imagine_studios Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 I'm looking to attempt making a few Muskie lures out of wood. For starters, I figured I'd go with the type that's carved out of maybe a 1x3 and shape it accordingly. Something like the attached picture I found online. This type of lure seems like it would work well enough, and still be fairly easy to put together for someone just starting out. I have one question though. Do you think it's necessary to have the wire go all the way through the piece of wood tying all the hooks together? Or, would a long screw eye be sufficient to hold the hooks on? I'm leaning towards running the wire all the way through, but that definitely makes things more difficult. Thanks Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Here's a few template/instruction sites to get you going. crankbaitcarvingpatterns.pdf bill crankbaitcarvingpatterns.pdf crankbaitcarvingpatterns.pdf crankbaitcarvingpatterns.pdf crankbaitcarvingpatterns.pdf crankbaitcarvingpatterns.pdf crankbaitcarvingpatterns.pdf crankbaitcarvingpatterns.pdf crankbaitcarvingpatterns.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Whether or not to through wire depends on how strong the wood that you're using is, and how stout your screw eyes are. I'd suggest you do a search here for muskie lures, and see what is available here. I've made jointed swimbaits for the salt, and used 1 1/2" .092 sst screw eyes for the line tie and hinges, and they held up fine. But I was using Azek PVC decking, which is very strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine_studios Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Thanks guys, the links and info are much appreciated! I was thinking I'd go with a tougher wood, like poplar, but there's always a trade off, the harder wood is more durable, but also harder to work with. I even thought of using oak, but oak doesn't typically fair all that well with water, but, if it's completely sealed, it may not matter... So many choices! I do like the idea of the PVC decking, I hadn't thought of that. I'll try out the links and see if I can get some ideas going. PS: I didn't realize you could search for specific posts, so I've been wading through millions of entries looking for anything about the screw eyes, so thanks for that too. In case you couldn't tell, I'm a bit new to the forum process. Thanks again guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 I used to use poplar for my swimbaits, but waterproofing was a nightmare for jointed baits. PVC is totally waterproof, so water intrusion is never an issue. I'm able to test swim my lures before I paint them without any sealer at all. JR Hopkins ( ) turned me onto Azek PVC, and, even though I'm a carpenter and love working with wood, I haven't made a wood lure since. The decking is as buoyant as poplar, and just as strong or stronger. The trim board isn't as strong, but it's fine for bass lures, and it's as buoyant as med. grade balsa. Just use a dust mask when you machine PVC. The dust is mildly electrostatic, and will mess with you nose and sinuses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine_studios Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 I think I'm sold on the PVC, waterproof and holds on to the eyehooks better, sounds like a winner to me. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Plenty of musky lure builders use screw eyes in their baits versus thru-wiring as long as they are working with a harder wood. On the question of what material to use for the body, I recommend looking at a wood density chart before selecting a wood species. The lighter the wood you use, the more natural buoyancy and action your bait will have. Oak is very dense at 47 lbs/cu ft average. Poplar is almost half that density. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 I know that through wire has a status attached to it as being indestructable. I can also tell you that an epoxy glued in screw eye won't give any trouble. A lot of lure manufactures use carter pins for bottom hook hangers and bend them over on the back of the lure. One thing to keep in mind about wood weight is the action of the lure during the retrieve. Most crank baits are actually used in a jerking manner. Between each jerk the lure will rise some according to the weight of the lure. A heavier lure may stay down better than a light lure. The same lure built out of two different weight woods is a good idea. Everyone has their own favorite jerk bait and I am no different. A good seven inch long jerk bait that will run about 4-5 feet deep on the cast is ideal for me. I would like the weight to be around 2 ounces when finished. 7 inch Cranes (207) or 7 inch Grand Ma's would be a good pattern to copy. There are a lot of good jerk baits listed on Rollie and Helens Musky Shop ( www.muskyshop.com ) Thickness would probably be 3/8". These are very good bass lures as well. My two favorite colors are firetiger and crappy. Good luck. Musky Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine_studios Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 I'm looking to use the lures I'm making for trolling, so the weight of the lure isn't too big of a concern when it comes to casting, BUT, BobP brings up a valid point too, the action of the lure would be affected by the weight. So many decisions! Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 I know that through wire has a status attached to it as being indestructable. I can also tell you that an epoxy glued in screw eye won't give any trouble. A lot of lure manufactures use carter pins for bottom hook hangers and bend them over on the back of the lure. One thing to keep in mind about wood weight is the action of the lure during the retrieve. Most crank baits are actually used in a jerking manner. Between each jerk the lure will rise some according to the weight of the lure. A heavier lure may stay down better than a light lure. The same lure built out of two different weight woods is a good idea. Everyone has their own favorite jerk bait and I am no different. A good seven inch long jerk bait that will run about 4-5 feet deep on the cast is ideal for me. I would like the weight to be around 2 ounces when finished. 7 inch Cranes (207) or 7 inch Grand Ma's would be a good pattern to copy. There are a lot of good jerk baits listed on Rollie and Helens Musky Shop ( www.muskyshop.com ) Thickness would probably be 3/8". These are very good bass lures as well. My two favorite colors are firetiger and crappy. Good luck. Musky Glenn Musky, I never thought about gluing trimboard and decking together to get a bottom-heavier bait with stronger material. That's a slick idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Mark, that is a slick idea, wish I had thought of it. My idea didn't make it from my head to the keyboard. I was thinking of making two separate lures, one out of heavy wood and one out of lighter wood. Glad someone knows what I should have been thinking. lol Musky Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Mark, that is a slick idea, wish I had thought of it. My idea didn't make it from my head to the keyboard. I was thinking of making two separate lures, one out of heavy wood and one out of lighter wood. Glad someone knows what I should have been thinking. lol Musky Glenn Just ask your wife! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Guess we'll have to add clairvoyant to Mark's list of talents. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wchilton Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Musky, I never thought about gluing trimboard and decking together to get a bottom-heavier bait with stronger material. That's a slick idea. You could do the same with different density wood. Also can dremel a channel in one piece and run thru-wire before gluing the top/bottom halves together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 Mark, my wife never misses a chance to tell me what I am thinking. lol But it has been good for the both of us. 49 years 11 months and counting. Musky Glenn and Nancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 49 years 11 months and counting....what were you thinking! Hahaha Congrats. to both of you, for "adjusting to the changing conditions" for so long. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayburnGuy Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 Mark, my wife never misses a chance to tell me what I am thinking. lol But it has been good for the both of us. 49 years 11 months and counting. Musky Glenn and Nancy Big congrats to the both of you Glenn. Ben 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Musky Glenn, I've got a different situation. I shore fish a rocky lake in the Southwest. Anything that runs deeper than a couple of feet hangs occasionally. Biggest year class is around 36" but fish up to 50" are there. What would you recommend in a plug around 1 - 1.5 oz that runs surface to maybe a foot down. I have to believe something with a similar action to the old Bass Oreno where it would tail wag on the surface would be killer. bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted October 25, 2014 Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 I would recommend top water lures if they are that shallow. Super Spooks or Jack Pot's would be good choices. If you wanted to get down a little, a one ounce spinner bait would be good, just hold the rod tip up a bit. I have caught more muskies on spinner baits than any other class of lure. Good luck. Musky Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MstormC Posted November 1, 2014 Report Share Posted November 1, 2014 If you're looking for a crank bait that runs shallow do a search for SS Shads. Super buoyant and run really shallow. Otherwise do what Glenn said and run some spinner baits. I've had really good luck this year with overheads and most years I can't buy a bite on overheads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
