Big Epp

These look good! I just did the same thing in my bathtub... Not quite as helpful, but things are freezing up around here and I don't have access to a pool.

I'm wanting to start pouring my own lead stuff. I'm wondering, have any of you vets used any lead alternatives with much success?

Thanks for the feedback guys. One thing I've been enjoying is creating a basic lure shape and then modifying it to make different baits from the same blank. I've got 1 that I can made a squarebill, a lippless crank, and two types of gliders out of. It seems like a good shape to try and fit some deeper lips to. There's another one I just started working with that makes a good squarebill and lipless crank that I think might work as well.

So I'm still relatively new to lure-making, and one thing I have not yet attempted is a good deep diver. I noticed some folks on here like @RPM, @All Eyes, and many others have posted pics of deep divers that look really great! What are some things you've found helpful for getting a deep diver to run well?

This is the foil from a Ferrero Rocher chocolate candy... I think think this is the 3rd bait I've ever foiled, so I'm certainly no expert. I just smoothed the foil over the bait, then took it off, applied superglue and put the foil back on. Running my finger over it smoothed the glue out under the foil and drove it out to the edges. Seems to have worked pretty well.

What shape lips do you prefer to make/use? I'm trying to make more lures with lips, but I struggle to make nicely curved lips. So far I pretty much stick with square bills for simplicity...

Do you have to use an airbrush compressor, or could I use a 6gal. construction compressor?

I've used hardened 316 wire and not hardened Malins 304 wire. The harder 316 wire I have is .032" and the 304 I have in .041" and .062." With the lock wire I can use a nail and my drill to twist up the screw eyes. When twisted up they are very, very stiff. I have no doubts about using them on fish over and over again. The harder 316 stuff I can't twist up with my drill, it just snaps off. I have to bend it by hand. I've caught a bunch of bass with it and have no concerns using it with smaller fish (say 10lbs or less?). I like using the stiffer stuff for wire forms, as it holds its shape better outside the lure. Once in the lure I can't tell a difference between which wire I used.

I will say though, your attention to detail and fine tolerances might result in some very fine baits! The main thing I do to create repeatability is cut my patterns out of hard plastic. Then I'll draw on them spots for weights, hook hangers, etc. That plus keeping notes and patterns in a book are about as technical and specific as I get. I tend to operate out of "ready, fire, aim" mode, which has lead to a hefty share of "well shoot!" moments. I've gleaned a lot of good ideas for tightening things up from this thread.

When creating handmade baits out of wood some variation is always present, as there are different grain patterns, hard and soft spots in wood, and all sorts of variables. When I worked in a lumberyard we used to tell people, "you show me a tree without branches and I'll show you a board without knots..." I kind of like the variability. It comes with the territory and adds an element of nostalgia. After finishing a bait (and I test each one several times throughout the creation process) I'll take it to a pond and take several casts, varying retrieve speeds and other things to test its function. That way each bait is "tested to ensure proper action." I like the idea of using calipers to find a perfect center, but I've had really good success eyeballing it. Might not be custom, but "handcrafted," has a pretty good ring to it. Lots of really helpful ideas on this thread! Thanks all for the input.

And by "just," I mean he's 3 weeks old today

Hey all, just wanted to share some good news in the midst of a crazy COVID year... my wife and I just had a baby! He's our 4th son, and is healthy, happy, and growing like crazy. We now have 4 sons 5 and under! Blessings all, and merry Christmas!

I think the painted one is basswood, the middle one is cedar, and the bottom one may be poplar, I think I misspoke and called it pine. I do use a lot of pine, but mostly cedar. I just salvaged some California redwood from a deck demo job!

Well, safe to say if/when I make some muskie baits I'll be using epoxy (or @eastman03 just do a through wire)!

If you do the CA glue and baking soda (which I think works great), make sure you get THIN CA glue. Medium or thick just gums up on top, but the thin soaks in much better. You could also use 5 minute epoxy, here in the states I can get some pretty cheap. Would love to come fish in Australia some day!

Those look great! Might have to try a scaled down one for bass...

Thanks for all the feedback! This is what I'm working on. Of course, I went out of recommendations by messing with multiple variables, but that's part of the fun for me sometimes. I made three to start, one is cedar, one is basswood, and one is pine. The painted one has a good enough action, so I'm starting painting it. The cedar one doesn't have any weight in it yet, and the other one needs more tinkering. I typically float test them in a clear plastic container to see how they sit in the water, test them in a bathtub, and then take them to a pond. I'll keep tinkering and eventually post pictures of some finished baits. I'm not trying to copy anything necessarily, just make a jerkbait. I hadn't thought to float some others and see how they sit in the water. Great ideas!

Hello! I'm working on my first jerkbait (think Rapala Husky Jerk). It's approximately 4 1/2" long, 5/8 thick, and 3/4" tall. I'm wondering if anyone has a tip or general rule for weight placement. I looked online at a bunch of unpainted blanks for ideas, and it seems most have the weight in roughly the front half of the bait, though some have another weight back in the tail. Any thoughts are appreciated!

Love it! It's nice to remember we were all beginners once. Thanks for sharing!

Question, if I were to thin some spar urethane with mineral spirits and put it in a jar for dipping, how long do you think it would keep? Also, I saw a guy who finishes stuff with epoxy then adds a coat of spar urethane over the epoxy. He said without it the epoxy will yellow. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm using E-Tex.