TheBearFan89 Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Hi all, Been lurking your forum for a while in hopes that I could find a hobby for those rainy, "unfishable" days. I have a small background in balsa and basswood woodcarvings, especially small birds (don't laugh!...they're for my mom every Mothers Day), and I typically fish with jigs and plastics, and troll with spoons/lipless cranks. I'm not exactly looking to save money on lures, but I do want to produce some lures without breaking the bank that I can fish with and maybe give away to some close family and fishing buddies. So...should I try pursuing soft plastics first, or is it easier to carve wooden (or pvc) baits? Is one or the other easier to get started on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBearFan89 Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Oh and if it helps, I live in Grand Rapids, MI...fish from a 12' SOT kayak...and I typically pursue smallies and largemouth, pike, crappie, and walleye (never in that order lol) Thanks folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) There's a lot of great info here but in the mean time check out: homeluremaking.blogspot.com He does a lot of variety and you can also find him on youtube Hope that's not Chicago Bears? :-) Used to spend a lot of summer vacations in Ludington on Hamlin Lake. bill Edited June 26, 2015 by scrubs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBearFan89 Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Thanks I'll look into it. And no, my username is directed towards Fred Bear...I've got two Bear hunting bows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Ive done both now, and i give the ez nod to plastics! Mess up a plastic bait and you may have bubbles and dents all over it... But you can still fish it Mess up a crank bait and it may be like having the Tazmanian Devil on the end of your line 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleriver Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) Hello BearFan I would start at youtube watching as many how to build a fishing lure videos as I could stand. There are lots of ways to do this but only with time and experience will you find what suits you. After the videos, you'll have a better idea of what you want to do and how you want to do it. Tackleunderground has lots of great resources. The "How to " forum section is a great place to begin here. Lots of questions can be answered there. The forums and the community too is another great option once you know what you want and have more specific questions but remember what your asking has probably been asked many times before, so a quick search of the hard bait forum first is your best option. I wish the you the best. It is a great addictive hobby. Vic Edited June 26, 2015 by littleriver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Welcome to TU. I like the mandate that you are coming here with; not looking to make an income but looking for a useful hobby for those rainy days. Luremaking ticks all those boxes. Which ever you choose to start with; hardbaits, plastics or wire baits, they all have their difficulties to overcome. But, if a hobby was that easy, you would soon lose interest. As you can see from the number of long term members still posting, there is plenty of long term interest. I suggest that you choose the field of lure building that is going to be the most use to you. If you like cranking, whittling wood and not afraid to dab a bit of paint around, then crank baits is a good place to start. If you mostly fish with rubbery plastic, then choose your favorite pattern and start there. It is not just the plastics, the lead heads can be made too. Same goes for feathers and spoons. Lots of reading to be done, learn the new words and jargon and get a good feel for what you are getting into. Then, anything you are confused or not sure about, ask questions. Remember, there are no dumb questions, but occasionally there will be stupid, idiotic answers Dave 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Is that a bad thing? It is when he scares the fish! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrubs Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Thanks I'll look into it. And no, my username is directed towards Fred Bear...I've got two Bear hunting bows I used to have a 55 year old Kodiak Magnum recurve and a couple of others. bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBearFan89 Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Great advice gents! Now, say I was equally interested in both hard baits, but with only the time and money to start ONE...which one be most beginner friendly? JRammit says plastics are more forgiving with mistakes. Does anyone disagree? At this point I am leaning more towards plastics though...I'd really like to make a tube dipped hunters orange with bright green tentacles for the murky Grand River (seriously, it's ALWAYS dirty!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Not to be misleading... If making your own molds (which is all i do), suddenly a chunk of plastic becomes a feat of engineering.... Venting, mold material, release agents, injection methods, temperature, ect... Ive found my own methods to simplify my process as much as possible, mainly through experimentation.... But im not done yet! Since i got into hard baits, my softies took the back seat... But i can honestly say it is easier to screw up a crank bait than it is to screw up a worm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Sounds like you have a reasonable plan. You should move with it, this decision is not a lifetime commitment, you can change direction at any time. Tubes don't require expensive molds, so that is a plus. It is always more difficult to change direction if you have made a $erious commitment. DAve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBearFan89 Posted June 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Thanks again gents. I do love smallies, so I'll plan on beginning with tubes...just gotta use the Search function for tail cutters :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Instant satisfaction would be soft baits get a starter injection kit and have at, I do both now, soft plastics and cranks and large salt plugs the cranks and plugs are awesome when completed but take more time and processes to complete over a much longer period time than plastics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 (edited) Thanks again gents. I do love smallies, so I'll plan on beginning with tubes...just gotta use the Search function for tail cutters :/ Easiest cheapest way to get started cutting tails is just stack a series of razor blades and washers. The blades I use have holes already in them so it takes like 5 minutes to put one together. You will have to use a backer board to press and have mat to go along with it but should come in under 20 bucks as the mat depending on the size comes in as the most expensive. With a hobby lobby coupon for 40% off may come in more around 10 bucks. You can buy premade cutters if you want but not needed if just starting out. Some will say you can't get consistent tails, decent tails, etc... but you are going to find out a lot of what can and can't be done comes down to the guy doing it. Edited June 28, 2015 by Travis 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 Travis, Will these mats work: http://www.dickblick.com/products/dahle-self-healing-cutting-mats/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBearFan89 Posted June 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 (edited) Thanks Travis! Which brand of razors are those? I've got a lot of left-over Stanley razors similar to what you've got, but there's two oblong indents along the backs of them instead of holes Edited June 29, 2015 by TheBearFan89 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 Those mats are what you want. I have an Olfa as they are routinely carried in the typical craft stores. The blades came from Ace and I believe they are "their" brand but could be wrong. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 If you pour plastic wrong, just remelt and pour again. What VodkaMan said. I suggest that you choose the field of lure building that is going to be the most use to you. If you like cranking, whittling wood and not afraid to dab a bit of paint around, then crank baits is a good place to start. If you mostly fish with rubbery plastic, then choose your favorite pattern and start there. It is not just the plastics, the lead heads can be made too. Same goes for feathers and spoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aulrich Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 My generalist nature says play with both, that is what I have done, but I am not carving much yet, I have made lots of dust and fire wood so far carving , but I have been having a blast painting pre-made blanks. To my mind with , hard lures there are two skills making the body and painting the body. With a lure blanks if you mess up the paint job you can always just wipe it off(though you can melt a body if your heat setting the paint with a heat gun). Right now I am in “fill the tackle box mode” and I have never had so much gear with my lipless blanks I am working on getting one of every color in the rapala catalog. I am a pike/walleye fisherman and most of the blanks are bass oriented, so I will have to carve to fill the gaps once I am through the standard lipless, floater minnow, jerk bait type bodies. I did have fun making molds for soft plastics but oddly I don’t use tons, more pike than walleye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 I highly recommend making what you consider you fish best or what you have the most experience with etc... For example a guy that doesn't fish cranks is going to have a very hard time building and even knowing if they have a decent crank. If you don't have experience with the bait no problems then buy some to compare with yours. A mix of commercial and custom baits (from legit makers). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBearFan89 Posted September 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2015 Well I acquired some spending money thanks to a recent birthday and generous folks, and I've had a LureCraft catalog for a few weeks which leads to my next question - which company do you prefer to order your supplies from? PS: I've decided to focus at least 75% of my time and money on making plastics, and the rest on pvc trim board cranks. Thanks again for the help guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRammit Posted September 28, 2015 Report Share Posted September 28, 2015 which company do you prefer to order your supplies from? You will get many different answers to that question... I would say whoever has everything you need... I like Spike-It, they have just about everything i need for soft baits, and theyre the only place i know of that also carries RTV Last thing you want is to order from 3 different sites and pay shipping 3 times But dont forget, new TU members get a 10 percent off coupon for LPO.... I never used mine, wonder if its still good??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Lures Posted September 28, 2015 Report Share Posted September 28, 2015 When it is boiled down, creating something is just rewarding when that project comes out right (your idea of what's right). Do what interest you, which will make it fun. I myself came from wire baits, then blank painting and now carving. I'm having a blast with the carving, you have to set yourself up in tools for any of the specialities. My suggestion is to read up on each and pick the one that tweaks your interest and fits all of your criteria. But read and ask questions, there are some very experienced people here and will give you good advice. Dale 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
