Love making .....

..... custom painted Kwikfish and Warts! [Bet that got your attention] [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Has anyone been trying the custom painting suggestions I made last fall for Kwikfish? Getting all chrome and all white ones (harder to come by :eek [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] is the starting place. Then masking off either the right or left side, including both top and bottom. Then after rubbing off any hand oils present with rubbing alcohol, spray paint the other half of the chrome ones with Testor's Enamel 'Blue Saphire Metalic' color, and the other half of the white ones gloss black (or flame red). Then put one tape fisheye on the underside of the bill. Also cut out a small arrow shaped chartreuse or flame red piece of lure tape and put it on the under side back by the tail end; arrow pointing forward. Then put on a swivel beadchain hook extender and large treble with a floatant on it's shank, such as tapered foam for neutral bouyancy (on the larger Kwikfish and heavier large hook). For the Warts just use a 2X or 3X strong treble. After allowing the paint to cure dry for a couple days you are ready to wrap on sardine filets and get after them with the blue/chrome ones in clear to slightly colored water and the white/black ones in colored to murky water. Wrap the filet around the belly eye on the Kwikfish. Wrap a real small one on the beadchain of the Wiggle Wart or Mag Wart; painted in these same color combos. If there are a lot of leaves in the river, switch to large single siwash hooks on the extended beadchains. Do this right and it's fish's on!

[Mr.Kitch'nPass]

RT those really do sound atractive but im not making love to em! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[fishbait]

Hey Steve,
I admire your creativity, but why go to all that work when the srorebaught ones catch fish just fine. Do you really believe that if you put a properly tuned and wrapped k-16 chrome green butt in front of a fish and the fish doesnt bite it that if the plug was the white/blue the fish would bite it........? After about 8 years of fishing kwikfish I have mabey 4-5 diff types in my box and I will compare my catch ratio with anyone.

Steve (fishbait), yes I do. Expecially the Warts. I've proven it over the last 15 years, mostly on Clackamas springers. These combos make them look more like injured baitfish than things they've never seen. Of course the stock colors work great much of the time. It's the marginal biters that take more coaxing with unusual tricks. But like you, I too have gotten lazy and don't always practice what I preach. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] I often go for the easier way. These tips are for those with energy and still hunger to maximize their catch rates. Same thing for curing up eggs in 4 or 5 different proven effective cures to have along fishing - and chem additives and custom scents along too. It takes more effort, but pays off for those with the energy and desire.

BTW, I forgot to mention to take the 2 stock hooks off before applying the beadchain extended sole treble or Siwash hooks; which will increase you landing rates, particularly for salmon.

RT

[fishbait]

"Especially the warts" .......I would agree here

[Pete]

Steve, Do you fine that the long distance from the point to the barb of a siwash makes hook ups harder? Nah, you use trebles, doncha? I understand that Mustad will soon bring a new siwash to market with a shorter point to barb distance that may improve hook-ups.

[Bobberdown]

Hey RT how about a photo of the lures so we get a better Idea how they look.

I tried taking pics of these customized lures with my autofocus camera and they turn out blurry. I will try to get some out to Mark and have him take some pics and get them posted. Don't know when, but will try to make it soon. ... They really are effective! The Kwikfish look like a baitfish struggling on their side - drives salmon strike nuts. And this hook rigup will land more of them.

RT

[Thumper]

Angie has a nice photo or two of Steve's Kwikfish set-up on her homepage......also a nice discussion about it.......hee-hee!!!

[FM2]

Sounds like an interesting procedure. Have you found this to work in any water? (bay or river). I bet the auto-focus on your camera works great, it's the focus of the age of the eye..maybe! [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

On a side note, there is an excellent article in STS that talks about kwik-fish. I know Mark Yano and HE can catch mucho fish! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Angie's pics and **** aren't even close to what mine look like. I didn't know Carmen was coming out with the Kwikfish riging article when I submitted my column to Nick. Sorry, but while those other techs are very good, my rigup method kicks @$$ over these and other rigups - if you do it correctly.

[FM2]

RT....getting defensive...naaahhhh!!, you have to be one of the most objective people I have never known....! hehehehee [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]