# walleye harness experiments



## ufaquaoiler (Jan 14, 2010)

ive acquired a good bit of both powder paint and vinyl paint when gander mountain was closing and have recently been making a good amount of spinner rigs. i dont have an airbrush, but make it work anyways. some recent things ive been trying are the following: sharpie markers, sequins, and nail polish.

sharpies: so far ive been able to color on a bare blade and keep a metallic tone to it, or paint a white primer on the blade and draw on the white primer. it holds up under running water in a sink, but wasnt happy and smeared all over when i put clear coat over it. another plus side is theres a ton of different colors and theyre relatively cheap.

sequins: my thoughts on these are to either use as spacers between beads for a scale/glimmer effect and to add on to blades. they stuck to a blade great when i dropped them in over wet paint, but same as the sharpie marker all color smeared off when i attempted to put a coat of clear coat over them. im also trying to just super glue colored ones to unpainted blades and see how that works. plus side of these is that theyre very cheap and tons of colors to work with.

nail polish: mostly because theres a ton of different colors i havent found in lure paint and already come with a paint brush.

ill put pictures up later, but has anyone else tried any of those ideas with any success or have others to add?


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

If you go to a supply shop for machinist tools you can get layout dye pens that will paint metallic colors onto your blades. Drys quickly for when you want to try a different colored blade while on the boat.


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## dgfidler (Sep 22, 2014)

I painted up a batch of willow blades with nail polish a couple years ago. I was pleased with the appearance. I did not clear coat them. The nail polish was gone and the blades were back to a dingy gold color after about 4 hours in the water. I have an airbrush now and have had limited success. It's difficult to airbrush a hard surface. I suspect powder coating is the way to go. I plan to try that next


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

I always have a sharpie onboard. there have been times a crank with horizontal bars is out fishing one without bars and I only had one with bars. solution, use the sharpie to add bars to another bait and its not permanent, a little rubbing alcohol and paper towel removes it.

I tried powder paint on a few blades and didn't really like it. seemed like a lot of work for a base when a can of spray paint works.


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I use Testors enamels, Sharpies, and colored nail polish on blades(and jigs), as well as metallic tapes cut with scissors to a shape or outline(ex-lightning bolt). I only use nail polish clear coat over everything, even on the taped side of blades. Seems to "seal" them permanently and add a deeper reflective surface to any painted surfaces. If the paint has "cured" adequately(a few DAYS, and I apply a thick coat of clear polish quickly(ONE pass only), it doesn't smear. This stuff is made to last on fingernails which get washed/wet frequently! Don't see it ever coming off(from just water!) unless from a nail polish remover/chemical application! It works well for me!


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## ufaquaoiler (Jan 14, 2010)

so far ive only used some blue nail polish, but isnt the best due to being cheap stuff. forgot to mention i also use the metallic tape found in the craft section for like $3, which then gets coated in clear coat. many a victim has been added to the list of now being a walleye blade due to excessive boredom in the barracks after class. recently created are the following: a stormtrooper, boba fett, (R2D2 to come later) elmo, bert (ernie, cookie monster, and oscar the grouch to come), purple blade with a square of reflective tape that looks like a teletubby, a black blade with red and silver ive referred to as the black widow blade, and a purple blade i messed up powder coating with bright green covering what didnt get powder coated at a few green dots to make a barney like color scheme. ninja turtles may also be painted onto walleye blades as may spiderman and deadpool. i also have one i refer to as project covfefe...ill let everyone here use their imagination to picture what that one might be


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