Lure Painters/builders

[shootermcbob]

This is just a preliminary discussion, but I have interest in making/painting my own lures.

Can anyone here give me a rundown of how you started, where you purchase your supplies, and what is/are the basic equipment needed?

I have seen some of the work done, and while not overly artistic, I think I would gain much satisfaction from catching fish on lures that I made/painted. Thanks for any help.

[Downeaster2010]

First off try to start simple. Purchase a mold from a reputable dealer, with 50 hooks of the size your mold

calls for. Pouring is simple and easy. Buy some jig paint in what color you expect to use. Purchase some

skirts, and you are a winner. I have quite a few molds that are 25 years old, and still working great. I

started tying bass jigs in 1990 and still use them. Once you see how well they work you will want more

molds. Consider what kind of hook you are going to want, and look closely at the mold. With Doit molds

the hooks are listed on the mold itself. You don't have to be too artistic to catch bass.

[shootermcbob]

Downeaster2010, thanks for the reply. I didn't make myself very clear in the original post. I am really interested in making and or painting molds of hard baits...crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwaters, etc. I do appreciate you taking the time to reply.

[drew4779]

I use an airbrush for model cars I got from my brother that he used as a kid. You can get them at most hobby stores. I've been painting them with the same model paint and coating them with automotive clear gloss (4-6 coats). I hear a clear drying 2 part epoxy works better for the finish coat but I've yet to try it.

[shootermcbob]

Thanks Drew. Do you just re-paint old lures, or do you buy "lure bodies" somewhere and paint them? If so, where do you purchase them?

[RODNEY]

While I do jigs I've seen crank bodies in Jann'snetcraft, they also have airbrushes and you can find them on the internet. I'm sure what you want to do is as addictive as jig making and you can go as deep into the hobby as you want. Enjoy!

Rodney

[jbass]

I started out on a whim. My wife and I found a piece of firewood on the beach. It was perfect in every way, no knots, nothing cause a problem. I carved the first bait with my pocket knife. Did everything to make it swim properly and then painted it. It worked flawlessly. The only problem with wood it has to be sealed so water can't get into the bait via the lip slot, line tie or hook hanger. I moved to the PVC material. It can be purchased at Lowe's or Home Depot for around $12. The material is brick molding and measures about 3 1/4" X 1 1/4" X 10'. I cut the slick surface off with my table saw and I end up with a piece 3" X 1" X 10'. It carves very easily with a very sharp knife (I use an Exacto, all though I don't recommend it) and can be shaped with sand paper. It's impervious to water and holds paint very well.

As far as tools:

sharp knife

sand paper in various grits

primer

air brush/compressor

paints (any hobby shop that sells Createx paints which are water based)

two part clear epoxy (I like Devcon 2 ton)

eyes (or you can paint them on)

lead weights for ballast

lip material (some use Lexan, not plexiglass. Plexiglass will break in cooler water temps when bumped on rocks and etc.)

circuit board material for lips (Mc Masters sells it by the sheet ? on the cost)

and hooks

This list will grow as you progress, good luck with your endeavor.

[drew4779]

Thanks Drew. Do you just re-paint old lures, or do you buy "lure bodies" somewhere and paint them? If so, where do you purchase them?

Both. I usually bid on the blanks KO lures on eBay. I keep trying to make my own but have yet to make one that runs true.

[shootermcbob]

Thanks guys for all the help. Can you save money buy buying the lure bodies, then painting them yourself???

[jbass]

The amount of time you save by purchasing pre-made lures is incredible. I used to get mine from Jann's netcraft and Barlow's tackle. Jann's doesn't carry the particular type I like anymore, so I've gone to Barlow's. The price has gone up but 5 blanks for $9.26 comes out to $1.80 something per, not a bad price. The only thing I do to the plastics are sand off the mold lines, scuff up the bodies for primer and paint.

Jerry

[shootermcbob]

Thanks Jerry.

I guess I am looking at some of the Higher dollar stuff....ito 110's, lucky craft Kelly J's, etc and was wondering if I can make them myself...with my choice of hooks...cheaper than they are.

I do realize there would be an initial outlay cost....but after that?

[jbass]

Shooter here is a site you can check out that has KO's. What quality are the baits? I can't answer that question. 

They have KVD's, 110 pointers but again I do not know anything about them.

Jerry

[shootermcbob]

Thanks Jerry.

[Fishwhittler]

Don't expect the KO's to perform like the originals. They are decent baits in their own right, but there's a reason Megabass jerkbaits command the price they do and a reason why the KO's sell for $2-3 apiece. I've tried a few of the more expensive KO's and they're very nice, for a $3 lure. If they charged $15 I'd laugh outright - they're not worth it.

Look closely at a KO and see how many bubbles and other flaws are in the plastic, and then compare it with an original. The difference will be clear. I've got both the Lucky Craft Pointer 100 and the Jann's Netcraft Springer 100 copy of the Pointer and there's absolutely no mistaking which one is worth $15.

[shootermcbob]

Thanks for the input, Fishwhittler. I guess my big question would be...do the more expensive lures catch more/bigger fish?

I have read many posts about the "quality" of lucky craft for example...yet I catch lots of fish with cabelas crankbaits...that I paid a buck or two for.

I am somewhat inexperienced regarding high dollar baits...only have a few lucky craft pointers, lvrs, and a couple sebile flat shads so I can not really say that they catch more fish or not. However, I do know that the fish will gobble the red eye shad, the cabelas grave digger squarebill crank, and a cabelas jerkbait???

I guess I am looking to see what experiences others have had with making their own "knockoffs" and if they have seen a decrease in fish caught with the less expensive lures???

Again, thanks to everybody for all your input.

[shootermcbob]

To follow up on my last post....I think many times the lure companies are more worried about catching the fisherman than the fish.

I also think it would be a great feeling of accomplishment to catch fish on lures I have made/painted.

[Fishwhittler]

Thanks for the input, Fishwhittler. I guess my big question would be...do the more expensive lures catch more/bigger fish?

I have read many posts about the "quality" of lucky craft for example...yet I catch lots of fish with cabelas crankbaits...that I paid a buck or two for.

I am somewhat inexperienced regarding high dollar baits...only have a few lucky craft pointers, lvrs, and a couple sebile flat shads so I can not really say that they catch more fish or not. However, I do know that the fish will gobble the red eye shad, the cabelas grave digger squarebill crank, and a cabelas jerkbait???

I guess I am looking to see what experiences others have had with making their own "knockoffs" and if they have seen a decrease in fish caught with the less expensive lures???

Again, thanks to everybody for all your input.

Cheaper lures will catch fish, but you'll see far more issues with cheap lures not running straight or breaking. Suspending jerkbaits especially - cheaper ones will not always suspend the same. No lure really suspends perfectly, but the high-dollar ones will be much more consistent. Of the two "Springer 100" knockoffs of the LC Pointer I've got, one is a slow sinker and the other suspends or floats extremely slowly. I saw a pic once (on this forum, but that was years ago) where a guy took a bunch of the Springer 100 lures and put them in an aquarium together. Most ended up on the bottom, a few suspended, and the rest floated. That's par for the course with knockoffs.

If you buy, say, ten Lucky Craft square-bill cranks and ten Strike King KVD cranks and compare them, the LC baits will all look nearly identical. The paint on the Strike King lures will have noticeable inconsistencies, and the lure bodies themselves will not all be put together with the two halves lined up. Take them out on the water and odds are you'll have to tune more of the SK lures than the LC's.

As far as fish-catching, fish are far too finicky from one day to the next. Some days they'll hit one lure and others they want something completely different. It comes down to what each angler believes he/she is getting the most bang for their buck out of. The Megabass Vision 110 is extremely popular, but I couldn't say whether it will catch more or bigger fish than a $3 knockoff.

I've heard far more complaints about Strike King® lures than lures from any other big-name company. I caught a lot of fish on the Red Eye Shad this year, but I know a lot of guys have had problems with them swelling up if left out in the sun. Broken lips, water entrance, untunable lures, those are all things that occur with a much higher frequency in cheaper lures.

Plus, the high-end lures usually look better than cheap ones. I'm very susceptible to being "caught" by a lure with a well-executed build and finish. Take a gander at this one:

[i was trying to post an image here, but this forum won't let me. Try this link instead.]

No, I don't have one. Yes, I want one.

Oh yeah, once you catch a fish on a lure you built/painted, you're a hopeless addict. You've been warned.

Tight lines!

Ben

[rb56]

ok i'm not a seasoned lure maker by any means and haven't actually made lures other than buying unpainted jigs and being creative. i tried several paints and didn't have much luck. i found something that does if you can get to walmart late when no one is there. nail polish. i know...but it gives a variety of paint colors that are made for fishing lures. i started with a candy apple red with a curled or split tail grub and caught a few and bought more including the bright greens and limes. the glitter filled are good also and in the water have a nice scale look. i carry several in my tackle box and even touch up or add to other lures. it goes on easy, comes with a brush and dries in a flash.

[shootermcbob]

ok i'm not a seasoned lure maker by any means and haven't actually made lures other than buying unpainted jigs and being creative. i tried several paints and didn't have much luck. i found something that does if you can get to walmart late when no one is there. nail polish. i know...but it gives a variety of paint colors that are made for fishing lures. i started with a candy apple red with a curled or split tail grub and caught a few and bought more including the bright greens and limes. the glitter filled are good also and in the water have a nice scale look. i carry several in my tackle box and even touch up or add to other lures. it goes on easy, comes with a brush and dries in a flash.

Excellent tip...and don't have to worry about going to Walmart. My wife does nails for a living. I can them wholesale!