How to Make Fishing Lures?

Many fishers build crankbaits of hard plastic. But, the original ones were wooden. So, some manufacturers still prefer to make wooden fishing lures. But here’s a substitute for purchasing luxurious baits. Carving by oneself! That will also save money.

However, for that, fishing-lures making process should be known. Just choose a design and trace it on a wooden piece. Next, cut it out. Then, to make the lure more appealing, one can tint it and install hooks.

So, all set to take the traps on the water and chase the desired fish? Let’s begin.

Start with designing

Before beginning with the design, one needs to select the material type. Let’s opt for wood. Also, many angles use balsa or pine to create their lures. It’s incredibly simple to work with these softwoods. So, they are preferred. People do not need any heavy-duty materials to shape and cut them.

Start with a pencil. Search for some graphic images as references. That’s because making a trap from scratch can be hard. So, looking for templates online will provide several bait patterns. Isn’t that a pretty good start?

Cut the fish baits

The second step is to cut the wood rectangularly. So, keep the length and width at least seven inches and four inches, respectively. Then, create an outline on the piece of wood. It will show the curves.

Once the design is ready, it is time to pick up a sharp knife. Cut through the markings. Further, it’s wiser to focus on the abstract version because the exact product isn’t around.

Designing a lure for bigger fish

Ensure that the size of the chosen lure goes well with the fish type. If the bait is small but the target fish is large, it won’t work. For instance, standard plugs and crankbait are less than six inches long. The thickness may vary.

On the other hand, plugs for a fish as big as muskellunge are ten inches long. So, the good idea is to look up a size chart online. If there’s no template around, that’s worth it.

In this way, one gets to know the baits commonly used. Multiple sizes of the best fishing lures will help a lot. Moreover, people make modifications according to what they’re expecting and style.

Cut along the patterns with a band saw

Using a carving knife and saw together makes the process quick. For cutting irregular and small shapes such as a lure, Scroll and band saws are useful.

Keep the bait bigger than required so that the final product is according to the angler’s needs. It is a crucial trick to leave margins for errors.

• So, leave an extra 0.32 cm of wood in the periphery of the design. It’s in case something doesn’t go right; there’s room for corrections.
• If a carving knife is used, whittle away the wooden part around the sketch. Also, remember to keep the blade away from the body. That will prevent any accident.

Pick a drill

Before poking holes into the shape designed, mark out points on the wood. Ballast weight, eyelet screws, and rattle are some fundamental holes. Next, use a drill and carefully drill them. Some people prefer to work on the fine and thin pieces using a micro drill.

• While marking the holes, notice the reference point or the template carefully. It depends on the lure type one intends to make.
• There are at least two hooks with most traps. So, put one on the front and the other on the back. For someone making a long lure, create one more hole for an additional hook. It can be 1/3 from the backside.
• To add more weight to a lure, one can drill additional holes. That will depend on the requirement. One may even fill the weight in the created hole later.

Express your latent art

When holes are made, prepare the artistic mind. It is time to create a unique fish lure with colors! Also, remember to paint a bait significantly different from any other home decor item. That’s because it’ll go underwater.

Since the lure will be used in lake water, the paint shouldn’t be removed. Imagine the bait losing its paint in the mid of a fishing trip. Sounds as good as buying the best fishing rods? Of course, not.

So, while preparing the bait for painting, apply a clear sealer. Anglers prefer an epoxy sealer or a similar clear product to cover the fishing lure’s base.

Now, spread the clear sealer on the complete lure consistently and thinly. Here’s the easiest technique. Dip the entire trap in a sealer and hang it to dry. So, the sealer makes the wood ready for paint. Also, thankfully, no water damage this time!

Use split rings to connect hooks

On every split ring’s end, thread a triple hook. Then, thread the split rings on the bottom and hindmost screw eyes. One may use split-ting pliers to open the split rings. So, that will secure them to the screws and hooks.

But, what are split rings in the first place? People frequently use them as keyrings. For example, the working of house keys. Also, sometimes, anglers may secure the hooks without using any split ring. They just open the eyelets with a few pliers.

While performing this process, one should be super careful. It is to avoid any finger puncture. Although people use these trebles for plugs and crankbaits, some even choose double hooks. So, without the split rings, they slide onto the screw eyes.

Make the fishing bait last long

Once a fishing lure gets ready, there are ways to ensure it lasts. One good way is to keep the tackle away from other things. Then, instead of a large box, choose a modular one with rust inhibitors. It can be managed better.

Besides, that keeps the baits good even in extreme weather conditions. And before leaving, do take a look at these affordable fishing boats.