Attaching Hooks

[MojoCandy101]

Hey all, I am just starting my first try at making my own jerk bait muskie lure, well first lure ever. My plan is to start with using Basswood since I've heard is the easiest to work with but the softness worries me a bit. I guess my main concern is how to attach the trebles and eyehook. I can't decide whether to use the through wire method of if the basswood is strong enough to use just the screw eyes.  

 

Any tips help

 

[Nathan]

Mojo,

If you use good quality ss eye screws and epoxy them in they will hold just fine.(I've built many that way)I think we sometimes over build our baits!..lol..Nathan

[MojoCandy101]

Thanks for the input. That is what i was thinking, i just couldn't imagine pulling in an eye hook after having that 50" er on.

[archeryrob]

Screw eyes are pretty strong. Guys always question how strong and I have seen guys load test them, but you know, I have not seen anyone hang a commerical lure the same way and no one questions them. Their hangers hardly go into the plastic.

 

Get some stainless steel wire and round nose plier and make your own hook hangers. Drill the angle right and you can make them pretty long, probably much longer than you need. Screw eyes work just fine, these will just cost you less.

http://archeryrob.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/hook-hangers-diy/

[seanmarty93]

Screw eyes are pretty strong. Guys always question how strong and I have seen guys load test them, but you know, I have not seen anyone hang a commerical lure the same way and no one questions them. Their hangers hardly go into the plastic.

 

Get some stainless steel wire and round nose plier and make your own hook hangers. Drill the angle right and you can make them pretty long, probably much longer than you need. Screw eyes work just fine, these will just cost you less.

http://archeryrob.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/hook-hangers-diy/

 

Hi Rob, I'm new to bait making myself, and was wondering if you could elaborate a bit more on the method of eyes you are talking about. Forgive me, but I'm confused on what you are saying to do. What shape do you bend the wire into? What do you mean by drilling the angle right? I am in the process of building some baits out of cedar and was thinking of drilling and epoxying in some 5/16" poplar dowel at the hook hanger locations then using stainless screw eyes, however after reading your post you have my curiosity. Thanks!

 

Sean

[seanmarty93]

OK, don't i feel like a moron, LOL. I just noticed the link that explains everything. Thanks for posting that!!!!

[mark poulson]

I think we all overestimate the strain on hook hangers.  They are typically way stronger than the line we use with those lures.  A simple hanging test with a lure, cord, and 30lb weight should be enough to tell you whether your screw eye will hold.  I bet, if it fails, it will pull out the chunk of wood around it rather than coming out clean, if you set it with either epoxy or super glue on the threads when you run it in.

I make some small PVC cranks where weight is very critical, like a 1.0 square bill.

To save weight, I tried using the small figure 8 sst wires used for sinkers and embedded in plastic cranks, the ones with one end slightly opened.

 

http://www.barlowstackle.com/Stainless-Steel-Wire-Eyes--P1195C160.aspx

 

I drill a hole the diameter of the 8, fill it with gap filling super glue, and then put the figure 8 in with the open side embedded in the glue.  A shot of the accelerant sets the super glue off, it top cures instantly, and the rest cures in less than an hour.

I've never had a hook hanger failure with this method, and a bonus is I can orient the hanger so it sits side to side, so I can mount my trebles with a single hook forward, which cuts down on hook rash.

I fish my cranks on anywhere from 8 to 17lb line, and I can't pull the hook hangers out before the line breaks if I get snagged, so I know it tests out at least at that level.

As I said, I started doing this to save weight in small cranks, but now I use it any time it will work.

The two things I won't use it for is for jointed swim baits, and frogs.  The weight of the jointed lure itself gives fish a lot of leverage when they shake, and I'm afraid it might be too much for a figure 8 and glue joint alone.  And I throw my hard frogs on 50lb braid, in slop, and I don't know if a figure 8 in glue will pull 5lbs of fish and 45lbs of grass back to the boat.  

Edited February 15, 2014 by mark poulson

[diemai]

I think we all overestimate the strain on hook hangers.  They are typically way stronger than the line we use with those lures.  A simple hanging test with a lure, cord, and 30lb weight should be enough to tell you whether your screw eye will hold.  I bet, if it fails, it will pull out the chunk of wood around it rather than coming out clean, if you set it with either epoxy or super glue on the threads when you run it in.

I'm absolutely with Mark , ......quite a few years ago the top lure displayed in the link below caught my PB northern pike of almost 47" , it has epoxied stainless screw eyes of 0.72" wire dia , 1" shank at the belly and 1 1/2" shank in the rear .

 

After the battle I had not found any failures on the lure(apart from some teeth sticking into it and topcoat rashes) , not even the 2 millimetres aluminium sheet lip had warped nor the tow eye of 1,5 mm welding wire did bend , ....I had expected lip or line tie to have gotten out of tune , but not a screw eye failure at all , ......but right on the next cast after the capture of that trophy pike the lure tracked absolutely true .

 

http://www.tackleunderground.com/community/index.php?/gallery/image/2523-some-favourite-crankbaits/

 

I would extend the pilot holes of my screw eyes at the entry to about 3 mm dia , a few millimetres deep so that when twisting in the eyes with some epoxy glue , some kinda "glue-plug" would evolve there , adding to the strength of the bond .

 

For muskie lures you might also go with the extra strong so-called stainless "muskie screw eyes" or "magnum screw eyes" of .092 wire dia , available in up to 2" shank length , .....you'd even have a tough time having to tune a tow eye made from these .

 

Keep away from brass screw eyes , their shanks do easily twist off , when twisting them into tight pilot holes in hardwood .

 

Also leading your screw eyes into the blank under an angle adds to resist pullout , so possibly drill the pilot holes of belly screweyes pointing somewhat rearward , .....lead line tie eye and rear hook hanger eye not dead paralell to the the lengthwise center axis of the lure , but under an angle .

 

Even smaller angles of just a few degrees add to the pullout resistance of your screw eyes .

 

Greetz , 61diemai

 

PS : Welcome to the TackleUnderground , Mojo

Edited February 15, 2014 by diemai

[archeryrob]

I think we all overestimate the strain on hook hangers.  They are typically way stronger than the line we use with those lures.

 

Yup, Mark summed it up there. Hook hanger opens are 120 pounds but you're using 20 pound test.

[MojoCandy101]

Wow thanks for all the info, the wood blocks should be in the mailbox after work today! i cant wait to get home and start the process! 

[FrogAddict]

Welcome to the sickness Mojo.

[Tman69671]

I have put in small screw eyes that I use for bass lures I tested them out to 35lbs they didn't even pull out the eyelet straightened first. I have also had a 36" northerner on one of my baits with screw eyes only hooked in the back hook no problem. The only time on got pulled was on a prototype that wasn't sealed and the wood softened(my fault). I do not use balsa though that could be a problem. I use poplar. Good Luck!!!