ArdentAngler

Been looking for 0.9 mm stainless steel or galvanized tie wire and can't seem to find it. Any tips on where to find it?

I just picked one up at a garage sale for $3 with the pin or nail in it. Kinda wobble, not sure how accurate it really is? The one I have doesn't seem too user friendly I don't know.

Ok so after rummaging through my tackleboxes I found that 90% of my lures contain a screw eye in the bill. The other lures have an infinity clip or the omega clip molded into the bill. Only recently has Rebel changed the tow point to and omega clip. All the screw eyes stick out of the bottom of the lip. You could try drilling in a screw eye and placing a small piece of wood underneath to give the screw something to grab onto, not an aesthetic option. Most of the screw eye pictures came out fuzzy and unusable but this should give you the basic idea.

I have to agree Dieter is a wizard and a bountiful source of information, you really need some time on your hands to go through his youtube channel. If you are looking for various ways of attaching the line tie check out some Australian lures they really have it worked out when it comes to tow points. Interestingly some of the older Rebel cranks had a screw eye in the lip which could be replicated with some epoxy or a thick lip but since then they have moved on to a omega clip style. I will have to take some pictures and show the various changes they made over the years. I'm still trying to find polycarbonate that's thinner than 2mm for my shallow cranks, Lowe's hardly carries any sizes out here.

hmm? I always thought the band saw was good for only trimming and not for precision. Most lures I am interested in making are 1/2" thick and most scroll saw should be able to handle an inch in thickness. Aren't band saws a bit more pricey? I dig that craw lure, for some reason I have a penchant for all things crayfish...countless fish taken on my rebel craws. Figured there was more to it than that, because everyone would be making lures instead of buying them.

I haven't much experience with a band saw or just don't remember using one. Maybe what I remember was a big hulking machine?? Besides preference I would probably get more use out of the scroll saw, at least for other projects. One aspect is being able to work inside pieces by removing the blade and re-attaching it inside. The speed at cutting pieces doesn't bother me too much, for me it's about precision...after cutting a few crooked lip slots anything would be better than using a hand tools. Wouldn't changing to different blades allow you more versatility when cutting different materials? Just a thought but if it was as easy as cutting the lure and bib out wouldn't everyone be making lures???

Definitely thinking about getting one, might be a while though. Just for giggles I did some looking and it seems most of the scroll saws have bad reviews??? Even the more expensive models are being checked in after light use...something about motors dying and electrical issues. I thought nowadays they would be made better, guess technology is slow in this area. Can you get 90% cuts with a band saw?

So for the most part they are quiet? Not really sure how loud a sowing machine is sorry. Guess I could ask them about the noise...really hate seeing my neighbors if I don't have too hahaha. @BOBP: I think you can get reverse blades which cut on the up stroke, that would be my only worry is the loud knocking. @JT_NCBASSMAN:Never seen the moto-saw before, read that it lacks the power of a traditional scroller. The compact feature is nice though might look into it.

Hi, I haven't used a scroll saw in years so I'm not sure how loud the new ones are. As the title says are scroll saws apartment friendly? Not sure if having one in a second floor apartment would be practical, noise is my main concern. If I recall it was a low vibration so it may travel through walls and it only rattled when a piece wasn't firmly held down. Basically cutting any woods up to and 1" thick shouldn't be a problem for the blades unless it's a really hard wood, I'm guessing scrolling Lexan is fine too as long as you don't go fast. Looking in the near future for something that can allow me versatility and precision, which is still quiet enough to use in an apartment and won't burrow through my wallet...is the scroll saw worthy?

Interesting it looks similar to the Peter Biedron lure you recommended.

Thanks Hazmail this is a great article very helpful keep it coming!

Very nice, I asked a machine shop who specializes in making lure molds....they told me $2000-$6000 for a two piece lure mold! Guess it takes many hours to draw up a lure on the computer that's what drives the price.

wow never guessed so many use welding wire, I half expected everyone to say some "X" brand from jannsnetcraft but that would be too easy...and costly. Definitely going to check out my local smog shop thanks!

Where do you guys get your wire for crankbaits? Sorry if this has been beaten to death, I went to Lowe's and asked them and they just laughed at me..."why go through the effort of making lures when you can just buy them" is the response I received. There were a few different wires that might work, but I fear most of these would rust after a couple times on the water. Any thoughts?

If only there was a show about lure hoarders...that would answer your question of how much is too much. I feel this would actually cause more fisherman to go out and buy more because they realize "hey I don't own one of those!" good way to go in debt.

Steve makes an excellent point, if you don't put lures in danger of being lost then your not fishing This has to be asked, why not eliminate the center hook entirely? Generally that is the one which snags first and all too often gets hung up accidently in a fishes face when you try and un-hook them. I had an idea to add a thin wire to weed and brush proof my lures but it would be a bit silly looking and most likely not practical. The old river runts had weed guards and did not last long in production if it was a good system it would still be around today. This is also an option if you fish heavy cover and don't wish to loose that precious lure. I made the mistake of changing my hook rings on all my favorite lures to smartlink luresavers...long story short they do what they are supposed to and are rated less than what weight they claim, I lost a 8lb rainbow right at the edge of the water on a 10 lb ring! The fish was sitting on some cattails and I tried to pull off and it released, then he sat there for a good minute just out of reach! Four fisherman standing there grinning:( not one with a net either. Needless to say I saw these guys there everyday since then trying to catch the beast. Anyway the rings give out on small trout from 8"-13" even with drag set but they do save your favorite lure from the predatory tree fish.

Fascinating shapes these aussie lures and counter intuitive! The tow point is further away creating a large wobble and making it shallow. Looks are deceiving I expect it to really dive, and like Dieter said the long bill will deflect off objects making it sorta snag proof. Peter Newell made some popular lures and neat shapes, I have a penchant for the scorpions he carved. I am a bit surprised that there isn't anyone on here besides Dieter who has made any? It would be nice to have there input on the subject. Cheers!

I don't know if that would work on such a short lure? I have considered it though, for example I thought it would be effective if I made a chamber and added birdshot on the deception shrimp. What has been a goal of mine was create dozens of the same lure all with different aspects; short bill, long bill where the tow point is placed and the ballast etc. It would be interesting to see how many different combinations one could come up with...let alone paint jobs!!! I try and keep notes of everything I come across, couldn't tell you how many pictures and sites I have saved on my quest to be a lure craftsman. In the end its not just the lure but the fisherman and the fish.

I haven't touched my dremel in years a battery powered one couldn't hurt but there are no places you could work on a lure without causing a disturbance. A carving knife and a sanding block should suffice, it would give my lures a more personal feel. I used a pizza box to catch the shavings and sawdust...not all the sawdust stayed in the box. I guess I could try and build the poltergeist leaving it a deep runner, bit of a shame though I would have like it as a shallow diver. A round bill would give it a decent wobble, I have a Rebel Wee craw bill I could trace and utilize. Not sure about other woods but with balsa I could stick the bill and lure in a vice so the bill has a groove to sit in. Moving on any thought on adding a weight in the "foot" of the nude Deception lure? Maybe give it some extra distance when casting. It would be fatiguing running those lures all day but that's part of fishing!

So it isn't as easy as shortening the bill? I have some balsa which would make it buoyant but then there would be the casting issue. Could try playing around with some bibs maybe a shorter round bib like on rebel crawfish. I'm no expert but if I moved the tow point towards the front of the bill away from the lure it would run shallower, this would cause the lure to be too unstable? thanks

just my 2cents is this the new way to make balsa baits more durable? Does this add significant weight?

I was wondering when you were gonna hop on this one? Anyway I though about a center or further rear ballast to compensate and I also thought about a front one just wish I could test them. Curious to see how some lures do without weight and you hit the nail on the head with the casting bit. They may function adequately on the water but how will they reach the water? So a bit of extra weight for casting doesn't hurt. Personally I wish to take a different approach and make mine through wired, most craftsman in Australia like the twisted eyehangers. I am familiar with all the lures just not all the names, for example Peter Newell's lures are made by other companies and go by names such as pakrats. The middle lure might be a pakrat cannot remember, if I recall pakrats are like scorpions except square not rounded. So the real question is how do I make this deep diver run shallow? Trying to run these at 3-5 feet. If I alter the distance of the tow point it will mess with the wobble so how to compensate for this? Changing the lip angle on these lures would be a pain and not to mention look funny. If my mind serves me right Lexan can be bent at room temperature? All holding true does it hold it's shape or would the stress from the the tow point/fish cause it to warp? Exotic timber were intended for nudes and my own private stash. At the most painted eyes but that's it, defeats the purpose of fancy wood.As for Exotic lumber I have heard they are deleterious when airborne before, but it's nice you guys give reminders:) Some are unaware of this and that Lexan is harmful too! I will have to check and see if I can score the Lexan. I picked the trick up from Paul Adams, but he may have been using thinner Lexan Picked up a sheet from Lowe's for $4 its .093 looks thick. Before I forget I do have a Dremel which isn't a apartment friendly tool...Sound and mess wouldn't be sound logic. Diemai have you seen the Legohead lures? they are right up your alley with those PVC models. Hope I got to everyone's input here

Thanks Pete, The first site is where I found all of these lures, it opened my eyes to lure possibilities! I tried to make an account there but the page would never load?...maybe you have to be Australian haha. I will attempt to give those sites another try, my biggest problem is lack of power tools. I struggled to go through poplar with my coping saw, I need to work with thinner pieces or something. My plan is to get wood 1/2 inch thick and hot glue them together and shape them with a wood carving knife, unless I could find someone to cut them out on a band saw for me. Then I plan to score the Lexan breaking it off into a long bar, and score that breaking off manageable bill size pieces which may be filed down to shape. As for the wire shaping is easy my problem is finding a good enough template for all of these to work, maybe someone on here could offer their services and whip up a template. If not I will freehand it and hope to get lucky! The only person I know who has made similar lures is Diemai he is a wizard! I am surprised he hasn't chimed yet. Before I forget anyone tried using exotic woods for their crankbaits? That's my next goal after perfecting these shapes it would be nice to have a few nudes in cocobolo or a nice cherry burl. Not sure whether to fish them or place them on display, I think I would do both! Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions!

I thought about using the sander, it drove me crazy trying to figure out how they did it! Could you post a couple pictures of this method I'm curious as well.

Any suggestions on getting that bevel on the front of those old Heddon river runts and vamps? I thought about using a gouge but feel there would be too much error. How do you guys create the pockets on the old Heddons?