tschneid83

the fish came from a golf course pond...... They never let anyone fish and well they sold so now free game and lots of fish that size.

to start.... I have tried uploading some pics to the photo forum but they have not come through....anyone know why? Anyways I cant stand it anymore I have to share.... pictured below is what I have been able to do with the help of this site. This is the first crank I have made that I liked and well it appeared to work since the first fish I caught on it was this nice 3 to 3.5 lber. I want to thank everyone again and like some of you mentioned..... nothing compares to catching a fish on your own lure. I was jumping up and down like I won a million dollars. Thanks again, tschneid83

I have had little time to test my design but i did get a chance to chuck it a few times and it did wobble. I like my design and is something I assume will work. Am I wrong for assuming i need to worry about lip angle and size more than lure design. I know I will have to make some adjusments to both lure and lip but could you not throw a square piece of balsa with a lip and it would wobble. Please dont take that the wrong way either b/c I know some of you spend hours and hours on design and tweaking but for a beginner is it not better to get things down first then start tweaking.

well I figured I would give an update on how things are going. Finding time to get a couple done has been the main problem but I am getting close. I decided to give the laquer thinner and solo cups (tutorial) a try just to see how things work out. I had some cups and laquer around so why not. My main problem has been getting the sanding down so everything is even but I have learned to stay away from the sander as much as possible and use some elbow grease to get it the way I want it. on another note..... thanks again to everyone that responded. I will never through wire again while using basswood. The exacto knife hook hangers and epoxy are a lot eaiser and I can not pull them out but maybe I am a wuss. I also put some split rings and hooks on and it rises slow (way to slow) so I have to use less weight and I am getting close. look for another pic posted soon. Thanks again

I want to thank everyone that has made comments. I really appreciate them. I hope I did not seem like one of those "tell me how to do this and this" type of people. I visit multiple message boards and I do not like those type of people. I am just glad that the senko craze is over. On one of the message boards I look at every third post was "what is a senko", "how to fish a senko", etc, etc, etc...... Ok back to the lure. When I added my weight I drilled out both sides evenly (tried to) and then inserted the weight this way I did not have to fill in with adhesive but now that a couple of people have mentioned it I guess that is prolly easier to drill the bottom out and fill in. With the weights, I am assuming that hook hangers would work with basswood? If I was using balsa I can see some problems with hook hangers. Well thanks again. I will keep posting (bothering you) when I get a new bait made.

I am not sure why I used through wire, If something better is available I would be open to some suggestions. Should I just use some hook hangers or maybe the line ties in the tutorials? Currently the bait barely floats and that is withought split rings and hooks which is not a lot of weight but enough and I assume the bait prolly will float a lot more with basswood. Thanks for the comments.

Ok folks, I want to start off by thanking everyone on this site for all the information they have given me over the last couple of years. I have been a long time lurker of this site and I finally got the motivation to try and make a bait of my own. with that being said...... attached are a couple of photos that I took of a bait I somewhat finished. One of the pictures shows the bait and nothing more. The other is the same pic with the layout painted (microsoft paint) on the bait. I made this first bait out of pine just to get an idea down. Once I get something I really like I have some basswood waiting to see the saw. The bait still needs a lot of fine sanding around the bill, eyelets, etc, etc but I was hoping that some of you kind people would take a look at my bait, check out the layout and tell me what you think. I apologize for the hole on the side of the bait. The bait was a lot thicker and well when I sanded it down I did not realize that I hit my drill hole for the weight. The lip material is also a little thick but all I had available at the time so I just sanded down the front edges and it turned out sort of cool. Since I live in Indiana (stupid winter) I have only had a chance to run it in the bathtub where it at least floats upright and seems to have a wobble. Thanks a bunch, tschneid83

Ok so i have a couple of questions for all of you. I was getting into lure building and then stopped when i had no time but i still want to use custom lures. So i thought about buying some of the unpainted lures and painting them how i want them. The problem is i have no idea of the process. I tired some searching through the threads but it is hard to gather all of the info in one place. They say these lures (plastic) are ready to paint, i sort of doubt that but i could be wrong. So i was hoping someone could list all of the materials needed for painting a lure. I will be using an airbrush that my brother has. Since i am dealing with plastic lures i am sure the process is a little different from wood lures. So if someone could list what i need i would greatly appreciate it. The main thing i need to know is what kind of paint to use. I am also planning on using devcon 2 ton, which seems to be what a lot of people use from what i have read, but also need to know how to apply this. Do you dip it or brush it on once you painted the lure. Thanks to anyone who replies and thanks for helping a new guy out.

which is better to use for shallow (1-6ft) running cranks, 1/16 or 1/8 lexan for the lip.

Say i have a bunch of old baits that i want to melt down. What is the easiest way to do that. I have tried using a ceramic bowl in the microwave but that makes a lot of smoke and smells horrible. I could deal with the smell it is the smoke that sucks. Is there something cheap that i can buy to make my baits out of. thanks guys. This website has helped me alot.

Does anyone know an easy way to make a mold so that i can pour some senko type baits. I think i got the salt content down i just need a quick mold. I dont want to buy one. I looked at the tutorials but the silicone seems to take a while and it looks messy.

Bass love wounded bait right? That is why we put red hooks on or paint the belly red. Why dont people make more cranks with a bleeding appearance. Do the bass sometimes favor a bait that is not bleeding. Just wondering some opinions.

Hello. My name is Tim Schneider and I am from the Purdue University Bass Fishing Club. I have been on this website for about a year now and have met some really nice people. The reason I am posting here is becasue we are look for sponorships. The Purdue Bass Fishing Club is one of the finest collegiate bass fishing clubs in the United States. The club was founded to help fellow university students benefit through education, socialization and the leadership activities provided with membership. Our club has over 35 members who participate in bi-weekly meetings and frequent tournaments every semester. All of these tournaments are in a pro-amateur format which ensures that during the course of every tournament, the student will learn useful tips and tricks from a seasoned tournament fisherman. The meetings on the other hand are used to plan tournaments, learn from guest speakers and address issues within the club. The largest spring tournament is the ?Old Minnow Bucket? which is the tournament against our arch rivals, Indiana University. The Purdue Bass Fishing Club was also responsible for founding ?The Big Ten Bass Classic? in 1996. Surprisingly enough, nine out of the eleven universities in the Big Ten Conference have fishing clubs, many of which are patterned after the Purdue Bass Fishing Club. The Purdue Bass Fishing Club is looking for sponsors to help fund our organization. Donations help with a number of expenses such as tournaments, annual banquets, and the general operation of the club. We gladly accept cash donations of any amount, but donations do not have to be in the form of money, also gladly accepted are donations of products, discounts, time and wisdom. A few of the advantages of sponsoring our club are recognition at our tournaments and posting your logo and links to your website from The Purdue Bass Fishing Club Homepage . Any donation that you make is also tax-deductible. We thank you for taking the time to learn about our organization. We hope to hear your thoughts on the Purdue Bass Fishing Club, one of the best collegiate bass fishing clubs in the nation. If you would like to sponsor then please go to our website and look under the sponsors page and all of the information you need will be there. You can also email me at tschneid@purdue.edu with any other questions.

does anyone have or does anyone want to share a cad drawing for a senko that can be used on a CNC machine. I have one available to me but i dont want to draw it on cad.

ok so i have been reading some of the posts and i am still confused about making my own soft plastics. How to you melt the plastics down. Where can i buy the plastics to use for baits. Is there and easier way to make a mold besides the way the tutorial does it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. winter is coming up soon and i am going to need something to do.

Ok here is the problem. I am a poor college kid who shares a place with 2 other guys in a small 3 bedroom apartment. I dont have any where to work on my lures. I was wondering if you have any ideas how to build a workstation of some sort that will not throw sawdust all over the apartment. I have room in my bedroom for maybe a 2x3 ft table. I only have a scroll saw, some hand tools and a dremel to work with so i dont need a huge workstation. Please keep in mind i am a poor college kid and i need to keep the dust to a minimum. Any help would be great. I thought about building a cheap table with some 2x4's and cutting a hole in the middle of the table and stick a shop vac there but then it would be noisy so i am not sure what to do.

What type of lip shape would i need to create a shallow running crank with a lot of wobble. How far extended should the lip be from the crank, and what shape sould the lip be. I think it is round lip for wide wobble. i am using 1/8in lexan? thanks for any help

ok so i have been trying to make a crank for about 2 weeks now and i think a 3 yr old could do better. I cant get the lip in straight, it does not sit straight in the water. I cant get the sides to look the same. Is this one of the those talents that you either can or cant make a bait. I mean how long did it take you guys before you made a bait that looks good and ran straight and actually caught fish. I dont need to become a pro at this but i dont just want to waste me monrey making these baits. I dont mind putting the money into it as long as i eventually get it. I want one day to be on the lake and say this looks like a great time for my shallow running crank in firetiger etc, etc....... i dont want to make baits and never have confidence using them. I am just hoping for some feedback as to how long it took you to get this stuff down. I mean am i wasting my time unless i have the money for all of the tools that i need. Thanks hopefully someone can shed a little light on this subject........

ok instead of trying to explain what i am doing i figure i can show you. i created this website to show a picture of my crank design. if you could take a look at it and tell me what you think. i posted some questions on my website for you to answer. Thanks for any help i get. http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~tschneid/crankbaits/

ok just so you know i have been making baits for like a month now so i dont know much. I am in college so i dont have a lot of tools or money to work with. I went and bought a cheap scroll saw from menards but i am only cutting balsa so i dont need nothing to special. so to answer your questions i am using balsa wood, it is 2 1/2 in long. I am using 1/8in lexan sheets. I bought a 2ftx2ft piece. i am adding the weight on the bottom just in front and behind the bottom hook hanger. the line tie is centered on the front of the bait and the lip is 1/4in below the line tie and is at a 45 degree angle. i am still experimenting with it to get it to dive right. I have no idea really what i am doing. I just look at crankbaits i like and try to mimic them. I think the problem is that i have to cut the slot. i have to sort of notch it out. if i could make one cut big enough it would not be a problem but when i have to make 2 cuts and then cut out the rest is where i mess it up. i am having a problem making the 2 cuts the same angle and notching out the slot. any help would be great. thanks

ok i am new to the lure making thing so i really need some help here. I am making crankbaits and i have no trouble making them look good and the painting i am getting better at but i am having trouble with the lip. I went and bought a piece of 1/8 in thick lexan and i use my scroll say to cut it but i am having trouble making the lip sit straight in the lure which makes it spin and not work. I make sure that i keep the sides of the bait straight so when i make the cut out for the lip it is even across the side. after that i cut the sides but when i go to put the lip in it is all crooked and i cant get it to sit straight. when i glue it in i try to add a little extra to even it out but it does not work. could someone please help me out and explain a good way to make this work......THANKS A BUNCH

i was wondering if it would be ok to paint a bait. Then coat it using a five minute epoxy (which people tell me yellows over time), then paint on a gil, eyes or anything else to give it a raised look and then coat it with some devcon or other epoxy that does not yellow. Will the 5 min still yellow? has anyone else used the raised look, does it work.......thanks KEEP CRANKING

ok i have a few questions for you lure making veterans. I am trying to make a popper but i always run into the problem of how to create the cut out. I have tried using spade and regular drill bits. I have tired cutting the bait in half and carving it out by hand but everything looks like an infant made the lure. I just started making lures about a month ago and i am clueless. I just bought a scroll saw to increase production i was just carving them by hand. If a forsner bit or if there is something else i could buy to help with the cut out then please let me know. oh i am using balsa wood. just so you know. Thanks to anyone that helps me out.