Fishing Lure Airbrushes & Equipment

So, why airbrushing?

You may be a professional fisher looking for better results, a fishing charter who needs the right gear or perhaps an avid fisherman looking to make the perfect lure for a specific kind of fish. Either way, in your time spent at the tackle shops you’ve probably run into the issue of not being able to find the right lure for the job at hand.

If you find yourself in this situation often, then maybe making your own custom lures is your best bet. Will it take more time? Yes. Will it be more satisfying when you are out fishing and nailing the exact fish you’ve been trying to catch for a while? Definitely!

The fact of the matter is there are too many variables that can affect your fishing experience for one mass-market lure that is sold in every tackle shop around the country to do the job… Anything from the way the water flows, to the type of water, the type of food the fish are used to in different areas, and even the underwater terrain can have an impact on why certain lures may not be producing your desired results.

If you are considering getting into making your own lures, you probably already spend a considerable amount of time on the water and are familiar with the environment you are fishing in. If that is true, then you understand the benefits of being able to make your own lures, tailored to your specific needs for the game you are looking to catch. It can’t be beat!

Airbrushing your own lures gives you a competitive edge, if you run a fishing charter or compete professionally, for example- you will be able to have a much higher yield using bait that you know works.  Not only that but it adds a new level of strategy for the recreational fisher looking to hone his skills or the professional that is competing for money and needs the highest probability of hooking a fish.

What do you need?

  • An Airbrush
    • Gravity feed is preferable. You will want a nozzle size in the 0.25-0.4mm range. You can experiment around that range but anything finer risks clogging and a much longer painting process, anything larger will flood you with too much paint for any kind of detail work. A .5mm nozzle would be good for quickly spraying base coats.
  • A Compressor
    • Tankless compressors take up less space and are great for the artist on-the-go, but they do not deliver as consistent of an air flow as a compressor with a tank. They will often have pulsations in the air flow which could lead to uneven distribution of the product being sprayed. These pulsations can be minimized with the use of a coiled air hose. The motor will run every time you press the trigger of the airbrush and shut off every time you release the trigger.
    • Compressors with a tank generally have a larger footprint but deliver consistent air flow without pulsations. The tank gets rid of pulsations, but it also somewhat acts as a moisture trap stopping some of the unwanted moisture from entering your air hose. The motor will not run every time you press the trigger, but when it does turn on it will run until it reaches the "auto-off" pressure.
  • Paints, Reducers, Clear Coats
    • Recommended paint: Createx Wicked Paints
    • Reducer: You want a reducer that is recommended by the brand of paint you are using as they are made to work best when used together
    • Clear Coat: KBS Diamond Coat, a moisture-cured urethane