Make Your Own Effective Fishing Tackle
Most of what I do know about catching fish, including
making much of my own fishing tackle, consists of trial
and error over the years. If you try your hand at making
and using a few of these self-manufactured tackle
varieties, you’ll be glad that you did.
Sinkers
Let’s start off with something really simple, producing
your own lead fishing sinkers. At one time or another I’ve
Split shot sinkers: Cast round lead balls in the sizes you need,
used almost every imaginable sort of scrap lead for this:
and then split them with a knife and mallet.
used wheel weights, scrap lead plumbing pipe, broken
battery cable ends, scrap linotype, and even used X-ray
room shielding plates from a remodeled hospital. You name it, I’ve pretty well used it all, and all with
equal success.
Making your own split shot is really simple, especially since I already have several
different sizes of round ball molds for use with muzzle-loaders and hunting guns (.25" for
#4 buck, .311" for 00 buck and a squirrel rifle, .440" for a Kentucky style rifle, .490" for a
.50 cal. muzzle loader, etc.). I simply cast extra round balls in varying sizes, then use an
old butcher knife and a wooden mallet to make a slice nearly through some of the lead
balls. Through others, I drill a tiny hole all the way through and these I use as sliding
sinkers.
Bullet style sinkers are just about as easy to make. I drill a small hole through a bullet I’ve
cast using any sort of regular bullet mold. Many times I’ll even deliberately under-fill the
mold to provide an even larger range of
weights to choose from.
Drilled bullet
sinker
My favorite method for manufacturing
lead fishing sinkers is to use a standard set of metal
measuring spoons. I simply fill the desired sized
measuring spoon with molten lead and then carefully
touch the base of the spoon to the water in a bowl. Dump
out the hardened chunk of lead, wipe the spoon dry, and
repeat the procedure. Once you’ve cast a sufficient
quantity of sinkers in this manner, drill a small hole near
the edge of each one for affixing to a line.
I learned to keep a small spool of regular solid core solder
in my tackle box from which I can snip short sections for
instant wrap-on style sinkers of any size.
Use a spoon bowl as a mold to cast lead sinkers. Barely touch
the spoon to the water to cool it.
Floats & Bobbers
Floats and bobbers in any size are readily fashioned by any angler with a
minimum of DIY inclination. The simplest float is nothing more than a piece
of twig tied in place on your line. Drill a hole near an end of a twig, or bind it
on a wire loop, and add some red paint, then thread a button onto your line as
a bobber stop. This makes a handy slip style float for easy casting.
My own favorite type of user-built fishing bobber has to be what I call the
“Hoosier Farm Cork Float.” It is readily fashioned from a piece of dried
corncob. In fact, these floats work so well, and have such an unusual yet
attractive appearance, that I’ve never understood why no one has started
producing them commercially.
Stick bobbers, plain and slip-style
The “Hoosier Farm Cork Float” made from a corncob
To make up a few of these for yourself, use a piece of extra coarse sandpaper to smooth up the rough cob a
little. (Smoothing up the cob on a belt sander will leave you with an appearance very like those
commercially made corn-cob pipes and give you some really nice looking floats.) Then saw the corncob
into appropriate lengths. Drill 1/4" to 3/8" holes through the corn cob’s center, then slot one end of a piece
of dowel or smooth stick and insert this through the hole. Occasionally I’ll use one of these “corks” without
its dowel center as a slip type bobber.
Unless you apply some sort of finish, these corncob “corks” will gradually become
waterlogged and useless as you fish. So when I make up a batch of these, I just dip each
one in any sort of exterior paint or varnish, and hang them up to dry—instant
waterproofing.
Of course, if for some odd reason you found corncobs unobtainable, pieces of 3/4" dowel
or suitably sized sticks will work just as well, though they will be slightly less buoyant
than the corncobs.
A rattling lure,
made with shot or
BB’s inside
plumbing fittings
Besides floats and sinkers, a whole slew of different lures can also be very easily usermanufactured. These lures have the additional benefit of being tailored to specific
requirements. This allows most, if not all, of your handcrafted tackle to out-produce
anything you could purchase.
Artificial Worms
For bass fishing I used to buy a lot of relatively inexpensive plastic worms. Now, I
braid my own artificial worms in a variety of lengths and thicknesses, from bulky
acrylic yarn. While I’ll admit that using a loose braid to produce fake worms
probably doesn’t end up saving me any money, but I do catch more fish with them.
Using a nail to form an “eye” in the
end of a wire
One method that really seems to work well is to add an extra color. For
example, adding one strand of red and another of yellow, when braiding
together a purple worm, makes it more effective.
Of course these braided worms can be rigged and fished in exactly the same
manner as regular artificial worms and they perform at least as well as the
purchased varieties.
A braided worm
Lures
Another home-built lure that I’ve come to like adds sound as an extra attractant. This lure
is easily put together from plumbing fittings and a few buckshot or BB’s. You can use
either copper or plastic plumbing supplies, depending on the particular size and action you
prefer as well as whatever it is you have available.
Drill small holes in the centers of a pair of end caps, then
glue or solder one cap in place. Run a length of copper or
stainless steel wire through the hole and make an eye, as
shown in the illustration. Drop in a few BB’s or buckshot,
run the wire out through the other end cap, and glue or solder the second end
cap in place. Fashion another eye in this end of the wire.
Skirted treble hook
with a slip sinker
Now, attach a treble hook and tie on a “skirt” of horsehair, yarn, feathers, or
whatever you prefer. Use paint or leftover nail polish (with a wife and four
daughters, there’s always plenty of that around here) to add some color and
you’re ready to reel in some fish.
Cartridge case lure
You can turn a single deer antler into a collection of nice lures and bobber stops,
using the points and sawn slices.
Even more easily fashioned is another home-built lure that I’ve had plenty of success with. I just tie a skirt
of brightly colored yarn onto a treble hook, and then affix this to the line right behind a brightly painted
slip-style round-ball sinker. A lot of times this will turn out to be my most productive pan fish lure.
I also often use a bullet sinker and a long “streamer” of yarn, put together in
the same fashion, to bring in largemouth or walleye with similar excellent
results.
Bullet sinker with treble hooks and
yarn streamers
Eventually, even most empty cartridge cases usually end up being recycled
into fishing lures at our house. Center fire cartridges that have outlived their
reloading life spans simply have their primers punched out at the loading
bench. For spent rim fire cases, I use a hammer and nail to punch holes
through the base. Then I paint a couple of bright eyespots onto the case and
thread this empty case onto a line ahead of a yarn skirted treble hook. This
very quickly produces another lure that
catches fish.
With the aid of a drill, hacksaw, and some
sandpaper, a whole bunch of really nice lures can be produced from a single
deer antler. First, saw off all of the tines (or points). These are drilled
through, painted, and have treble hooks attached to produce the torpedoshaped lures illustrated.
Setting a hook into a cast spoonmold lure
Now, diagonal slices of varying thickness can be sawn off the remaining
antler. These are sanded smooth (maybe even buffed and polished), painted
in differing patterns, and drilled as shown. With skirted hooks attached, these are usually very productive
lures. Leftover antler pieces, too small to make into lures, can be sawn into thin slices and drilled button
fashion to be used as bobber stops.
While you’re using your metal measuring spoons to cast sinkers anyway, it’s not a bad
idea to occasionally insert a hook into the molten metal, as shown, and hold it in place
with pliers until the lead solidifies. Paint these spoon-type lures in varying color
combinations. I also produce spoon type lures from thrift shop silverware by cutting off
the handle and filing the lure smooth.
Lure made from a
thrift store spoon:
cut off the handle
and file smooth.
Many top water lures, or plugs, can be simply fashioned out of wood by even a mediocre
whittler. Just about every lure I’ve ever made in this manner has done a good job of
catching fish. For your very first attempt, you might want to try turning an ordinary
clothespin into a fine floating bass lure, as shown, just to give you a sense of how well this
can work.
Possibly my very favorite wooden lure, though, is a copy of the ancient
Devon Minnow, one of the first successful artificial lures ever recorded. To
fashion this lure, you’ll need to carve one piece of wood into a nice tapered
cigar sort of shape, and then sand this lure body real nice and smooth.
Now, take a piece of dowel about half the diameter, and two-thirds the length
of the lure body. Trim the ends of this dowel so that each end forms a flat
section at approximately 90° to each other. Drill an appropriate sized hole
crosswise through the body of the lure and glue the dowel in place through
this hole. Insert a small screw eye at each end of the lure. Attach a treble
hook (with or without a skirt) at one end, with the opposite eye serving to
attach your line.
Plug-type top water lure made by
setting a large single hook into a
wooden clothespin
Paint each side of the lure with a different color, and paint on eyespots. This
lure spins much like a rifle bullet as you retrieve it through the water,
producing just as many catches today as when it was originated hundreds of
years ago.
A couple of other carved wooden lures is also illustrated to help add a little
inspiration as you begin thinking up your own styles and designs for
producing these sorts of lures.
I’ve also learned to keep a sharp eye out at our
area thrift stores for cheap costume jewelry.
The Devon Minnow lure
Until you get some experience of your own,
you just can’t believe how many, fine quality
“fish catchers” can be produced from “junk” necklaces. Sometimes you
might need to add a short length of polished copper tube, a spoon blade, or
some other extra to the beads and baubles you string on your line. But junk
shop jewelry always seems to be even more attractive to fish than it was to
its original wearer.
Carved wooden lures
Make Your Own Plastic Bait Molds
It’s relatively cheap and easy to make your own plastic worms, salamanders and grubs.
To get started, you will need to gather several items. Those are: a pot, stirring spoon, liquid plastic, glitter
and dye, a burner, cloth and some molds. You can buy or make your own molds. To make your own, buy
some molding clay and shape it into what you want your bait to look like, cutting pieces away here,
pushing little indentations in there.
As you work with the clay, it will harden into your mold. You can also make a mold by filling a cookie
sheet just less than full with a liquid acrylic or some other substance that will dry hard.
Before it dries, take your favorite plastics and lay them into the acrylic. When the liquid starts to set, pull
the plastics out. Make adjustments to the mold as needed using a finger or toothpick. If your wife won't let
you borrow a cookie sheet and the kids steal all the clay, you can also just order retail molds however, most
molds you buy will only allow you to pour a couple baits at a time.
Molds are reasonably priced. Websites generally offers one-to three-cavity hard-plastic molds for around
$6, and $6 to $15 for rubber molds.
Step 1
Melt plastic
To melt the liquid plastic, you need a pouring pot. You can make one yourself by taking an old saucepan
and bending a spout in it. You will also need a burner such as the one on your stove or even a propane
camping stove works well.
Many experts would agree the single worst thing you can do is melt the plastic too fast. If you scorch it, it
will smell like burnt rubber and will be tough to catch fish with. Melt the plastic slow until it turns from a
milky white to clear. A pot will set you back $10, and plastic will run you $5 for a pint to $30 for a gallon.
Step 2
Add dyes, glitter
To the pot of melted plastic, add dye in the color you want your bait. Add a little at a time as a little black
or blue goes a long way. Stir it in and dab a little of the mix onto a white background. Check it with a lure
of the color you want to emulate. Messes with it until you get what you want then add glitter or flake.
Dyes can cost $4 for a 1-ounce bottle; glitter is $4 for a 2-fluid-ounce bottle on a few websites or eBay.
Step 3
Pour plastic
Tilt the pot so a nice, slow, small amount of plastic flows into the mold. When the spout starts to
wick, stop and clean the spout thoroughly. When you're done pouring one bait, swirl the remaining
plastic like you would when rinsing a pan this keeps the flakes from settling and fill the other mold.
Put the plastic back on the heat to keep it soft. If you want to pour multi-colored baits, have two pots
on hand. Pour the appendages and then fill in the main color. If you want layered colors, pour the
first color to the desired thickness, then fill the mold with the other color. Just remember be quick.
You don't want the first color to set before the second color is poured.
Step 4
Let baits cool
Let the baits stand. When they've cooled (takes 1-2 minutes), remove them from the mold. If your
baits are turning out too tough or break easy, plastic hardeners and softeners are available to correct
this.
Step 5
Pour process
Trim baits
You'll probably need to trim the baits because of extra flaps from over pouring and missing the impression.
Get a sharp knife and place the bait on a hard surface, preferably white, so you can see the excess to be
trimmed. Place the blade on it like you're going to slice it away but don't slice. Instead, take the bait and
lift it away from the knife and excess plastic. If you slice, you can tear or break the bait.
Step 6
Finishing
After trimming, package your baits Ziploc Bags and add any special scents or salt, or both.
Making Your Own Crank Bait (Version 1)
Making wood crank bait is a little more time consuming than making other types of lures, but is still rather
easy. Follow the steps below to make your very own wooden crank bait.
Required Material:
Balsa wood (about 1/4" thick)
Stainless steel or brass wire (.020" to .030" diameter)
Lead sinker (1/8oz. to 1/4oz.)
Waterproof glue
Clear coat paint
Aluminum foil
Acrylic paint (any color you like)
Cutting board
Tracing paper (pattern paper)
Sand paper
Cutting knife
Crank bait lips
Split rings
2 Treble hooks
Step 1
Start by drawing a simplistic lure design on some tracing paper. It should be about two to four inches in
length. Then glue two pieces of balsa wood together and put your paper pattern on top of the wood. Next,
gently mark balsa wood with your pattern so that you can use your cutting knife. Cut the wood so that it
looks like your pattern. Round off your edges using sand paper and then separate your two newly shaped
wood pieces. You should end up with two symmetrical parts of the lure.
Step 2
Using your cutting knife start by gently carving a small grove for the wire and lead weight as pictured.
Glue your two halves together and sand until smooth. Next, apply several layers of clear coat to your
unpainted plug of wood.
Step 3
Now draw your desired patterns onto the aluminum foil tape. Gently apply foil to your lure. Be careful not
to wrinkle the foil during application.
Step 4
Now apply several thinner clear coats to the newly foiled body.
Step 5
Now decide whether you are going to paint your lure or leave it aluminum silver, and then apply eyes with
some glue and match a diving lip to bait your crank bait.
Step 6
A diving lip is attached by gently cutting a tiny grove into the head of the lure and gluing it into position.
Finally, attach two split rings for the treble hooks, one for the diving lip and you’re done! Make sure to let
stand for glue and paint to dry overnight.
Your completed crank bait is now ready to catch a trophy!
Making Your Own Crank Bait (Version 2)
The idea of writing an instructional article on crank bait making was borne of my
own trials and frustrations of not having enough available tutoring at hand, either
in print or in person. Of the hundreds of books I own, which encompass almost
every fact-minute of lures, tackle and fishing only a few touches upon the topic of
making your own wooden crank baits. In my research for this article, it was even
difficult to locate periodical articles on the subject. Is it because of the myth that
crank bait making is difficult? Is it because lures on the market are thought to be
better? It is my hopes that this brief article will clearly explain steps to success in making crank baits that
catch big fish. I consider myself a life-long "student of crank bait making" as there is always something
new to try and another fish to fool.
First I should tell you from my own experience that carving and assembling wooden lures is loads of fun.
It's hard to say what's more fun, a good day fishing or carving up a lure that makes people think it's a real
fish hanging' on your line! I'll tell you this though when you put them both together, well its bliss! Now,
lets begin by looking to the trees and finding wood that will work well for our little endeavor. I have found
red cedar to be the easiest to work with for several reasons. It is inexpensive and readily available (I think
it's also my personal liking to the wood). It also has a good casting weight. Cedar is also easy to sand and
can leave you with a pretty smooth surface. This wood will make it easy for you to screw into but does split
on occasion, if we're not careful (pre-drilling holes would eliminate this).
You can experiment with other types of wood like balsa, basswood or pine. OK, now that we've selected
our wood, we must decide on a shape and that depends on a few things. One is your target species, and it's
average size, another is depth range and common forage during the season you'll likely be fishing.
Obviously if it's pan fish you're after you're going to want to stick with a shape that's 2-inches or less.
Unfortunately these are generally more difficult to make because any errors in the placement of the
components is magnified relative to the overall body size. At least till you get the hang of things, stick with
something at least 4-inches long, that seems to be a good overall size for lot's of different species of fish
should you happen across one. I've included a 4-in. pattern that you can print out for you to work from.
Trace the pattern onto a piece of cardboard and use this as your template for tracing onto your wood block.
Use a piece of wood that's clean, free of knots and for this lure you'll need it to be about 5/8" thick. Lay
your template onto the wood and trace your lure shape.
The Craft
now this is where it starts to get tricky, depending on your woodworking skills. If you own or have access
to a scroll saw (about $100 in store), it'll make this job much easier, if not, the good old-fashioned coping
saw (about $10) always worked for me.
Note: Always wear safety glasses when working wood.
If you're using a coping saw, place your wood block in a vice in a way that you're most comfortable with. If
you don't have a vice use a clamp. Now you want to make sure that you cut as evenly as possible and try to
stay just on the outside of your line. After your shape is cut, inspect your cut from all angles and check to
make sure that it's even on both sides (especially if you cut by hand). Wood is cheap and if you're not
satisfied write it off as practice and try again. So far you've warmed up your wood working skills. If you've
never done this before then you've just experienced what it must have been like for the first MAN on earth
who wanted to fool a fish into eating his hand made decoy, just as you're doing now. The wonderful feeling
he had when he succeeded you'll soon experience also!
You must also cut the slot for the "lip" to slide into. This should be done before any carving so that the lure
can lay flat on it's side if you're using the scroll saw or it will sit level in a vice if you use the coping
saw. Either way you MUST be sure that the slot is perfectly perpendicular to the lure body. The slot in the
pattern included shows the slot with 3/32" thickness. I have found this ideal for the lure body. You can
adjust the thickness to suit the plastic you may have available, however I would not go any thinner than
1/8".
See "Attaching Lip" for details.
Your lure should look just like this:
Your next step is going to help you know where the center is at all times while you carve. Using a ruler
mark the center along the top and bottom of you're lure shape and draw a line that runs the distance from
end to end on bottom and top. Draw another line that runs down the same axis midway between your
centerline and the edge on both the top and bottom. Use your middle finger as a chock to guide your line.
Now you should have 4 equally spaced sections on the top and bottom of your shape. Again using your
middle finger as a chock, run a line equal in width to your sections along the curved edge on both sides of
your shape.
Your lure side view should look just like this:
The bottom should look like this:
Now you'll need a carving knife and I don't mean the one that grandma used to carve the turkey. There are
plenty of good carving knives you can buy in a wood working store and I use them exclusively. They're
great for the job and you can even carve details into your lure for a more realistic looking 3D effect (I think
this impresses your friends more than the fish). However, all you really need to get the job done is a boxcutting razor or something similar as long as it has a sharp blade.
Note: Most accidents are caused by a blade that's not sharp enough or trying to take off too much wood in
one pass but please be careful.
Now it's time to start carving so put your safety glasses on! First, get a good grip on the lure with one end
on the table you're going to work on. Carefully and slowly begin to carve out all your edges using the lines
you made as a guide. Don't try to take it all out in one pass, as it is important not to go beyond the lines.
Obviously the general idea here is to carve the wood in the shape of a fish. However, there are also some
design specifications that have to be maintained in order to attain the action that the lure is intended to
have. One of these variables that affect the action is the shape. I've done a lot of experimenting with lure
shapes over the years and have found that sometimes even a small divergence from the intended design will
change the action dramatically. So try and stick to the pattern and you should be just fine.
Once you've carved out the edges satisfactorily, it's time to taper the sides. The idea here is to carve a
shape that gradually tapers back to a 5/16" on either end. Stand the lure on the tail side and from almost
1/2 way up the lure; make one pass with the knife removing wood diagonally. Make another pass starting
from about 1/4 of the way up the lure. Your final cut should meet your top guideline. Repeat this process
for the opposite side. Now from the top and bottom view you can see how you've done. Have you taken
equal amounts off both sides? The left and right side should be a mirror of one another. You can go ahead
and carefully touch it up so they're smooth and even. Now let's move on to the head of the lure. Again
stand the lure on the end we're going to carve and hold securely. Remember to always carve away from
your fingers, trust me this won't be much fun anymore if you hurt yourself. Basically, you want to bring
the nose to a taper like you did with the tail only this time you'll begin from about 1/4 of the way up the
side of the lure. Make a smooth taper towards the nose until the carve meets with the top guideline.
Your lure should look just like this:
Continue to remove edge tapering and
narrowing the overall body. It is important to the balance of the lure that you remove equal weight on both
sides so whatever you remove on one half; try to mirror it on the other. You should end up with a relatively
smooth oval shape that gradually tapers from end to end leaving a flat circular surface on both ends for
which to screw into later.
You should end up with a shape like this:
Now it's time to sand your lure. Always sand in the direction of the grain. You'll begin with coarse paper;
around 100 grit and work your way to 400 grit papers until you have a very smooth surface. Using the 100
grit paper, begin by smoothing any imperfections on the surface. This stage of the sanding also helps to
shape the lure so make sure you have an oval shaped lure where the right half is a mirror of the left.
Use a 200-grit paper to remove scratches and the 400-grit paper to give it a smooth-as-glass feel.
Attaching Lip
You can use various plastics but I have found that the clearest and most durable is a product from Dupont
called Lexan or Polycarbonate. This or other "Plexiglas" products can be bought at any home improvement
store at various thicknesses, which can be cut to the desired shape (trapezoidal with rounded edge about 1/2
inch long) using your scroll or coping saw and then smoothing the edges with sandpaper. When attaching
the lip, be sure that it sites centered in the lure body and perpendicular to the axis of the body.
The 5-Minute Process
The defector standard in epoxy for lure making is of the 5-minute variety. This is not to say that 5-minute
epoxy cures in 5 minutes. It is to say, however, that 5-minute epoxy sets and takes a hard-fast shape in 5
minutes.
Attaching Screws
Important: Proper alignment of eye screws is crucial to the action of lure. The screws must all be aligned
in the center of the lure. Mark the center of the front of the lure using a fine point pen. Make a starter
hole using a pin or small nail; this is just to start the screw in the right position. Start your eye-screw
slowly, making sure to keep center as you are turning and paying attention to any sign of splitting. Turn
the screw in until the "eye" of the screw starts to dig into the lure body. Check the alignment of all
screws by viewing the lure from the front and back. The front and middle screw should line up when
viewing from the front and the rear and middle should line up when viewing from the rear. Make sure that
the eye-screw is centered and perpendicular to lure body like picture above.
Paint job
The key to any paint being used is adhesion. The paint has to bond to the surface. The wood should be
primed or sealed before any water-based paint is applied. Use an oil-based sealer/primer. There are two
basic kinds of paints available on the market today, oil base and water base. Water-base paint or acrylic, as
it's also known has the obvious convenience of ease of use and easy clean up. Normally, the drawback to
acrylic and wood is it raises the grain of the wood due to its water base. But as long as the wood is sealed
(primed) there is no need to be concerned. The second drawback is that it doesn't adhere to the primer as
well as the second paint option, oil base paint. There are many different kinds of oil-base paints out on the
market today so stick with enamel that has a hi-solid content and dries quickly.
The main drawback of oil-base enamel is that clean up is difficult. Everything has to be cleaned with a
solvent like turpentine. If you have an airbrush you can work with that, if not rest assured that the greatest
pieces of art were made with paint and a brush. A good Sable or Camelhair brush will should give you
smooth even strokes.
Colors
For bass fishing, it's best to stick to basic colors. Crank baits should match in a general way, the most
dominant forage in the lake. Thus, popular crank bait colors that should be included in your tackle box
include: silver and black (shad), green and silver (Tennessee shad), chrome (open water baitfish), orange
and brown (crawfish), etc. If golden shiners occur in your waters, "match the hatch" by using gold crank
baits. Fluorescent colors are effective on crank baits in many conditions. A popular combination is
fluorescent green (chartreuse)/black spots/orange belly in stained water and/or cloudy days. Red works well
around grass beds in clear and stained water. But always keep in mind that 80 percent of the strikes you get
are due to your retrieve, not color. Choose the design for your lure such as "Perch", "Trout", "Shad" or any
other popular finish or be creative and use your imagination, you never know what crazy color combo can
land you that clunker. Paint your primary color using smooth even strokes trying to avoid any drips and
runs.
After your first coat is dry, if your base coat looks a little translucent apply a second base coat. Next you
can start adding your detailing colors, gills, lateral lines eyes and mouth are some of the details you may
want to add to your crank bait to make it look very realistic. I prefer using plastic molded eyes but the
painted eyes look just as good. If you allow the paint to dry too long after a prior coating or if you are using
a gloss paint, give it a light sanding with a 400 grit sandpaper. Also, give the lure a light sanding before
applying a clear coat.
Protective clear coat
After your lure has been painted and you are satisfied with the look, then it's time to apply a protective,
durable clear coat. There are many to choose from on the market today but the strongest and the most
durable is the two-part clear epoxy or polyurethane kind (you can use Flex coat Rod coating). This is
basically the same stuff that cars are painted with. Purchase a can of this stuff at your local hardware store
or home improvement superstores and follow the directions. You can apply 2 or more coats of this for a
glass like finish on your creation.
Hardware - Hooks and Split Rings
The proper hook size and split ring is also an important factor in your creation. For this size lure, I
recommend size "6" Treble Hook and size "2" split ring. Adding the split rings is probably most tedious
part of this endeavor, especially without a good pair of split ring pliers. Use a good quality split ring
(Stainless Steel) and pry it open with a small screwdriver and slip it on to the center and rear screws. Then
just slip your trebles onto the ring.
Tuning crank baits
Crank baits (especially homemade ones) have to be "tuned" so that they run true. Start by always using a
loop knot or split ring to tie your lure on. This is to allow the lure the action it was intended to have. Now
check how it's swimming. You can do some preliminary checks in a full tub if needed but it’s best to go
lakeside for this. Most discrepancies in the placement of the "lip" and "eye-screws" can be compensated to
make your crank bait run true. With needle-nose pliers bend the "line" eye in small increments, in the
opposite direction the lure favors. Sometimes fisherman will intentionally mistune a crank bait to get it to
swim in a certain direction, such as along a weed line or log.
How To Make a Wooden Plug
Wooden plugs are among the oldest and most popular baits in existence. For well over a century, anglers
have been using look-alike baitfish whittled from blocks of wood to catch fish. Today, many commercial
crank baits are made of plastic, although some of the high-end tackle companies still manufacture the more
impressive wooden baits.
The Result:
4" Top water Plug
Step 1
Prepare Your Workspace
Before you start, you will need to locate and prepare a suitable workspace. Choose wisely, as you will
likely spill paint, shoot sawdust, chip the furniture, and operate loud and dangerous machinery. In other
words, don't build wooden plugs on your nice dining room table next to your children.
Once you settle into your workspace, gather the necessary tools and materials and organize them on your
workbench. Hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door to prevent any disturbances and put on your safety
goggles.
Step 2
Choose the Wood and Cut the Body Block
The body block is a rectangle block of wood slightly larger than the dimensions of the lure you want to
make. In this case, we will be making a 4" (inch) crank bait, so we will need to create a body block with the
following dimensions:
Using a scroll saw, carpenter's saw, or other similar cutting device, cut a block of wood with the
dimensions shown above. Be sure to wear your safety goggles during any cutting, sanding or carving of
wood!
The type of wood you choose will affect the action of the lure. As a general rule, softer woods (balsa, pine,
cedar, white cedar, basswood) are lighter and thus have faster action and a tendency to float. Harder woods
(maple, oak, ash, and walnut) are more difficult to shape, but make excellent suspending lures with tighter
action. These relationships are shown in the following diagram:
Each type of wood will catch fish. We suggest your experiment with different types of wood until you find
one that produces the best action for the lure you’re creating.
(Note: most commercial lures are made of basswood, cedar, white cedar or balsa).
We will start with balsa because it is easy to saw, carve and finish.
Step 3
Draw the Lure Pattern onto the Body Block
You will need to draw the profile of your lure onto each of the four sides (not the ends) of the wooden body
block. The profile on the left and right sides must be mirror images of each other so the two sides are
balanced. The top and bottom profiles can be different depending on the type of lure you’re creating.
Although some skilled hobbyists can trace the shapes freehand, we prefer to trace paper patterns onto the
block so that our measurements are precise and repeatable. Feel free to create your own lure patterns, or
print and use the patterns below. These patterns will create standard diving crank bait. Trace the side view
patterns onto the sides of the wooden body block. Trace the top view pattern onto the top and bottom of the
wooden body block. Do not trace anything on the ends of the block.
Step 4
Cut the Body Along the Pattern Lines
Using a scroll saw, cut the sides of the block along the pattern lines. When you are done, you should have
three wooden pieces (see below diagram).
Tape the three pieces back together to prepare for the top-to-bottom cut.
Using the skill saw again, cut through the wooden block from top to bottom along the top view pattern
lines. Remove the remaining tape and retrieve your rough-cut plug.
Step 5
Carving the Plug
Using a sharp wood carving knife, shave the edges of the plug to round the lure into it's approximate shape.
This is also the time to customize the shape of the lure by carving unique features into the body (gills, fins,
etc.). Be sure to always cut away from yourself to avoid injury!
Step 6
Sand the Plug
After you have carved the plug to its approximate shape; sand the plug to its final shape using 60-grit
sandpaper. When the shape is correct, use the 120 grit sandpaper to smooth the plug. Finally, use the 400grit sandpaper to give the plug a final surface for painting.
Step 7
Prepare the Plug for the Hardware
Mark the hardware locations with a fine felt tipped marker using the following diagram as a guide.
Drill a small pilot hole for the screw eye on the front (line tie) and the hook attachments on the rear and
bottom. Be sure to use a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the width of the screw.
Step 8
Paint the Plug
Before you attach any hardware (screws, lips, eyes, etc.), you need to paint the plug. The painting process
must happen in a specific order to protect the wood and highlight the colors.
a. First, paint the wooden plug with a clear sealer. This seals the lure and protects the wood against water
corrosion.
b. Next, apply a white primer coat. Allow the coat to dry and repeat until the white coat strongly covers the
entire lure.
c. Now, paint the lure with any colors you desire. We choose silver, but you can use any color you like.
Allow the paint to dry.
d. Finally, seal the painted lure with a final waterproof clear coat.
Step 9
Add the Hardware
After the paint has dried, you can add the hardware. Locate the holes you drilled prior to painting and mark
any additional hardware locations with a fine felt tipped marker using the following diagram as a guide.
Insert a 1" closed eye screw into the front of the lure to form the line eye attachment. (Note: if crank bait
cups are used, insert the cup between the hook attachment screws and the plug prior to inserting the screw.)
Attach treble hooks to the bottom and rear hook attachments.
Insert 1/4" hook attachment screws into the bottom of the plug to hold the hook attachments in place.
Attach any additional eyes, fins, rattles, stickers, weights, etc.
Step 10. Invent Your Own Plugs!
Now that you know the basics, you can invent your own plugs.
Play around with body shapes, sizes, colors, and hardware until
you find something that works for your fishing conditions.
Making Plaster Molds for Soft Baits
When making soft plastic fishing lures, the first thing you need
to do is make a good mold. I have been using Plaster of Paris. It
works okay for the hobbyist, but is not a good solution for large
volume or production manufacturing. (I will be doing research
on better alternatives for an upcoming article).
I use aluminum pie pans for my molds because they are
relatively cheap and the plaster doesn't stick to them at all. After the mold dries, you'll want to coat the
plaster with a sealant like Mod Podge. This makes the mold harder and fills in the tiny pores in the plaster
to prevent imperfections in your lure. If you don't apply the sealant, the plaster will tear apart and break and
the worm will stick to it. The sealant can be applied using a kid’s paintbrush.
There are many different ways to go about designing your mold. You can modify bait already on the
market for your own personal use, or create your own design from clay or wood. I personally like using
clay to make a design I like. I then bake it in the oven to harden it. When it is done cooling, I coat it with
Mod Podge. After the Mod Podge has dried and I'm ready to make my mold, I take the clay lure and rub a
very small amount of Vaseline on it to keep it from sticking to the plaster. If you don't, you'll wish you had!
Making the Lure Design Step-by-Step
1. Make the design out of clay
2. Harden the design - Follow baking instructions on box of clay (some brands don't need to be baked)
3. Coat the hard clay lure design with a sealant such as Mod Podge and let dry
4. Coat the lure with very thin layer of Vaseline.
Making a Basic 1 Part Mold Step-by-Step
1. Fill a small aluminum pie pan with Plaster of Paris.
2. Press the Vaseline-coated clay lure into the plaster and allow the plaster to dry around it. Make sure you
leave the top of the clay lure exposed. You should not allow any plaster to cover the exposed portion of the
lure.
3. When the plaster is hard, remove the clay lure.
4. Seal the mold cavity with Mod Podge.
Using a Basic 1 Part Mold Step-by-Step
1. Pour the liquid plastic into the mold cavity
2. Allow it to cool
3. Remove the cooled plastic lure
4. Place the lure in a bowl of cold water
5. Remove from water and lay straight on a paper towel to dry
6. Trim off any overflow plastic
Now that you can make your own simple molds, I'll tell you how to make more detailed double molds. The
double mold allows you to make a full casting of the lure design, similar to injection-molded lures.
Making an Advanced 2 Part Mold Step-by-Step
1. Fill a small aluminum pie pan half way up with Plaster of Paris.
2. Press the Vaseline-coated clay lure half way into the plaster, leaving the top half exposed. When you set
the bait in the mold you'll want to make sure one side of the lure is close to the edge of the pan (about a half
an inch of less is good).
3. Add two or three Vaseline-coated bolts to the plaster so they stick up and out of the mold. These will
serve as guides for the second mold layer so they match up exactly during the pouring phase.
4. Allow the plaster to harden around the lure.
5. Coat the surface of the plaster with a thin layer of Vaseline.
6. Pour on the top layer of Plaster so the lure is completely covered. Pour enough to fill the pan to the top.
7. Allow the top layer to dry.
8. After the top layer dries carefully turn the pan upside down and allow the plaster mold to slide out.
9. Carefully take the two mold layers apart. To do this, I use a putty knife that I tap in between the two
layers...very softly working my way around the mold. The key to this part (and the whole process for that
matter) is to take your time. If you don't, the mold will break.
10. Now you will make a pouring hole. I use a dentist’s scraper. Start scraping away the pouring hole from
the inside out (from the edge of the mold cavity toward the edge of the mold). Do this to both layers of the
mold so the pouring hole lines up when the two layers are connected. Keep scraping until you have created
a hole large enough to pour plastic through.
11. Now you will need to make the venting hole to allow air to escape as the plastic is poured in. To do
this, scrape a thin hole from the mold cavity to the edge of the mold in another part of the lure. When you
are done, you should have two holes running from the edge of the mold into the mold cavity - a venting
hole and a pouring hole.
12. Coat the insides of the molds (the mold cavity and the holes) with sealant and let it dry.
I also coat around the outside of the hole in case I overfill it, or miss the hole. This will prevent the
overflow plastic from mixing with the plaster (so you can reuse it later)
Using a 2 Part Mold Step-by-Step
1. Connect the two sections of your mold using the bolts to line it up
2. Slowly pour the hot liquid plastic into the mold through the pouring hole.
3. Fill the mold until the plastic is just about to overflow through the pouring hole
4. Allow the lure to cool in the mold
5. Pull the two sections of the mold apart.
6. Remove the cooled plastic lure
7. Place the lure in a bowl of cold water
8. Remove from water and lay straight on a paper towel to dry
9. Trim off any overflow plastic
Lead Casting Weights Using a Mold
Equipment Needed:
Lead
Melting pot
Melting ladle
Weight/Jig mold
* Lead melts at 620° F so you will need a reliable source of heat.
Step 1
Check your mold cavities to make sure they are clean of debris. Heat molten lead to 620 degrees.
Step 2
Close the mold and firmly hold in one hand. Carefully pour lead into mold cavities using ladle. If making
weighted jig heads, insert desired hooks into mold before pouring lead.
Step 3
The lead will cool quickly. Carefully remove weights or jigs from mold. Careful they can still burn!
Step 4
Remove excess lead from weights with shears. For split shot, use hammer and old knife to split as desired.
Make Your Own Colorful Spoons
Parts Needed:
Retail Spoon blanks or scrap metal
Treble Hooks
Split Rings
Colorful tape with various patterns (or paint and brush)
Split Ring Pliers
Scissors
Sharp utility knife
Step 1
Using a pair of scissors cut pieces of tape to fit spoon size.
You can also paint your spoon blanks or scrap metal if you don’t have any tape.
Step 2:
Remove tape backing carefully.
Step 3
Firmly push your cut piece of tape onto spoon blank.
Step 4
With a sharp knife carefully slide blade along edge of your spoon removing excess tape.
Step 5
With scissors cut a second strip and apply in same fashion, using knife to remove any excess.
Step 6
Keep applying tape as desired in a rainbow pattern fashion on spoon.
Step 7
Use split ring pliers or fingernail to attach treble hook and split ring to spoon hole. If using scrap metal,
you can use a hand drill to create a hole.
Tying Your Own Feather Fly Tailed Trebles
Here’s how to create your own feather tailed treble hooks for use by themselves or attach them to spoons to
create your very own custom spinner baits.
You Will Need:
Treble Hooks Use sizes 3/0, 4/0, or 5/0
Fly Tying Vice
Scissors
Rubber cement with applicator brush
Heavy sewing thread and bobbin
Assortment of colorful feathers
Step 1
Insert the treble hook into a fly tying vise. Wrap thread slowly starting at the hook eye working towards
hook points. You will need a 1/2-inch to 1-inch long bed (wrap of string around hook) depending on the
number of different feathers you want to apply.
Step 2
After completing the bed for the feathers, work plenty of rubber cement into the thread to hold it in place.
Step 3
Place the first feather onto the bed of string wrapping with thread four to six times. Make sure to keep
thread tight while wrapping. Work cement over the wraps of thread.
Step 4
Switch the hook held in vise and tie another feather along another side of hook shank in same fashion
finishing with cement. Continue doing this on all three sides until you have applied all feathers as desired.
Let dry for a few hours, and then trim feathers to shape as desired.
Attach spoon to fly and you have your very own spinner bait, crank bait or fish by separately!
Make Your Own Fishing Pole
Materials Needed:
5’ green twig or bamboo cane
18 gauge wire
Large empty thread spool
20 oz coke bottle
Coat hanger with cardboard dowel
2 corks
Fishing line
Lures & hooks
Ruler
Wire cutters
Pliers
Scissors
Awl
Find a green twig (not an old dried out stick), a little taller than you are when your hands are raised over
your head. The stick should be about 1" wide at one end, tapering to 1/4 " at the other. Smooth the stick by
trimming off the small shoots with sandpaper or a file. If a green twig isn't available, you can use a
bamboo stick.
Eyes: To keep your fishing line running straight all the way down the pole, put screw eyes along the rod, as
follows:
Put one screw eye about two feet from the wide end of the pole. Keeping the screw eyes lined up on the
same side of the pole, attach two or three more screw eyes at equal intervals along the fishing pole.
You can make your own screw eyes also. For each eye, cut a piece of wire (about 18 gauge) about 6" long,
and form the wire into the looped shapes. Set the looped wire along the fishing rod. Wrap other pieces of
wire around each end of the looped wire and rod. Twist the loop at the center, twisting it against the pole.
Reel: Insert a coat hanger wire through the hole of a large thread spool. Trim the wire so that 6" extends
from one spool end and 1" extends from the other spool end. To hold the wire firmly in place, hammer thin
dowels or sticks into the spool holes.
Using a 20 oz plastic pop bottle, remove the top and the bottom, leaving the flat center section intact. You
now have a cylinder of flat plastic. Cut into 2" wide rings, and then cut through the center of each ring to
make a strip (each rod will need one strip of plastic). Round off the 4 edges so they are not sharp. Poke a
hole into each side of the plastic so the spool is just below each side. Set the spool between the sides of the
plastic so that the spool wires extend through the holes in the plastic.
Bend the longer wire into a crank. Slip a small spool or piece of cardboard roll from a coat hanger over the
crank. Push a cork over the shorter wire to hold the reel in place on the rod.
Slip the rod through the reel, resting the rod on the bottom of the plastic piece. Turn the reel until it lines
up with the eyes and is 4" from the wide end of the rod. Nail the plastic part of the reel to the rod at each
side and bottom of the reel.
Beginning at the narrow end of the rod, thread fishing line through each eye, and tie a tight knot around the
spool. Use the crank to wind the line around the spool. Leave enough line extending from the tip of the
pole to tie a lure to the line.