Have you ever made your own lures?

[wildmaninal]

I had the notion/idea to build my own wooden lure. I figured I would make a popper. I'll try and post a picture when I get it done. Hope to get it done before Saturday (my next fishing trip). Couldn't figure out what to use to mount the treble hooks to but I finally realized, just bend 3 small nails to a U shape then hammer them in and then put those small ring clips/split rings on that and the treble hooks to the split rings. Use the 3rd U shaped nail for a place to hook your line to at the mouth area.

I find it to be an interesting hobby so far, my first lure failed big time. This second lure seems to be coming along nicely in my opinion. I put a wood screw in the butt of the lure and placed it on the drill press and used the drill press as a lathe (or however you spell that) and sanded away. I used a dremel tool at times. I also used an electric ingraver to put paterns on the lure. To me it should resemble a shad floating on top of the water, I painted it with chrome paint and added some red for the mouth and fin areas.

How many of you have made your own lures, or still make your own lures?

Did you have success in catching fish with your own lure?

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

I make my own lures for big striper fishing. You need stainless steel screw eyes for the hook and line attachment points and then stainless steel split rings on each of the screw eyes to connect the hooks and line. If you are making a jointed plug get some open screw eyes, then you can just pinch it closed on a closed screw eye to make the joint.

I use heavy duty musky components on my lures as the fish I'm going after are 40-50#,,, possibly bigger. It's a bit spendy for the components, but I haven't had a lure fail (hope I just didn't jinx myself )

My process is to cut/carve/sand the wood blank, drill holes for the screw eyes, seal the wood, paint it, seal it again, insert screw eyes, attach split rings onto hooks and screw eyes. Before inserting the screw eyes, mix up some epoxy, jab it in the holes and a bit on the threads, then run the screw eyes into the epoxied holes. This serves to keep the screw eye from turning and hardens the soft wood the screw eye is biting into. (If you use an epoxy sealer and top coat you need to install the screw eyes before finishing the plug so you don't split the finish while installing the screw eyes)

Here are a couple of component suppliers;
http://lurepartsonline.com/
http://www.mooreslures.com/
http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/

Stamina has a good selection of high quality components. Moore's Lures has the extra heavy duty musky components I use. Jann's Netcraft has a bunch of stuff, but for some reason I haven't ordered from then in a long time.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

have made a few spinner baits. With components from one of the listed links above. I do however make all my own custom rods.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

I used to make all my own jigs and spinnerbaits.

One time on a bet I took a miniature corn cob and split it down the middle, Dremmeled it out to insert a wire to hold hooks and the line eye and a little weight towards the back and glued it back together, put on split rings and trebbles and took it fishing. No paint or anything. Yep, I caught several Bass on it. It made a very strange swooshing sound when pulled through the water because of the roughness of the cob!

Ya, I know, I'm a strange one!!!!!!

 

[patrickray]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

This is something I always wanted to try. What kind of wood are you using?

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

patrickray.....I honestly couldn't tell ya what kind of wood I'm using but the recommended wood to use would be hard to find around here and I can't even remember the name of the wood. I just cut me a piece of a tree limb off, one that I knew wasn't green still and went with it. Try it sometime, I haven't even got to try mine out on the water yet and don't know if I'll have it done by tomorrow for the fishing trip but I'm trying my best. You might make a great lure who knows, got to be better looking then the one I made.

Thanks for the links fishrdan. I'll half to keep that process on sealing the wood in mind for the next time I make one, the paint isn't holding up very well right now.

LubeDude I recall hearing of corn cob lures, been a while back but I though I heard somebody talking about making one. Sounds very interesting.

Like to see a picture of those custom rods Flathead.

 

[BULLWARKS]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

Started making lures this winter after a killer fall Blues season. Lost 6 lures.

Bought a Sears Mini Lathe and some oak dowels.

First one was, well not good. by the 4th they were coming out pretty good.

Get the right components from the sights provided.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

Those lures look darn good Bullwarks, especially that orange one.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

The most important thing on finishing a lure is to seal the wood before applying any color. I dunk the plugs in water based floor finish for a few minutes to seal the raw wood, then hit it again with another coat or 2 to build the layer. After airbrushing the color I top coat with water based floor finish also, very durable, but not as good as epoxy.

Don't use primer as a sealer for the wood. I have used several manufactured wood plugs that were sealed with primer (kilz, etc) and the paint didn't stick well at all, some of the plugs loosing huge sections of finish. On the last batch of plugs I made, I (insert favorite expletive phrase here) and grabbed a bottle of primer that was the same color as the floor finish. After sealing 6 plugs I realized my mistake, but it was too late. The water resistance of the finish on those plugs was terrible compared to the ones that were sealed properly.

I've heard of many types of wood being used for lures, maple, walnut, birch, cedar, cypress. I use doug fir closet rod for my lures.

Here's another cool trick, go down to the craft store and buy some doll eyes, then ones that actually look like real eyes. Looks slick as all get out on the lures. The only down side is you have to check your "man card" at the door of the craft store... Don't worry, you get it back when you leave

Have fun making some lures and catch a big one!

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

The most important thing on finishing a lure is to seal the wood before applying any color. I dunk the plugs in water based floor finish for a few minutes to seal the raw wood, then hit it again with another coat or 2 to build the layer. After airbrushing the color I top coat with water based floor finish also, very durable, but not as good as epoxy.

Don't use primer as a sealer for the wood. I have used several manufactured wood plugs that were sealed with primer (kilz, etc) and the paint didn't stick well at all, some of the plugs loosing huge sections of finish. On the last batch of plugs I made, I (insert favorite expletive phrase here) and grabbed a bottle of primer that was the same color as the floor finish. After sealing 6 plugs I realized my mistake, but it was too late. The water resistance of the finish on those plugs was terrible compared to the ones that were sealed properly.

I've heard of many types of wood being used for lures, maple, walnut, birch, cedar, cypress. I use doug fir closet rod for my lures.

Here's another cool trick, go down to the craft store and buy some doll eyes, then ones that actually look like real eyes. Looks slick as all get out on the lures. The only down side is you have to check your "man card" at the door of the craft store... Don't worry, you get it back when you leave

Have fun making some lures and catch a big one!

Thanks for the info. I hear ya on the craft store deal, I started to go to hobby lobby (our local craft store) and buy some glitter and possibly something for the eyes but I ended up just drilling out 2 holes for the eyes and I'm going to paint them black. I was going to paint the lure chrome but I am going to go with red sense that other paint isn't worth a flip.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

Like to see a picture of those custom rods Flathead.

Well to just show a whole rod would be boring. First and foremost I build them to fish well. Then I add the eye candy. The eye candy is what people like to see. A couple I just did recently for the wife and daughter.

Here is a girly rod I did for my wife. Along with bright purple guide wraps.

Here is another girly rod I did for the daughter, pink camo and pink diamonds. Without the clear coat on yet.

last week out of boredom I quick wrapped some thread around this rod I built two years ago.

Got a lot of pictures , but the rods I use for myself are pretty plain Jane, Like I said I build them to fish better than the average store bought rod. There are so many guys out there doing decorative thread work that Is simply awesome. I aint even close to those guys. But I enjoy messing around with the thread.

Lure building is something I would like to really get more into. I think cedar would be my wood of choice for plugs.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

Flathead...Very cool and nicely done. I wished I had that kind of knowledge and patience to build my own rods. It would be interesting to see what you could do on building lures.

I just bought me another Abu Garcia rod and reel to replace one of my cheap made rod and reel combos that started giving me a problem. I love my other older Abu combo (I still use), hopefully I'll love my new Abu as well.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

Well the popper isn't working out to well, I haven't given up on it yet. In the mean time I decided to make my own version of the Hellbender lure which I have never owned one but thought it would be interesting and easy to make. I have already tried it on the pond out back and this gave me a chance to tweak it some so I took it and did some adjustments and it does dive and stays underwater unlike it did on it's first test run. The only problem I have is making a decent cone for the back of the lure, what I have on there now works so I might just leave it like it is. I can't wait to paint it and try it on the lake. I did buy an airbrush so that is how I will be painting it. It isn't a deep runner, more like a mid to shallow runner like the original.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

Looking good there. I had one of those lures, yours looks pretty much like I remember,,, think mine was bright yellow with red highlights (were talking 30 years ago though).

Your going to have a grin from ear to ear when you hang a fish on your hand made lure, bragging rights there

Use all the same type of finish, oil base or water base. I use all water based finish (Benjiman Moore Industrial something or another) and their water based floor finish and have not had problems,,, unless I messed up the application. I went water based because the clear finish comes out crystal clear, no yellowing,,, that and I get all the supplies from one of my customers.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

Looking good there. I had one of those lures, yours looks pretty much like I remember,,, think mine was bright yellow with red highlights (were talking 30 years ago though).

Thanks. Yes these lures are old from what I heard, but the new ones now a days are made of plastic if I'm not mistaken. I could of bought an original wooden style off of Ebay for a couple of bucks (if there wasn't any reserve)but I figured I would make it instead. I sort of cheated a little bit, I made this one out of a hoe handle (garden tool handle), I made the popper from a limb of a tree. I used the same method on this hellbender that I used on the popper otherwise. I have thought about putting BBs inside the lure some how but I figured with the spinner spoon on the back I wouldn't need the BBs/rattle.

Your going to have a grin from ear to ear when you hang a fish on your hand made lure, bragging rights there

That's another reason I decided to make it, aint nothing like trying out my own creation. I'm sure I'll be bragging when I do (notice I said "when I do") catch a fish preferably a big bass. I done told my brother I would make him one if this lure works out for me.

Use all the same type of finish, oil base or water base. I use all water based finish (Benjiman Moore Industrial something or another) and their water based floor finish and have not had problems,,, unless I messed up the application. I went water based because the clear finish comes out crystal clear, no yellowing,,, that and I get all the supplies from one of my customers.

The paint I have is water based, the last time I used it on another lure I didn't let it dry long enough. I am going to try this same paint again on this lure and see what happens.

My brother said paint the lure a neon color, I figure I will paint it white and maybe add some spots to it like the original had. I might paint the lip red and the body white with red eyes.

Any ideas for day time fishing colors would be appreciated from any of you all.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

Well I got the hellbender painted, just got to clear coat it. I also built a jitterbug and painted it the same as I did the hellbender. I couldn't believe that I didn't half to do any adjustments to the jitterbug, I used a bottom out of a paint can for the front plate. I just hope that the plate will hold up if I catch a fish because I have 2 holes drill in the front plate to hook a quick release to it, don't know if it will be to weak or what.

Here they are.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

I guess the only way to find out is go out a hook a bigun. Looks like your well on your way to a lure building addiction.

Keep us posted.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

I guess the only way to find out is go out a hook a bigun. Looks like your well on your way to a lure building addiction.

Keep us posted.

Looking at the lures in person they look like they are made out of styrofoam , but I made them from a wooden hoe handle.

Yep the problem is figuring out what I want to make next, maybe a deep diving crank bait I don't know.

I'll post a pic when I catch a big bass on any of the homemade lures .

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

A friend of mine does not make his own, but he does have an airbrush and he repaints store bought lures. He will take them and paint them to match the bait fish in the lakes and rivers where he fishes. He has gotten pretty good at it, and it pays off with a lot of nice fins.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Have you ever made your own lures?

A friend of mine does not make his own, but he does have an airbrush and he repaints store bought lures. He will take them and paint them to match the bait fish in the lakes and rivers where he fishes. He has gotten pretty good at it, and it pays off with a lot of nice fins.

I can't find a white deep runner crank bait. My father was with me when I was looking for one a few days ago. My father said "you have an airbrush and you are worried about finding a certain color?"

I might end up doing that.