zach

Trying to get the ole man (my dad) interested in it to come w/ me.

Finally out of the painting room to rejoin my family. They almost forgot who I was until I started to complain and then they knew it was really me. The fins are new. I like them but I don't think the fish really care. Talk about a pain in the @ss, the fins are almost like starting a whole new paint job in themselves. I know all my baits for myself this coming year will have fins on them just b/c I like the look. These baits are starting to come along and have changed so much since I started making them. Starting to get better and I am almost happy w/ a few of these paint jobs. I am my own worst critic, maybe one day I will paint the perfect plug? Who knows? Until then I will just keep "PLUGGING AWAY"

Most of us musky guys have seen that pic and 100's just like them. Fish get killed, its just a matter of fact. I try to not kill them even though I had a fish die on me in Sept. Second time it ever happened to me in 17 years of musky fishing. How many swan away that we released died a day or two later? I used to freak out every time I saw a musky killed but have sort of chilled out on that as every person has the RIGHT to keep a legal fish if they choose during the harvest season. Sucks but thats the way the laws are wrote. Yes most people release 100% of their fish as I try to do but don't go freaking out about people killing fish from places you don't even fish. I used to and it got me no where. Do your best to educate people and your best to release your fish but things can still go wrong. Most big fish attack the bait very violently from my experiences which can lead to having to cut hooks and a longer time trying to release that fish. In a perfect world no one would kill our muskies but just remember how far we have come. When I started musky fishing- man you should have seen all the dead fish I saw everywhere from Chautauqua, Waneta to the Georgian Bay. We have some a long way and fishing is better than ever so let's just enjoy that, try to educate others and just have a good time. Why do we honestly care if someone kills a fish from a place we don't fish other than the fear that someone might do that to "our" lake? Doesn't really effect you directly unless you fish the same waters. Just my $0.02. Gotta love winter time and the same discussions we have year after year. Take care and stay warm guys!

We have tried and it is a work in progress. How about the time I was fishing Waneta a couple years ago and they had the Red Cross- Catch and Kill Musky Tourney? I called everyone, and everyone from Larry Jones to Joe Bucher called and had it stopped. I have a love hate relationship with that lake and every time I am ready to throw her in the bag- she spits up a good fish for me. I did 4 over 47" this year from that lake but also fished my @ss off. I love Waneta and hate her at the same time. This next summer Ronix- get a hold of me and we can meet up at Waneta and I'll take you out and show you the lake. It's up to you to get a hold of me though.

I don't know about all that but I was thinking that for $75 an inch I can advertise in the back of Musky Hunter but not yet, way too soon for that. I don't advertise really at all and I get a few orders a week and that keeps me busy enough. I have been posting a few pics on muskiefirst and this is where I get 95% of my orders from. Yeah- excited to get into that shop, they sell only wood baits and most are made right there in West Virginia I was told, so I thought that was cool. They don't carry big name plastic lures like Jakes, Depth Raiders, only handmade wood baits. They carry the Jones Baits, The Widowmakers, The Hughes River's, Crane's, Grim Reaper's and other really nice stuff so I took that as a huge compliment and was happy that to "try them out" they ordered 20. They said if some fish are caught on them and people like them they will make a bigger order in the future. I have also been thinking about another thing I have talked to a guy named Mike Baratta about. He is friends with Jim who owns Rollie and Helen's and Mike wrote like 3 volumes Drifter's book on trolling depths of musky cranks and used to work from Joe Bucher Outdoors so thats how they know each other. Mike said he can get me into the Rollie and Helen's if I want to make a ton of baits. I don't know if I could handle something like that as I am still such a rookie in so many ways but it is very flattering to hear. Who knows, I have to make a decision shortly as they will be making the new 2011 catalog soon so I have something to really think about. It's all been so neat the way this is going and I have gotten so much better at making them in so many ways and am still waiting to fall on my face at any time now as it seems too good. Who knows, not me?

Yeah that was the lake. Myself, I am looking at Cowanesque before that one for my own fishing though, still interested? I am really thinking about going back to Cave Run/ Green River sometime this spring, I know Cpt Larry is interested in going for the PMT. I just got my baits in the "Husky Musky Shop" in West Virginia and was invited down that way to do some stream fishing this spring for those muskies and also have an invite to fish the New River from another guy. Sounds like a cool fishing trip to me. I have always wanted to drift down some small river casting for muskies and this may be my chance. If you go down to PA this spring- drag me along! I have some bass crankbait bodies covered in blood from my router accident so I have given up on those for right now. I did make my step-father a topwater prop bait for fishing the bass ponds in southern Illinois. He moved down there in November and loves fishing those smaller farm ponds for big bass so here is a bait I made as a gift. They have lots of shad down there and hopefully some of those bass eat this bait. This is my first completed wooden bass bait and it is a 3" body, triple prop with tons of hardware. Not used to working on that small of bait.

I am not sure about the Road Rules but I am getting ready for the Butler Show. I doubt I am going to make that many "glitter's" but if you want one I would be more than happy to get something started. I have lots of new colors and am getting excited.

The finger is 100x better but when I was working w/ 9 digits I couldn't foil any baits so I messed around w/ doing a solid glitter base. Shine? Yes. Something different and you can bet a $1 that at least one of those walleye colors is going in my box for next year. I have done lots of foils but these are my first "glitters". I like them a lot and will make more in the future when I have time to just mess around. Getting cabin fever and need to get on the water but thats all of us right? Glitter Walleye- I bet I could do the same background for a $9 also. Glitter Shad for Cave Run down south in KY Glitter Perch Trying to pass the time until spring so I guess I'll go make some more baits. What do you think about these glitters? Better or worse than foils?

If these Asian carp were brought here from Asia as a food source why isn't anyone eating them. I think originally they came from farms that raised them for food but during the floods these carp escaped. I honestly heard in a blind taste test that people preferred these Asian carp over tuna fish. I know, it sounds nasty but if we could make them a major food source and net the crap outta them couldn't we feed the country? I know this wouldn't wipe them out completely but it might take a few million pounds of these fish out of our waterways. I have heard that in Chicago they gave it a cool name, something like "Singapore Bass" and people ate it up. I am not a carp eater but look at the closest homeless shelter and think of all the people we could feed for almost nothing. I will volunteer to shoot some if given the chance. It would be so much fun!

Just payed for the clinic and a table! Can't wait!

Holy crap Larry, I guess when it rains it pours. Best luck on the trip and of course only the best wishes. It is something that a lot of us may be able to relate to. Travel safe b/c I still got a lot to learn from you. The Baker's

Yeah, thats what I get for trying to make a 3" bass crankbait w/ power tools. I knew it was too small to use the router on but tried anyways. No more small bass cranks in my future w/ the table I have. If it was bigger I wouldn't have had a problem but I had the great idea of making some bass baits. Oh, that idea was great! So with Solgrande's recent experience- us musky guys aren't safe at the house or on the roads. Man I hate winter.

Old man- router accident #2 for the winter. Not as bad as yours but 9 stitches yesterday in my left ring finger. Could have been worse but seeing the inside of my finger was not on my to do list last night at 9pm. I left a good blood trail from the basement up the stairs into the bathroom that was better than any I saw hunting this year. Ouch. No more foiling in my immediate future. Throbs like a S.O.B as I type now. Oh, the fun times had bait making! So, Mike (old man) you started this accident thing and we all know it runs in 3's so who's next? Hopefully not me again! Be careful with those routers boys! Zach Baker- "your 9 fingered bait maker".

I hope to sign up w/ a table.

Bob may be able to let you know which ones have hot-tubs? Would those work?

I need to sign up for the NMA once again. My Dad and I used to belong but that was years ago. Here is a Wiley Fat Boy I was messing around w/ Larry. I added a bit of orange to the tail and throat along w/ the holographic eyes, cheeks and an extra clear coat. I love these lures but they get beat up quickly so I try to make them a tad tougher without adding much extra weight so it doesn't kill the deadly action of these plugs. I am a closet case Wiley junky. I have done lots of rework to my Wiley's and like just about all of them better now. I have some Wiley Musky King Jr's that look really nice also and may be the first Wiley's out of my box next year. I have a love/hate relationship with most of Wiley's though. They catch a lot of fish, wear out quickly, are tough to get and aren't the cheapest baits. I also have been messing around w/ a glitter perch color. Normal glitter perch (from Drifter Tackle) has no scales or head on it so I thought I might be able to improve on that some. I like the color and think one of these needs to get into my box. I have an idea of where this color will work but gonna have to wait on that though. Got out today and went to Black Creek and tuned like 60 baits in the rain. I was waiting for today to get to those tuned and I got SOAKED. All the fun stuff I never thought of before I starting making baits. I want to go to that Road Rules clinic also so if we can work something out? BOB- SHOW ME WHAT YOU ARE GETTING RID OF PLEASE.

Thats a good one! Maybe one day they will call it the "Baker Show" but for now it's still the Butler Show. Good thinking though Joe! I am all about making money for the fishery and personally think its too soon but Stan has told me like 10x that he has some Wiley's he painted and they are donated from a guy in Kentucky (I believe) to go towards our auction. So not only is Stan going out of his way for us but a private individual that doesn't fish our lakes is doing a great deed by donating those Wiley's. This is why I ask you guys, you know better than I. I like the ticket idea, for a few bucks even my cheap a$$ would do it so I think others would also. Great idea! I still like the "Baker Show", lol.

Thats what I was thinking, I'm broke as a joke and I thought it was too soon but I am having them ask me so........I ask you guys for the best ideas?

I just finished talking to Stan Durst and Bob from BM baits in Ohio and they want to do another ebay auction, do you guys think we should wait a few months or should we do one now and one later? Please comment on what you feel would be the best idea for our musky hatchery that we are helping support. I am ready to go and Stan is ready and I am sure Bob is ready but should we wait until later and try to get mote $ or do one now and another before the season starts for 2? Please let me know what you think? Thanks.

Nitro, thats a really neat picture you took! Looks like they really developed that Waneta shoreline! I heard they put that wall in just to keep the king out? Anyone else hear that? Something about trying to keep all those 61" muskies in Waneta or something like that. I can't really remember but I thought I read it in the local paper a while back. I have to apologize for my short term memory loss, you can blame that on my past, lol. I also heard they are going to stop making Rapala Mag Shad Raps this winter and I heard of a guy who is buying them by the 100's, all in the same 2 colors. Anyways, thanks Nitro and you will have something coming your way before too long also. Bty, I haven't even started to refinish those cracked Tuff Shads yet but need to soon. Thanks bud and happy holidays!

Yeah Bob- those Natural Perch and St Lawrence have your name all over it! LOL. Like I said, I need to make a bunch more as I am way behind but thanks, you helped me out in the beginning and I won't forget about you now.

I am finally starting to learning this airbrushing thing. I have tried to step my game up to make the plugs better. Here are some of the last ones I am going to make for this year. Its been fun and frustrating at the same time. I think these are by far the best I have done and I just wanted to show off a couple of them. Bty- all baits are sold and I need to get my a$$ to work to make more as I am still way behind in my orders. Thanks for taking a look and supporting a redneck painter that didn't know much about anything but is learning as quickly as I can. $9 Bass and dark St. Lawrence Natural Perch Light colored- Cpt Larry Foiled Natural Perch, This is the best painting job I have ever done- I plan on having a few for June in my boat of this color! Thanks for following me down this road I have taken, hopefully 2011 will have a few baits turn out like I freaking want them to instead of adding more to my mess up pile that is growing to somewhere around 35 baits, all junk, for a fire I guess? Who knows?

I highly recommend only the Down East's. Plastic is going to give you problems. Please do yourself a favor and get down east's. I used plastic holders for one day and then bought 6 down east's for my boat. Rods- anything over 8.5' for the side rods in a heavy or x-heavy and short ones for the back. Okuma's? Can't recommend them, had 2 break on me this year just from trolling. I recommend Penn's as I have 15 years on 2 of them. I personally use 80lb braid but know of others that use 65lb to get deeper. If you look around they make pedestals for clamp on down easters that allow you to get them higher off the rail and this allows you to get those tips in the water if need be. Good luck old man. Oh- if your going to do alot of trolling make sure you have a decent radio b/c it gets boring some times.

Old man you drew that? Looks like that routered up hand is getting better! Awesome pic. If you would have drawn it for me though the fish would have stopped and swam away 5 feet from the boat to never be seen again. Its neat that you even drew the water disturbed from your rod tip doing the 8 and even the cork looks real. Really nice bud!

I was hoping some of us would share some highlights from this years season but everyone must be out xmas shopping.