Great info from everyone.
To me, the info given suggests that the weakest point of a lure constructed without a thru-wire is the balsa wood itself. A lure constructed with a properly designed thru-wire transfers all of the energy along the thru-wire, removing the stress from the wood itself.
How much stress does it take to pull the balsa or wood of choice apart vs how much stree does it take to break the thru-wire harness?
I would think that the balsa wood would fail before the thru-wire but that is a theory. If anyone has tested this it would be interesting to hear the results. I may have to run a crude test myself.
With all the eyewash above, I suppose the real question I am looking to answer is this. Can a Bass exert enough pressure on a lure to pull it apart?
Anyone that can poke holes in my theories or answer any of my posed questions, please do so.
As always, I appreciate the information you guys share,
Bo