Have you ever had a Crankbait get demolished by a toothy fish?? Maybe you live up North where Crankbaits are common fodder for Pike and Musky? Maybe you live down South where Mudfish, Peacock Bass and Gators like to gnaw on your lures?

I feel your pain.

One of the reasons I started painting Cranks was because I got tired of spending $15-$18 (and MORE) on a Crank and have the paint job disappear after 2-3 Pike.

What to do?

 I started buying Cranks on Ebay (from sellers like myself) to see the quality of their clear coat, blanks and paint jobs. The first few I purchased had AMAZING paint jobs- but, again, after 3-4 Pike the amazing paint job was pretty much gone.  It occurred to me that a thicker clear coat would be required for the lure to retain it's beautiful properties.
 
Now, I know that a lure is a lure- and they don't last forever. BUT, 3-4 Pike and it's toast??? I had to do something.....

SO, when I made the plunge to start Swamp Zombie Lures I decided I'd try to always apply the most clear coat I could afford,  to make sure the lure would last a while. I wanted my fellow fishermen to not have to worry about Mr. Pike or Mr. Mudfish so much.  The problem?? Adding a lot of clear coat changes the retail PRICE AND timeline on a finished product. It can also change the lures dynamics- in a GOOD way!

By adding more than your usual amount of clear coat it makes the lure heavier and changes the way it swims in the water, how deep it will eventually go, and how LONG it will suspend before rising to the surface. It also assures the EYES don't get scraped off immediately! (Nothing p's me off more than buying an $18 lure and having an eye fall out on the 2nd fish! LOL)

Now, some areas of the country don't have toothy critters and some do. Some guys PREFER lighter clear coats so they can have a lure that lightly enters the water, is LOUDER and will rise to the surface faster and is (obviously) cheaper. 

SO, in the future, when you order a lure,  you will have to tell me how much clear you want. 

If you want an almost non-existent clear coat it will affect the overall price of my lure- but, I will not guarantee your lure will make it through too many "Pike Parties". I typically apply about $2 -$4 worth of epoxy resin on my regular lures. After checking out the competition my clear is usually about twice as thick as anybody else. What I call "2 layers" is similar to 4-5 layers from my competition.  Keep this in mind when you are drooling over their paint jobs.....(lol).

Thanks for reading! And remember- a beautiful paint job is only relevant if it STAYS on the lure!



 

Well, I got some of the new tackle/lures uploaded to the site. Taking pictures of the Cranks can be a serious pain,
(I experienced this with the last website). They are so glossy they can be very difficult to get clear pictures. Plus, uploading and formatting web pages is no fun. I'm not "Mr. Computer Guy". (lol)  I had forgot how time consuming updating a website is!

SO, I'll probably be adding a page, (or something). I have a lot of Misc tackle I'd like to show you.

Make sure to check out the Tubes. They are everything I stated in the add. If you rig them on a Gamakatsu 4/0 Skip Gap Hook with a 1/16 OZ Screw-in bullet weight you'll catch fish. I've used these in Florida, GA, TN, MN, WI and IL- they are very good Tubes- durable, pliable/soft, perfect size, with great color.

Anyway, back to the grind!  

I'd like to thank everybody for the past (and recent) purchases. Will be loading more stuff up tomorrow! Have a great day! And thanks again!

Johnny b

Sorry guys! Due to an influx of custom jobs I haven't had time to update my online lures in stock. (This is what happened the last time I had the website up! lol)

I will try to add some new stuff this weekend. In the meantime enjoy this video- 

For those of you who aren't up on your Crankbait terminologies, today, each Crankbait has a certain fish calling sound. Each sound, (or absence of sound) can augment your lure making it more effective.

A "High Pitch" sound is best suited for active fish  and lures that are in continuous motion- such as Rattle Traps, Aruku Shads, and other Cranks that you might want to "burn". High Pitched lures/Cranks are usually the loudest sound and typically have the most ball bearings- including BB-sized up to dime-sized ball bearings.

An "LRS" or "low rumble sound" lure is best suited for active OR inactive fish. They have NO BB-sized ball bearings and are found in a variety of Cranks and lures. Low rumble sound lures are more subtle than High Pitched lures and (today) I would consider them a "neutral" or "Goldilock's"  sound- not too high, not too low. They will attract fish in a variety of "moods".  

An "SSB", "one knock" or "single steel ball" sound is subtler YET. Having only one steel ball (about the size of a dime), these are best suited for quieter situations when the fish are spooky OR where fishing pressure is an issue.

"Silent" lures are the most unobtrusive and have zero ball bearings. These are best used when fishing pressure is VERY high and water clarity is 5 FT plus.

Of course, there are no "set rules" in fishing-  Some days they AREN'T spooky (and are very active) and will only take Silent lures.  It all depends on the mood of the fish that day- (or, if your Small-mouth Fishing, that HOUR! lol) 

Hope this helps clarify the sound situation?

I've had people complaining that they can't really SEE the lures. Hopefully, you'll be able to get a clearer picture with our new SZ video's?! Check it out on the sale page!

"Warp 9 Scotty"! (lol)

Sorry guys.

With the blizzard, the job and regular home-life, I've not had time to take pics of the newest lures and soft plastic's I've promised. It's been hectic. (My mailman accidentally got stuck in my driveway due to the snow- thankfully, a neighbor with a plow-truck came by and pushed him out! THANKS! AND I "went in the ditch" going 60MPH on I-35- that's always fun! Nobody was hurt- thank god!)   

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with one of the Semi-Pro's I'm sponsoring (Mr. Al Ansell). We chatted in the studio while I painted him some tourney lures for the coming season. He is slated for the Statewide B.A.S.S. tourney and will probably make it to the "Big Show" next year, (or next). Al Ansell is one of the best fishermen I've ever known. He has an amazing "6th sense" when it comes to Bass, (and other species).  Expect to hear about him in the coming years! He is the "real deal".

Anyway, I'll try to get some new stock up and introduce some of the Soft Plastic's I recently acquired.

Thanks for checking in! AND PLEASE- send me pics of your recent catches or trophy catches- I'm trying to fill my picture page up with excellent specimens! All are welcome!

Thanks again! 

We got 12" of snow tonight! Me and my son shoveled our driveway for 2 hours. (For you folks in warmer States who have no idea what shoveling snow is like- imagine a truck dumping a
FT of sand all over your driveway,  and you can't LEAVE or enter your driveway until you remove it. It's a work-out!)

The Snowmobiler's and Ice fishermen are happy! 

Right about now I'm dreaming of flats fishing for Mangrove Snapper on Big Pine Key and a grilled (fresh) Mahi sandwich & Corona at one of my favorite bars on Little Torch. Anybody want to join me for a cold one and a nice fish sandwich?

ABSOLUTELY!!!

Here's one I messed up 3-4 days ago. It took me 1 hour to paint this lure, 10 minutes to apply the 1st coat of epoxy resin, - AND 10 minutes to screw it up! (lol) 

It doesn't look screwed-up- but it is. 
When applying the second coat of resin I went 2-3 minutes OVER the "time limit". Instead of super-clear it turned out cloudy and "gummy" looking. 

So, it's not all peaches and cream here at Swamp Zombie. I've got a bucket of "discards" that didn't make it, (in my eyes). Costly, discards......(lol)