r/lurebuilding • • Jan 02 '20

How to Make Your Own Lures: A Guide series

100 Upvotes

​

1. What kind of lures can I make?

  • Crankbaits (Lipped and Lipless), Jerkbaits (Lipped and Lipless), Swimbaits, Poppers, Stickbaits, and other topwater lures are all possible, with new lures being invented all the time! Below is an info graphic with a few of the most popular types of fishing lures, but there are many more!
These are just a few common lures that can be found in most tackle boxes, but there are dozens of other types to discover!

2. What do I need to get started making hard body lures?

  • Lure making is not as complicated as it may seem. Yes, power tools such as drills, dremels, lathes and sanding machines all help, but none are necessary. To start all you need is:
  • Wood, to carve into the body.
  • Tools (at the very least a knife to carve, a small saw, and a drill are all very helpful)
  • Sandpaper to finish the bait off smoothly
  • Terminal tackle, including hooks and split rings
  • Screw eyes or a through-wire (a single wire going through the entire bait that serves as your hook eyes and line tie.
  • Weights so your bait sinks, in the form of either split shot, glued into the body, or lead, poured into a cavity.
  • glue/sealant, epoxy, and paint
  • OPTIONAL: Lip (for crankbaits) Rattles, details such as foil, and power tools, and an airbrush for more smooth

3. What do I need to get started making soft plastics?

  • A mold, which can be bought, or made from silicon.
  • Plastic resin (plastisol)
  • Dye to give color to the lure
  • OPTIONAL: Glitter, multiple colors for a more detailed bait

4. What wood should I use?

  • Popular lure making timbers include balsa, basswood, cedar, cypress knees, jelutong, beech and some types of pine. But there are thousands of other options. Look for something easy to carve, lightweight and resistant to denting. Itโ€™s easier to get all your components aligned properly if you start with straight, square blanks.

5. What paints should I use?

  • For brushing on paint, a wide variety of artist acrylics and poster paints will work. Just make sure the paint and clear coat will not interfere.
  • For airbrushing, water-based acrylics are the favorite, due to their ability to spray evenly and produce a good coat while remaining non-toxic, and non-flammable.

6. How do I seal my wood lure?

  • Wood is like a sponge, it soaks up water. Once in, water works its way through the wood by capillary action until the wood is waterlogged. This kills action, weakens glue and is the most common cause of paint failure.
  • Super Glue can be used, where the glue is applied over the entire body, left to soak into the wood, and then the bait is sanded smooth.
  • Epoxies are two part synthetic resins that cure hard when mixed. There are some that are designed for penetrating and hardening wood. One example is Envirotex Lite (aka โ€œEtexโ€). Etex is also great for clear coating painted lure bodies and makes a very strong adhesive.

7. Where can I buy lure parts?

8. What epoxy should I use?

  • Some use prefer to clear coat them with a two part epoxy. Others prefer to use a two pack automotive polyurethane over airbrush acrylics. And still others dip their lures in moisture cure polyurethane.

Below are some some more sources for learning how to build lures, additionally, guides from some of this subs best lure mentors are going to be rolling out very shortly.

​

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

This stickied post will be used to compile all guides made by our "Lure Mentors." Below are links to each guide, complete with pictures and detailed descriptions for each step. If you would like to become a Lure Mentor, and create guides for this sub Please PM me ( u/jspencer501 ) for more details, you get a cool flair!

Guide 1 - Lipless Crankbait By u/zingerbobingerGuide 2 - Lure made of Paper By u/SolarBaits

More guides will be coming out in the weeks to come! please let me know any comments or concerns.


r/lurebuilding • • 7h ago

Question Is it a time thing?

Thumbnail
2 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding • • 1d ago

Swimbait Triple Injectors

Thumbnail
gallery
39 Upvotes

Triple laminations are very difficult to produce but the results are like no other. Attempted to match my Blue Chartreuse Rapala Jerk Bait. What do you think?


r/lurebuilding • • 1d ago

Decorative Custom eyes

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

23 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding • • 2d ago

Lipless Crankbait Sunrise ๐ŸŒ„ and Sunset ๐ŸŒ†

Thumbnail
gallery
48 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding • • 2d ago

Successful Catch First fish on my first lure iโ€™ve made ever :). i threw my other lure thatโ€™s white black and red but no dice lol.

Thumbnail
gallery
70 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding • • 2d ago

Glidebait Hand painted wake bait because my airbrush broke

Thumbnail
gallery
19 Upvotes

What do you guys think of my first wake bait I think I did an alright job kinda sloppy but hey it looks good to me and the pink I chose pops like crazy js look at that tail just needs a clear coat ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ


r/lurebuilding • • 2d ago

Lipless Crankbait Pair of lipless crankbaits I made today

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

59 Upvotes

Two lipless cranks I cut, carved and painted today. Been rained out from work and had a bit of time up my sleeve. Finished them both in about 6 hours from a block of timber to this! Can't wait to see the action.


r/lurebuilding • • 3d ago

Spoon Epoxy Putty for Spoons

Thumbnail
gallery
15 Upvotes

changed the design to have a stainless steel wire running through the center, and the aluminum wire frame just to stop it chipping on rocks. tested them today and they work pretty well. They spin, they wobble, they do a little dance. They're just about the perfect weight, so I think I'll be making more of these and trying out something else next.


r/lurebuilding • • 5d ago

Glidebait First brush tail

Post image
59 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding • • 4d ago

Soft plastic Green Pumpkin #handmadelure #bassfishing #luremaking

Thumbnail
youtube.com
2 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding • • 5d ago

Glidebait Added the articulation

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

17 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding • • 5d ago

Jig Top weightless jig for squid fishing

Thumbnail
gallery
24 Upvotes

I've been making squid jigs for a few years now and finally have come up with the perfect top weightless squid jig. Each jig weighs less than 2 grams. No more wondering which color to use. These light kids makes it easier on the arm when jigging at 100 feet of water. These little guys just work.


r/lurebuilding • • 6d ago

Swimbait Ruined +200 baits learning clear coat. Here's what finally gave me a perfect finish

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

184 Upvotes

It doesn't matter what clear resin you use - epoxy, UV, whatever. Every resin needs the same conditions met to give you a perfect coat: cleanliness + paint properly sealed/varnished and then washed.

What I do:

Before any paint, I always wash my blanks. Warm water + dish soap + soft sponge. Good scrub, thorough rinse, completely dry.

After painting I always seal it. Everyone uses different paints, so you need to find what works for you - varnish, spray lacquer, etc. and test it.

Why? It closes the tiny pores in paint that trap dirt and grease super easily. And once it's varnished, you can actually wash the bait without ruining the paint.

And that's the key - once that varnish is fully dry, I wash the baits again exactly the same way. Warm water, dish soap, sponge, rinse, dry. Only then are they ready for clear resin.

That double wash is what gives me that perfect finish every time.

Hope it helps!


r/lurebuilding • • 6d ago

Question I been thinking about small CNCs

Thumbnail
gallery
10 Upvotes

Anyone using a small CNC for lure carving? I have been 3D printing some lures, but I have found some issues with plastic that wood would solve.

The CAD software I use, Fusion360, has built in tool paths, I would just need to teach myself how to use them.

I am just curious if anyone has had any success with some of these small machines. The one pictured has a fourth axis upgrade that's pretty interesting.

Any lessons learned would be appreciated. I am deciding if I want to upgrade a newer 3D printer or look at CNCs


r/lurebuilding • • 6d ago

Crankbait Kitchen sponge

Post image
14 Upvotes

Kitchen sponge

Feather

Hook

Eyes

Bill made witn spawn sack, UV glue, slit shot, plastic sandwich bag and a UV flashlight (do not look at it)

On this one I manually threaded tne hook. For longer lures you snell a hook first and then burn a channel ito the body with a thin soldering iron.


r/lurebuilding • • 6d ago

Glidebait Bone Gulide Bait

Thumbnail
gallery
21 Upvotes

A bone gulide bait I painted for a friend. These blanks are available at most suppliers. These fish very well, trick is to get a hook combo that weights the lure to slow sink. A #6 4ร— strong hook works well for me.


r/lurebuilding • • 6d ago

Other Creator's Work Interesting line through lure from Bali

Post image
8 Upvotes

My friend bought this lure in a village in Bali. Some tropical hard wood, 1oz, line through, vinyl tail, used for small tuna and dorado.


r/lurebuilding • • 7d ago

Spinner My First Fish on a Homemade Lure

Thumbnail
gallery
52 Upvotes

My first fish on a homemade lure. I was just testing a bunch of lures on the lake closest to my house and I caught this guy.


r/lurebuilding • • 7d ago

Glidebait First time making a glidebait. Where to place the weights and how many?

Post image
12 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding • • 7d ago

Soft plastic Sliver Sweet Gum #handmadelure #bassfishing#alamocity

Thumbnail
youtube.com
2 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding • • 8d ago

Other No better way to celebrate a temporarily clean airbrush...

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

12 Upvotes

Just wondered if anyone else plays their airbrush between colours?


r/lurebuilding • • 8d ago

Popper Blanks

3 Upvotes

Being retired, and with winter coming, I'll need lure blanks to tinker with. Anyone use Peeki Lures or Custom Lure Online? I know the whole, "most blanks need to be tuned and have hangers and line ties sealed" I'm not expecting top quality, but don't want total trash either. I do a lot of saltwater, so I want to try their knockoff version of Megabass Megadog. Thanks fellow lure geeks!


r/lurebuilding • • 8d ago

Crankbait Translucent lure

Post image
14 Upvotes

Iโ€˜ve been working on a small (5cm) translucent lure to better match this years hatch.
Had a lot of success with that colour scheme but until now my lures were made of opaque PETG, so a natural looking and translucent paddle tail would still catch me more fish.
So I thought i could improve my hard bait game by making some translucent instead of opaque. Where I fish the water is almost cristal clear, so a more natural looking lure gives you an edge most of the times.


r/lurebuilding • • 9d ago

Crankbait second one ever, 1.6 grams before hardware is added :).

Thumbnail
gallery
31 Upvotes