rbredefe

Figure 8 terminal tackle pieces from lpo work as well especially on arky molds to make a vibrating jig

eBay. Search 5 1/2 inch big raw spoon blanks.

White offers little advantage for me as I dip all my baits in white primer before painting.

I like the inner foam core idea. I have used the lighter alumifoams put in a jumbo paper straw for small crankbaits as well as rectangular pieces of balsa. Every once in a while the resin won’t fill in around the core but both methods have worked. I have not had consistent results with straight alumifoam as it pushes against the mold during expansion.

For the very first bait pouring without weight is obvious. It will take a digital scale and experimentation to get the sink rate that you want to achieve. Once you know your desired weight you can include them in your molds. This will speed up production. However not every one will be perfect.

I use broken rod blanks for spare guides as well. I also have added reamer grit to make a tool to ream out cork and foam handles. Broken rod blanks also provide the material necessary to extend handles or add overall blank length from the bottom. What else can you creative types think of?

I am still a rookie, but I use one coat of Devcon to seal the bait, paint, and then one more coat of devcon. This works on medium to large bass lures.

I agree. Get all you can out of the two and three dollar lure bins and repaint them to develop your skill with the airbrush.

Great lure. I love his post in general. I am very thrifty by nature and love the dollar store. My favorite home made paint job was done with a roll of foil tape I found in a thrift shop for 99 cents. It was enough to do over a dozen topwater lures. Good luck to every one and remember that in these tough economic times it is quite satisfying to come up with great fish catchers that do not cost a fortune to make.

Snaps, maybe. Snap swivels, never.

I might be able to assist with this one. Find the cheapest 4 to 6 inch flutter spoons designed for salmon trolling and epoxy them together with devcon two ton or similar epoxy. I keep the color simple(silver or chrome). You can even weight the one(or two) metal flutter spoons with lead tape on the concave or convex side of the spoon from netcraft or a golf shop to achieve an action that you like. Obviously, more lead equals more depth but you can add a lot of weight and still get a pretty good action with a big spoon. I have used both of the above techniques with success, but the lakes in metro Knoxville are not quite as productive as what Kentucky Lake anglers have experienced the last couple years. Good luck.

With this particular problem a picture is worth a thousand words. However, I love reading the input from fellow members. Thank you to every one.