Author Topic: Baitfish/minnow color formulas  (Read 3077 times)

Offline floridagrimp

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Baitfish/minnow color formulas
« on: 10/03/12 21:13 UTC »
Anyone have any simple baitfish formulas with X2 colorant??  something good for carrots, stinger tails superfry baits. Maybe greenish tints (tennessee shad) and/or blue/purple hues.

I make a lot of smoke colored baits, but need the other baitfish. From what I have seen, gulf coast baitfish are silver, silver/black, w/greenish backs, light purple and lt. blue     

I appreciate any ideas!! Thanks
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Offline ctom

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Re: Baitfish/minnow color formulas
« Reply #1 on: 10/04/12 07:21 UTC »
I can't help much in the X2 department since my stores of that colorant are thin, but if you have the regular colorant I can. I am a sucker for natural baits and feel that between smokes and baby bass color a guy can create forever.

If you have a smoke that you like, thin it out a bit and use a drop at a time of the baby bass, mixing well and heating again after each drop. Go easy because baby bass is a strong color. Some green hi lite helps a lot too, but go very sparse on it because it can overwhelm  the color. All you want is a smidge to give the color an internal character and some light reflection. I do not use any pearl for making natural colors like this because they tend to kill the transparency that I am trying to maintain.

One other colorant that gets sidelined when it comes to the natural looks is amber. Amber is another strong color so small additions do you justice. Do a plain smoke and tone it a wee bit with amber will give you an uncanny back color, especially if you tap a light dusting of gold hi lites in the mix....only a dusting though.

Once you have a baisc color made up you can add tiny amounts of blue or violet hilites to a plain smoke along with some small amount of the same color of small flaked glitter. Doing so gives the bait a realistic look. At first glance you don't notice much but turn the bait in the light and you'll see the same natural color shifts happening with your plastic as what happens in nature.
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Offline kipbass

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Re: Baitfish/minnow color formulas
« Reply #2 on: 10/04/12 08:24 UTC »
just a thought, next time you go fishing with live minnows. Hold one in your hand and take close up pics of it from all angles. Now you'll have a reference to look back on over time. Like I said, it just a idea I had.I have not done it.

Offline floridagrimp

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Re: Baitfish/minnow color formulas
« Reply #3 on: 10/04/12 15:19 UTC »
ctom, is babybass a X2 color??
"Be sure to fillet and re-grease!"

 "WATCH THE FOX, "fair and balanced" in a world filled with leftwing media types!
Obama's added 15 million to food stamp roles in 4 years (and growing).."If you pay folks to be poor then you'll have a lot of poor people"

Offline Jason

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Re: Baitfish/minnow color formulas
« Reply #4 on: 10/04/12 15:31 UTC »
We are bottling the X2 version of it now...  Awesome color.

Offline floridagrimp

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Re: Baitfish/minnow color formulas
« Reply #5 on: 10/04/12 15:35 UTC »
there you go..was just looking at it in older colorants.  How do u buy it?
"Be sure to fillet and re-grease!"

 "WATCH THE FOX, "fair and balanced" in a world filled with leftwing media types!
Obama's added 15 million to food stamp roles in 4 years (and growing).."If you pay folks to be poor then you'll have a lot of poor people"

Offline ctom

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Re: Baitfish/minnow color formulas
« Reply #6 on: 10/04/12 21:33 UTC »
That X2 colorant is mighty strong stuff. Baby Bass is a potent color to begin with, let alone now being available in the stronger X2. To keep your natural color manageable, I'd sugget nipping the pointed end off a toothpick and putting a drop or two of the colorant in the cap from the bottle. Make your smoke by adding a small drop of black at a time to cooked, but clear, plastic until you have a smoke that is almost what you want....just a little thin yet. Then dip the blunted end of the toothpick in the Baby Bass and stir in. The BB will tone down [darken] the smoke further. The baby steps will reward you when you are looking for natural. All too many times I have gone past the point of natural and basically screwed up a batch of plastic. Remember, its easy to add wee bits but you cannot un-add any.
There are good ships
and wood ships
ships that sail the sea
but the best ships are friendships
and may they
always be ......An Irish Toast

Offline floridagrimp

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Re: Baitfish/minnow color formulas
« Reply #7 on: 10/04/12 21:56 UTC »
I pour out of the real, real big Pyrex bowls (heat in microwave)...so I can usually montor the X2 pretty closely. I'll do it in small increments
"Be sure to fillet and re-grease!"

 "WATCH THE FOX, "fair and balanced" in a world filled with leftwing media types!
Obama's added 15 million to food stamp roles in 4 years (and growing).."If you pay folks to be poor then you'll have a lot of poor people"

Offline MonteSS

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Re: Baitfish/minnow color formulas
« Reply #8 on: 10/05/12 01:25 UTC »
I've said it before but the CCM Gunmetal flake is really nice baitfish color in clear ot light smoke platic. It's grey with a slight blue hue.



...Bill
« Last Edit: 10/05/12 01:27 UTC by MonteSS »