Florida Don

Vodkaman, Thanks. But the original has a larger diameter. I have to get some hardware for this lure in order to finish it. I need to find some of the "old" propellers. My lathe work has piqued my interest so much that all I want to do is turn wood. Will have to get a bunch of lures done and go fishing soon.

If I were to paint it, I would do it like the original. But, I will just leave this one natural, finish it, keep it as a master and make some more only with the center thicker. I doubt that it is a good fisher, as it wasn't around long. Thanks to all for the advice.

:lol:Sorry, I didn't mention the name before. I had meant to, but simply forgot. Here is the info I have on it. It is called Moonlight Dreadnought by Moonlight/Paw Paw Bait Co. Circa 1913 Length 4" NOTES: " Not often found. This unique lure has flat cup hardware consistant with Moonlight baits". Value $700 - $1000 Really, it is not that hard to turn a lure. I never ran a lathe until about a month ago. If you make a mistake, the design just changes a bit.

Thanks! Yep, turning is fun. I also made my first bowl today. Came out pretty good for not having the correct chisels. I just have an elCheapo lathe that I got at Harbor Freight. It works fine, but I have decided I need something a bit larger - not for lures but for other things.

Thanks! I am thinking of hanging the hooks on the "plain" sides. Both sides have "eyes" 180* apart and plain 180* apart. I think it may be cool to have the "eyes" left alone to make it something new to the fish. Then again, it may not look very tempting to them. I will only get one shot at drilling for the hooks - so I am spending some time trying to decide. You are correct about all the hooks - hell, with all that weight it may not even float. Just thought of something - I will tape the hooks on in various positions and see what works.

Dimai and Jamie, Thanks - I was leaning toward leaving it natural as well. Now, the problem is where to hang the hooks. I can go like the original or try something else. Any suggestions?

Just thought I'd show you my latest try at turning a lure. I wanted to see how close I could come to reproducing a lure. So, I opened one of my books to any page at random and picked out a picture to copy. Here are the results. I did it all free hand (or free sight) as I don't really have all the equipment to do things properly. I know the center section is a bit too thin but other than that, I am pretty satisfied. Do you think I should paint this lure or just leave it natural? The wood is redwood. I have no intension of selling these "reproductions" - I am strictly trying to learn how to turn different items.

Just thought I'd show you some pics of a new laminated wood I am trying. Met with a guy today who is a professional wood turner. I got a sample of this laminated wood from him. Also, they were cutting down his neighbor's camphor tree and I got some chunks of that as well. He told me it turns really nice. It is very pretty and I may not even paint it when I make some lures out of it. Not sure if the fish will like the smell or hate it - only one way to find out. Not sure if they will like this stripped wood either - unless maybe they are doing drugs. He also gave me some Spanish Cedar and Australian Cyprus. It was a fun day.

RM, Thanks. I have been turning lures on my lathe but am always looking for new ways. This stuff looked interesting, but I think I will pass on it. Rookie, Guess the resin is a better way to go. I have done it before - actually made some worm mold masters out of it, because I had a resin I could bend before it got fully cured. Don't know why I did that - just experimenting I guess. Thanks for the input guys!

Wasn't quite sure which category to put this in but thought Hard Baits would work. Anyhow. Discovered on a google search about Polymer Clay. Then I did a search here and found some old threads. Just wondering if anyone is still using Polymer Clay? The pictures from the old threads are missing and I sure would like to see them. TIA,

I really haven't fished much in FL. I have a Kayak - actually, it is for sale because I use my Jon Boat now for fishing.

Funny, I had an ice auger when I lived in MI. Used it a couple times for ice fishing, moved off of the lake and used it for fence posts as well. Worked great. Sold it to a friend and he still has it. That was like almost 20 years ago.

I'm in Brooksville - about 45 miles N of Tampa - right by I-75 & Hwy 50.

Yes it is. But I don't like sleeping alone and don't like my own cooking. I can always come back to Florida for a visit when it gets too cold.

It wasn't my idea to have a Central Florida get together, but I certainly will help with it in any way I can. It was Jerry's idea - I guess that is why we pay him all the megabucks! Not sure if I will still be living in Florida when it happens, but I will still try to help and attend. So, when Jerry gets back - lets have some conversation about it.