Line ties on bill

[NSR]

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum and new to crankbait building. My question has to do with making cranks with the line tie on the bill of the crankbait. After I run the wire under the bill how do I tie it into the wood, or do just cut the wire the length of the bill itself? I don't plan to split the body so I am thinking my only options are to cut the body from under the lip and tie into the belly weight or push the length of wire into the balsa itself if that is even possible. Thanks for any help and I am greatly impressed by all the artists on this site.

[BobP]

I’ve done it two ways.  I use a Dremel to cut a small slot on the bottom of the lip slot to accept the tail of the line tie.  Alternatively, you can cut a slot in the end of the lip and bend the tail end up into it and then crimp it down on the lip’s top surface.  You need to cut slots in the bottom and the top of the lip slot in this case, but it makes a very secure lip package to glue into the bait.  I use soft temper ss wire, usually .041” Dia for my line ties.  That allows you to tune the bait without cracking the lip.

[Chuck Young]

Soft tempered may also be referred to as 304 type anealed. Stainless lock wire will do the job. These wires retain rust proof qualities, but will be more easily formed than 316 stainless .

[ravenlures]

I agree with Chuck on this but since I do many lips at a time I set up a jig to hold them in the same place for drilling one hole at a time, actually it is more accurate one at a time (front and back)hole. I also, since I pour my own lures I have a grove in the lure so that when I put in the wire it will go into the lure with ease. It does give me some trouble when epoxy coating the epoxy likes to travel up the wire but a little clay that will wash out later works pretty good. If anyone has this same problem and solved it let that secrete known.  PLEASE!

Wayne