Dipping baits

[Brent]

I have a question, when "dipping" a bait, it is just clear? or clear with highlites?

I have never done this, is there something I should know? or is it just mold the bait heat up a pyrex of clear and dip the body?

Thanks

[DobynsTriton]

After your baits that you will be dipping are made you will dip them in a cup that contains clear plastic.

[CrabbyBass]

I usually clear dip my lures after putting eyes on them.  You just heat up enough clear plastic so it covers as much of the lure you want dipped.  After dipping I let it drip a couple of times and then tip the head up to "round off" the head.  Then I dip it in a container of water to cure it instantly so I can put the lure down and go on to the next one.  Be careful with the container of water and your pyrex of hot plastic though.  You don't want them coming in contact with each other or you could hurt yourself pretty bad. 

[superharmonix]

Also, you want to make sure you aren't dipping baits that are real cold or you could have separation issues.  Example- if your baits are sitting in a real cold shop you may want to take them into your house to "warm them up" before back out to dip.

Also, you can use clear if you want that nice "clear coat" look, or to cover eyes, etc.  But, you can also dip in colored plastic or plastic with hi-lites to create some cool effects.  A couple other examples of dipping would be making your own tubes from dipping rods (use search function to see some great ideas there), or dipping your own swimbaits from a form (like a butter knife with a Colorado blade attached at the back), etc.

Another fine example of the creative process and how it abounds in this business, oh I mean hobby, oh I mean labor of love. 

[ctom]

I'm not dip-happy myself but I do dip anything with eyes. If I see a two or three color bait with a questionable weld I'll dip it.

[Lamar]

 I'm very very new at this. Gave up on the eyes because I just couldn't get them to stay on. Even with super glue gel. Never even thought of dipping a lure. Works great. Thanks for sharing your ideas. Great forum guys.

[fsh4fun]

I found too that if your all thumbs when trying to put the eyes on and get the two even,that I can lightly spear them with a safety pin. First I break them free of whatever their attached to,than  stick them with the point. Real easy to than line them up right where you want them,push a little and they come right off the pin. Than a dip in plastic. 

[ctom]

Brent....

Another couple of tid bits. Use some heat stabilizer in your clear dip. I use a one cup pyrex custard cup for the clear to dip my crappie sized baits and cook up about 4 to 6 ounces, depending on the length of the body of the bait. 6 ounces will get about 30 drops of stabilizer as soon as the plastic thickens at the initial heating and I'll add a few drops and stir it in with subsequent heatings.

Dipping eyes is fairly quick if the bowl you use is smaller in capacity so you can work without having to reach down into the plastic past a hot cup where you are knocking the excess plastic off. I use the custard cups because they are fairly broad across the top and I am always right up close to the plastic surface visually and I don't have to guess at when to stop or wish I'd have gone deeper.

Its been mentioned about the water. I drop mine into a water bath using warm tap water.

[pjmcla]

Slide a needle or bodkin tip under the edge of the eye as it sits on the sheet.  The eye will stick to the tip.  Then position it on the bait or jig head.  Lightly hold in place with a finger and slip the needle out.

[Denny Welch]

Toothpicks also work.

[Brent]

THANKS guys for the tips.....now to find the time, we finally got some ice, not much but I spent the day fishing.

[BareKnuckleJigs]

Lamar, if You want to glue Eyes on, try Mend-It.  A few "projects" left me pulling my hair out, trying every kind of glue and epoxy within my reach (5-6 variations).  I read, here at CCM, about Mend-It.  There ARE other Soft Plastic adhesives but I haven't tried them.  I bought a bottle of Mend-It...brudda...I wish I'd had this stuff through the years.  You have several seconds to work the piece, hold it maybe 20-30 seconds, then set it aside to cure...Bond...Baits Bond.

[fasteddyc]

Where is Mend It available? Big box stores, online etc. Thanks in advance for your help.

[BareKnuckleJigs]

I do most business online since I don't live in/near an area that has what I'm looking for...the only tackle in McComb (40 miles from home) is in Walmart (silent, full-cheeked laugh).  I bought Mend-It from LBF, but I've seen it other places, eBay and many others.  If it'd be profitable enough, that adhesive may be something that CCM/Do-It may look into stocking.