New To Forum - Trolling Plugs

[Nessmuk]

Newbie to this forum and making lures.   I enjoy both fishing and making things.

 

I found the art of wood lure making through a web search and was amazed at the beautiful lures craftsmen are turning out.      I have a fairly well equipped shop and have made things for many years in wood, plastic and metal.  Lure making interests me not only as a means of making a lure for fishing but also and make a lure as a piece of "art" or more accurately craftwork.

 

I am in the process of setting up a small 12' boat for trolling with the target being Finger Lakes trout/salmon.    Most of what I will use as bait will be spoons but I am also interested in trolling wood plugs/lures.  I'll be using downriggers as well as flat lining with the possibility of using dipsey divers.

 

Fly fishing with small poppers for black bass at Sodus bay and chasing pike/muskie on the St Lawrence river also interest me.

 

Much of lure making looks straight forward to me from what I have read in books and based on my shop experience.   For me, surface texture and painting/finishing are the mystifying aspects of making beautiful and durable lures.   Though I have had and used air brushes for a long time but don't consider myself skilled with their use.   I have seen some beautiful surfaces on lures and wonder precisely how they are achieved.    CNC routing out of rough lures interests me mainly because I built a CNC router a while back and it is sitting idle now.

 

At this point in time I am exploring the possibilities, techniques, materials, designs, etc.  I look forward to following this forum and learning about the art and craft!

 

 

[RayburnGuy]

Can't help you with the trolling lures Nessmuk, but welcome to TU. No doubt someone will be along shortly that can give you a hand.

 

Ben

[BobP]

I'm mostly a bass fisherman but often fish with a buddy who's got a center console boat and likes to troll for stripers and bass, so I make trolling lures for him.  Most of the lures I've seen trolled for trout are minnow shapes like Rapala Shad Raps and various jerkbaits.  The one suggestion I have if you are planning to make wooden lures for trolling is to use a topcoat that is very hook rash resistant because trolling will wear a bait faster than any other presentation.  A fairly thick coat of epoxy wears better than other topcoats I've tried.  By fairly thick, I mean a coat of Devcon Two Ton or multiple coats of a decoupage epoxy like Envirotex Lite (aka ETEX).

 

CNC router?  I'm envious!

[woodieb8]

nessmuk. what questions do you need answered. we build trolling lures every day here.

as cnc yep I am envious myself lol..

reason I ask the variables are near endless what you need to achieve. depth of bait . wobble. etc.

[rhersh]

Welcome to TU Nessmuk. I think your stay here will be very helpful. I know mine has been. No better lure making forum around.

[Nessmuk]

Woodie and Bob

 

I'm wanting neutral buoyancy with some wabble.  Running depth is determined by the DR weight or dipsey diver.   I will be trolling very slowly most of the time  1-2.5mph.  Minnow shapes are what I am thinking with representations of alewives and perch being at the top of the list.

 

Epoxy coating sounds like the way to go.   What paints are compatible under the epoxy and is yellowing of the epoxy coating over time a problem?   How does one get an even bubble free coating?  What paint do you use under epoxy?   Is there a good water based paint or is solvent based better?

 

I am thinking of using copper wire through the lure to form eyes for the hooks and rings.   The lure would be made in halves and glued up with formed wire inside.  Reasonable?

[woodieb8]

pick a minnow style to mimic. I wouldrecommend stainless wire for sure. if your using softwoods. balsa cedars I recommend sealer.

on smaller lures many seal with sand sealer,or envirotex then prime.recommend white primer. water base paints when dry are very efficient for hobby building. final coat in your region I recommend envirotex lite.

cutting lip slots,do when woods square stock..

lexan lip at your desired thickness. where it inserts in lip slot scuff the lexan. more bite for epoxying lip in.

hope this helps you out.

theres many very iniative,talented builders on this site.

[BobP]

One nice thing about epoxy is that it is non-reactive with other coatings.  The only time I've ever had a performance failure is when it was penetrated/cracked and allowed water to infiltrate into the underling acrylic paint or the wood.  Yes, there is some yellowing with age but you can buy epoxy with UV filters such as Flexcoat UV (sold for rod guide coating at somewhat higher cost).  Well measured and mixed epoxy will not noticeably yellow for years as long as it is not exposed to excessive UV light.  Improper measuring and especially poor mixing causes it to yellow faster and to a greater extent (as well as causing it not to harden if you really screw it up).  Any yellowing will not be apparent on a perch pattern and it is usually only a minor issue on shad patterns.  All said and done, MOST topcoats eventually yellow with age to some degree.  I think it's more noticeable on epoxy simply because it's a thicker coating than most.  Take a look at the member-submitted tutorials for some good tips on application.  There are great tutorials on Devcon by Skeeter and on Envirotex Lite by Fatfingers.

[Nessmuk]

I just spent some time looking at some of the tutorials.   Interesting!   I especially liked the one on printed paper (rather than painting) coated with epoxy.  All sorts of possibilities!

 

What specific water based paints do you use and like?

[BobP]

I mix and match various brands of acrylic latex airbrush paint with no problems.  Createx is the default standard for most guys and it's good stuff.  I also like Smith Wildlife colors.  There are various brands sold via websites like taxidermy.net, which is a gateway to taxidermy suppliers.  You'll want to color basecoat a wood lure before applying your paint pattern and the best paint I've found for that is Polytranspar Superhide White.

 

I think a large majority of painters use water based acrylic airbrush paint.  The other option is lacquer.  It looks nice but requires good ventilation to avoid inhaling the fumes.  The acrylics have improved greatly in the last decade and offer comparable colors and are easier to use and clean up after.  Taxidermy paint is sold in both lacquer and acrylic form. 

 

Topcoating a lure with epoxy and getting a perfect finish requires a little skill.  Everyone does it slightly differently - measuring, mixing, brushing, and rotating until it cures.  I add a FEW drops of denatured alcohol to my Devcon Two Ton after mixing to promote bubble expulsion, give me a more brushable coating, and extend the brush time a little.  I also apply it with a fine bristle artist brush which helps to break any bubbles while applying it.  Etex already contains some solvent and doesn't need any solvent added because it is quite thin after mixing - but it requires longer rotation to become sag-free after appication and takes longer to cure hard.  Multiple coats of Etex are usually required.  There's a knack to brushing epoxy.  Don't over brush it, always keep the brush wetted, and make sure every part of the lure surface is brushed.  It levels out better than most other coatings during rotation to a beautiful topcoat.

 

Per your question re "thru-wiring", it depends on the wood you use.  Many guys thru-wire balsa baits to improve their durability.  Few guys think thru-wiring is necessary for any bait made from a harder wood.  It's never a bad idea, but most would say it's superfluous on hard wood baits, and it's more work.  I prefer to use hand-twisted stainless wire screw eyes epoxied into the bait whenever possible.