Homemade Torpedo Lures?

[basszilla]

Is anyone here making lures like the Heddons below? I was just thinking how easy it is to make a body like this from plastic rod or hardwood dowels. The back end could be turned on a lathe, and the mouth could be milled to almost any shape quickly.

 

 

[Sittin there reelin em in]

Did you make these?

[basszilla]

No, those are Heddons. They've caught my interest because of the shape. Most lures are shaped in a way that needs a mold (or a heck of a lot of patience) to duplicate. The torpedos are just modified cylinders, much easier to make by machining inexpensive stock.

 

 

[IndianaFinesse]

Haven't finished it yet, but I'm working on carving a popper.  I don't have a lathe, so I've just been using a pocket knife, some sand paper, and an electric drill.  The electric drill fitted with a large bit drilled the majority of the mouth out, then I cleaned it up with a knife.

[basszilla]

That's a lot of work when you do everything by hand. Even if you have power tools, shaping the body is only one aspect of the job. In my case, I have a small lathe and benchtop CNC mill, but it's still time consuming to set everything up and do the work. I have other interests that take up most of my spare time, so I have to approach things like this cautiously. I was thinking today about an easier way to make a small lure, maybe cutting a hollow aluminum tube to about  1.5" long with a slant on each end, then filling it with a balsa rod. That would eliminate a lot of the shaping time, and I don't think fish really care all that much if it's perfect. Also, painting aluminum is simple if you start with an etching primer. Maybe I'll give this a try, just to see if it's "fish approved."