Writing on Lures

[Ozwald]

I'm not the tidiest of people when it comes to storing tackle but do have the odd periodic attempt at getting things organised. However things have gotten to be a real mess in my tackle box when it comes to lures. I usually try and include some of the packaging in the tray with the lure so I know what its characteristics are (depth it works at, floater or sinker etc). Chaos currently reigns as all the various bits of packaging, labels etc are all over the place.
Whats the best way of marking up the lures? are there any special pens or similar that I can use to write on the lures? I have tried "engraving" one or two with a scalpel blade but that doesnt leave anything thats very visible.
Any hints or tips greatly appreciated; otherwise its out to the swimming pool to try and figure out which does what.

[B_E_N]

thats a tuff question, if i was going to do what you are attempting i prob would make up a colour chart/code and maybe get a few different coloured paint pens and put a small dot somewhere on it or numer then and write up a list and maybe cover it for waterproofing and soter it somewhere on your tackle box, thats my ideas anyhow,

ben

[finga]

What about trying one of those gold or silver or black paint pens??

[Jeremy87]

I just remember, you'll find most plugs are floaters so you only really need to remember the distilled and sinkers. Depth is easy just look at the bib.

[saurian]

Ozwald , not sure on your tackle box , but mine has trays and plastic boxes , how about organize lures by action and depth into sections in trays and boxes then you only have to replace them after use and also it will keep the tackle box tidy ..??
Ta

[Marlin_Mike]

Engraving them will affect the surface, therefore affecting the flow of water over them and thus their performance in the water and the way they "swim" so i would be very ehsitant in engraving a lure. Use a permanent black nikko pen if you must mark them.

Mike

[cormorant]

Don't tell the wife but nail polish sticks to everything and nail polish remover - (aka acetone) clean and keys the surface of either the eye of the trebble or somewhere near the bib. Honest the ladies of the house will have left over drabs of out of fashion polish (if you ask???) and gives them and excuse to go buy more. I just dab a bit in the tray it sits in when not being used so I can keep putting them back in the same spot. In the lid of the tackle box I have a "key" written up and in a plastic office works sleeve as to what colours dab of polish does what as I can never exactly remember either. Split the yellow blues reds and greens and you cover the main species / styles and then the deeper they dive the darker colour I use so there is simple key you don't have to remember too much. To get different shades just half a mill to mix colours on ally can. You'll be amazed just how many shades of polish the girls have in the house and combine that with the kids craft glitter pen thingies (solvent ones) i think I'll never run out.

Since I got rid of all my soggy bits of card from lure packets and did the colour thing I can now see the pattern and have a pretty good guess at what each lure does and I change my list to note what I actually caught with it not what they say it will do.

Pool is still a great idea and the only way I learnt that I was retrieving too fast or slow and I write that on my key as well as before I think most or mine were never really getting to the bottom nor the right action.

If any one dobs me in I'll send my girls to live at your house and see how you like it!!!!

[Ozwald]

Thanks Ben & Cormorant I like the colour coding idea and will raid the nail polish supplies. I think I'll also hit the pool and have a play just as soon as I've cleared all the rubbish out of it.

[NormC]

Yep. Nail polish is the way to go.
I first used it on lures when I started replacing trebbles on some, but not all lures. To make sure I knew which ones I'd changed, I bout a dot of nail polish on the bib where it joins the body. After 2 years, the nail polish is still there.

Because I was pinching her nail polish all the time, Kathryn ended up giving me a bottle of my own, but I only use it on lures. Honest.

[Feral]

I use a "sharpie" which is a super fine permanent marker, most bigger news agents or office works sell them. Commonly sold for writing on CD's and DVD's.