With temperatures dropping into the teens the last couple of days here in Austin, everything kind of got shut down today. Power outages were widespread across the city and everyone was stuck at home. Our power never did go out, but nevertheless, I didn’t want to go out in that cold crap! After putting around on the internet for some time this morning, I decided it was about time for a crankbait painting extravaganza! Occasionally I come across old, beat up baits that other guys have “lost at sea.” I bring them home, and put them in small box to fix up “later.” Today was “later.” Most of the time, the split rings and hooks are completely rusted out on the baits, so I always have to replace those. Also, the paint jobs usually need a bit of a refinishing. Here’s the before shots of three crankbaits that needed a face lift:
After giving them a thorough washing getting all the dirt, dried algea, etc, I sanded them down to completely remove the previous paint jobs. Then, it was time to paint! Most guys get fancy and airbrush their baits. I’m not fancy, and don’t have an air brush. I am, however, pretty handy with a can of spray paint, fingernail polish, and a sharpie. Here’s what they looked like when I was through with them:
And oh, don’t mind the puzzle pieces in the photos. That was another part of our snowless snow-day activities today. 🙂 Anyways, as you can tell, I used the same two shad type patterns on the bottom two crankbaits. However, on the top bait, when I sanded it down, it had a clear body. I decided I might take advantage of that and created a color I call Purple Ghost. It basically has a solid purple back, but it fades down to the clear body. I’m thinking it should work well in the clear waters of Lake Travis.
And just like that… I’ve got three brand new crankbaits to fish with! Hizzah! Can’t wait to get them in the water!
Leave a Reply