The PERFECT blueguill

[joshimoto son]

So after fishing with a few of the west coast guys... They have convinced me that oversized swimbaits can work.
I bought the Tru-Tungsten 7" swimbait with the intentions of learning to find big fish.
I have looked many times at the TT and was not super happy with how dark their blueguill pattern is.
I looked at the Talapia patterns too, to see if they would suffice right out of the package. Nope!

So I bought it knowing that the newly acclaimed "Airbrush Master" Jeff Cheetam could achieve the pattern I wanted.

I took it to him yesterday, and after 90 minutes of deliberation and research... this is what he ended up with.

He said that he wouldn't be able to get to it for a while, but four hours later he gave me a call and stated,
"Dude! This may be the best work I've done yet! This thing is sick!"

He was a little upset because he can't get a picture to justify the realism he see's when he's holding it in his hand.

After viewing the pictures, I can't wait to pick it up next weekend at the Wonderland Show. If you get a chance, go to the show and take a look at it before I snag it up.

I am only posting a generic before and after picture to keep it simple.

I think I see a new reality show coming. "Trick My Tru-Tungsten"

joshimoto son

[Cheetam]

So I bought it knowing that the newly acclaimed "Airbrush Master" Jeff Cheetam could achieve the pattern I wanted.

Ha!  You're too funny.  I had no intention of getting to it until after this week, but as it sat there, all sad and drab looking, it kept calling to me...pick me!  Pick me!  I tried taking better pics, and got a couple decent ones, but once I can get some in natural light, it should really come alive.  Thanks to Josh for getting up the nerve to let a hack paint up your $50 bait.  A couple more pics (not that great of quality though):

[McCarter]

darn!  I could never throw something so pretty.  I am afraid that the two POinter 100s he just painted for me will never see water.  I havent even seen them in person yet but the pics are good enough that they make me want to hang them on the wall rather than put them in a tackle box.

Nice work again cheezman

McCarter himself

[dartag]

i would mount that beauty on the hood of my truck.     

[Cheetam]

darn!  I could never throw something so pretty.  I am afraid that the two POinter 100s he just painted for me will never see water.  I havent even seen them in person yet but the pics are good enough that they make me want to hang them on the wall rather than put them in a tackle box.

Nice work again cheezman

McCarter himself

If you don't want to throw them, I will 

[joshimoto son]

McCarter,
I already played with them for a bit, you almost lost them for some strange reason.

joshimoto son

[Cheetam]

i would mount that beauty on the hood of my truck.     

I liked how this one turned out so much that I just bought three 4" versions online   I'll save one for your new hood ornament if you'd like 

[dartag]

the fish may crawl out of the lake and eat it off my hood.   the wife says it looks pretty and when i told her what it costs she shook her head.  she says it must be nice to have rich friends.  what are you going to throw that thing on.  150 lb braid.  i would definately take scuba gear along.

[Cheetam]

I just paint them, I don't salvage them 

[bassassasin88]

LETS SEE YOUR WORK? not after seeing yours.

[Cheetam]

LETS SEE YOUR WORK? not after seeing yours.

Seriously, post some of your stuff.  I'd like to see it.

[joshimoto son]

At the forrest Wood Cup I watch one of my boaters lose a $100 Tripple Trout in about 6ft of water.
The water was all muddied up from the TM, he tried to use his rod and get a lucky snag, but failed.
He couldn't leave the boat during the tournament either.... soooo he just picked another one out of his tackle and
started throwing again. He was fishing for a Million Dollars... what else was he going to do? lol
He had over $2000 just in swimbaits on the boat.
I could have spent a lot of time in his boat just looking at baits I've never seen before.

These guys say once you get your first bite on a big swimbait, it can ruin you.
I'm hoping to find out!

joshimoto son

[Cheetam]

He had over $2000 just in swimbaits on the boat.

Holy crappie!   

[McCarter]

 

[bassassasin88]

Two questions, how did you remove the eyes? And did the epoxy take away the texture?

[Cheetam]

Two questions, how did you remove the eyes? And did the epoxy take away the texture?

I didn't remove the eyes from this one.  If you haven't seen the eyes on one of these baits, you will understand.  They are by far the coolest eyes I have seen on a bait - very lifelike.  Plus, they are molded into the bait, so it would be really difficult to remove them, replace them with new ones and make it look good.  I taped over the eyes with blue painters tape, and used an exacto knife to cut carefully around them.  I then removed the tape carefully and slowly when I was done painting so I wouldn't pull any paint from the edges.  I don't use epoxy for my clear coat, I use Dick Nite's Lure Coat.  It is thinner than epoxy, is chip and UV resistant and is easy to work with.  If you look closely at the 2nd pick Josh posted, you can see it didn't take away from any of the details or texture at all.

[bassassasin88]

I tried to tape off the eyes on an x rap and it didnt go so well. Do you generally remove the eyes? Like on lucky Crafts? Too many questions? Only one more. Do you brush or spray the dicks nite?

[Cheetam]

I tried to tape off the eyes on an x rap and it didnt go so well. Do you generally remove the eyes? Like on lucky Crafts? Too many questions? Only one more. Do you brush or spray the dicks nite?

Most eyes are done in standard sizes, so I generally remove and replace the stock eyes (like on an Xrap which is 1/4 inch).  Depending on what baits I am repainting, the stock eyes may not match the color scheme/pattern I am doing so I replace the eyes with something that fits the scheme better.  The eyes on the Tru-Tungsten are just so cool looking, and with the way they are molded into the bait, worth taking the time to tape off and keep.  I didn't have so much luck taping over eyes at first, but once I started making the cuts with an Xacto knife instead of a straight razor blade, they started looking much better.  With the Dick Nite's, I prefer to brush it on instead of spraying or dipping.  I feel like I have more control over how thick/thin of a coat I can put on.  Keep the questions coming.  I don't mind one bit.

[Buckeye]

I think th redone bait looks great, but I wanted to give you another option.  I have two Jackall Giron Ghost Bluegill baits that are great right out of the package.

I've looked at the TT baits, a bit pricey for me and I haven't seen anything in the size I would want.  7-inches seems too big for me in Ohio.  Do they make smaller sizes?

Eric

[Cheetam]

I think th redone bait looks great, but I wanted to give you another option.  I have two Jackall Giron Ghost Bluegill baits that are great right out of the package.

I've looked at the TT baits, a bit pricey for me and I haven't seen anything in the size I would want.  7-inches seems too big for me in Ohio.  Do they make smaller sizes?

Eric

TT does have a 4" version of that bait.  It is $19.99 retail, but they go on sale sometimes.  Late last week two online stores reduced the price on some of their swimbaits 20%.  I was able to pick up a few for $15.99 (I say few because I needed to hit that magical $50 mark to get the free shipping from [REMOVED - see No Links Policy List]  ).