1st shot at making a topwater lure (or any lure)

[Breene]

Well I just got done with it... It took me a few days to complete and I carved the body out of wood (pine I think) and attached the trebel hooks with a metal wire running through the center of the bait to the part that attaches to your line. I had no premade materials and just used bits of stuff in my tacklebox... I took the hooks off of one of my crankbaits and fancied one up with some orange feathers. Well anyway enough talk here are the pictures...

Carved and one trebel attached:

Both trebels attached and primed (also a look at what im using for eyes):

Painted with both hooks (one with feathers):

Clear coat + glitter:

Closeup of the front:

If you want to see more pics I have them on my photobucket: http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a219/Breene4422/

So tell me what you think! Its ment to be similar to rapala's poping lure and i tested it in my sink and it realy does shoot a good spray of water. I Also added weight to the bottom so it stayed upright. I also used swivels to attach the hooks instead of just tieing it to the metal wire. So the hooks can also turn! I am no expert and just wanted to try something fun in this crappy weather we have been having... so do you think it will catch anything?

I also attempted to make some flys... they aren't fancy but heres a pic:

[BASS fisherman]

Looking good!  Making your own lures is very addictive, so beware.

I made a spook type lure last year.  The first time I used it, I caught five bass with it.  The second time I was thowing it I got it stuck about 25 feet up in a tree.  The next week I rigged up a few sinkers on a long length of twine, and used it to get my lure back.  

If you really want to get into making your own lures, here's a few sites for you to look into.

www.staminainc.com

www.jannsnetcraft.com

[Breene]

Wow thats pretty crazy. Ive never caught a fish using a hard bait except once when i accedentally snagged a small mouth bass by the fin when i was reeling in a crankbait. I still can't belive it happened. Do you think this is too big for small ponds? Its about 2.5 inches long. My buddy has a pond in his front yard with mostly bass and bluegill but I don't know how big they are... the smallmouth I caught was probably a foot long or maby a bit more. I live realy close to you... I live real close to youngstown... except in an area where there aren't gang shootings every 10 minutes.  :-? All the rich people in this little town have ponds in their backyards so I go running around using them  

Thanks for the reply. Do you have any pictures of your first bait or any other ones? Im only realy interested in making stuff like this... pouring stuff is still a far way off.

Oh thanks for the websites too... if I ever get serious and want to make more these will definatly help.

[BASS fisherman]

This is the only picture I could find of the first lure I made, and it isn't pretty.

When it comes to whether or not bass will go after your lure, yes they will. I have caught bass that were about the same size as the lure I was using at the time. Bass in general are greedy little suckers, and will attempt to eat most anything they think that they can fit in there mouths.

I have a tournament at the end of the month at Mosquito lake in Ohio if you are familiar with that waterway.  

[buckwheat]

when i was about 12 i maid a lure much crappyer (is that a wor awell)than yours and when i whent fishing with it i casted it out it was a top water stick by the way and i looked at my sister and she said you got one so i didnt even see it take it i was a little dipressed i didnt see it but i eeled it in and holly crap  ;D jesh i had cought the biggest bass i have ever cought even still its the biggest id say it was aboutover afoot for sure and it was pregnant so it was supper fat and one week before bass opener so i dont know what it tast like ether but im sure it will catch something if its weird that is good its something they have never seen before and its not just that same onl stick bait they have been seing

peace

[Breene]

Ok cool I guess I'll try it out when it warms up a bit. I'm still fairly new to fishing... I have been for as long as i can but this spring am just starting to actually go more than a few times a year so this spring is the first time I have ever used any hard baits or anything. I'm used to using nightcrawlers and stuff. Do you have any tips for making them look tasty? I was thinking maby since its still early in the spring and we haven't had much warm weather the fish are still too slow for anything fast like crankbaits.

And yea I've been up to mosquito lake a few times when I was little. Its only about 45 minutes away. Good luck in your tournament too. I always thought that would be fun to do.

[Breene]

buck.wheat: Let me introduce you to my friend the period. lol that might have been the longest sentence I have ever seen. But anyway thats realy cool that both of you caught bass on your first lures. I'm realy excited to try this thing now =P

[BIG M]

that is a good looking lure and very impressive for you first try.  Here a little tip for the eyes, take a big nail and dip the head in the color paint you want for the eye.  Then touch it to the bait just once and hit with a hair dryer on low.  Take a smaller nail and dip the head in black for the center, make sure the first coat of paint is dry.  You'll get eyes that lay flat on your bait.

I need to go digging and see if I can still find my first success.

[Breene]

Thanks a lot! the pictures don't do the paint any justice... it looks much better in real life. But thats a good idea for the eyes ill have to try that next time.

I also have a question about making crankbaits... I have some spare acrylic that I can use for a lip but I don't know how to attach it to the wood. I assume cut a slot in the wood and glue it? Also what shape should I use for the body to make it wiggle? I would like to try to make one of those next.

[harshman]

nice looking bait for a first timer, like mentioned above be carefull tackle making is addicting. I first started out making top water and have since added spinner baits and jigs, now I'm looking into learning how to make my own soft baits. Here are a few pics of my firsts.....I had an advantage a retired conservation agent who is amazing with carving baits helped me get started.

Harshman

[Breene]

Thanks, yours are realy cool too harshman. How did you paint those little circles on them? And what is good for a sealer? I used some craft acrylic finish stuff since I was out of polyurethene.

[BASS fisherman]

https://bassresource.com/fishing/crankbait_making.html

https://bassresource.com/fishing/crankbait_making_2.html

https://bassresource.com/fishing/lure_making.html

Check out these articles on the site here.  Great info!  

[Breene]

Ok thanks those help alot. It looks like I will need to buy a few things like the epoxy and lip. I think Ill make a few more topwaters before trying cranks.

[BASS fisherman]

Topwater lures IMO are alot easier to make than cranks.  Cranks must run straight, and that isn't easy.  It will take a few messups to get it right for the first time.  Atleast it worked that way for me.  

Topwaters are the same idea though.  

[Breene]

Thats what I was thinking. I'll try this one out and go from there.

[harshman]

For eyes I use two different methods. First is the nail head method mentioned above then use a smaller nail head with darker color for eye pupil. second is stick on 3d eyes then when I seal the bait with epoxy they don't fall off and it gives them that extra shine. I highly reccommend devcon two ton epoxy for a sealer. When mixxed right it gives your baits a rock hard crystal clear finish. Carefull when using epoxy though you have to have some way of turning the bait while it is curing or all of the epoxy will run to the lowest point on the bait and ruin hours of hard work.

Harshman

[Breene]

Ok cool thats not too expensive. If I decide to make a lot ill pick up some. But when I said circles I ment the ones on the top of the bait almost like scales. Did you use a stencil or something?

[BIG M]

stay away from the acrylic for your lip it will crack and break off in cold water, you want polycarbonate 1/16" thick or g-11 1/32" thick both can be found at www.mcmastercarr.com. Take your fav. crank and make a copy of it on a copy machine. Now you have the profile, trace that on your wood mark your lip slot and belly hook (balast weight goes there).take a protactor make the lip angle and cut that while the bait is still square, drill the hole for the balast, and get some 20 gage stainless steel wire to make your hookhangers and line tie.

When you get this far let me know and I'll help you finish it off.

[Breene]

I would like to make some but by parents are very leery about ordering things on the internet (I'm 15) and I don't know if i want to get that involved right now. When I'm done with school in the summer I will have more time and can possably order some materials but right now I'm focusing on getting better with the baits I have and trying to get A's in school.

[harshman]

Sorry for misunderstanding, to make the scales on the baits I use wedding veil that you can get from any material store. There are many different sizes to choose from depending on how big you want the scales to look. Most people just take the bait and tightly wrap the veil around it and spray off the area you want to have the scales. You can use clothes pins to pinch the material together while painting. This is where an airbrush comes in very handy or even plain ole spray paint works great. I on the other hand try a different tactic, I use a needle point hoop and stretch the veil over it. With the bait laying on a table I press the hoop over the bait and paint. Then let dry and roll to the opposite side i want paint on and repeat the painting. This leaves a stripe down the back usually unpainted where i usually just like to fill in solid with whatever color I am using on the scales. I hope this helps.

Harshman

[buckwheat]

a peroid naw it dont need a period whell i guess it could not hurt.................................................................................................thats for my last post

[Breene]

Ok thats a good idea with the wedding veil fabric. I couldn't think of any ways to make smaller details and ended up just painting 3 different colors on mine but I did use 2 shades of blue and sponged them together to make a fade which came out realy nice. Ill have to do some more experementing. I wish I had an airbrush but we don't even have an air compressor right now. We are thinking about re-doing our garage and we might get one then.

And thanks buck.wheat  ;D

[buckwheat]

no problem what so ever. PERIOD