How to Airbrush a Pin Minnow
- 1). Screw a small wall hook into your lure. Place it into the open mouth of the minnow so that when you pull it out in later steps, it won't leave a noticeable hole.
- 2). Using 300-grit sand paper, scrape off the lure's original coating. You don't necessarily have to remove all color, but the varnish should come off. When you are finished, the outside of the lure should have a rough texture. This will help the primer bond and stick to the lure easier. Once you're done sanding, rub off the dust and debris with a microfiber rag.
- 3). Mask your fish. That is, affix masking tape over any part of the lure that you don't want painted. Tape over the hooks and eyes, for instance. They can all be covered with paint if you'd like to repaint them later; it all depends on the look you want.
- 4). Put your pin minnow in a table-mounted vice, and put the wall hook into the vice grip. This will allow the rest of the lure to be exposed to the air and to your airbrush. It will also leave your hands free and prevent you from having to handle the pin minnow before the paint has dried.
- 5). Spray a layer of primer onto the lure using airbrush primer. Apply the primer with quick, soft strokes, creating a light covering. Don't use a heavier touch, or you risk creating an uneven coat, which will affect how your paint is applied and dries. Apply one or two more coats of primer and allow it a few hours to dry.
- 6). Sand down the top layer of primer, giving it a rough texture that will help it bond with the paint. This will create a longer lasting paint job, with a more professional look to it. Wipe down the lure with a new microfiber rag.
- 7). Clean the primer out of your airbrush, load it up with airbrush paint, and paint your pin minnow. Use whatever design you would like. Common designs feature a white or blue underbelly and a vibrantly colored top-half, often done in reds or oranges. The color scheme is your personal choice, so go wild. Once you've finished with one layer, apply a second layer, and a third if you find it necessary, though usually two layers of paint will suffice. Allow the paint to dry.
- 8). Sand down the top layer of paint, giving your pin minnow a rough exterior. After sanding, spray your clear coat over the entire pin minnow. You can get airbrush clear coat or aerosol clear coat, but they each produce the same look and effect: they protect the paint from fading, and they give the minnow a professional sheen. Let the clear coat dry, remove the wall hook, and try your customized pin minnow out in a nearby stream.
