Ryandr3

A little late responding. But thank you everybody for the responses, advice and comments. I appreciate it.

I think I am going to go with the rikon band saw. I was needing a bandsaw upgrade anyway. Thank you for your comment. I'll update the post when I get everything situated the way I want.

Right now I have a detached garage workshop in my apartment complex. Over the next 4-7 years as I go through graduate school, my access to a workshop will be unreliable(as well as my free time but that's another issue). I am trying to transition to apartment only bait making in preparation for this. One of my bigger problems is rough cutting the dimensions (length, width, taper ect...) of out a block of wood. I mainly use balsa and basswood so nothing too hard. This is doable with handsaws but takes a while. I've though of getting a quiet scroll or bandsaw for the apartment but not sure how that would work out. Any advice or tips from apartment baitmakers? Been building my apartment work area up and any advice would be appreciate. I hope to be able to make a post after I get my apartment workshop setup outlining best practices. -Ryan

Just starting out making wooden lures. Carved up a few cranks and jerkbaits. I was able to get my smaller crank baits that were 1.5-2.5 inches to be neutrally buoyant with 2 belly holes filled with lead from my lee pot. I carved these out of basswood I got at a craft store. But I had trouble making my bigger and longer jerkbaits neutral or even sink at all. I tried carved out of both balsa and basswood and I ran out of space to drill bell holes for weight. These jerk baits were 3-5.5 inches. So what would be a wood to use to make what I'm after? I'm rough shaping with my band saw and hand carving/sanding, no lathe for me. I'm fishing for bass and big panfish. So don't have to worry about muskie or pike ripping it up. Thanks, Ryan