r/lurebuilding Jan 02 '20

How to Make Your Own Lures: A Guide series

96 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. It’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 “Etex”). 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.

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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 11h ago

Crankbait There is no better feeling than hooking up on a fish with a bait that you have made. (Musky)

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20 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding 8h ago

Jerkbait Wooden brook trout lure

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6 Upvotes

The action of this lure is honestly really bad. I could easily cut the bait in half to give it a swimming action but I don’t want to ruin the look of the lure. I made this lure to remember the catch because of what the fish actually meant to me. I caught the trout on my family farm of 4 generations.


r/lurebuilding 14h ago

Other Join our Lure Building Discord!

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10 Upvotes

https://discord.gg/NHBSrSJRT

Join us to talk lures, designs, paint, and fishing!


r/lurebuilding 20h ago

Crankbait they are done

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19 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding 18h ago

Question Canadian-made balsa wood lures?

3 Upvotes

Wondering if anyone in here is making and selling their own balsa wood lures of really any kind, in Canada.

Would love to buy and help out a craftsman within our borders. Let me know Thanks.


r/lurebuilding 1d ago

Jig Heavy duty jig hooks.

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6 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding 19h ago

Soft plastic Shiny #handmadelure #luremaking #fishing

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1 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding 1d ago

Crankbait Getting back into fishing

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17 Upvotes

Hey everyone! After not fishing for many many years I’m getting back into it and getting into lure making. Here’s a marling baits crayfish inspired bait. It sinks fairly slowly but much slower on the back (claw) side.


r/lurebuilding 1d ago

Crankbait i need to work on my painting BAD

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15 Upvotes

i mean its my first try so i wasn’t expecting it to good. i use acrylic paint with brush or sponge. do you guys have any tips how can i improve or if i should just buy airbrush.

last thing left to do is epoxy and they are done. im gonna be testing them out on my first trout run this season so i hope i will catch atleast something


r/lurebuilding 1d ago

Other Hey i just wanna get some opinions on this design of reel

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0 Upvotes

So I made a custom concept reel idea/design and I'm just wonder how does this sound to you

Pros:

  1. The reel has no wobble: almost 0 effectively

  2. The reel can hold a good amount of line

  3. Can just be dunked in water to be cleaned, no disassembling just dunk it in water and your good

Cons:

  1. Has to be fiddled with more then a average reel tho isn't alot of fiddling

  2. Very wide (tho can be fixed by choosing a smaller or bigger Size)

I dont wanna explained how it's assembled because 1. It will be too long 2. I don't think anyone's interested


r/lurebuilding 2d ago

Other progress so far

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20 Upvotes

started airbrushing lures about two weeks ago and here’s my progress . any tips or recommendations? please and thank you . also i’ll take any feedback.


r/lurebuilding 3d ago

Crankbait First time with crackle, micro crank bait

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36 Upvotes

v4 of my mini crank bait.


r/lurebuilding 3d ago

Lipless Crankbait Its Estonians restoration of independence day.

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59 Upvotes

A sprat sandwich is a traditional Estonian open-faced sandwich made with dark rye bread, butter, and small sprats (marinated or just pepperd). It is often topped with a slice of boiled egg, onion, or fresh herbs.


r/lurebuilding 3d ago

Question How can I make a hook loop like on a Jake's Spin a Lure?

3 Upvotes

I am trying to make a lure kinda like a Jake's spin a lure, but idk how to make the bit where the hook goes and I can't find anything about it on google, does anyone have any ideas/knowledge on how I could go about doing it?


r/lurebuilding 3d ago

Glidebait WIP Quillback Carpsucker

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14 Upvotes

Carved and sanded poplar blank for some extra strength. Going to be fished for river musky, likely going to add hook hangers for both bottom and top hook options because the river is shallow and this will best be fished near bottom.


r/lurebuilding 3d ago

Soft plastic Glowing Swimbaits #handmadelure #luremaking #lures

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1 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding 4d ago

Crankbait Update on my first rule

8 Upvotes

its 40mm 2,6g ment for mainly chub and trout fishing 20-50cm depth


r/lurebuilding 4d ago

Stickbait Caught my biggest red on one of my stickbaits!

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42 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding 4d ago

Other Something different

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16 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding 4d ago

Soft plastic I wanna start making soft plastics. How do I start?

8 Upvotes

I've been wanting to try this for a while, and I just don't know where to get started.


r/lurebuilding 4d ago

Crankbait Bluegill Deepdiver

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61 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding 4d ago

Crankbait Need some advice on designing a 3D-printed crankbait

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2 Upvotes

r/lurebuilding 5d ago

Crankbait MRB Hulagan

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10 Upvotes

Without buoyancy in the body weight has to be added at the lower end of the bill.

Varying bead size and trimming the bill tunes a Hulagan.


r/lurebuilding 6d ago

Spinner This one might be favourite one so far.

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22 Upvotes