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Posts: 325
Location: Otsego, MN | I am looking to make some 6-8" twitch style baits and was curious if there are any recommended types of wood.
I want a bait that will have a nice wobble on the twitch for flash and a slow rise on the pause. I am afraid of something too buoyant rising too quick for spring time fishing with lots of pauses.
Any general advice on wood selection would be helpful.
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Posts: 122
Location: Appleton Wi | I use poplar when I make my twitch baits. It isnt to soft so the screw eyes stay in. And it has a pretty slow rise and good action. I just caught one today twitching one i made out of poplar. |
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Posts: 791
Location: WI | I would try maple. Used to make my gliders from it because you don't have to add a lot of weight to make them neutrally boyant. Tried poplar also but it blows up the worst under paint IMO. Since I switched to resin the only wood I use is cedar for the top waters. |
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Posts: 325
Location: Otsego, MN | Based on everyone's responses (here and PM's) a variety of wood can be used with everyone preferring different types. I have heard responses of Balsa, Red Cedar, Western Red Cedar, Poplar and Maple.
Has anyone used aspen? I have a nice piece of 1.5" wide, 3/4" thick, 6+' long aspen sitting around and was curious if I could make some small twitch baits or crank baits out of that... |
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Posts: 527
| Aspen and poplar are very similar. |
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Posts: 501
Location: Norway | Ive used yellow poplar for cranks, and I love working with it (easy to work with and holds screws good). There is one downside, IMO, it swells alot when water logged, more than any other wood Ive used. My latest ones Ive sealed differently, so I hope it holds up better.
Michael |
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Posts: 908
Location: South-Central PA | My personal choice is red cedar. I seal it well and have never had issues with water contamination. It's nice and light and gives great action to baits. If you want your baits to suspend simply add more weight.
jeremy |
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Posts: 4266
| I use Cedar for Cranks. Red Cedar, Alaskan Yellow, even Spanish Cedar. It's buoyant, so you have to weight the lures for your rate of rise. I believe lighter wood have much more life in the water. I make all of my gliders out of Maple and CA Redwood. I can use the Redwood for cranks, but maple requires a big lip to get it moving. It's fun working with different woods, after a while you can pick up a piece of wood and tell what it would be best suited for. There isn't an "all-around" wood. |
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | I'm a furniture-maker/woodworker as a serious hobbyist and I'd ask how about Basswood?
Great wood to work and would hold a screw if I'm not mistaken, even in the small diameters??!! Of concern to you lure-makers is the specific gravity/density thing but I'm guessing it would be okay.
I'm thinking of making a few Suicks this winter and have some questions. Another post of course.
J. |
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| Basswood is excellent. Will hold a screw but use thru-wire if possible. If I'm not mistaken, the often prized amma bama's and nimmer swimmers are basswood. I use it and cedar too. Would use redwood but its expensive and hard to come by in biillets. Don't rule out mahogany. |
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Posts: 4266
| Basswood swells a lot, so you better seal it three times. I wouldnt recommend it for gliders because its so buoyant. I made some 6" gliders with it that took 2 1/2 oz. of lead to get them to sink. Maybe crankbait wood, I would rate it just above Balsa. |
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