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Posts: 16
Location: Stevens Point/Sheboygan Wisconsin | Hey folks, as you can see I'm new here and have a question for y'all. I have never built a bait(besides bucktails). Basically what I am looking for is a confidence building first bait to get my feet wet so to speak. What kind of bait would you all recommend I build first that is relatively straightforward in procedure with the best chance of a "passable" outcome. Crank, glider, WTD....? Is it possible to finish a bait cleanly without a drying wheel? I see a lot of folks on here talking about their drying wheel and I dont wanna have to invest in tons of equipment right away to see if Im going to like it. Maybe that has more to do with what topcoat is used... I dont know. In any case, what advise do you all have to share with a first time lure builder that you wish someone would have told you before you started? Thanks a bunch! |
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Posts: 1529
| make a surface bait. and no you do not have to use a lure dryer. |
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Posts: 294
Location: Bloomer, Wi | I made a drying wheel out of A routiserie motor and shaft used for a bbq grill and drilled a hole through the center of a 5 gallon bucket slid that over the shaft, used the 2 meat prongs that come with the bbq to hold the bucket in place. then cut 2 sides out of the bucket, zip tie each end of the lure to each end of the bucket and there ya go. |
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Posts: 16
Location: Stevens Point/Sheboygan Wisconsin | Thanks for the replies guys! And thanks to the fella who took the time to send me a really nice email! But, jeepers, theres over 150 views and only three people responded? All I'm looking for is a couple tips for a beginner, even things that may seem basic to you pros on this site will undoubtedly be helpful to me, and to any newb who is reading along with this. I have taken the time to read through the past 25 pages and really thank all of the guys on here who take the time to show pics, share tips, and due the short tutorials. Good Luck and Thanks!
EDIT: O ya, and I guess at this point im gonna start by making a few WTD baits and maybe some cylindrical prop baits. I guess im gonna try E-tex lite and hope for the best.
Edited by JokersWild 5/19/2010 11:00 PM
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Posts: 501
Location: Norway | I found making gliders the easiest. Im making a wtd topwater these days, coz I was tired with making the same 2 bait models all the time. Ive also made some cranks, but those are very time consuming in the beginning, but very rewarding when they run good. I will also advice on making some kind of drying wheel, they dont need to cost much, but can take some time to build. If you do a search on tacklemaking forums you will get a lot of pictures, and when you have a motor you dont need blueprints to make one, you can make one from the pictures.
Good luck, Im sure you will get addicted 
Michael |
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Posts: 351
| You might also consider trying to build a flat sided minnow bait, similar to a Grandma.
I would try Devcon 2 ton epoxy for the final top coat instead of envirotex lite. Envirotex takes a fairly long time to "set up" and will be prone to sagging and running until it does...which is why guys eventually build a wheel.
Devcon 2 ton epoxy is an lesser finish, in my opinion, because it has a tendency to slightly yellow over time, but it provides a very tough finish which can be applied without a wheel.
Try this:
-Build and paint the bait.
-Then clamp the bait into a pair of vice grips. The vice grip pliers will give you a handle to hold onto as you apply the Devcon.
-Brush the Devcon onto the bait. (Mix it THOROUGHLY for about 2 minutes before apply it)
-After applying the Devcon, rotate the bait in your hand by using the vice grips as a handle.
The Devcon will "set up" in usually no more that 20 minutes and will completely harden in no more than about 4 hours. After the rotation period, and after the Devcon has set up, you can put the bait down carefully someplace where it won't get bumped or touched and let it finish curing.
Apply a second coat and even a third if you'd like.
If you have problems, come back here and ask questions. Usually, you will get all the info you need to keep progressing until you are hopelessly addicted to lure building.
Then you can build a paint shop and a drying wheel, and buy a sander, a couple of band saws, a table saw, a couple of rotary tools, a few airbrushes, a couple of hundred dollars worth of paints, a case of assorted sandpaper, and of course you have to have a... |
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| A WTD topwater or subsurface glider are definitely easiest to make. Cranks can be a pain to get the right lip angle, lip squareness, and weight. JMO but a weagle or doc type bait is fairly easy to dupilcate. May not be the exact same action but close. I've now built a drying wheel but I did not have one for my first baits. If you simply hang them you'll get a little nipple at the end but that was fine for starters. My bait building is done for the year, now that the season is here but I spend a lot of time during the winter down in the basement. The main thing is to have fun playing around with your ideas. First couple I did with spray cans too and they looked okay. Then I got a cheap airbrush from menards (seriously like $12.00) and paint jobs have drastically improved. Have fun and good luck! |
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Posts: 268
| I started out many lures ago with tally wacker style topwaters , simple body design , do not have to get crazy with paint schemes, a fairly inexpensive to make, I used clear white pine or white or red cedar, about 1 3/8 inch square. If you don't have a lathe start out slow and hand carve the body, cut your tail section off, cut your tail slot, glue in your metal prop , seal the wood good and hit it with paint. If you have any other questions , feel free to email me at [email protected]
I would be more than happy to give you all the tips I can, good luck on your baits. Rod |
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