Introduction: Home Carved Fishing Lures

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I don't know how many of you fish but if you do you know the frustration of losing a valuable fishing lure to weeds or sticks. Store bought fishing lures can add up to a lot of money. So why not make your own? Most of the best lures aren't very hard to make. All you will need is:

1: A nice sharp pocket knife
2: Oil based paint
3: Wood carving tools ( optional)
4: Clear wood varnish
5: Eye hole screws
6: Treble hooks
7: Dremel tool ( optional )

Step 1: Getting Started

To start on your lure you will need to choose a type of wood. Soft wood is recommended for beginners, although I did it with an old piece of ash. Soft woods are easier to carve, the ups of using soft wood is that it moves erratically in water, giving you a flailing lure which usually pulls out bass, the downs of using soft wood is that it is a lot more buoyant than hard wood, so you don't have a lot of time to wait while fishing, they work much better as top water shallow lures. pine and bass wood are light woods.


Hard woods are harder to carve, and they don't move as well as softwoods. The upside is that they are much less buoyant then soft woods, and are much easer to find. Hard woods are oak and ash.



Step 2: The First Cut

Lets say you are using ash and you are making a top water lure.

You'll want a some what smooth rounded lure, with a rounded point at both ends maybe a half a          inch at its widest point. Choose a strait branch or stick of ash or oak or whatever. Using strait long sweeping cuts, strip the bark. If your strait spot of the stick is in the middle of two bends, use wedging motions to cut it thin, DO NOT BREAK IT. that will probrably make a hollow in your lure, and will make a pain in the ass later on. Once you have that, just carve out your lure body. Once you have a shape you like, if you have a dremel tool, put a sanding bit on and smooth it all out and round it until you are happy with it. 

Step 3: Painting and Varnish

WHile painting, try to choose colors that resemble natural organisms in that area. I fish in Iowa, so I paint them a dark brown to greenish color. Also add streaks of bright colors, mostly yellow or pink to catch the bass's eye. You should then use a fine point Sharpy to color in details like eyes and fins. After you've painted, add a coat of clear varnish.

Step 4: Hard Ware

Add eye hole screws to the bottom of your lure, far enough apart that your tri hooks wont touch, you could also use small hook screws and pound the hook into the lure after you have the hook on, if you use eye holes, if the hook won't go in, use a real small key ring to attach it. put a solid eye hole screw in the front and then coat in varnish at least 3 times, waiting for the previous coat to dry.

Step 5: Fishing

The fishing with a wooden lure is different then with a plastic lure, it will work, I can swear by it, but it may take some practice. Have fun fishing.

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