Big Epp

5lb smallmouth is pretty good! I've only caught one that big, and it was up in Canada. No idea what the answer is to your question, but that's a nice fish

First lure I ever made was with my grandpa. I still have it too! It's a little bass-o-reno style plug. He showed me how to do the shaping and sanding and then he painted it black, installed hardware, and gave me the finished product. I once caught around 20 pike (small ones) in one go with it. They were hitting the surface like crazy, and the only way I could get it to work how they liked it was to wrap the wire leader around the front hook. Kind of weird, but it's what they were after. I have since retired the lure and have it hanging up in my shop. My most successful lure I made

So much good info already! Check out this video for a solid looking through-wire method. I think it lines up with what @eastman03 is talking about: A bandsaw is super helpful! I was able to pick one up on Craigslist for $20. They don't typically go that cheap, but don't think you can't find one if you look long enough. As for making and cutting lips, what thicknesses and materials do you all prefer? I know there's going to be a difference from a bass bait to a muskie bait. What thickness polycarbonate can be cut with snips?

Hey all, I'm hoping to start selling some of my lures. I just opened a shop on Etsy, but thought I'd reach out for some tips from some of you who have more experience with this... What sort of things have you found to be helpful when selling baits?

Alright, alright, so sometimes I'm afraid of what I'm not familiar with... Thanks for all the reassurance, now I can turn off the nightlight

I'm working on some jointed baits, and got to thinking, what style of joint do you prefer? What do you think is strongest? I usually do a double twist wire. Also considering through-wire construction for strength, what style joint would you use for heavy hitters like muskie?

I'm going to try and use some of this to reinforce the neck on a mouse lure I'm working on. It's a little thinner than I'd like, so I'm hoping the steel reinforced epoxy will strengthen it up. I used a through-wire for the mouse, but I'll use the epoxy to fill remaining holes and keep everything together. Reading the warnings and fine print it looks like that stuff is pretty caustic. I've never used it before, but am a bit hesitant.