Few question on carving wooden lures, materials need etc.

[Nattyboh74]

So I figured why not try and carve some lures out of basswood. Its not going to cost much at all, passes the time and so on. My questions are:

 

Do Screw-eyes work fine for bass? Will they work for both the hooks and the line?

 

How do you know how to choose the correct size split ring and treble hooks to the lure size? Is there a chart for reference?

 

Does anyone know of a cheap air brush kit or can I get by with acrylic paint and a brush? Can you run an airbrush gun off of a large air compressor? I dont see why not...

[FCPhil]

I use cotter pins from Home depot. If you drill a hole small enough that the pin is tight as it goes it, you can glue it with Gorilla Glue and it will stay put. As long as you get a good 1/2-3/4 inch into the wood it is going to take a lot more than a bass to pull it free. I use the second from the smallest size cotter pins.

[Nattyboh74]

Thanks!

[Rahlow]

When I tried an airbrush, I hooked up a small portable tank off my compressor, put a regulator on it along with a little auto drain to bleed any moisture. Turns out the drain wasn’t necessary.

[BobP]

Yeah, screw eyes work ok.  Put a little superglue on them and screw them into a drilled hole.  A big compressor is perfect, most builders use them, but you need to add a pressure regulator valve that works in the airbrush range 10-40 psi.  Add a moisture trap if you work in humid air and an oil trap if the compressor is oil lubricated.

[islandbass]

Screw eyes are okay for basswood. I use dev con 2T as my adhesive. I’d use the longest ones I can get away with.  I’d advise against using them with balsa.

 

Cotter pins are an excellent alternative. Order them from a store that specializes in selling luremaking supplies. 

 

You can use a large compressor. I use one myself. As already mentioned, I second the recommendation of using a moisture trap. 

 

I recommend tryng to make a popper or a propeller bait. They are easier to build and don’t require ensuring your lure is able to remain upright. 

 

Also, don’t  make then much longer than 3” or so. It might float on its own but it might suspend or worse, sink when you add the hardware, clear coat, and hooks. 

 

As for hooks, it will be easier to compare a lure that is about the same size as the one you plan to makeat one of your hard lures that is about the same length

[basscatcher8]

I've only been building cranks for about a month now but I've had my best luck using stainless wire and a pair of jewelers pliers and taking about a 6 inch piece of stainless and using the pliers to put a bend right in the middle. Then take the two legs you have and chuck them into my cordless drill. Then i take my pliers and put them in the bend to hold it and run the drill slowly. It starts coiling the wire around it self and you get a nice hook eye in the end. Then I just cut it to length and install.

[Baitmaker]

As mentioned by islandbass, Devcon 2 Ton epoxy is what I use and highly recommend for installing eye screws. Most of the wood I use is cedar, but it will also work well on basswood. Drill a pilot hole that's smaller in diameter than the screw threads. Use a wire to insert some epoxy into the hole and also cover the threads before installing them. With any 2 part epoxy, it is critical to thoroughly mix equal portions of resin and hardener. 

As for split rings and hooks, it's common for baits in the 2-4" range to have sizes 1 and 2 split rings, and size 4 and 6 treble hooks. (The 4's being larger than the 6's) These pictures should help put the sizes into perspective.

There are a lot of helpful bait making videos on YouTube. Here is one video that may help you get started in building wood baits that perform well. 

It's quite an addictive hobby, especially after that first fish chomps down on a lure you made by hand. ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YblTkqi1ano

 

[Scott F]

For you guys who want to build their own hard baits but aren't skilled at painting, there is a product called Jigskinz that let you make realistic looking lures without an airbrush. I'm surprised I don't remember seeing them mentioned here before. Google jigskinz for more info. This site won't let me post a link.

 

 

[Nattyboh74]

Thanks guys!

[Nattyboh74]

On 6/6/2018 at 5:12 AM, islandbass said:

Screw eyes are okay for basswood. I use dev con 2T as my adhesive. I’d use the longest ones I can get away with.  I’d advise against using them with balsa.

 

Cotter pins are an excellent alternative. Order them from a store that specializes in selling luremaking supplies. 

 

You can use a large compressor. I use one myself. As already mentioned, I second the recommendation of using a moisture trap. 

 

I recommend tryng to make a popper or a propeller bait. They are easier to build and don’t require ensuring your lure is able to remain upright. 

 

Also, don’t  make then much longer than 3” or so. It might float on its own but it might suspend or worse, sink when you add the hardware, clear coat, and hooks. 

 

As for hooks, it will be easier to compare a lure that is about the same size as the one you plan to makeat one of your hard lures that is about the same length

Any recommendations on what company to use to buy supplies from?

[Baitmaker]

Jannsnetcraft and Lurepartsonline are 2 places that you can find everything you need for bait making. 

[islandbass]

5 hours ago, Nattyboh74 said:

Any recommendations on what company to use to buy supplies from?

 

2 hours ago, Baitmaker said:

Jannsnetcraft and Lurepartsonline are 2 places that you can find everything you need for bait making. 

@Nattyboh74: Baitmaker hit the jackpot.  Lurepartsonline I believe used to be Stamina, the name it was when I last ordered things I needed.  WARNING: It is so easy to get "carried away" so stay focused and buy what you need, lol.  The lure making monkey is a distant relative to the bait monkey, lol.

[BobP]

You might as well use the best materials you can find because you put a lot of hand work to shape and finish a lure, enough that the materials costs are inconsequential in comparison to the work involved.  I use kiln dried wood, polycarbonate (aka Lexan) 1/16” or G10 circuit board 1/32” sheets for lips, and fashion my wire hangers from soft temper stainless steel wire .041”.  You can buy most of the materials from the above mentioned sources, or get them from McMaster-Carr online.  Soft temper wire is much easier to bend and shape accurately and it holds up fine for bass baits and is easier to tune while fishing.  I think lurepartsonline.com carries belly hangers with lead ballast weights molded on them.  It’s the easy way to ballast a lure.  Many average size bass baits work well with the 2 gram belly weights.

[Nattyboh74]

Thanks guys...

 

This might be a far fetch, but could someone here maybe let me up with some hooks, rings etc so I can see if i wanna do it or not?

 

Of course I'd pay the individual

[thinkingredneck]

On Monday, June 11, 2018 at 5:15 PM, islandbass said:

 

@Nattyboh74: Baitmaker hit the jackpot.  Lurepartsonline I believe used to be Stamina, the name it was when I last ordered things I needed.  WARNING: It is so easy to get "carried away" so stay focused and buy what you need, lol.  The lure making monkey is a distant relative to the bait monkey, lol.

Not that danged distant.  More like a first cousin, and twin brother to the fly tying monkey. 

You can get started with eyed screws, hooks and split rings and epoxy from Wal Mart.  Paint from their model paints or craft pàint.  Start with poppers.  Hobby lobby has balsa.

[Nattyboh74]

Where are the screweyes located at in Walmart?

[Mn_Moose]

I don't know if allowed on this board, there is a musky lure making message board called basement baits

http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/forum-view.asp?fid=25

 

They have a lot of great insight on tackle making. 

 

[Munkin]

On 6/6/2018 at 2:09 PM, basscatcher8 said:

I've only been building cranks for about a month now but I've had my best luck using stainless wire and a pair of jewelers pliers and taking about a 6 inch piece of stainless and using the pliers to put a bend right in the middle. Then take the two legs you have and chuck them into my cordless drill. Then i take my pliers and put them in the bend to hold it and run the drill slowly. It starts coiling the wire around it self and you get a nice hook eye in the end. Then I just cut it to length and install.

I make eye screws in a similar way. First find a nail that has the diametet of what you are looking size wise for a eyelet. Next I bend some wirein a U shape around the nail. Place the two tag ends in a drill and slowly spin in the untighten mode until it makes an eyehook. Now take one of those bait screws that is slightly smaller and make a pilot hole. Cut the eyehook you made even and coat it with Devcon 2 ton epoxy. Screw in the eyehook now as the threads will match and you will be fine.

 

Allen