DESPITE THE CORNUCOPIA of stunning color schemes on today’s crankbaits, many anglers would love to tempt bass with a lure that flaunts a unique finish. One way to make this happen is by painting your own baits.
Besides showing bass something they’ve never seen before, you can create color patterns that match specific forage species and water conditions. You can also paint over finished baits to recreate confidence colors no longer available on your favorite crankbaits.
Ohioan Frank Scalish, a former Bassmaster Elite Series pro, has been painting his own crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater lures for decades. His wildlife sketches with pen and pencil attest to his artistic ability. For the past several years, Scalish has been devising new colors for hard baits made by Bomber, Norman, Heddon, Rebel and other brands under the Lurenet banner.
He has
