Nessmuk

Craftsmanship is valuable if people can afford it! I know I'm a craftsman. I can't imagine trying to make a living on hand crafting tackle. Setting up a tackle manufacturing business is different. In my web search I've seen many nice looking lures but also wonder if they catch more fish or more fishermen?

I'm guessing that one can troll flatfish at about 3-4 mph max. Thinned out a bit and maybe faster. Hot weather faster trolling but colder weather slower as in late fall.

I think your abackewood is sort of like poplar here. In the UK some woods or similar we use here are just refered to by a different name. Basswood (aka linden) is known as lime over there. I'm not keen on plastic engineered lumber for this purpose. Teak is a bugger to work! I may try pine or spruce first since they are often discarded around here. I am a bit intimidated by the size of lures for musky. Time to get a lure or two designed!

diemai, Yes, I know that I want denser material for the big trolling lure! Just what wood is the question. Oak, beech, maple, etc.? I think balsa would be a disposable lure even for pike! I'm watching eBay but also have some of my own ideas on lures like the large flatfish. Although we think of smaller fish as prey for pike/musky they are every bit as much a predator. Just a matter of size relative to prey. I have always found flatfish a go to lure for smaller fish and wonder if a musky would find them more enticing than a believer since it looks skinnier and easier to swallow. I'm retired and have time and tools. Tools and equipment are not an issue for me since I have CNC equipped shop and metal casting equipment. Hooks, wood, hardware, paint, clear coat etc. (all cheap) are the expenses for me. I plan to design lures in solid modeling software and rough out the wood to hand finish. I prefer through wired lures. It makes the through wire much easier by cutting the groove for the wire on one side of the blank and then flipping over the blank and machining the shape. This method also helps to insure symmetry. Not planning on doing this as a business since we're retired and it would require a major amount of planning and large shop to make profitable Think Rapala type operation and serious marketing for profit. Years ago I used to tie flies for trout which was interesting and this is, in a way, an extension of that. In addition to saving a bit of money, making flies/lures is fun and allows one to have the lure you want.

I've been reading this thread with interest. We have a home near the St. Lawrence R and I'm interested in fishing for musky. That alone seems daunting from what I have read about musky fishing. We're near the famous "Featherbed Shoals" in Cape Vincent. After seeing what musky lures cost I kinda cringed. I'd like to try for a musky but $25+ lures isn't realistic for my budget. I am thinking about making some Musky lures with some being copies of what I saw at the local bait shop and maybe some of original design. Little casting is done for Musky on the St. Lawrence as most troll and many use downriggers. Looks like large spoons/spinners as well as large wood lures like believers and suicks are popular. I've been toying with the idea of making some 6-12" flat fish type lures with through wire construction. Perch, bass, sunfish and goby are the primary forage fish from what I have read. Lure making looks pretty simple except for getting the lure weighted/balanced properly. I'm also wondering what wood to use for a plug that will be trolled. I'm also wondering the best lure to attempt first. Jack

I've done a lot (10 yrs) of metal casting in RTV silicone and vulcanized silicone. Probably the best RTV for the purpose is Dow Corning 3120 with "S" catalyst. I prefer to used vulcanized spin-casting molds but often use 3120 RTV when working from a fragile master. 3120 has the advantage of being easy to mix in small quantities and has a high durometer (it's harder) which helps maintain mold shape. Alternately and easier to purchase is one of the Micro Mark RTV products. You can look at other RTV silicones for the purpose. Look for a "tin cure" silicone and high durometer with red color. Stay away from "platinum cure" which can be sensitive to pattern materials and have cure problems.

I just spent some time looking at some of the tutorials. Interesting! I especially liked the one on printed paper (rather than painting) coated with epoxy. All sorts of possibilities! What specific water based paints do you use and like?

Woodie and Bob I'm wanting neutral buoyancy with some wabble. Running depth is determined by the DR weight or dipsey diver. I will be trolling very slowly most of the time 1-2.5mph. Minnow shapes are what I am thinking with representations of alewives and perch being at the top of the list. Epoxy coating sounds like the way to go. What paints are compatible under the epoxy and is yellowing of the epoxy coating over time a problem? How does one get an even bubble free coating? What paint do you use under epoxy? Is there a good water based paint or is solvent based better? I am thinking of using copper wire through the lure to form eyes for the hooks and rings. The lure would be made in halves and glued up with formed wire inside. Reasonable?

Newbie to this forum and making lures. I enjoy both fishing and making things. I found the art of wood lure making through a web search and was amazed at the beautiful lures craftsmen are turning out. I have a fairly well equipped shop and have made things for many years in wood, plastic and metal. Lure making interests me not only as a means of making a lure for fishing but also and make a lure as a piece of "art" or more accurately craftwork. I am in the process of setting up a small 12' boat for trolling with the target being Finger Lakes trout/salmon. Most of what I will use as bait will be spoons but I am also interested in trolling wood plugs/lures. I'll be using downriggers as well as flat lining with the possibility of using dipsey divers. Fly fishing with small poppers for black bass at Sodus bay and chasing pike/muskie on the St Lawrence river also interest me. Much of lure making looks straight forward to me from what I have read in books and based on my shop experience. For me, surface texture and painting/finishing are the mystifying aspects of making beautiful and durable lures. Though I have had and used air brushes for a long time but don't consider myself skilled with their use. I have seen some beautiful surfaces on lures and wonder precisely how they are achieved. CNC routing out of rough lures interests me mainly because I built a CNC router a while back and it is sitting idle now. At this point in time I am exploring the possibilities, techniques, materials, designs, etc. I look forward to following this forum and learning about the art and craft!

Interesting thread! Essentially, Junebugs is spreading the stress from the screw eye over a larger surface area of the balsa rather than just at the screw eye. Seems like a good way to go for some lures. One thing to keep in mind is that balsa comes in various grades or degrees of hardness. I'm new to lure making and this forum so appreciate learning from threads like this