these two old topwater. balsa?

[Darth-Baiter]

I have these as a kid.  dont remember if they have been bass slimed.  maybe I will remedy that.  I think I bought them for the white bass frenzies we used to target.

 

I think they are balsa wood.  is the bigger one a Zara spook?  do I need to seal the cracked areas to preserve the wood?  just an epoxy?  thinking of tossing them after a few resident bass.  like an OG plopper bait.!!

 

 

the top bait says CRAZY SHAD on the side.  feels like wood.  google showed me they still make a Cotton Cordell Crazy shad but the new one looks like plastic.

[MickD]

I don't think the larger one is a spook.  I think spooks have a symmetrical shape, front to rear.

 

If they are wood and you want to seal them, any clear wood finish should do it well, but wrapping epoxy might be a little thick.  If you use it, i would apply it as thinly as possible.  Or just at the exposed wood.

[WRB]

The bottom is broken at the rear hook and don’t recognize it?

Hard As Nails clear nail polish is good to cover exposed wood on wooden lures. 

Tom

[Fallser]

I don't think the top one is made out of wood.  I can see what looks like a seam line on the belly where they glued the two halves of the lure together.

The second one is definitely not a Spook.  I have something similar that's made of balsa but it was made locally.   As far as repairing it, I would normally just seal it with a light coat of epoxy or UV resin.

If you're planning on fishing it I would check the rear hook eye and make sure it's not loose where the lure is broken.  In the top picture, though it maybe the angle, the eye screw looks bent.  If one of my friends picked up a lure with similar damage at a local flea market and handed it to me to see what I could do with it.  I would replace the eye screw and reassemble it to make sure the prop will spin properly.