richer as a result. The fish weighed 6.93 and was caught while punching mats. Congrats Steven!

There has been report of a florida strain largemouth bass with a weight of 10.12 kilograms (22lbs 5 oz) and length that measures 73.5cm (29.4 inches long). The fish is being harvested for IGFA certification which requires that the record be broken by 2 oz. This all makes for an interesting story considering the number of discrepancies that have surrounded recent catches here in California as well as the old record of 22lbs 4oz caught in 1932 by George Perry.

***update***

The unofficial WRB was caught on a live bluegill in the southern area of Lake Biwa called Nanko. The fish was caught and landed on a Deps  Sidewinder The Dom Driver F/E Rod and TORAY Super Hard Strong 25lb line. After trying to keep the fish alive in a live well the fish unfortunately passed away and is now frozen awaiting certification.

here is a short video of the catch Giant Bass

Japan is no stranger to the trophy bass scene. There was a 25lb florida strain largemouth bass reportedly caught at Lake Biwa in a fisherman’s net earlier this year and in the past few years there have reports of other giant bass in the mid-high teens caught by various trophy anglers. The official record in Japan is 19.15 lbs was caught by Kazuya Shimada from Lake Ikahara on April 22,2003 on an Optimum Bait. Shimada until now had caught the 4 largest bass in Japan’s history and has well over 40 bass over 10lbs.

Lake Biwa is considered Japan’s largest and oldest lake dating back 4-5 million years and is among the oldest 20 lakes in the world. It covers more than 674.4 square kilometers and runs  clear with deep water and rocky shorelines in its upper stretches(mesotrophic) and shallow and grassy in its lower reaches(eutrophic).  The Biwako giant catfish and Biwa trout(salmon) are two of more than 50 species unique to the lake. Other fish that make up the food chain are Ayu,various Carp,along with goby and sculpin. Non native black bass and bluegill are considered an invasive species and are illegal to catch and release.

Since we’re covering airbrushing I thought it would be appropriate to let you guys in on a little something that I’ve been working on. After seeing a repaint I’d done at the Bass-A-Thon in ‘08 I was contacted by Matt Newman about doing some baits for him. After a few weeks had passed I was introduced to the owner of Tru-Tungsten Dan Vesuvio and was asked to do a sample line of both painted and foiled baits. They gave me carte blanche to do various patterns that I thought would work. Below are a few of the samples that I came up with over the last month. Some of the baits are straight paint done by both airbrush and artists brushes while others were given a foil base to give more depth and natural flash.

Okay now that you have decided you want to test your bait it’s important that you seal the wood before getting it wet. You can use a variety of clear coats among the most popular would be thinned back epoxy or proponiate. Personally I like to use a product by Smith & Co called the Clear Penetrating Epoxy System (CPES). This product has a slower cure time and is meant to saturate and penetrate your wood which will slow down moisture absorption down the road. Once you have cleared your bait let it sit for 24 hours to fully dry. After the clear has dried you can either start testing the bait or you can start the finish process. In the event that you are going to finish the bait you will notice the grain will be raised from the CPES. Take a few different grades of sandpaper and sand the bait smooth going with the grain. Once you have smoothed out the bait either wipe it down with denatured alcohol or paint thinner and make sure the bait is dust free. Although it is not necessary to prime the CPES I like to so I can see any imperfections and start leveling them out. For this I like to use a good automotive primer and apply a few light coats. Once the primer has dried go over the bait with fine sandpaper and again wipe it clean. Depending on how many imperfections you have you may want to spray a few more light primer coats to help level the bait out or you may need to use a little filler (two part sandable epoxy) in which case you would patch the bait,sand,and prime again. One thing worth noting the more patch you use the more you risk your bait coming apart.

After getting your bait ready for finish paint it’s time to decide on a few things. Do you want to use a paint brush and rattle cans,or do you want to invest in an airbrush? If your on a budget there are quite a few things you can do with brushes and rattle cans. Although you can’t control the air pressure or volume of paint with rattle cans you can easily shoot your base coats and then dress up the finishing touches by shielding areas or by using a variety of brushes. You would be surprised at what you can do if you step back and think about how you can layer different colors.   Also spend a little extra money for good spray cans and artist brushes that won’t shed or blow out easy.

Getting into airbrushing is somewhat costly but worth it if you have the drive to see your projects through. There are many good airbrushes on the market but it is important to get one that has been proven and has replacement parts available. You can spend anywhere from $20-$400 on a brush ranging from single to dual action,siphon to gravity fed,changeable tips to one single all purpose tip etc…. Most airbrush artists will tell you they have a variety of brushes to do certain things whether it’s laying base coats or spraying fine detail. All brushes have their place however to get started you don’t need multiple brushes. My first brush was a single action Paasche H that I got very familiar with and still use quite often. I’ve since acquired a few more brushes and would say that double action is the way to go but by no means is a must. Getting your mix ratios right is probably the most important aspect of spraying consistently with any gun.  For around $75 you can pick up a Paasche VL set which is a great brush that many custom painters still use today.

Now that you have your brush you need to think about getting air to it. Compressors tend to be the most expensive part of airbrushing if you have a compressor in the garage you can save some money and use it with just a few extra parts. If you don’t you can either look at standard compressors or specific airbrush compressors. Standard compressors tend to be loud but run less because of the bigger tanks which results in less moisture build up. Airbrush compressors typically are quieter and sometimes have built in moisture traps and pressure regulators. Either way you go you need to look into getting both a pressure regulator,atleast one moisture trap,and 10′ of hose. The longer the hose the more the air can cool down and the less moisture you will get in your gun.

So now you have everything ready to go and need paint. There are lots of options to consider here. Starting out I would suggest water based paints. They are easier to manage and are less toxic. If you get comfortable with what your doing I would then experiment with solvent based paints. Water based paints such as Createx and Golden are two popular brands. Make sure you use paint made for airbrushes the pigments are ground down fine specifically for airbrushing other paints will clog your gun. Ideally you want to stick with one brand that way you can rule out any inconsistencies or adhesion problems. Once you’ve picked out a line don’t go and buy every color under the sun when you first start out. Pick up a color wheel and see what primary colors mix with what so you can limit the amount of money you spend.

Once your setup experiment with different ideas. To create scale patterns you can use everything from mesh bags from the produce aisle to dip nets used for fish tanks. To create various templates to paint fins and gills pencil in your shapes on regular or stencil paper and use an exacto knife to cut them out. Remember airbrushing is about controlling the paint I’ve found a variety of things work low tack tape,printer paper,and even a finger. Again the real trick in understanding airbrushing is getting your paint to flow right and understanding how to layer colors. Because of the different changes in air temperature,humidity,condensation from the compressor,and different styles of paint airbrushing is not an exact science and it takes time behind the gun to figure out.

Once you’ve painted your bait you need to think about a clear coat. Like paint there are many options here. For a high build clear coat you cannot get any thicker than a two part epoxy. You can either use a two part glue such as Devcon or a thinner bar top epoxy like Environtex Lite. One thing to note is you will want a motorized drying rack when using heavier epoxy coats because of their slow cure self leveling properties. Clear coats you can spray include polyurethane’s,moisture cured lacquers, and high end automotive clears. Polyurethane’s can be purchased in an aerosol can and will do a decent job,but over time will degrade or amber. Moisture cured lacquer’s are great when you don’t want weight to play a factor,but they can be a bit temperamental and can spoil if not handled correctly. For a good lasting thin high gloss coat automotive urethane’s are great. For this you will need a gun that can handle the right amount of pressure and volume to atomize the urethane. Because automotive urethane’s are mixed with a catalyst urethane has a short shelf life and should normally be used in a months time. This can become expensive if your not going through the paces with the clear coat gun.Other clear coats such as shellac,lacquer,varnish either degrade too fast or amber too much to recommend.

One thing to note is automotive urethane’s are also the most flammable and toxic so make sure you really know what your doing before you make your purchase. I suggest you meet with either a trained automotive painter or automotive paint supplier and tell them what your environment consists of. Precautions such as turning off your gas pilot light,ventilation,and working around lights that can get hot are all things you really need to think about.

here’s a list of common items you might consider to finish your bait

wood sealer

automotive primer

sand paper

denatured alcohol (clean your bait and airbrush)

tack cloth

airbrush and hose

compressor with air regulator and moisture trap

paint

clear coat

rotating dry wheel/rack

fan to draw paint fumes/vapors

respirator with Organic Vapor Cartridges

glasses when spraying clear

exacto knife

tracing paper

various brushes

With the current number of swim bait chuckers growing the last few years I thought I would buy some piece of mind and start carving my own wood swim baits and pick up an airbrush to show the fish something different. Since doing so I have found a new respect for what bait makers go through to come up with a working prototype. There are undoubtedly many variables to consider when making a wood hard bait I’d like to touch on a few things to help you make your own bait for your own personal use.

One of the first things to think about is are you going to make a bait with a bill or have a lipless design? Billed baits tend to move more water and are similar to crank baits and can often be cranked down to 2′-4′ or even long lined (trolled) down to 15-20′. Among the most common is a jointed cigar shaped wake bait that was made popular by Allen Cole.  Then there is the Castaic Hard Bait wakebait that is more fish shaped and anatomically correct. You can build your wake bait and offset the bill in different directions for different presentations. Typically the steeper the bill the shallower the bait will run and conversely the more angled the bill is the more water it will catch and dive. Also the length,shape,and material of the bill can play a big roll as well. Lexan Lips are clear and

can vary in thickness and flexibility while circuit board lips are more durable and thinner but are opaque. Figuring out the angle of the bill is probably the greatest feat and is something that is going to have you scrapping some wood so don’t get carried away with cosmetic details. Adding balast (lead) is relative to the density of the wood your using more on that later…

Lipless swim baits are more difficult to make and require a bit more experimentation. Since there isn’t a bill to force water on the retrieve the number of segments,ballast weighting,pin placement,and line tie all can be critical in the design. The easiest way to get started is to practice making various floaters to get the action you like. After that you can start adding balast to the bait and see how it effects the action. Remember to keep in mind choosing a soft or hard tail will also effect the action.

Although not a swimbait big gliders or lipless jerkbaits have crossed over from the musky world into bass fishing and have proven to be a success. Similar to a walk the dog style of bait gliders differ in that they are designed so they can continue movement on a slack line hence the term “glider”. One of the biggest keys to making a good glider is choosing the right kind of wood. Using a wood that is too buoyant is going to force you into adding more weight which will effect the natural action of the wood and using a wood that is too dense may sink your bait after the clear coat(something you might desire). After you have found the material you want to use carve a shape that is streamlined and will glide effortlessly and experiement!

Spending time selecting the right wood is something that most guys(myself included) often overlook. I’ve spent hours carving baits only to find that my bait looked pretty(to me anyway) but didn’t swim very well. One thing worth trying to understand is the different densities. When starting a new bait try to make the same exact bait with two different woods so you can see for yourself how that type of wood will react. I watched a show the other week and the host talked about how wood from the same tree differs greatly with regards to density. The core in the middle of the tree is the most dense while the outer area has wider rings creating a less dense section. This is so true and is something to keep in mind when headed to the lumber yard. Also remember wHen selecting wood try to work with pieces that are consistent and have no knots. The more things you can control the more predicatable your lures will be in the future.

Choosing the right equipment in the beginning is something that keeps most guys on the sidelines. Obviously the more toys you have in the shop the less time you will have to spend roughing in your lures. However there is something to be said about spending time with tools such as a coping saw,hand planer,piece of sandpaper,and a drill it is easy to get carried away with power tools and take too much off. Hand tooling is slower but it allows you to slow down and think about what your objective is. Down the line if you get serious and want to speed up the process a band saw,lathe,belt or spindle sander,and table top router are things worth considering. A micrometer is something that comes in handy when measuring scale and duplicating angles,carvings,etc from one side to the other. Also make sure you have some type of scale (digital are the most accurate) to keep record of ballast weight,wood segments,and the total lure weight before and after the clear coat.

Last but not definitely least is ALWAYS KEEP A LOG AND TAKE NOTES! I’ve rushed baits because I was excited and was playing off my stream of consciousnes and wanted to finish the bait so I could fish it. This has had me kicking the curb on more than one occasion. ALWAYS KEEP A LOG!

The next write up I’ll go over airbrushing and clear coating….

NOTE: I do not subscribe to copying others that have spent countless hours for a profit!

Ever since watching the Hunt For Big Fish show for the first time I’ve anticipated each new show with a huge set of eyes and ears. So many ideas and perspectives are shared from arguably one of the most humble and respected anglers on the planet.  I had a chance to do a little q&a with one of my heroes here’s how it went….

xtrachewy:Not many people can say they have fished every continent for exotic species, held many unaccounted line class records, designed and patented some of the most innovative lures and fishing rod accessories, authored and co-authored many great articles/books for the likes of the In-Fishermen, guided for over 25 years, helped restore fishing communities by serving on the board for the Fish America Foundation, edited and produced soundtracks for a fishing show that has aired once a week for the last 16 years! and have even answered questions and acted as moderator for your own fishing forum (huntforbigfish.com)One would have to invite a friend over just to help wear a hat on every finger and toe to keep up with you Mr Dahlberg! how do you do it?!

LD: I get up really early!

xtrachewy: I bet there’s no shortage of coffee at your house! what is your earliest fishing memory that has stuck with you over the years?

LD:I still remember my first fish very clearly. I was 4 years old and caught it ice fishing. I was never the same again. From then on all I wanted to do was fish. While the other kids were swimming or water skiing I was fishing. At age six, I was allowed to go alone to the little reservoir a couple blocks from my house as long as I wore a life jacket. I was there just about every day at daylight all summer long and would come home for supper.

xtrachewy:I’ve read you used to be a fishing guide before you were old enough to drive a car? what kind of fish did you guide for and where? and do you miss it?

LD:I began guiding at age eleven on the upper St Croix river for smallmouth bass. I strictly guided fly fishermen because my dad wouldn’t let me show anyone where the muskies were!I miss being on the water every hour of every day and having only to worry about where my next fish was coming from.

xtrachewy:where was your first trip outside of the United States and for what species?

LD:My first trip outside the USA was to Belize in the mid 1980’s, where I caught bones, tarpon, snook, sharks, snappers, groupers and a 114 pound wahoo. I think the second place was Venezuela for peacock bass in Guri Reservoir before it was at full pool.

xtrachewy:Having fished for so many different species what is your favorite species to fish for big or small?

LD:That’s a tough question. I love river small mouths on topwater. I love muskies, especially when they follow and don’t bite.Tiger fish, peacocks and golden dorados are great. Atlantic salmon are amazing. Giant Trevally are beyond belief.But, perhaps more than the individual fish, the environment the fish is found in and process by which one catches it is what moves my fun meter. I fish to experience the fish. If I can be in a situation where I see the fish
before I cast and get to watch it and hear it and experience it with as many senses as possible, that’s what I like best.

xtrachewy: And of course the question everyone wants to know…what in your opinion is pound for pound hardest fighting fish in both fresh or saltwater?

LD:Hands down it would have to be any member of the tuna family. Only problem is they don’t jump and most fights are pretty much the same.

xtrachewy:with all the trophy sized fish you have caught how does one release so many potential world records?

LD:Easy, just let them go! When I did the first pilot for HFBF I was going to see if I could break and register some world records. I’d figured out a temp thing where giant lake trout intersected with the arctic sucker spawn and figured I could get them on big Divers.In the first morning I broke every line class record and it felt wierd. Non-organic. All of a sudden, for the first time in my life it wasn’t about the fish. Also the weighing and measuring and documenting was uncomfortable to me because I knew it was taking too much time and even though we were keeping the fish in the water as much as possible I knew I was risking post release mortality because of it. I tore up the registration documents, and decided the world did not need a balding middle aged jerk running around the world trying to break records. I support the IGFA, and like to use the record book as a barometer as to what “big” is.

xtrachewy:I’d like to change gears here a little bit…with the new popularity of bigger baits and swim baits growing it seems that the fishing market has really taken off….what are your earliest memories of throwing big baits? what do you see that makes them so effective?

LD:My earliest big baits were at age 6 when my dad first took me musky fishing! We used to catch some huge small mouths and walleyes by accident on them. It actually surprises me it’s taken the bass world so long to find their application.

xtrachewy:Are there any parallels to targeting trophy fish in the fresh and saltwater such as solunar phases you like to focus on?

LD:There is no question the whole solunar deal is for real. I don’t like the full moon, but 3 days on either side is usually good.If you’re fishing species that use flats and run in and out on the tide cycles, often the big tides of spring and fall can be great, especially for permit.I’ve found that if local weather and water conditions are stable the major solunar periods are remarkably consistent in terms of best activity of the day. Especially if the majors occur at dusk or dawn. Check out the book, “Moon UP, Moon Down”, by John Alden Knight.

xtrachewy:I’ve seen you throw some very interesting big baits for the exotics most of which looked homemade and unique. How long have you been making fishing lures and do you see an advantage to fishing something unique?

LD:I’ve been making lures/flies for over 50 years. If you are tuned into the water and the fish, and are objective enough to actually observe what it is that makes them respond, especially in heavily fished water it is an ENORMOUS advantage

xtrachewy: Are there any tips you can give guys that want to start out making their own baits?

LD:The best advice is that number one, it’s what it does in the water, not what it looks like in your hand that matters most.Think of each category of lures as a tool that achieves a specific purpose, not an art object to enter in the county fair. I’ve been asked several times to be a “judge” for fly tying contests. How hilarious is that! The only possible judge has to be the fish itself!!

xtrachewy: I’ve read you are going to create a lure making dvd any ideas as to when that will be released?

LD:Hoping to shoot the final stuff today and should be done editing it before the end of this week. Hope to have it on the website as soon as it’s done.

xtrachewy: During the course of your show I notice you use a range of rods/reels for throwing big baits… what is your favorite all around combo for casting bigger 1-4oz plugs in the freshwater?

LD:My favorite all around reel is the Curado 300. 1-4 ounces is too big a range for one favorite rod.

xtrachewy: Do you prefer braid or mono when throwing big baits? do you ever tie shock leaders if so under what conditions and what knots do you use?

LD:I use braid 99% of the time for big baits. Usually 65#. I use either wire or hard mono which I attach with either double uni knots, twist melt, or crimps,snaps and barrel swivels depending on the situation.

xtrachewy:With the many hours and casts it takes to find success as a trophy anlger what are a few inspirational tips you can give guys that are trying to go out and throw bigger baits targeting trophy fish?

LD:With each cast you make you are one cast closer to your next bite!

xtrachewy:And last but not least I’ve read that when you pass on you have left instructions to have your remains made into lures, fished, and then snipped once a fish hits is there any truth to this?

LD:Yes, but I only want to be broken off if the lure gets hung up. I want the lure to be fished to death, or used until a fish gets it fair and square. No snipping. I’d starve to death or die of thirst before I cut the line on a fish.

I’d like to thank Mr. Dahlberg for lending his time and perspective for this interview.

Larry would like to thank Jack Links Snack foods, Shimano and Costa Del Mar for continuing to support his efforts. Without their continued support I’d not be in business. Due to  Sufix and Rapala abrogating a 2 year television contract, unless I can find a sponsor to replace them, there’s a 50/50 chance or better you’ve seen the last season of the Hunt For Big Fish.

Most of the cutting edge destinations I’ve either filmed, discovered, (or both) can be accessed by contacting Steve Yatomi at Adventure Travel Alliance.

As much as I like to go out with my favorite big baits and swing for a new personal best I’ve come to realize that there is some homework to be done the night before. I often ask myself when was the last time I was there? did I use a graph? if so where were the fish holding? were they in transition? and most importantly I ask myself how intimate I am with where I’m fishing? These are all questions that are relevant to being productive on the water.

One of the most important aspects of bass fishing is knowing the lakes or rivers contours and layout where you fish. This allows you to narrow down unproductive water depending on the season and focus on covering water you have confidence in. Have you drug a heavy jig or carolina rig around in deeper water and know your way around? or do you normally throw cranks and spinnerbaits around the shallows in search for active fish? If the latter it might do you some good to bump up in weight and feel around with a bait that keeps in contact with the bottom so you can look for a contrast in both depth and makeup.

Many popular big swimbaits require a heavy line,heavy rod, and are poured with very little if no lead at all. In my opinion they don’t give you as much feel when looking for different bottom transitions unless you are dragging uphill. A lure with an exposed lead head will give you much better contact.This doesn’t mean you can’t go out with your favorite swim bait in search for fish hitting areas that look good to you, this is just one more technique I like to use to feel around. Baits I like to use are 3/4-1oz football jigs in rocks, 1-2oz carolina rig with a tru-tungsten weight on flats,and 1-2.5oz spinnerbaits around wood or all the above. One benefit to using these lures is it will alleviate you from having to worry about losing your expensive lures to snaggy areas that you are unfamiliar with. One of the reasons many guys are unsuccessful when starting out is they are afraid to fish their more expensive baits hard. Having a few different lure retrievers is a necessity and helps quite a bit, but you will stil lose baits on occasion.

I like to use two different rods that are between 7′6 – 8′ in both medium heavy to heavy. These longer rods make longer casts and move more line on the hookset. Any baitcasting reel will work for this application however a reel that is balanced with your rod will not wear you out throwing these heavier baits. For line I like to use between 15-20lb flourocarbon for both main line and leader applications. When using as a leader I like both 50lb/65lb braid as a mainline for better contact with the bottom when fishing deeper. One thing to think about is flourocarbon is more abrasion resistant,transparent, and sinks faster than most mono and copolymers which allows you to cover deeper water faster.

It takes discipline and time to go out and feel around surveying areas that are not familar to you. There will be times when you stumble upon a group of fun fish and you will forget what you are there to do, that’s ok poke a couple of fish and move on. I look at using these baits as just an extension to my depth finder. You can either take these tools with you when your going out to throw swim baits or dedicate specific trips to just feel around it all depends on how disciplined you are.

Just remember when chaising bigger fish it doesn’t hurt to know areas that are not obvious from above the water or on everyones topo map. Sometimes finding those areas have the least pressured fish.

somethin’ to chew on….

It seems to me that when planning a trip to a famous fishery, the expectations are almost always set very high. I’m fortunate to get to fish Lake Guntersville several times throughout the year, and one thing I’ve learned is that while the lake can yield some amazing fishing, it can also be as tough as just about any other fishery on a given day. I had the opportunity to spend a couple days there recently. It’s certinly common knowledge that the rattlebait bite can be spectacular on Guntersville in February. Just look at the results of the recent FLW Tour event held there! Of course, I went well prepared with what seemed like every rattlebait known to man and a few others just for good measure. Of course, I also had to take along a few swimbaits, because I just can’t help myself and I have to stick to the plan!

Having fished the Big G for a few years now, I have come to expect that when I show up on Guntersville in February, its either cold and rainy or I’m slammed by gail force winds – and Guntersville can get rough in the wind! Day one produced the former and day two the latter – so my expectations were met with flying colors!

I wasn’t expecting a major swimbait bite given the 48 degree water, but hoped to entice a big strike or two. My thought was – if they’ll chase a little rattlebait, surely one of those Guntersville pigs would chomp down on a nice big tasty looking shad slowly swimming by, right? Well, one of those spots that has produced numerous quality fish for me in Februarys past was my first swimbait target. I made quite a few casts with a 6″ huddleston, then a 7″ triple trout, then I picked up a sinking hyper herring. I made several more casts to the area slowly swimming the bait down the side of a moderate drop, and THUMP! I boated this healthy 6 pounder!!

With a heightened sense of confidence, I continued to cast to the same drop and boated another respectable fish, but nobody else wanted to play. As hard as I tried to duplicate my catch elsewhere on the lake, my efforts just didn’t pay off. Needless to say, I was very pleased to draw a couple of quality strikes on a swimbait in 48 degree water. I hope to go back soon when the waters warm a bit more and really work the swimbait bite, which I expect will be on fire very soon! Though conditions were tough, I certainly took advantage of the rattlebait bite and had a great time catching fish which is ultimately what all of this is all about!

“Catch, picture, and release!”

People often bring up the topic “what’s your favorite lure to throw for largemouth?”. I normally respond by saying I like throwing big baits to which they respond with “oh you like throwing them big swimbaits don’t you? I can’t believe how much guys spend on those things!”. With all the hype around Steve Kennedy breaking the BASS four day record in ‘07 many fishermen are being led to believe “throwing swimbaits is the answer to catching big fish”. By default this means tying on a big expensive plastic swimbait and throwing it all day. Surely you can do this and find success however living around pressured tournament and swimbait waters I like to change things up once in awhile and show the fish something different throughout the year.

How many times have you been in the fishing aisle at your local tackle store and seen those trolling plugs hanging on the peg? You tell your buddy “look at the hooks on that thing nothing is going to eat that bait that’s not a bass lure those are for salmon or stripers”. Or you walk down another aisle and you see big plastic saltwater plastics and pay no mind to them because those are “saltwater baits”. Just across that aisle there is a wall of spoons that look like soup ladles you tell your buddy “we don’t troll we’re bass fishermen”. My point here is all these lures represent “bigger”forage that is not necessarily species specific.

Many major bass lure companies target specific fishermen and try to build hype up around the lures they are making. They are trying to create a buzz and fill a niche in your tackle box. Often we get so consumed with buying what is put in front of our face and we become programmed to buy what is new. We don’t think about what is on the shelves because “those aren’t for bass”. If you take a minute and study what is in the diet of the common largemouth bass you will find that they will eat just about anything. Whether its snakes,birds,frogs,lizards,or a whole other list of critters largemouth are not very picky. A fisheries biologist I talked to once said “just be glad these fish don’t grow over a 100lbs or you might have a few kids missing”. The one thing that has been proven is that the biggest largemouth in a body of water on average wants to expend the least amount of energy for the greatest reward. Finding and learning when that fish wants to eat can be more than half the battle in my opinion.

Don’t limit what you throw by what is “labeled” on the shelf or in a certain fishing show or magazine. Put the time in behind each bait you buy and ask yourself how many bites your going after,what forage am I trying to imitate,and where are the fish holding. Remember the bigger the bait the fewer bites you are going to get. It’s up to you to find the persistence to give that bait a fair shot. More importantly it’s up to you to put in the time on the water and figure out where the big fish are feeding and when.

Also remember every cast you make is revealing a flaw in your presentation,the lure,or both. Changing up between throwing the same swimbait to a different bait that they are not used to seeing will only help slow down the process of you educating the fish. It’s kind of like seeing the police always sitting in the same spot using their radar gun on your way home. Are you going to keep speeding by them after you’ve been “caught”?

something to chew on….

It’s that time again! Cabin fever has reached its boiling point as we’re teased with sporadic and fleeting warm spring like days only to get slammed again by a frigid blast from the north. With the slowly warming waters comes the promise of 8’ rods and heavy line in search of those early season giants. If you’re anything like me, you’ve stocked up on the tried and true fish catching baits, and added some of the new and exciting offerings from the ever expanding world of swimbaits. Herring, bluegill, shad, and maybe even a trout or two have been peering at me for a few months now with glassy eyes that appear to share in my anticipation of warmer days and ferocious strikes. Think like a fish, right?

I’ve been bitten hard by the “big bait bug” and have decided that resistance is futile so I might as well just go with the flow. Early in my swimbait tossing days, I’d throw the bait around for an hour or so, then give up and fall back on more traditional tackle. As my investment in and fascination with big baits grew, so did my determination to put in the time necessary to achieve success. I made regular trips where I would intentionally leave behind all my crankbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits, and worms and take only my swimbait combos. As time passed, I found this prospect less difficult and more exciting. Ultimately I realized that the more time I had invested in the technique, the more confidence I built, and the more success I had. Imagine that! This time on the water proved invaluable in learning the subtleties of different baits, different retrieves for different situations, and how to deal with the frustration often associated with throwing big baits. Trust me, I have had, and still have that same frustration when the fish won’t cooperate. I’ve had more busts than epic days with swimbaits, but looking back, it is exactly the same way with traditional tackle. If you really want to learn the swimbait game, leave behind all your other tackle and put in the time on the water. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results, but I take no personal responsibility for the hit to your bank account!
 

  The allure of tossing big baits is an addiction within an addiction for me. I love to be out on the water fishing under most any circumstances, but with an 8’ rod and a big bait in hand, I go to my “happy place.” The simple pleasure I take in the anticipation of those massive explosions on a wakebait, or the feel of that telltale thump on a sinking bait keeps me going back for more. Largemouth, smallmouth, stripers, and even musky are all available quarry in my home waters and I love to catch them all – especially on swimbaits!

  This year, I plan to start throwing bigger baits much earlier in the season. I had fantastic success last spring with some smaller soft plastic swims, but didn’t give the bigger baits their due until later in the season. This spring will be different – much different! I plan to hit some of the same areas that produced well last spring, but upsize my offerings in search of some trophy sized fish. Let’s get this spring started off right and get out there and toss some big baits around your favorite springtime fishing holes!

“Catch, picture, and release!”