What Would I Need To Start Making Lures? Please Help

[Brent Christian]

Would really like to make some crankbaits, poppers ect, what all would i need to do so?  Anything will help thanks guys!

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Check out Tackle Underground. It's a forum much like BR, but completely dedicated to tackle making.

 

As for making hard baits, you can start with as little as a knife and some imagination. When I first started making baits I used an x-acto knife, a hand coping saw, a rasp, a hand drill and some rust-o-leum. I caught plenty of fish on those baits. As time progressed and I realized that my hobby was growing into an obsession, I started investing in some more serious tools. With the following, there is little that you can't do. 

 

-Band saw or scroll saw.

-Drill press

-Belt/disc sander

-Awl 

-Hand rasp

-Sandpaper

-Good carving knife/knives

-Level (crucial to ensure all of your tools are set up straight and square.)

-Good waterproof 2 part epoxy like Devcon 2-Ton (which can be used to secure hardware like screw eyes, and also to topcoat baits after painting.)

-Lathe and tools (mostly useful for poppers and topwaters, but you can shape them by hand as well.)

-Accurate scale that measures in tenths of a gram or better resolution (useful for ballast weighting and lots of other things.)

-Router table and bits (not necessary unless you plan on producing larger quantities of baits. Also useful for cutting custom crankbait bills.)

 

If you're going to be painting your baits you'll also want a good .3-.5mm airbrush and some acrylic paints. I use Createx paint, but there are many options. As for topcoats, this is one of the most controversial topics in the world of tacklemaking. The easiest to start with would be to brush on Devcon 2-Ton epoxy, which can be thinned with denatured alcohol if need be.

 

Tackle making is a great outlet for me. There is nothing like the feeling of catching fish on a lure that you made yourself. Hope it goes well.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Would really like to make some crankbaits, poppers ect, what all would i need to do so?  Anything will help thanks guys!

Apparently there's a good article on making simple crankbaits right here on BR.

 

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/crankbait_making.html

[basscatcher8]

lol that article is how i first found this website.

[makelures]

90% of my baits cxan be made using a handsaw, sharp chisel, a couple of pairs of pliers a battery/electric drill and a piece of sandpaper...... plus materials of course.

 

You can make some awesome lures with this basic kit and as you get hooked on lure making you can expand your tool collection.