Seeking 56

I meant to say this lure and an encounter with a striper not a tarpon..........

This lure had an encounter with a tarpon........this is what happens when you zig and the fish zags. Unfortunetaly for me the fish got away. Over engineer anything you build for stripers! s54

Gino, Have you tried a sanding block? Are you using wood or pvc? s54

fatfingers, There is no possible way to scientifically confirm either argument at this point. In hindsight, our water systems are probably like comparing apples and oranges. . Our MNR has stopped stocking muskies back in the 90's unlike your waters that are actively being stocked by your MNR. So, your waters hold more muskies and are therefore they're easier to catch. We are left chasing natural reproductive muskies which are more difficult to locate and catch. I think we'll leave it at, we'll agree to disagree LoL! Respectfully, s54

For screw eyes I start with a Dremel and ss brush and then use a hot iron with the razor blade attachment to clean out the hole. s54

Yes, more muskies are being caught today because there are more anglers targeting them. Some fisheries have exploded in terms of numbers and sizes, St-Clair is a perfect example but this does hold true for most bodies of water that have natural reproducing muskies. The rod hours per fish were less 25-30 years then they are today. Muskie waters have become more pressured with anglers and lures and as a result the fish have become more conditioned and challenging to catch. Any seasoned musky fisherman will attest to this. This is just my opinion based on simple observations that muskies back them would hit anything you presented at them without having to fish with elaborated painted lures.... s54

Curiously enough, 25-30 years ago it seemed more muskies were being caught with less choice of baits and most were offered in black. These days, there's more choice colors with less muskies caught. Just a coincidence I'm sure and surely there's other factors attributed to this. When I used to target bass my go to lure was a white Big-O. Can someone tell me if this lure still produces today? Going to paint more solid colored baits this year as it may be time to go back to fundamentals. s54

In the musky world they say the bigger the eyes the better. I use 1/2 and 5/8'' eyes and honestly I've caught more fish on the 1/2''. s54

Some great ideas here guys! Thanks s54

What do you guys use to sign your lures? s54

I have a couple of Redwood (Sequoia) boards and it's specifically for the reason that it's not readily available that I haven't used it yet. There's something mystical about Sequoia wood for me and I will use it for that special lure or if the price is right. s54

According to the Janka scale, WRC has a hardness of 350 vs Basswood 410 so WRC is a little softer. I've repaired musky basswood lures that cracked for no apparent reason. Stick with cedar and you won't have to worry about exposed wood due to hook rash and teeth marks as water will not soak in. Look for cedar construction lumber that has tight grain. s54.

I use the metal handle of my acid brushes. Cut to size, insert BB,s and pinch both ends and fill with wood epoxy. My gliders are 7/8'' thick and I use a 3/8'' Forstner to bore down 1/4 of the way down the back. I think Diemai had some pics on here of the ones he makes which are a lot better than mine. s54

I wet sand, so I rinse under running water and wipe with a an old cotton shirt. s54

I tried using a lathe on a hardwood blank that I would've normally shaped with a belt sander. I was really surprised at the results. It cuts sanding time by about 75% I've been trying to post a pic of this unfinished lure just to give you an idea but it's not accepting the pic even after being re-sized. If you're interested PM me your email and I'll gladly send you a pic. s54

After reading Diemai's post about the duolock snaps, this link came to mind: leolures.com s54

I hear ya marshad, It took 4 generations of drop belly gliders to finally figure out how to build one that does everything I want.

You're right, I forgot about that one. Actually, I recall seeing something like that in a musky version.

Google drop belly glide baits. You'll see a video and specs on Ebay of a 6'' glider in action. I've had some huge Smallmouths follow my 8'' gliders. They're a very subtle / finesse type of bait. Very effective for muskies, perhaps even for bass in post front conditions. If I was making one for bass it would be maybe 5'' long, 3/4'' thick made out of cedar or balsa and suspending. s54

Getting a wobble out of a round bait is going to require a lip of some kind, wether you add one, or shape it from the profile of the lure. A lipless flat bait will either be a swimbait or a glide bait. Most people usually copy an existing lure and expand from there. What species are you targeting?

Thanks for the input guys.

Have you thought about T- ing your hooks like this?

I've shaped some 12'' cylindrical style minnow baits and would like to make the joint on some of them diagonally like on those commercially manufactured swimbaits. In my case it would only be one joint about 2/3 down the bait. I would usually have some to test but these are too time consuming to sacrifice... Anybody tried this type of joint on crankbaits? Thoughts, advice? Thanks s54

Fluorescent pink.