BlackCrowe13

Agree fully as mentioned... As frustrated as I was back then, it helped me become a better craftsman and critical thinker. Doing it yourself makes it that much sweeter when it works!

The nail on the head... no matter how you get to the end result, it’s FUN! Plus, I love seeing the rod pounding like a jackhammer smashing 35 40 feet on bottom... did I do that??? Yes you did! Lol. Very cool feeling!

Hey Guys, I figured this was as good a place as any to poke my head in the window to say hello. I am a lurker of about 18 months and new to this world of baitmaking. I should begin by thanking those that have been contributing information over the years, and sharing what they are willing to share... it’s not always easy to find a definitive answer, but most times I can find something related that gets me pointed in the proper direction to further myself. I started in to this “hobby” after seeing some of the Incredible lures some folks were producing at my local Muskies Canada chapter. That, and after seeing the cost of lures! Lol Since then I dove into cranks first, and more recently in to blades... it’s been a challenging yet rewarding process. One of the biggest things I’ve learned just starting out... the process you develop is in most aspects your own. Trial and error is king, and although can be frustrating, really does develop in to your own recipe. Every crankbait has its beginning at the local lumber store... yes, big box. Lol! All have complete wire through design, aluminum sheets cut in to lips, the whole shebang is from scratch. I do my painting and clear coats, wheel dry... win some battles (more often now that I have some experience under my belt) , and lose plenty. I take pride in the fact that most of my progress has really come from trial and error... and the cost and time to make said errors. Although I understand a previous comment about sharing information, and how some feel this site is tight on techniques and tips, however I am already somewhat guarded on what I want to share. As they say, you gotta give to get, and as much as this site has helped for some oddball items, I still was pretty much on my own. Not knocking anyone for it either... a guy puts in 30 hours to figure something out, and it’s hard to give it away to thousands of others for nothing more than the glory of a clapping hand emoji! Lol After all the hours and lessons from my mistakes, I am finally able to produce baits that are nice enough to show people, and I am somewhat proud of. I am still light years away from some that I see, but I am accepting that it just takes more time on my part to get to that level. End of the day, I’ve had one local guy give me a few tips here and there as he is likely one of the top muskie baitmakers in our community. He does not share much, but if he hears me struggling and knows I’ve made a serious effort to figure it out on my own, he’ll toss me a tidbit to help out a little. At first I was kinda like “WTF dude, how do I do XYZ? I’m stuck!” and was frustrated he would let me drown. I now get it... it’s a ton of work to develop your own ways. The benefit of plugging away without the advice? You’ll learn differently than everyone else. Sometimes you’ll even find better ways than your mentors, simply because necessity is truly the mother of invention! Thanks again to all that contribute to this great forum and community. I have a ton of baits to be made... and everyone is indeed a custom one of a kind... not by choice, by experience! Lol