What's good to use to clear coat a tiny vintage Rapala plug? It's going to be used not a shelf queen. ;D
The original coating has started to peel off from all the fish it's caught. It's a very lucky lure! :fish
I used rod building epoxy (flex coat lite) on one i found in the surf. I was quite happy with the results. The modern version doesn't yellow.
If it's catching fish leave it alone! You could ruin its mojo
Thanks Jason, but is there something more economical, as this will require just a tiny amount for this little lure? Preferably pre-mixed. Ya think maybe clear nail polish would do it?
Hey Swami, never 'taut o' dat, lol.
Quote from: Swami805 on January 16, 2024, 06:34:22 PMIf it's catching fish leave it alone! You could ruin its mojo
Actually, I want to protect the lure from water damage, I think these old Rapalas are wood.
Here it is after some action ;D
(https://alantani.com/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=133858;image)
I have fished larger wood Rapalas the have had chunks of the coating chewed and ripped off by wahoo and other toothy critters. I just let it air dry before putting away, and the bare wood was fine.
If it is a small lure, you do not want to encase it in anything thick and heavy that might affect the action.
I would just fish it until it falls apart. Fish seem to like those chewed up lures.
If I felt compelled to coat it, maybe something like a clear acrylic spray with nasty solvents like Krylon clear would be my guess. I use Krylon to clear coat lure decals that come out of an inkjet printer, and the ink does not smear. But you never know, it could make the peeling worse.
-J
Thanks Jurelometer. These old ones are a bit different though. Instead of paint, they have a layer of thin foil with scale imprint and gold color, it appears to be pressed onto the body. The clear coating keeps it all from unraveling I suppose.
Btw, nice bite marks on that lure! :fish
Here's what I'd use on a all wood lure.
McCloskey Man O' War Semi-Gloss Clear Marine Spar
Google it.
Steve
I'd stay away from Spar varnish or Helmsman urethane unless you don't mind the yellowing effect later. Minwax clear polycrylic or Rustoleum Clear coat should do a good job. I use both a lot with great results.
Get on Amazon, and get some "Hard UV Clear Nail Polish"
Paint it on with an acid brush inside, away from windows, then keep it rolling by the hook eyes while you walk outside in full sun. Keep it rolling for three to five minutes in full sun, then you can hang it outside in full sun for an hour or so. Before you hang it up, do a quick check to be sure the surface layer has set, but after that surface layer has set it won't sag.
Crystal clear, fast setting, UV cured epoxy. You could use a strong UV flashlight too, but it's pretty specific on the wavelength. I just use the sun.
I was semi serious, once in awhile you get a trolling lure that consistently stops the boat. You can have a handful of the same lure but one is a little beat up or something and it just works better
I fished with a guy who would hang out around the landing for a few days before his annual long range trip and wait for the other boats to come in. He'd ask guys what the hot lure was for wahoo and buy them off the guys, the ones that were all chewed up. Those big yozuri bonitas , they all looked the same, same color, size, everything but some had a tiny difference that fish bit better. Take it for what it's worth, a half baked theory total BS
UV resins tend to be too hard and will crack under load, taking the paint job with them. I use the stuff to finish poppers and it is plenty tough, but only if the paint job has a strong bond to the lure
If you go that route, TotalBoat is the UV product that I like best for quality vs. price. They even have a deal that includes a UV flashlight on the big e-commerce site.
But all these products (and thick varnishes) are probably too thick for a mini Rapala. It will affect the action, mostl notably by raising the center of mass.
There are thin UV formulations (I like SolarEZ thin), but these are still on the thick side and are also expensive.
I am still in the fish it until it falls apart camp. The fish can't even see the finish that well. All that decoration is mostly for catching fishermen.
-J
Pop ran a charter boat for stripers out of Cuttyhunk for 20 years, early 60's to 80's, and he loved his Giant Pikies, the worse they looked the better they fished as they were his sweethearts, he hated to even replace hooks, but when he did they were exact matches. Had cartons of plugs to sort through after he passed, sold off the pretty ones, the uglies are still putting fish in the box. Don't mess with the mojo, if the fish like em, they look "good enough".
On a recent Saturday Zoom many of us were showing off lures (surface and yo=yo irons) and many looked like they had been hit with a blast of shot that the paint finishes were so bad. Those were invariable the hot "producers". - john
Quote from: Swami805 on January 17, 2024, 04:54:51 AMI was semi serious, once in awhile you get a trolling lure that consistently stops the boat. You can have a handful of the same lure but one is a little beat up or something and it just works better
I fished with a guy who would hang out around the landing for a few days before his annual long range trip and wait for the other boats to come in. He'd ask guys what the hot lure was for wahoo and buy them off the guys, the ones that were all chewed up. Those big yozuri bonitas , they all looked the same, same color, size, everything but some had a tiny difference that fish bit better. Take it for what it's worth, a half baked theory total BS
What's the best lure to use? The one that has all the paint chewed off. The paint job is for your benefit. The fish care about the motion in the ocean!
There sounds like some chicken-egg effect going on here.
Are they hot producers because they're chewed up, or are they chewed up because they've done a lot of producing?
Because it sounds like they had to already be productive to get chewed up to begin with.
Fun thread though.
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on January 17, 2024, 08:06:46 PMThere sounds like some chicken-egg effect going on here.
Are they hot producers because they're chewed up, or are they chewed up because they've done a lot of producing?
Because it sounds like they had to already be productive to get chewed up to begin with.
Fun thread though.
I think our takeaway (at least in the my saltwater world) is that they are chewed up because they do a lot of producing; and they continue to produce because the lure finish is secondary to whatever it is in the action that makes them consistently get hit. - john
Quote from: Brewcrafter on January 17, 2024, 09:15:48 PMQuote from: JasonGotaProblem on January 17, 2024, 08:06:46 PMThere sounds like some chicken-egg effect going on here.
Are they hot producers because they're chewed up, or are they chewed up because they've done a lot of producing?
Because it sounds like they had to already be productive to get chewed up to begin with.
Fun thread though.
I think our takeaway (at least in the my saltwater world) is that they are chewed up because they do a lot of producing; and they continue to produce because the lure finish is secondary to whatever it is in the action that makes them consistently get hit. - john
If the paint job is gone, but the lure is still working about as well, it tells you that paint job was not the primary attractant.
In order for a fish to recognize a moving bait before a competitor sees it, seeing better means seeing less clearly, especially in a visually compromised environment like underwater. Sensitivity vs. acuity. More of one means less of the other. Too much acuity and you miss too much food, or at least are the last to see it. Most fish don't have as much visual acuity as we give them credit for.
When it comes to paint jobs and getting bit, light vs dark matters, highly reflective matters, the overall profile matters. Glow might matter. A "lifelike" scale pattern and Japanese anime eye decals are just for catching fishermen -IMHO...
And I encourage folk to join the Zoom. We could use some fresh blood. They know all of my jokes by now :)
-J
Quote from: Midway Tommy on January 16, 2024, 11:25:32 PMI'd stay away from Spar varnish or Helmsman urethane
Hum, I have used Man O War on most of my boats without issue.
Mainly Mahogony.
Least I never noticed an yellowing, but I did keep them covered and out of the sun.
Steve
Wow, this really got taken al over! I just wanted to add a quick little dab of something on some spots where the clear coat has started to separate so it wouldn't get worse.
The lure still looks good so the ratty lookin' theory doesn't apply.
I can't see investing a bunch of $ on something that can get bit off in an instant, or end up irretrievably snagged.
Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions guys.
Sorry, I think I did that. But I'll rescue the thread.
Mail it to me. I'll put a dab of flex coat on it and send it back. Or coat it. Whatever you prefer. It would take like 1ml of each part to cover the whole thing.
I've used plain old nail varnish just to touch up the bare spots, didn't affect action or catching that I could tell.
That was on my first Rapala, the 2" gold floating balsa model. It caught me so many fish..
Still have it, the lip broke off and repaired that once, the second time it broke off I have not yet repaired..
Here's a trout fly at the end of a good day, it was still catching fish..
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on January 18, 2024, 06:25:54 AMSorry, I think I did that. But I'll rescue the thread. Mail it to me. I'll put a dab of flex coat on it and send it back...
Hey folksies', just got back from a vacation, been off line for a while...
Jason, thanks for the offer, but think I'm just gonna try DougK's idea, a little nail varnish (when the wife's not lookin', lol). No biggie over the thread tangents, learned a few things from it. :fish
Quote from: DougK on January 25, 2024, 05:38:59 PMI've used plain old nail varnish just to touch up the bare spots, didn't affect action or catching that I could tell.
That was on my first Rapala, the 2" gold floating balsa model. It caught me so many fish..
Still have it, the lip broke off and repaired that once, the second time it broke off I have not yet repaired.
So I'm guessing the nail varnish stands up to the water dunking then? Gonna be raiding the wife's beauty supplies... >:D
So I too have another one that I broke the lip off of when yanking it off some lily pads. Gonna have to look for an old plug to get a lip from...
Those little Rapala's are awesome! :fish
Quote from: DougK on January 25, 2024, 05:38:59 PMI've used plain old nail varnish just to touch up the bare spots, didn't affect action or catching that I could tell.
That was on my first Rapala, the 2" gold floating balsa model. It caught me so many fish..
Still have it, the lip broke off and repaired that once, the second time it broke off I have not yet repaired..
Here's a trout fly at the end of a good day, it was still catching fish..
Was reading an actual
(tm) scientific paper, and apparently, rainbow trout pupil size is on the large side to optimize crespular (dawn /dusk) vision at the expense of acuity. Put on some trout goggles and that chewed up nymph fly would look very much like a tasty bug. Size, basic shape, light vs dark, drift - is the stuff that matters. And also the stuff that the better trout fishermen (of which I am not) seem to pay more attention to.
Other trout species are similar, but with some variation. For example, brown trout vision is more tuned toward darkness. And it changes with age as well. Young rainbows have UV receptors, but UV vision is gone by adulthood.
Haven't seen a paper on snook, but expect that there is even more optimization for low light, and even less acuity. By looking at the lateral line, I would expect that the wiggle in the rapala probably is where the magic comes from.
If I find a paywall-free instance of the trout paper, I will post it.
-J
Quote from: nelz on February 02, 2024, 09:38:43 PMSo I too have another one that I broke the lip off of when yanking it off some lily pads. Gonna have to look for an old plug to get a lip from...
new lips can be found at Jann's Netcraft (https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/shop/lure-making-parts/crankbait-parts/crankbait-bills-lure-lips?page=1), I like the smallest rounded circuit board version for the small Rapalas.
My original lip repair was cut out of the hard plastic of a music cassette tape box.. worked great ;-)
I still have cassette tapes and as of the last 5 years, have nothing that'll play 'em!
Thanks Doug.