So you want to start making your own lures

[Munkin]

We get some questions here about making your own lures so I will start with a few items. This is not an all inclusive list so forgive me if I miss what you are looking for and I will try to update based on responses.

 

Jigs= IMO the easiest to make of all lures. You can either pour your own heads or buy them pre-made. Pre-made you can just buy the skirt material and the only tool you need is a $5 pencil type tool. If you want to pour your own it will take a lead melter and some molds which adds cost.

 

Spinnerbaits= Similar to jigs but you will need some split ring pliers and have knowledge of blade spacing.

 

Shakeyheads/tube heads= Easiest things to pour in lead and while you have to buy molds and a lead melter this setup is the best return on investment I can think of.

 

Soft plastics= Need a old microwave and a pyrex cup to get started along with some molds. Molds are expensive but if you only want to make a few baits in a particular color it is worth it.

 

Hardbaits= Painting hardbaits is something anyone can do but takes practice to get good at. There are now a lot of people selling good blanks for painting so you should be able to find what you want.

 

This is what I can think of for now but I will add to later.

 

Allen 

[Munkin]

Anyone that can add to this thread please do. There are a lot of people interested in making their own lures and this can help them. 

 

Allen 

[heavyduty]

Munkin, can you share some more info on blade spacing on spinnerbaits please. 

[Munkin]

3 hours ago, heavyduty said:

Munkin, can you share some more info on blade spacing on spinnerbaits please. 

On vacation and that requires a long response with pictures for examples.  Give me a couple of days and I will post about it.  Maybe I should just buy a camera and start making videos like smalljaw67 as it is easier to explain things.

 

Allen 

[smalljaw67]

12 hours ago, heavyduty said:

Munkin, can you share some more info on blade spacing on spinnerbaits please. 

Blade spacing is used mostly for flash appeal but it can do a lot more. Most spinnerbaits will space the blades far enough apart so you have at least 2 distinct areas of flash. That also happens to be the most stable way for the bait to run because as the blades spin they create torque which is why a bait with large blades turns on its side when retrieved too fast. Now, you can use that torque to create different properties on the bait, for example, you have a 3/8oz spinnerbait on .040 wire but you want more vibration. Well you can shorten the blade spacing, when you bring those blades closer together you get more torque on a smaller section of the wire which will cause it to vibrate more. There is a downside to that however, the problem is putting more torque in that smaller space also makes the bait a little more unstable so it takes less speed to make it lean on its side. The advantage is when fish want a smaller profile you can use smaller blades and still get the same vibration as larger blades. It also allows you to make a more durable bait as you can use a slightly heavier wire without losing the vibration, like using .035" wire in place of .031".  You can also go the opposite way, for example you have a situation that requires a lot of flash. Well you can use bigger blades but it makes the bait unstable so you have to slow it down, but if you have room you can space the blades out a little more you spread the torque out over a greater distance lessening the effect of it. I make a single purpose spinnerbait for burning, most off the shelf spinnerbaits will lean to the side or even roll over when burned because of blade spacing and big blades. My burner spinnerbait has undersize blades and a wide blade spacing, less torque from smaller blades and the force from that torque is spread out over a greater distance so I'm minimizing the impact  the torque will have on my bait. I hope that makes some sense because Allen is correct, it is kind of hard to explain it without seeing it. 

[heavyduty]

Makes perfect sense, thanks for the explanation!

[Munkin]

There you go from a master spinnerbait maker himself. 

 

Allen 

[Munkin]

Biggest mistakes I see when people make spinnerbaits is too much space between the two blades and too large of a front blade. The blades  need to work in harmony with each other. 

 

Allen 

[Derek1]

Good stuff guys, looking forward to following this thread. 

[Munkin]

Hopefully if enough people respond to this we can get it pinned to the board.

 

Allen

[RB 77]

Ive been injecting soft plastics for several years now. The number one thing when doing this is safety first! 400+ degree Plastisol is no joke and can severely burn you. Think of molten hot liquid plastic sticking to your skin. No joke. Protective eye-wear and gloves are a must. Pants and closed toed shoes as well. Another crucial piece of protective equipment is an organic cartridge respirator. Heated Plastisol will release hydrochloric (acidic) fumes. Long term and intense immediate expose can cause serious health problems. All the nuances of actually injecting the baits is enough to fill a novel, but I thought the safety precautions were worth a mention up front. 

[Munkin]

8 hours ago, RB 77 said:

Ive been injecting soft plastics for several years now. The number one thing when doing this is safety first! 400+ degree Plastisol is no joke and can severely burn you. Think of molten hot liquid plastic sticking to your skin. No joke. Protective eye-wear and gloves are a must. Pants and closed toed shoes as well. Another crucial piece of protective equipment is an organic cartridge respirator. Heated Plastisol will release hydrochloric (acidic) fumes. Long term and intense immediate expose can cause serious health problems. All the nuances of actually injecting the baits is enough to fill a novel, but I thought the safety precautions were worth a mention up front. 

 A few years ago I was pouring some flukes and since the tails are hard to pour I used my bare hand. Pyrex cup hit the lip on my microwave and I poured like 3oz of molten plastic over my hand. Fingers were burned very badly and swelled up to twice there size with blisters. Decided not to pour anymore plastics for about 5 years. If I can find the pics I will post them but it was not pretty.

 

Allen

[RB 77]

15 hours ago, Munkin said:

 A few years ago I was pouring some flukes and since the tails are hard to pour I used my bare hand. Pyrex cup hit the lip on my microwave and I poured like 3oz of molten plastic over my hand. Fingers were burned very badly and swelled up to twice there size with blisters. Decided not to pour anymore plastics for about 5 years. If I can find the pics I will post them but it was not pretty.

 

Allen

 

Yikes! In a little under a decade of injecting, I have burned myself badly once. It wasn't pretty as well. Luckily it was only a fairly small area. Maybe you posting the picture will help reiterate the importance of proper protective gear.

[Luke Keown]

Can anyone shed some light on the type of hardener they use for balsa crankbaits. And any tips for making the wire harness for balsas also?

[Munkin]

On ‎6‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 10:56 AM, Luke Keown said:

Can anyone shed some light on the type of hardener they use for balsa crankbaits. And any tips for making the wire harness for balsas also?

I don't understand your first question? Balsa is sold in different pound densities and from what I remember a 10-12lb density is what most baits are made of? Otherwise I am not sure what you are talking about.

 

As for making harnesses lay the bait you are trying to make a harness for on its side. Drive some nails that are the same size as your line tie and hook ties through the holes. Now you have a framework to bend thru-wire around the nails to create a harness.

 

Allen 

[nighthawk25]

On 6/22/2019 at 10:56 AM, Luke Keown said:

Can anyone shed some light on the type of hardener they use for balsa crankbaits. And any tips for making the wire harness for balsas also?

makewoodenlures.com has a lot of tips for wooden luremaking including what hardeners to use.

[MinDoFmejiA]

I'm planing on purchasing blanks and don't have the funds ATM to invest into an air compressor and airbrush. Would handpainting/spray paint be a good alternative to start? Also would it be best to use spray on clear coat or would an epoxy/resin coat be a better longer lasting finish? Planing on painting plastic/hard baits if that helps.

 

[Munkin]

On 1/13/2025 at 1:42 PM, MinDoFmejiA said:

I'm planing on purchasing blanks and don't have the funds ATM to invest into an air compressor and airbrush. Would handpainting/spray paint be a good alternative to start? Also would it be best to use spray on clear coat or would an epoxy/resin coat be a better longer lasting finish? Planing on painting plastic/hard baits if that helps.

 

 

Rattle cans work just as well as an airbrush you just can't get the same detail. I use to paint Bandit 200 blanks from JannsNetcraft pumkin orange on the belly and brown back with $0,99 spray paint. For clear coat the easiest best option you have in 2 part epoxy. Devcon 2 ton 30 minute (Don't get the 5 minute) 2 part epoxy works great as a clearcoat. Just mix equal parts and brush on with cheap art brushes. Epoxy self-levels just turn the lure a couple times so there are no pools or sags.

 

Allen