A New Life in New Colors

When I mailed these lures to Tim Hughes in Reeds Spring, Mo., a couple weeks ago, they indeed were a horrible sight to behold (unfortunately, I didn't think to take any "before" photos). The original paint on these four Deps Buzzjets Jr. nearly was nonexistent. That's what happens when you bang 'em off stumps, laydowns, cypress knees, and what-have-you on a constant basis.

I regret that my aim isn't what it should be. More times than not, if I make a "good" cast, it's really just a "lucky" cast. The one good thing here is that the current paint job on these lures will last a lot longer than the original. I know that for a fact, because I've had two other orders from Tim Hughes in the past that already have proven their mettle against objects in the North Landing River and its tributaries.

It's exactly as I wrote to Tim in a thank-you email today after opening the box containing these lures. His workmanship simply is "second to none." Sending 'em to Tim for a redo is a guarantee that you're going to be completely satisfied with the finished product.

And no, I'm not offering this testimonial for any kind of personal gain. Tim Hughes only knows me as another customer who finds a way to put together a few bucks every now and then for getting some of his well-used lures repainted. I pay the standard fare--in this case, $12 for each lure I send him. All I have to do is remove all the hooks and hangers before boxing and shipping everything.

If you, too, have some battle-weary lures in need of a facelift, here's the link to Tim Hughes' website: http://www.hughescustombaits.com/. At least take a look and see what he offers. The one major difference between Tim and a lot of others claiming to be lure painters is, as he points out, "It's our full-time job. This is all we do."