finfever Posted August 10, 2009 Report Share Posted August 10, 2009 I'm starting to get into hardbaits and was wondering what kind and size of wood should i start with. Want to make hard swimbaits, something different from soft baits which i already do. Will be buying wood at home depot or lowes. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redg8r Posted August 10, 2009 Report Share Posted August 10, 2009 Size and type really depends on the target fish...... you going after big Muskie or saltwater? or smallies n trout? Lowes & Home depot, are really limited on wood variety I think the typical stock is: Oak Poplar Pine/Fir (of course) Cedar (really knotty in my stores) Aspen While your there look at the exterior PVC boards like Azek & similar. I've never used pvc from the box stores but there are discussions archived here. You'll get much better material looking elsewhere, but I understand the ease of shopping there, I'm in one of the box stores myself at least 3 times a week. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finfever Posted August 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Size and type really depends on the target fish......you going after big Muskie or saltwater? or smallies n trout? Lowes & Home depot, are really limited on wood variety I think the typical stock is: Oak Poplar Pine/Fir (of course) Cedar (really knotty in my stores) Aspen While your there look at the exterior PVC boards like Azek & similar. I've never used pvc from the box stores but there are discussions archived here. You'll get much better material looking elsewhere, but I understand the ease of shopping there, I'm in one of the box stores myself at least 3 times a week. Good luck Baits will be 5-8" swimbaits for bass. What is this PVC, AZEK stuff. Is this like siding for a house? Was gonna try poplar or maybe basswood(found in hobby store)for the first attempt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Expanded PVC (Azek is a brand) is used for exterior house trim and is sold at most home centers. It has a uniform structure (no grain), will not absorb water, and it floats. The PVC I've tried seems to have a density similar to basswood. IMO, how well PVC or any wood will work depends on the type of swimbait - wakebait, shallow diver, or sinking. It's mostly about how much buoyancy you need in the bait. Buying wood at a home center can be a hit or miss proposition. Sometimes you can find straight, close grained wood that is relative dry - but often not in my experience. Home center wood has been transported in bulk, often stored outside, and so has a much higher moisture content than wood from a specialist or hobby wood provider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
