Making the Rarest Fish in the World | Devil's Hole PupFish 

You should make the predaceous diving beetle as your next bait.

This is, by a sizable margin, your finest and MOST enjoyable "fun facts" to date

To the conversation about conservation at the beginning: I could write an entire novel about it, but you got part of the answer in what you said about us doing it to refine our methods and techniques for conservation. We also want to minimize our impact on the species. Kind of a way to say "It wasn't our fault", but also a way to insure that we're not speeding up the process if the species is really un-savable. We also don't know for sure if a species will go extinct, even if all signs point to it. Like... Cheetahs are known (through genetic evidence) to have gotten down to a population size of like.... 60 individuals, and are now at a stable population size. I would love to see you make a Chip lure. He deserves one.

Rare species ofter hold incredible insight for researchers. Axolotls are almost extinct in the wild, but were made common as pets after researchers began raising them to study their incredible ability to regenerate parts of their limbs, heart, and even brain after injury.

"Get your forward facing sonar and drop a flatworm down" that's gold right there ha ha XD

Nate I demand you to make a Predacious Diving Beetle lure as a topwater crawler. Then go fishing in the Devil's Hole.

The reason the pupfish is so valuable is because they live in Nevada. Unfortunately what you forgot to mention the coolest part about these fish, they live in the part of Nevada with Death Valley, so these fish are literally in the middle of the desert. These fish were isolate from any other body of water for millions of years, eeking out a living under the intense selective pressures of living in a cave fed by groundwater in 100 degree temperatures with no rainfall. The reason they are under threat of extinction is because when groundwater is pumped for human use, the waterlevel in the cave recedes past that little happy hour shelf, which leaves them stranded in colder shaded water with less food (no light=no algae). Pupfish naturally go through boom and bust population cycles throughout the year, but human alterations to their precarious environment has led them to be busting when they should be booming, hence needing to supplimemt their diet. They are super charismatic fish, very active and almost sassy. We have some devil's hole x ash meadows hybrids on campus and they are just a joy to watch. It is not so much why bother its just a fish, more of the hole the extinction of this fish will leave (har har) after millions of years of struggle and evolution in a place that seems totally inhospitable for anything. As you demonstrated they support a whole unique ecosystem of diving beetles, algae, and snails in a literal desert. This fish is just one of many that are threatened with extinction or already lost during the anthropocene, so we shouldn't give up on it. It is unfortunate that so much money has to go to simply keeping people out, but given the chance that hole would be totally drained and vandalized simply in principle of controversy. There's always someone stupid enough to ruin something because they cant see its value.

I'm so happy that without even seeing the title, I was like "OMG! Is he doing the Devil's Hole Pupfish?!" and by jove he is!

You know it's a good day when Marling uploads a new video

HEY HE ACTUALLY DID IT!!! I ASKED FOR THIS LAST YEAR AND YOU CAME THROUGH!! THANKS SO MUCH MAN IM SO HAPPY!!

Amazing work, the reason for saving the pupfish is likely for the sake of biodiversity and to preserve the species for their own intrinsic value

If we keep saying “why bother” where do we stop? When there’s nothing left but carp and catfish.

Loved seeing the shelf of Army Painter paints! I own a hobby gaming store and those are for sure available at my shop. Beautiful work as always Sir!

Fun pupfish fact: every pupfishes favorite song is “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett. Following Buffett’s recent passing there has been a mass wave of mental illness in the pupfish community

When that commercial started just as you were about to set the UV resin, I had to laugh… you scoundrel lol. Love the video, as always… Thank you for the awesome content!

A lovely little fish that deserves the best chance to survive. I don't recall the tip about keeping the clear coat out of the fin slot in the course though. Freebie!!🤣🤣🤣 The paint reminds me of my 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger. You really did the fish justice.

Awesome little bait! I love the action of the lipped jointed baits, very slithery.. Action City again on this one!! I concur with the rest of the comments section, you gotta toss the diving beetle onto the short list of baits to make. 🔥

Thanks man! Great bait! you did the pupfish justice lol

Hope you’re feeling better. God bless you. I think this is my favorite lure you’ve made so far. Very beautiful.

Absolutely beautiful lure and paint job!

Amazing work, you are an true artist!!! Thank you for sharing.

Awesome bait and gorgeous paint job. Also, I heard some Tool in the background, amazing music taste. Been watching you for years, keep up the amazing work man👍

Kind of reminds me of a betta fish a little bit. You should try making one of those sometimes there's a bunch of different varieties of them. Pretty colors too. You could go nuts with your airbrush.

Digital zoom is amazing. Beautiful color on that bait. It's smaller than you think from the thumbnail. Action city!!

Dude, best Fun Facts ever. More of that, please.

Those eyes were perfect for this bait. Dead Meat Customs has great products.

thanks for highlighting these little dudes, Nate. I learned something new today. score

Beautiful lure! Always happy when you post

Looks amazing bro what a beautiful job you did on your craftsmanship

I understand that this isn’t a particularly “good” idea, but I was watching back through some of your old videos and happened to watch your “artistic trout” and “injured bait fish” video back to back, and I wondered - what would happen if you carved just the very base shape of the fish and HUCKED it at the floor, then jointed it wherever it broke. Would it create a lopsided, “limping” motion? Would it create a more interesting line to incorporate into the paint scheme? Would it be ugly? Would it work at all? Merely curious, and a great fan of your work. Cheers!

Beautiful work!

Great action and excellent creation of the Pupfish. You have the eye for reproducing your lures.👍♥️

That's a bad ass lure, really cool

Love the colors of this bait

I was looking for something to watch. Thank you very much sir. Now I need a coffee to go with it

Opening joke was hilarious. Wikipedia? Hahahaha

Love the videos and the music tastes. Tool is my favorite band :)

Never get tired of watching your videos. You are definitely a master at your craft.

Very nice, as always. I've been working on weedless versions of my favorite top waters. Here in Colorado, a lot of the ponds I fish get very weedy. I've been using the old weedless jitterbug as inspiration and would love to see your takes on weedless top waters such as wake baits. Thanks for the inspiration!

Very nice looking bait.

Beautiful lure, beautiful action.

I remember recommending this bait! It's been a while since I've come on here and watched but I'm glad to say that I am not disappointed! Keep up the good work man!

Finally!! I've been waiting for a new video for a couple weeks.

I truly enjoy you wonderful art. Thank you, brother.

SO HAPPY Fun Facts are back !!

That is a beautiful bait!

Incrível como sempre excelente parabéns sucesso🐟

Wow nice bait! Impressive

I'm not to the fishing part yet, but how crazy would it be if all you catch with that bait is a bunch of predatory diving beetles? Lol another great content!

Listening to Charley Crocket! Love all of your videos

I like this new format

Incredible as always! Can’t wait for the next one 😉

This is by far my favorite channel on RU-vid.

Great video as always.

Can you make a betta lure? Would be pretty cool since they come in variety of colors

You're like the bait-making Bob ross I love it keep it up

I've asked for your bait/lure making class for my birthday! hopefully I get it! :)

That’s such a beauty! ❤️❤️❤️

My favorite bait casting rod my Gary Loomis Edge Rod, Delta series, MBR 744-1, Fast/ Medium Heavy. I find myself picking this rod up more frequently than any of my other rods. For just over $160, it has become my favorite for throwing anything from spinnerbaits to swim baits, to jigs.

We need the Chip lure!

Cool idea, great story and amazing bait - I am now totally invested in the Pupfish - but it doesn't seem like your Pup is 😉Of course we need to save them - just because! If you can do tiny fish like that - how about aquarium fish like the Neon Tetra, Cherry Barb or Zebra Fish?

The greatest "Fun Facts" intro to any build I've seen! 😂😂😂

One of the best fun fact videos😂

Cool build 🙏👌

I did an essay on these fish last year

Love the videos. Would love to see a small tigerfish lure in the future

That sounded like someone snuck onto Wikipedia and wrote a pupfish fan fiction

That will be a great bait painted in other colors as well. Beautiful lure as usual.

You are so talented you make such beautiful swim baits

I love your vids and I really think your great

Minis painting and lure making meeting at last ! If you like the mini painting grade paints, go try the Vallejo model Air line of paint, they are just godly through the airbrush (and designed for that). Army painter speed paints are very good for color filtering, very transparent, too.

Sick video bud all round good info to didn't evon no about this fish till now 😂

You are always alsome,, listening to your your to why you are making this bait ,,bringing back memories of when I was younger, drinking, love the way you explained what you are making

You were like a science teacher on this build Nate!

what a beautifull lure ! try to make topwater lure like "jumprog" thailand style

I’ve been inspired by these videos to make my own lures

Awesome bait man! You should do a review of the Berkley Nessie 👍

you give off cool uncle vibes and i love it.

Love your videos!!

Nice lure

Best fun facts yet! 😂

I've done some miniature painting with Army Painter paints. My only complaint is that you need to shake the hell out of them to get them well mixed. I know someone who had a whole rig involving a sawzall to shake theirs.

Fun facts are always interesting

Thats a purdy looking bait 👌🏻

We're all about tasteful additions. 😂 Well done as always!

best fun facts ever. the article about the vandal's had me going.

Always a good day when a marlin video drops hope my lure is in good hands

Gotta love doing a project with some tool playing

Nothing but love in those close ups of chips eyes 😂

Haha man iv been binge watchin ur channel the last few week's. Iv been randomly yelling one day!! Now i guess im gonna be talking about the devil's hole hahahaha

Great video! Love the fun facts! Thank you for your great channel! I live in Southern Iowa and hope to go up north to try some fishing in your area. What kind of torch were you using to pop the bubbles?

Chip has a good eye!!!

I really like the Devil's hole Pupfish. I also really like Nate's jerkbaits. Would like to see a Colorado blade on a jerkbait without the lip or maybe a jointed with the second joint also being a smaller fish with eyes/gillplate/fins like it's chasing.

“You can see Chips earwax.” LOL.

I would like to see a custom micro bait for ice fishing. Enjoyed this episode and the fun facts.

I could not stop laughing. The Devils hole. 😂😂😂😂

Another beautiful lure great video, excited to join the super ultra bait club, as usual make a corky

The dog bagel in the background takes this video to the next level.

Long time no see. Good to see you.

The zoom in on the neck beard followed by the scalp comments had me cracking up. 😂