bassman2008

can you share some details on what your molds are made of? is this machined aluminum or do you work in other materials too? based on a basic two-piece mold for a lure between 3 and 4 inches long, what would a ballpark price be?

Wanted to start a discussion to connect people looking for crankbait molds. The popular molds are either RTV or CNC routed from melamine or aluminum. If you are a manufacturer of such molds or have links to places that sell the molds, please respond here. If members of the forum currently make crankbait molds and are willing to sell their services, please also feel free to leave your info in a post for members to contact you.

I have poured numerous molds based off of baits that are commercially available. Does anyone here sell silicone molds for baits or custom designs? if so, i'd be interested in purchasing a few, as i'm always looking for new shapes to work with. please let me know if there's a website or if you have ones to sell. I'd be looking for solid or two piece molds, either way works.

This forum inspired me to really try MAKING a bait instead of just painting blanks, so i started out with a strike king crank and noticed a few unexpected perks. After making an RTV silicone mold and experimenting a bit, I found that: 1. inserting a flat lexan bill and running the through wire right under the bill leaves a cavity under the bill for the resin to fill. this cavity completely covers the wire running under the bill and also reinforces the lexan. 2. Pouring the mold and tilting if forward with clear resin allows the bill to be completely clear and create a dense bottom layer. before it fully hardens i add Aluimalite white mixed with microspheres to create a "top" layer to the bait. the bait floats perfectly along this axis, tilting the bill down into the water. the top part of the picture shows the float axis. 3. Stainless steel welding wire is perfect for forming hook hangers, soft enough to bend but .03" wire is incredibly stable. 4. cutting lexan with a scroll saw lets you fully customize the action of your bait, the picture shows a coffin bill, but this bait is normally a rounded bill. i have also made circuit board variations using the exact same mold. if anyone has questions or suggestions, please add them!!! i can't wait to try these out.

I've used a 2-part epoxy over all my lures (all of which use createx paints) with no problems at all. before applying the epoxy though, i put the lure on a drying wheel in front of a space heater to "bake" the paint on and make sure it's completely dry.

hi guys, i've used the methods mentioned here of using a nail or a pencil eraser to "stamp" a painted eye onto lures, but most of the time the paint isn't opaque enough and i still see some of the lure underneath the eye paint. what paints would you recommend to make eyes like the ones on bomber or norman lures? i've been using createx but that doesn't seem to cut it..... thanks! BM08

Hi all, I know these tutorials exist, I've read them before. But does anyone have the links to foiling or making a good photo finish on a bait? i've been making some "baby bass" patterns (stay tuned, they're getting epoxied this week), but i want to try some photos or foils. any links are appreciated! cheers, BM08

i like putting the mustad dressed trebles on my crankbaits, but they're easily the most expensive thing on my baits! does anyone have a tutorial on how to make some simple dressed trebles and where i can find the skirt materials? thanks! BM08

so after you design in photoshop, what media are you printing the design onto and how do you attach it to the lure? thanks! BM08

raging craw for the rattle shad, on he wheel for the diving crankbaits are 2 chartreuse shads, a sexy shad knockoff, and a pattern i call "joker" for the red lateral line that looks like a smile (catches fish like crazy at lake barkley!). last but not least, and olive shad (with pearl glitter on the spine) and a tablerock shad. These are my first attempts at lure making, based almost entirely from clips i've read here. thanks for all the good advice guys! cheers, BM08

I've tried jann's, barlow's, luremaking.com, etc., and have found several reasonable places for unpainted crankbait bodies. still, i have to spread my orders out to get the specific bodies i want, and shipping charges get expensive. anybody want to recommend a "diamond in the rough" place that literally has it all, i'm all ears!

a milk jug eh? i am absolutely amazed by the versatility people on this site have. i'm learning a lot more than i thought i would and i appreciate the tips! pics of the milk jug cutout and pattern would be great. thanks guys!

that looks really nice oscar. mind me asking where you got the blank body for that lure? i've been keeping my eyes open for rattle shads with the dorsal fin but haven't seen any yet. thanks for the tip! cheers, BM08

Thanks BobP, i'll give that a shot. do you by chance have any pics of stencils you've made? i've tried a few, but the plastic stencil material moved too much and i couldn't get a clean pattern.... cheers, BM2008

Does anyone know where airbrush stencils for creature baits are available? It's obvious they exist....but i can't seem to locate one anywhere. my attempts to make my own have been pretty disastrous. thanks! bassman08

I've bought blank bodies from Jann's, Barlow's, Luremaking.com, Stamina, and Vandalizer, but still nobody sells a decent knockoff of the X-rap shad bodies. does anyone know where to find these? Also, is there a company other than luremaking.com that sells body components (unglued)....the shipping charges from Canada suck otherwise! Thanks! bassman08