creating the experience
Ever hear the term “The fish aren’t biting today.” Or “All these fish have seen that lure before.”? How about putting a quality crafted and custom painted lure that a fish has never seen before to trigger that bite. At Matsuda Custom Baits I believe in putting out a high quality bait starting with the materials that are used to create a unique one of a kind lure.
It all starts with the lure blank
I source my lure blanks from an American distributor who works closely with the manufacture to produce a higher quality blank pressing. Everything from the type of plastic used down to the eyelets are of higher standards in the industry. I inspect each blank for any touch up work like sanding a plastic burr down or any imperfections that were created during the mold pressing process. Next comes the water test. I test each blank in submerged dunk tank to test for any sort of leaking. After the blanks pass I thoroughly wash the blank to rid it of any potential oils or dust. And as always gloves are worn through this whole process to prevent any type of skin oil transfer to the bait.
next i paint
I’m a big fan of all the Createx paints. A long-time company that has an excellent reputation for its products. These paints flow smoothly through the airbrush and blend nicely with each other to create a natural, realistic look.
The clear coat is one of the most vital parts to protecting and displaying the paint. I use a product called KBS Diamond Clear. It is a moisture-cured urethane that distributes itself evenly with the help of gravity and is non-yellowing. I've found this method to be durable yet light, rather than heavy epoxies which could alter a lure’s action. All baits get two rounds of clear coat for added protection. If you plan on fishing for toothy critters such as pike, muskie, or walleye, please contact me and, I will get a third coat put on at no additional charge. This step is the most time consuming, as the clear coat needs a moderate temperature and moderate humidity to cure properly. The time frame can vary as I will not add a second clear coat until the first clear coat is cured enough to handle, which is around twenty-four hours. The curing baits are then placed in a custom-built, enclosed curing box which has filtered ventilation to protect from dust and visible particles binding to the sticky clear coat. Between the two coats on all my lures I sign my baits using the “松田” Kanji. It means “Matsuda” in Japanese.
Hooks I use
Hooks I use for all thebaits are Mustad KVD Triple Grip hooks or VMC hooks if you’d like to request red hooks. The hooks all get attached using high grade split rings. All split rings are sized appropriately to accommodate and complement each lure and its action.
Lastly, a final inspection of each completed lure takes place. A few things I look for are clear coat complications, hardware installation (hooks and rings), and most importantly I ask Would I Fish This? Then each bait is packaged and shipped!
Please note that baits may need to be tuned to swim true. I cannot tune baits as it depends on the person’s terminal tackle gear being used. Factors like line type (Braid, Mono, Flouro) and pound test of line can alter the tuning process to each individual’s setup. I will always make sure the line tie eyelet will be straight to get you in the ballpark of a true swimming bait. Also, these are hand painted lures. No two lures will be identical to each other.