Lure Maintenance & Mods.

[Gfish]

Gonna take a break from tryin to change oil & rotate tires in the rain( no covered area to work in), usually don't last long here...

Lures are expensive to me nowadays. Paint scratches and chipping, rust, garbage hooks etc., etc., doesn't mean I gotta avoid usin 'em, or even toss 'em. The best I can do for paint is either touch-up with permanent markers or some enamel paint.
The paint of course, won't have that nice fade from one color tone to the next, or the scale pattern, like they when they come from the factory.
Metal with a chrome finish that has rusted/corroded has only one solution for me; change the color after scraping off most of the damage. I found a silver colored Sharpie at wally world that'll put "some" shine back on spoons.
A good supply of hooks, split rings, and a good hook sharpener are musts for me. A tip from a post by someone on the "Tip Of The Day" thread from way back when has had me painting hook points with a black sharpie after sharpening to prevent corrosion( sharpening removes the finish).
Dressing up hooks may add to their attraction factor. On swim-type-baits the rear hook may simulate a fishes tail---how bout some color on that part?
Eyes may well be somethin the predators key on. I use alota hobby store doll eyes initally and then am constantly replacing them at hook sharpening time.

Ok, rain stoped. Will post some pictures latter, then wait n' see what tips you all got for us...

[thorhammer]

Greg, I do this too....I've painted a whole lotta baits with a dollar special rattle can and a piece of mesh from a mesh bath scrunchie to give a scale pattern. Through on some glitter from wally maybe, and clear coat. works fine.

[Gfish]

Ok. Got 'er done. Lota work, but I trust myself better n' those guy's I don't know. I actually feel a little bad for those young guy's workin at them quick oil change places; low pay, fast paced work, possibility of curcial errors made("you forgot to put oil back in!?!?, the customers engine is blowen!!!), and then the "up-selling" some are required to do.
Gotchya, John. Mesh, rattle-can & clear coat. Would be nice to figure-out that fade effect, though.

[Gfish]

Simple, replace the hook, sharpen the new one, paint the points, touch-up with a marker and add some flash for a tail. The Shimano Waxwing; a nice darting troller and a good balenced jigging plug too.
Also, some of the flies I troll with. Maintenance is usually hook sharpening adding some color and replacing eyes. A somewhat sparsely tied one and a bushy one.

[Gfish]

Ok. Only the bushy fly pic. got posted, so I'll try 'er again.

[Gfish]

Here's what I used for touch-up color, insteada paint on this Storm "Lil' Mac". The final result is far from perfect, but some finishes on lures don't take markers too well.

Notice the hook/blade sharpener? It's a good one. Also see the spoon in the last photo, I used the new silver sharpie to cover some serious corrosion.

[Gfish]

Here's a good way to dress-up hooks or whole jig bodies.

[Gfish]

Here's a 3 oz. rockfish/Lingcod critter that I made outta a store-bought jighead. This one I painted white, then used markers to finish.

[Gfish]

A before & after pic. of a relatively cheap 1oz. spoon I like to troll with. The barracudas love 'em.

[Gfish]

A P-lure jig. I think guy's might call it "surface iron"? Some doll eyes, and tail dressing and some touch-up. "Skake your tail feather baby..."(from a long ago, mostly forgotten blues song).

[Gfish]

Here's a Lure Jensen "Krocodile" spoon. This one is extra thick and at the 1oz. size, easily weighs 2ozs. The back's gotta be touched up a bit. I used it yesterday and surprisingly, it had great trolling action. Then I dropped it down to aprox. 300 ft. over sand, and jigged up a little 3 lb. Amberjack. Yeah, a little one, but one heck ofa fight! THE SKUNK IS OFF!!! Great tastin fish. I really don't know how guy's get the big ones in? Unless the small ones have alla fight?

[Brewcrafter]

Those are some cool looking touch ups!  And you hit on something that I suspect a lot of us overlook some times - hook quality and hook sharpness.  I especially like your addition of googley eyes on some of those lures!  It has often been said here and elsewhere, that many lures are more designed to catch fishermen that to catch fish, but you have some great looking fixes there!  But then low and behold it still makes me shake my head to think tuna will nail a plain old cedar plug.

[Gfish]

Ha! Good point(pun intended).Very well could be that most(mabey all...?)a the fixin-up I do, don't increase the strike frequency.

[oc1]

Too bad you don't live over here:
https://www.fiberglasshawaii.com/shop/fishing-lure-supplies/

Well, not really too bad.  But, sometimes congestion can have it's advantages.
-steve

[Gobi King]

I bought a bunch of nail polish to touch up my lures,

I usually just swap out the trebles with new 3x trebles.