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| What do you consider acceptable durability. How many fish can be caught on a lure before noticable signs of wear such as cracking? |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | Depends on what the lure is made from. |
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| Poplar. I have had issues of where I have to patch the etex after one fish. |
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Posts: 908
Location: South-Central PA | How many coats of etex are you using? |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | I use three coats on my Grunts. Had a guy doing them for me that was using another clear and it did not work well at all. Never had any issues with three caots or epoxy clear. |
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| I have been using 2 coats of etex. |
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Posts: 908
Location: South-Central PA | I've also been using three coats. On my snake skin lures, I use as many as 6 or 7 without any issues. I'm also trying something new this week- sanding sealer. I'm hoping it will make the wood a bit more durable. I've used propionate with succes, it just stinks so bad! I like the action that polar gives a lure but it's nowhere near as durable as the maple that I've been using.
jeremy |
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| I am not having issues with the duribility of the poplar, just the finish such as chunks of topcoat and paint getting knocked off by fish and what I think is excessive hook rash. |
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Posts: 941
Location: Freedom, WI | If the wood is not sealed good enough and if water gets in the wood expands and blows off the etex. Hooks will wear through anything especially if trolling, little super glue over the hook rash will help keep it sealed if that is where it is getting in. |
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Posts: 1529
| durability depends upon many factors.
poplar is not a good wood for water. as for x chip or lift unsealed lures are doomed. not to hurt anyones thoughts. these are standards in the industry. |
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | Well said Woodie, I have Lokes made from Mahagony that have caught over 60 fish and the paint is gone for the most part and they still run and still catch fish. Oil in the wood is the difference. I have Slashers of Mine with 40 plus fish each and still going strong but they are full of rips and teeth holes. On the flip side I have a few plastic lures that will last forever but they dont get bit. I judge a lure not on how it holds up but how many fish eat it. If I catch 30 Muskies on a soft wood lure and it gets destroyed? I say that was a great lure and build or buy another. Poplar sucks for building lures. It blows paint and will fail in most every situation. Cedar,Mahagony, balsa, bass wood, maple, Cherry, and Oak have all proven to work in the industry.
I use Cedar, Oak and Cherry to build 15 different Cranks and twitch baits and have been doing so for 12 years. I can testify to fact that these woods produce fish and will hold paint and top coats when properly sealed and prepared.Mike |
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