bmaher287 Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Hey everyone, I am nwe to this site, and first I want to say that this site is great. I am interested in beginning to make my own crankbaits. I have never done this, so I don't really know where to start. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on techniques, supplies, or just any advice at all. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diemai Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 (edited) @ bmaher287 Welcome to TU ! I see , that you've been around for a couple of weeks already , have you utilized the search function and browsed through the threads ? I'm very sure , that most of your questions will be answered in there , you only need to look around ,..........any upcoming specialized questions would surely be answered by some members later . You might probably understand , that it would be impossible to write long instructional texts for every newbie coming in , .....all the info is there , take up the challenge to find them and benefit from it . Have a look in the "tutorials" section ,..... one more option , that just comes to my mind , is the thread "looks that simple the Finnish way" , ..... type this this title into the "search forums" bar top right and you'll get there , .......check the video ! Also type in certain keywords like "crankbait making" , "diving lip" , "throughwire harness" , "topcoating" , etc. , etc. , ....all you can think of , .......you will definately find a lot of info ! good luck , diemai:yay: Edited June 22, 2009 by diemai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 get a workshop or shed,the females in our lives dont like wood shavings and sawdust! my mrs chucked me and my lure stuff out to the shed mid winter,so i got a parafin stove a wireless and a kettle quite comfy now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoopa Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Well you can get technical or can just go the simple way. Just for starting out I would suggest that a crankbait will give you a lot of pain to make, they require knowledge of how a crankbait swims and why it does what it does. There are also way more varibles in crankbaits such as ballast weight position lip angle and length and much more. Not so much fun if you are just starting out in this hobby. I would suggest for a first lure a topwater would be a good starter. They get you familar with ballast weight and what they do. But to get started with everything I would suggest get a knife, a piece of wood, some lead (for ballast weight) a drill, some wood sealer, and something to make screw eyes out of or you can just purchase some. The main thing you want to focus on is getting your lure sealed and water proofed. Then from there you can paint the lure however you please and clear coat with epoxy for protection of the paint and it makes everything look great:). I probaly forgot some stuff but if you use the search function like Diemai said you can find tons of information. Hopes this helps a lil bit though. Goodluck, Jacob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Put the hooks on and test it for swimming action BEFORE you do the art work. If it doesn't swim like you want it to, post it and the members will help you fix the problem. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmaher287 Posted June 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Hey thanks for the tips. It should help me a lot when I start working on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 My advice is take a commercial lure you think is really good and copy it. That solves a lot of design problems before they get started and it's your best chance to end up with a fish-catching bait your first time out. Making good crankbaits is mostly about attention to detail and keeping everything symmetrical. I use a digital scale to get the weight right and I do extensive measurements and markings to guide me when tapering and rounding over the sides of the bait. There is also no harm in starting out with some store-bought wood bodies. One quick tip - always cut the lip slot just after you cut out the body shape, while the blank is still "square". Click on Forums, Member Submitted Tutorials, Hardbait How-to, and then change the time span at the bottom of the page to "From the Beginning". There are several good tutorials covering many of the basics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrophius Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Advice from a new addict Research research research. Top coats, paints, crankbait bills, ballasts, wire forming, etc. I have spent more money on things just trying em out, but there are a lot of things on this website that are tried and true. I have changed the way I made my most recent bait from my first one. If you have the time to do some searches on the website, i would do it, and if ya get stuck on a thought, the guys here can solve it. I think anything you produce will be fishable(well, if it swims right), a lot of the "prettiness" of lures is to appease the fisherman imo. I have gotten steadily better and it will come to you as well. If you want some pretty simple plans that you can just grab some wood and cut, try this place Lurebuilding 101 I took away some pretty standard things from that website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68KingFisher Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Advice from a new addict Research research research. Top coats, paints, crankbait bills, ballasts, wire forming, etc. Couldn't have said it better myself......Let the search engine here be your best bud.....i've spent hours on end reading old threads....i've found a ton of great information.....although it seems alot of the pictures are missing once you find a thread thats a few years old....but even with missing pictures the amount of info from those who have gone before us is overwhelming.....be a sponge and soak it up...lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balsa butcher Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 My advise to you for building your first one is to build a flat bait. Get a piece of 3/8" balsa from somewhere like Hobby Lobby and draw a shape on it that you like. You could even trace a bait that you already have. A flat bait is a lot easier and faster to build than a round body lure. After you cut it out, you can simply shape it with sandpaper. After you get the hang of them and get them to run right, try a more complex shaped bait. Just make sure that when you sand balsa you wear a dust mask. That stuff will make you cough like crazy and it's not good for you. Be careful though, carving baits is extremley addicting! Especially after you catch your first fish on one. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoopa Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Just make sure that when you sand balsa you wear a dust mask. That stuff will make you cough like crazy and it's not good for you. Be careful though, carving baits is extremley addicting! Especially after you catch your first fish on one. Good luck! I can totally agree with that! I remember when I first started to mess with balsa, all my friends thought i was doing something else besides make lures in my basement:lolhuh:. Goodluck, Jacob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
