Mudbug81 Posted March 7 Report Share Posted March 7 What size of screw in eyelets do yall use and where do you source them? Thank you in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Fisher Posted March 7 Report Share Posted March 7 I use eyescrews anywhere from .062 thru .092 thickness, from 3/4 inch long to 1.5 inch long depending on the size lure. You can find them at Barlows, Lurepartsonline, and Jann's Necraft, all tackle hardware suppliers, or Ebay. I'm making 6-10 inch swimbaits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD_mudbug Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 I also mostly make baits over 6" up to 12". I typically use the LPO .092 stainless screw eyes for a pre-made screw eye. I will use .072 if I make less than 6" bait. Occasionally, I will make a bait over 12". On the largest baits, I have used up to 2.5" inch long screw eyes when there is room in the body. Most of my current baits are made with .051 or .062 stainless safety lock wire twist screw eyes or are wired-through. I sometimes use gate hardware screw eyes that I find in the assorted hardware racks of may local Ace hardware. These are the screws that are used to latch a gate or door in a wood frame. They are like size 208 to 212 screw eye but have a longer thread. These types of screw are great if you want a sloppy joint with a thick gauge screw eye that make a lot of noise like on the MS Slammer. I only use stainless screw eyes. I have a bad habit of not drilling a big enough pilot hole and snapping the non-stainless screw during installation. If fishing in musky or pike waters, I like to make a recessed cup in the lure body that the base of the eye on the screw can sit in. When I epoxy the bait, the part of the screw that can open gets covered in epoxy reducing the chances of it opening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybait Posted March 11 Report Share Posted March 11 I make wood wake baits mostly about 7" finished length. I use stainless steel wire from McMaster Carr that I buy in a spool that is 1/4 lb. in either 0.052 or 0.062. Mostly 0.062" for a 7 inch wake bait. Then I twist it into a hook or line tie. I do this because there is much more holding power with a twisted wire hangar that with the screw eyes. I drill my holes for a snug slip fit and all the way through the wood. Then I fill the hole with D2T until it comes out the other side and put my finger over the other side while I push the hanger into place that way I am sure I have 100% wood, wire, and epoxy. On holes that don't naturally exit the bait, like line tie, I drill a vent hole down from the top to accomplish the same thing. I find that if I use the 0.092" screw eyes with the size hooks and split rings I want to use, it is easy to over stretch the split ring over the 092 size wire. I do keep 0.092 screw eyes in stock though in 2" and 2-1/2" and now I use them for wood chopper type baits so I have plenty of hold even after holding the big chopper blades. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
