Have been tying all varieties of jigs for 30 years and I use the absolute cheapest (and probably stinkiest) dollar store nail polish to paint the heads ... and I often fish them the next day when they still reek. Never have had a refusal and it's my belief that since these paints are not water soluble they never will transmit scents that will offend the fishies! I also use craft store water soluble acrylic paints for the same but I add a smidgen of finely powered pickling salt to the paint and the fishies just love it! Just thought I'd add my two 'scents'. Regards P ;)
Hi Steve, I've used nail polish to paint jig heads for years. I never had a problem, they do stink at first but the stink fades with time. All solvent based products stink, head cement, uv resin, epoxy, etc. But there continued use by fishermen is proof to me that they are not a deterrent. If Sally Hanson's is Lefty Kreh's head cement of choice then I wouldn't argue the point. I realize it was a "fun" experiment and durability was also tested, I think a true test would have been to use an unpainted jig head vs a nail polish painted one with out that pro stuff on it. I don't know if that is a cover or attraction scent, even if you used it, an unpainted jig should be used for comparison. I've never fished the salt, but nail polish has no adverse effect on walleye, bass, panfish or trout in fresh water, in my experience. After all, some walleye fisherman spray their hot n tots with wd40 as an attractant. In any case I enjoyed your experiment and professional quality production. Thanks, I look forward to seeing more of your videos...
You make a good point and I need to try it your way. This was the first time I painted the jigs and was surprised at the smell. It did go away after a few days. Have you ever tried the WD40? Everything I read is that it does not really work.
Kayak Hacks Fishing No way man! I'm afraid it would melt the plastic! Seriously, I wouldn't go that far, but I'll tell you a "unscented" hot n tot in fire tiger is awesome for kings when they enter the Oswego R. in NY. Lots of casting, but it's fantastic fishing when you hit it right! You've heard of tennis elbow? Well I had what I called salmonitis that bothered my elbow all throughout the following deer season, so much that I could hardly carry my scoped shotgun. I have tried using wd40 as a deterrent in deer hunting. The article said to spray on trees on a deer escape route to turn it to another area more convenient for a better shot. Suffice it to say I now only use the stuff for what it says on the label, and only on my firearms after deer season. ;-)
I already used it Here in Brazil and it works very well, I prefer use powder epoxy but some time I still use nail polish... you an also paint some sinker add a assist hook and use it as Jumping jig... I will also work and save a lot of money! BR
Cool experiment. I wonder if the little jars of model paint would work... cool channel, I somehow went down the TH-cam rabbit hole of jig painting videos and found this. Subscribing!
I recently used the nail polish for my jigs. The paint became soft again as I was fishing and the polish was all over my hands. I was fishing saltwater though. Maybe I will try again and use Hansens as a final coat. Thanks for the video
They work I've done it before. I put a base coat first then the nail polish I want then a clear coat. 3 coats total with nail products and boy they last a long time on that hook. I leave them out to dry and loose some smell for about 3-5 days before using them. Fish don't really mind ugly smells much. Just depends on what's the smell. My favorite lures smell like petrol and burnt plastic and catch me more fish than gulp 😑 I say give it a go as well!
Nail polish works but it will soften over time and you usually have to paint the lure again. The good news is that it peels off easy so you can re use the same jig head over and over Vs a powder coated Jig that is damn near impossible to get clean without damaging it. Sally hansen metallic flake nail polish, Disco ball is amazing on strpered bass and flounder species.
@@sculpinator14 Sally Hansen #219 strobe light is a great color for freshwater lure builds. #219 has a green glitter which mimics freshwater baitfish patterns
Of course they will work. Fly fisherman have used head cement for 100 years to finish off ties. The most important thing in fishing is finding active fish to present to.
yes the paint will smell till all the resins evaporate out of the paint. That's true of any paint. Just like when you paint the living room. That paint smell goes away after a bit. Different types of paints take different amounts of time.
I use nail polish to paint mini-jigs for stream trout with much success. Hand painting makes for paint-free eyelets and a durable coating. I hand-tie a wide variety of fly patterns on the tiny 1/64th, 1/80th, and 1/100th ounce lead head jigs. I flatten the ball heads to apply stick-on 1/8" eyes on them. I tie streamer patterns on the eyed jigs to match the various forage minnows. The latter are most often of two or three colors and are extremely effective. I also tie a number of nymph patterns for trout and other pan fish on these mini-jigs. I use a very light fly rod or UL spin rod where 4X, 5X, and 6x leaders are available as needed. I wonder if Solarez UV resin can be used feasibly for jig painting. I do not like powder paint that fills the jig eyelets! Ron, NE Iowa.
I buy frozen bait shrimp at the dock/shrimp house and add water to a container and chunk it in. Ala Shrimp Juice 👍🏻 Never tried the other stuff because I have so much access to the real thing but like yourself would use anything that works .
I went and bought some dollar store nail polish and depending on the color, it differed in composition. The black, blue and red was great in coverage and dried hard while white was soft and peeled off. Neon yellow and green was so watery that I gave up because I'm not painting 3 coats on a jig. Lol waste of time.
Yes, I did have to put multiple coats on mine - especially the ones with sparkle and the neon green. And then you have to wait a few days for the stink to wear off. I guess it all comes down to cost and time... interesting that there is not much difference in cost between an unpainted jighead and one with a finish.... so that just leads to time and ability to paint them the way you want. I just looked in my box and realized I have not replaced the ones I painted after they were cut off on oyster beds - guess, like you, too busy to take the time to paint up some more.
+Kayak Hacks Fishing Oh ok. I'm just really impatient and hate repeating things if I can get away with doing it once. I'll happily paint 100 jigs once but if I have to paint one jig twice, I'm pissed! OCD thing probably. Lol
I just finished painting some spoons for home made inline spinner baits and I must beg the question: HOW DO I GET THE STINK OUT OF MY TACKLE BOX!?! at this rate, no matter how nicely they are painted, the trout will never bite something that bad smelling. 😅😅😅
@@KayakhacksFishing Actually this worked pretty good: Some Walleye liquid attractant and then into a bag of any Berkely "max scent" bait, in my case, Crawfish. 2 days in that seems to have helped... hope it doesn't eat the clear coat off them. :P
I used nail polish before and it works but, overtime it will make a mess in your tacklebox and it will stink up, i'd rather spend a little more money on powder paint. it's only 10$ usd.
More Dollar Store Tests - th-cam.com/play/PL8egn41J7Go_47B_vscQEMB5XdPwlm3As.html
Have been tying all varieties of jigs for 30 years and I use the absolute cheapest (and probably stinkiest) dollar store nail polish to paint the heads ... and I often fish them the next day when they still reek. Never have had a refusal and it's my belief that since these paints are not water soluble they never will transmit scents that will offend the fishies! I also use craft store water soluble acrylic paints for the same but I add a smidgen of finely powered pickling salt to the paint and the fishies just love it! Just thought I'd add my two 'scents'. Regards P ;)
Appreciate that expert, experience input! Thanks!
Been using Dollar store nail polishes for years on my saltwater jigs with no issues.
Thanks Steve for your great videos and books. You have taught me so much over the years.
Glad to hear it
Hi Steve, I've used nail polish to paint jig heads for years. I never had a problem, they do stink at first but the stink fades with time. All solvent based products stink, head cement, uv resin, epoxy, etc. But there continued use by fishermen is proof to me that they are not a deterrent. If Sally Hanson's is Lefty Kreh's head cement of choice then I wouldn't argue the point. I realize it was a "fun" experiment and durability was also tested, I think a true test would have been to use an unpainted jig head vs a nail polish painted one with out that pro stuff on it. I don't know if that is a cover or attraction scent, even if you used it, an unpainted jig should be used for comparison. I've never fished the salt, but nail polish has no adverse effect on walleye, bass, panfish or trout in fresh water, in my experience. After all, some walleye fisherman spray their hot n tots with wd40 as an attractant. In any case I enjoyed your experiment and professional quality production. Thanks, I look forward to seeing more of your videos...
You make a good point and I need to try it your way. This was the first time I painted the jigs and was surprised at the smell. It did go away after a few days. Have you ever tried the WD40? Everything I read is that it does not really work.
Kayak Hacks Fishing No way man! I'm afraid it would melt the plastic! Seriously, I wouldn't go that far, but I'll tell you a "unscented" hot n tot in fire tiger is awesome for kings when they enter the Oswego R. in NY. Lots of casting, but it's fantastic fishing when you hit it right! You've heard of tennis elbow? Well I had what I called salmonitis that bothered my elbow all throughout the following deer season, so much that I could hardly carry my scoped shotgun. I have tried using wd40 as a deterrent in deer hunting. The article said to spray on trees on a deer escape route to turn it to another area more convenient for a better shot. Suffice it to say I now only use the stuff for what it says on the label, and only on my firearms after deer season. ;-)
Salmonitis is a condition I wish I could have sometime! :-)
Great test, thanks for posting!!!
I already used it Here in Brazil and it works very well, I prefer use powder epoxy but some time I still use nail polish... you an also paint some sinker add a assist hook and use it as Jumping jig... I will also work and save a lot of money! BR
What a great idea! Thanks!
That you sr good advice a did it with my fishing spoons and they work perfect simple and chip. That's a lot.
It will not come off easily IF you put the clear hardener on........after the polish is dry, then let harden for 72hrs undisturbed.
Thanks for that tip!
Cool experiment. I wonder if the little jars of model paint would work... cool channel, I somehow went down the TH-cam rabbit hole of jig painting videos and found this. Subscribing!
I bet it would
I recently used the nail polish for my jigs. The paint became soft again as I was fishing and the polish was all over my hands. I was fishing saltwater though. Maybe I will try again and use Hansens as a final coat. Thanks for the video
Good to know!
After your nail Polish dries on your jigs, coat it with epoxy to protect the paint and seal the oder. 😉
Great idea! Thanks!
They work I've done it before. I put a base coat first then the nail polish I want then a clear coat. 3 coats total with nail products and boy they last a long time on that hook. I leave them out to dry and loose some smell for about 3-5 days before using them. Fish don't really mind ugly smells much. Just depends on what's the smell. My favorite lures smell like petrol and burnt plastic and catch me more fish than gulp 😑 I say give it a go as well!
+Ponky Good point on the clear coat. I need to get some of that to go over the jigs I painted. Thanks!
+Kayak Hacks Fishing
👍 let me know how it goes!
It’ll work. Painted one red and Caught 2 walleye and a pike
I wonder if coloring a jighead is really necessary? I think it's basically to satisfy the fisherman than the fish.
You are probably correct. So many lures are made to catch the angler rather than the fish! But.... it's something to do when you can't go out.
You are probably right ive always had a secret desire to paint my nails in a mackeral pattern
Sometimes they want an unpainted head and sometimes they want a certain color. Over the years bright red nail polish has been my best color.
Why did you not try a clear coat?
May have covered up the smell IDK
Good point!
do you think you could use white nail polish on a red soft plastic lure?
I have not tried that, but I think the flex in the plastic would cause the polish to peel off
Nail polish works but it will soften over time and you usually have to paint the lure again. The good news is that it peels off easy so you can re use the same jig head over and over Vs a powder coated Jig that is damn near impossible to get clean without damaging it. Sally hansen metallic flake nail polish, Disco ball is amazing on strpered bass and flounder species.
Thanks for the tips!
That Sally Hansen polish helps me make some damn good trout and musky lures.
@@sculpinator14 Sally Hansen #219 strobe light is a great color for freshwater lure builds. #219 has a green glitter which mimics freshwater baitfish patterns
Of course they will work. Fly fisherman have used head cement for 100 years to finish off ties. The most important thing in fishing is finding active fish to present to.
Lol! You got that right!
What did you do with the alcohol???
I used it to clean off the jigheads before painting
yes the paint will smell till all the resins evaporate out of the paint. That's true of any paint. Just like when you paint the living room. That paint smell goes away after a bit. Different types of paints take different amounts of time.
It is a cheap solution! just need to be patient and wait.
Been using nail polish for years for all kinds of jig heads, slabbing spoons etc... no issues
thanks!
good to know going to $tree now for nail polish. Does it matter what type of nail polish, or are they about the same? New subscriber
I don't know. I just picked up what looked good.
I’ve had really good luck using nail polish over white powder coated jigs.
Good to know!
Can you use nail polish on wood lures
Sure
Thanks
the neon green doesnt cover without a base coat.
Yep - thanks for pointing that out
ive heard many people say that channel catfish are attracted to the scent of WD-40... I 'll stick to nightcrawlers and cut bait
I have seen opinions both ways on WD40. I agree with you - stick with the naturals
I use nail polish to paint mini-jigs for stream trout with much success. Hand painting makes for paint-free eyelets and a durable coating. I hand-tie a wide variety of fly patterns on the tiny 1/64th, 1/80th, and 1/100th ounce lead head jigs. I flatten the ball heads to apply stick-on 1/8" eyes on them. I tie streamer patterns on the eyed jigs to match the various forage minnows. The latter are most often of two or three colors and are extremely effective. I also tie a number of nymph patterns for trout and other pan fish on these mini-jigs. I use a very light fly rod or UL spin rod where 4X, 5X, and 6x leaders are available as needed. I wonder if Solarez UV resin can be used feasibly for jig painting. I do not like powder paint that fills the jig eyelets! Ron, NE Iowa.
Question: Do you make the last coat clear?
No, I just put the color on. I think you have a good idea and I should put a clear coat on in the future. Thanks.
Try clear coating with super glue. Its what we use to seal our hand made wood lures.
Rock of the Marne!
lol! I wouldn't give a bean to be a fancy pants Marine!
@ Giebelstadt 87-91
@@ScrmnEagl North of you. Initially Bad Kissingen with 2/41 FA and then Aschaffenburg with the 3rd Bde.
@ thanks for your service!
@@ScrmnEagl Same your way!
Once dry after a couple of days put them in a container with a spoon full of baking soda and the smell goes away.
Baking soda! Brilliant!
I love the smell of nail polish. And most of wat its painted on......
lol! I'm with you on that!
let it sit longer, the solvants have to wick out.
Yep... takes about 3 days.
Spray shrimp juice on them and specs will eat it.
Can you buy shrimp juice? I use shrimp Procure - is that the same thing? Thanks,
I buy frozen bait shrimp at the dock/shrimp house and add water to a container and chunk it in. Ala Shrimp Juice 👍🏻
Never tried the other stuff because I have so much access to the real thing but like yourself would use anything that works .
I guess the male fish will bite every time.
I do not discriminate! I'll take whatever comes along!
I use nail polish on my homemade spinners. The smell goes away in time.
It took about three days for these.
I went and bought some dollar store nail polish and depending on the color, it differed in composition. The black, blue and red was great in coverage and dried hard while white was soft and peeled off. Neon yellow and green was so watery that I gave up because I'm not painting 3 coats on a jig. Lol waste of time.
Yes, I did have to put multiple coats on mine - especially the ones with sparkle and the neon green. And then you have to wait a few days for the stink to wear off. I guess it all comes down to cost and time... interesting that there is not much difference in cost between an unpainted jighead and one with a finish.... so that just leads to time and ability to paint them the way you want. I just looked in my box and realized I have not replaced the ones I painted after they were cut off on oyster beds - guess, like you, too busy to take the time to paint up some more.
+Kayak Hacks Fishing Oh ok. I'm just really impatient and hate repeating things if I can get away with doing it once. I'll happily paint 100 jigs once but if I have to paint one jig twice, I'm pissed! OCD thing probably. Lol
I guess Ponky's approach in the comments below does not resonate with you either :-)
+Kayak Hacks Fishing Oh hell no! Lol
I just finished painting some spoons for home made inline spinner baits and I must beg the question: HOW DO I GET THE STINK OUT OF MY TACKLE BOX!?! at this rate, no matter how nicely they are painted, the trout will never bite something that bad smelling. 😅😅😅
lol! I had to leave them hanging for a few days to stop the smell.
@@KayakhacksFishing Actually this worked pretty good: Some Walleye liquid attractant and then into a bag of any Berkely "max scent" bait, in my case, Crawfish. 2 days in that seems to have helped... hope it doesn't eat the clear coat off them. :P
@@diaryofagoat-lass1023 Great idea sticking them in the bag! Thanks
@@KayakhacksFishing just make sure you do a clear sealing coat on them before you try scent covering them.
I used nail polish before and it works but, overtime it will make a mess in your tacklebox and it will stink up, i'd rather spend a little more money on powder paint. it's only 10$ usd.
Good point!