Introduction
Making your own fishing lures can be hugely rewarding for DIY anglers. Homemade lures let you save money, recycle old tackle, and customize designs for local waters and target species. As Mossy Oak explains, crafting your own lures is “cost-effective and simple,” and gives you the “satisfaction of knowing that you made something with your own hands,” tailoring each lure to your needs. Instead of tossing ripped or worn-out baits, you can melt down old plastics and pour them into molds to create brand-new lures. Not only does this thriftiness stretch your budget, it’s also fun – you’ll have pride when you catch a fish on a lure you built yourself. Over time, as each homemade lure becomes unique, you may even outperform store-bought lures by introducing prey shapes and colors that local fish haven’t seen before. DIY lure making is a great hobby for beginners and intermediate anglers alike, turning fishing lure crafting into an exciting part of the fishing adventure.
Types of Fishing Lures
Artificial lures come in many styles, each suited to different fish and situations. Understanding the common types helps you decide what to build. The main categories include:
Soft Plastic Lures – Flexible baits made of vinyl or silicone (worms, grubs, creature baits, etc.). They mimic live prey and often sink or slowly fall in the water. Soft plastics excel at imitating aquatic worms, larvae, or small fish because of their lifelike wobble and texture.
Spinnerbaits (Spinners) – Lures with spinning metal blades and a weighted head/skirt. The blades flash and vibrate, attracting fish by light and motion. Spinners are great in murky water: they create flash and vibration that bass, pike and other predators key in on.
Jigs – Weighted-head lures (often with a hook and skirt) designed to reach deep cover. Jigs can be bounced or “jigged” along the bottom to imitate wounded baitfish or crawfish. Their heavy head makes them sink fast, ideal for structure and deep-water fishing.
Topwater Lures – Surface lures (poppers, stickbaits, frogs) that sit on the water and create noise or splash. They mimic injured prey skittering or splashing on the surface. Topwater lures are exciting to use, as you can actually see a strike – perfect for bass, muskie, and even saltwater (redfish, etc.) when fish are looking up.
Crankbaits – Hard-bodied lures (often with a plastic or metal “lip”) that dive and swim as you reel them in. Crankbaits are made of wood or plastic and mimic small swimming fish. The lip causes them to dive and wobble, making an easy prey signal to bass, walleye and pike. They can be designed to run shallow or deep, depending on lip size.
Each type has its own action and ideal conditions. For example, crankbaits have rigid bodies and small lips to dive and wobble like baitfish, while soft plastics come in countless shapes (worms, lizards, crawfish) that closely mimic live prey. Spinnerbaits’ signature bent-wire design and spinning blades create flashes of light and vibration in the water. Knowing these differences helps when choosing what lure to make for the fish you’re targeting. In practice, anglers often carry a variety: spinners for stained water, jigs for deep cover, topwater for surface-feeding times, and a selection of soft plastics and crankbaits to cover clear water tactics.
DIY Soft Plastic Lures
Soft plastic lures are among the easiest to start with as a DIY project. These include plastic worms, grubs, creature baits, and more. Here’s how to craft your own soft plastics.
Materials and Tools: To make soft plastics, you’ll need plastisol (liquid PVC compound), color dyes or glitter, and molds. The molds can be silicone (either bought or hand-made). For example, one instructable suggests building a mold from Lego bricks and silicone caulk. You’ll also need a melting pot or old microwave/grill for heating the plastisol, stir sticks or spoons, disposable containers, and safety gear (gloves and a respirator to avoid fumes). Optionally, add salt (to weight the plastic) or scent to the mix for extra fish-attracting power.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Create or obtain a mold: You can buy silicone molds in popular bait shapes (worms, minnows, etc.), or make one by pouring clear silicone around a master lure or pattern. Allow the silicone to cure, then remove the original bait – you now have a reusable mold. (Be sure to cut a pour slit in the mold for later use.)
Prepare the plastisol: Heat your plastisol material slowly. If using an electric pot, heat to about 300–350°F (not boiling) – plastisol is thick, so stir frequently. If using an old microwave or grill, do it in short intervals, stirring each time, until fully melted. Warning: Melting plastisol produces toxic fumes. Always work outdoors or in a ventilated area and wear a suitable mask.
Add color and additives: Once melted, mix in pigments, glitter or salt as desired. For example, red salt makes the bait sink faster. Color can be mixed from acrylic paints or specialized lure dyes. Stir until evenly colored.
Pour into mold: Carefully pour the hot liquid plastic into your mold cavity, filling it completely. If you made a two-part mold, close it now. (Use gloves – the material is very hot.) Optionally vibrate the mold gently to remove air bubbles.
Cool and remove: Let the plastisol cool and solidify (it usually only takes a few minutes at room temperature). Once hardened, open the mold and remove the finished bait. Trim any excess plastic (flash) with a knife or scissors to clean up the edges. If you used salt, rinse off any crystalline residue.
Tips and Troubleshooting:
Start with old or broken lures if you like. As one DIY guide notes: if your soft bait rips, “all you have to do is melt it and pour it back into a mold”, saving money and giving you pride in your catch. You can literally reuse old worms or grubs.
Work outdoors. Plastisol fumes are toxic; even the instructable warns that you’ll want a respirator or mask when melting plastics.
If the plastisol is too thick, carefully add a little paraffin or lubricant (some use WD-40) to thin it, but handle that mixture with care – always follow safe-heating precautions.
Don’t overheat the plastisol (it can smoke or burn). If it chars, scrap it out and start again – overheated plastisol won’t set properly.
To mix colors, add only a few drops of liquid dye or acrylic at a time. Test poured blobs in water or on foil first to see the real color. You can also swirl two colors together for multi-colored baits.
Use a timer or heat-resistant container to measure when the plastics have cooled enough to handle safely. Touch carefully or gently tap to see if solid.
Soft plastic lure making is highly customizable: change the dye, glitter, salt, or scent to match local prey or water conditions. With practice, you’ll get consistent results – and you’ll never run out of worm baits again!
DIY Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbaits (sometimes called “spinners”) are bladed lures with a skirt. Building a spinnerbait is mostly assembling components. Here’s a basic approach:
Materials and Tools: You’ll need spinnerbait components: a lead jig head with built-in wire arm (or you can pour your own head if you have molds and lead), metal blades (usually one Colorado and one Willow leaf blade for a tandem spinnerbait), clevises (U-shaped wire connectors for attaching blades), split rings, swivels, beads, wire spacers, and a silicone skirt. You can buy these parts individually or a spinnerbait assembly kit. Tools include split-ring pliers, needle-nose pliers, wire cutters, and optionally a jig skirt press. A small rotary tool with pliers or cutters is handy.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Prepare the head and arm: Start with a lead head jig that has a wire arm (the eye, wire arm, and hook are usually one piece). Most DIY guides (like Wired2Fish) recommend buying a pre-assembled head and harness to save trouble. If you do pour your own head, ensure the wire is centered in the mold to avoid crooked spinners.
Add a stopper bead: Slide a small brass or glass bead onto the arm near the hook eye. This bead will later prevent the first blade’s clevis from sliding up into the bend.
Attach the first (smaller) blade: Take a U-shaped clevis and hook it through the hole in your smaller blade (usually a Colorado or Indiana blade). Slide this clevis onto the arm of the spinnerbait. Make sure the cupped side of the blade faces outward (away from the head), so that as the bait is retrieved, the blade will catch water and spin. If you put it on backward, it won’t rotate correctly.
Space the blades: Use beads or plastic spacers on the arm to set the distance between the two blades. Usually, a few beads (or a spacer tube) between the clevis and where the second blade will mount is enough, so the blades can spin without hitting each other. Adjust spacing if needed so both blades have room to rotate freely.
Attach the second (larger) blade: Assemble the larger blade on a split ring and swivel before attaching it. For example, put a split ring through the blade’s eye, then through a small swivel, then close the ring. The blade can be either cup-in or cup-out because it is not fixed – it will spin around the swivel. Finally, use split-ring pliers to attach the other end of the split ring to the end of the spinnerbait’s arm.
Attach the skirt: Slide a silicone skirt onto the hook of the lead head, securing it with a rubber band or head collar. Trim the skirt if it’s too long so it looks proportional to the hook. The skirt should flare when pulled through water. Some anglers also use a weed guard (made of thin wire or cable) inserted in the jig head above the hook to prevent snagging, but keep it trimmed for good hooksets.
Final checks: Give the blades a quick spin by hand. They should spin freely around the arm without rubbing. If not, adjust the bead spacing or flip the blade. Also check that the swivel is tight and the skirt is secure.
Tips and Troubleshooting:
Blade selection: A mix of blade shapes is common. For a classic tandem spinnerbait, use one Colorado (teardrop) blade and one Willow (long, narrow) blade. Colorado blades produce more vibration; Willow blades cut through water for speed. Try different combos for shallow vs. deep retrieves.
Blade orientation: Always check blade cups. On the clevis (first blade), the concave side must face out. The author reminds to “make sure the cup of the blade is facing outward. If you get this backwards, the blade can’t catch water and won’t rotate well.”
Quality swivels: A cheap swivel can ruin your spinnerbait – if it seizes, the blade won’t spin. Wired2Fish notes that good ball-bearing swivels are critical even though they cost more. If you have an old spinnerbait or a “boneyard” of ruined ones, you can salvage the swivels and split rings to reuse.
Recycling parts: It’s common to buy spinnerbait kits in bulk. But also consider breaking down old lures: cut the wire arm and reclaim beads, clevises, and especially the heavy swivels. In fact, some anglers keep a box of old spinnerbaits to scavenge parts from – every bit adds up.
Hooks and heads: For extra action, use a colorful head or trailer hook on the jig hook. If you’re willing to pour your own heads, use a jig mold and pre-painted lead to cut a step, though beginners may skip this until they’re confident.
Retrieve style: Spinnerbaits are often retrieved steadily, but can also be twitched or paused. A slow-roll spinnerbait (near bottom) can trigger lethargic fish. Adjust your retrieve speed and pause length depending on fish behavior.
Spinnerbait crafting is great because you can tweak each component: change blade styles, skirt colors, or head shapes at home. Once assembled, your DIY spinnerbait will catch fish just like the store-bought kind – and you built it yourself!
DIY Jigs
Jigs are very popular because of their versatility. A homemade jig typically means pouring a weighted head around a hook, then adding a skirt. This involves handling hot lead, so safety first (see Safety section below).
Materials and Tools: You need lead (or a lead substitute), a jig head mold, and jig hooks. The mold might be metal and specify the size/shape. You’ll also want powder paint (for finishing), a heat gun, and long pliers or vise grips to remove the hot jig. Other tools: sandpaper (to clean off rough edges), a small brush or toothpick (for applying paint), and personal protective gear (gloves, goggles, ventilation).
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Setup the melting pot: Place lead ingots or old fishing sinkers in a melting pot and heat to around 600–650°F. [Instructables warns: molten lead is extremely hot, and the fumes are hazardous.] Always wear gloves, eye protection, and a respirator, and work outside or under a fume hood. Let the lead fully melt (you can skim off dross).
Prepare the jig mold: Choose a jig mold that matches the hook size (molds often have slots labeled by hook size). Insert a jig hook (hook + eye) into the mold, hanging it so that the hook point faces away and the eye is near the top. The mold should grip the hook in place.
Pour the head: Hold the heated pot (with tongs) over the mold and release a small amount of molten lead to fill the cavity around the hook. Fill until the mold is slightly overfull (the mold often bulges out a bit). Quickly pour carefully to avoid splashes.
Let it cool: After the mold is filled, set it aside to cool. Once the lead has solidified (a few minutes), open the mold. Using pliers, remove the newly formed jig head (the hook should now be embedded in lead).
Trim excess: The pour will leave some “flash” (extra metal) along edges. While the jig is still somewhat warm, use pliers to break off excess. You can also rub or file edges smooth.
Paint the head: Heat the jig head gently with a heat gun (just warm enough to melt paint, but not so hot as to re-melt the lead). Dip it in powder paint, then shake off excess. The powder should stick and dry quickly as it melts onto the lead. Alternatively, brush on lure paint and allow to dry.
Add skirt and weedguard: Once the paint is set, slide a silicone skirt onto the hook. Secure it with the collar included in the skirt pack. If you use a weed guard (fine wire over the hook), bend a small length of wire and push one end into the lead just above the hook, and wrap the other end over the hook point to anchor. Trim the guard wire so it’s just above the hook tip, allowing good hook penetration.
Final touches: Your jig is done. Check that the hook point is sharp (resharpen if needed) and that the skirt flares properly. You can also experiment by adding rubber legs, natural hair, or flash material under the skirt.
Tips and Troubleshooting:
Ventilation is a must: Melted lead fumes are very toxic. As the instructable cautions, “make sure you are in a well-ventilated area” and wear eye protection and gloves. Never breathe the smelting fumes and never melt lead indoors without proper exhaust.
Mold release: If you have trouble removing the jig from the mold, a dry wax paper coat inside the mold can help. However, do not use food utensils or vessels for lead – keep everything for jigs only.
Alternate weights: If melting lead is too daunting, you can make a “poor man’s jig” by epoxying a heavy seed bead or small split-shot weight above a hook eye, though this is less robust. True jig heads usually involve melted metal.
Color choices: Powder coat or paint in bright patterns (chartreuse, white, pink) for attracting fish. Dark colors like black or blue are good in muddy water. Soft red or yellow might resemble crawfish.
Hook size: Use hooks sized for your target fish. Smaller jig heads (1/16–1/8 oz) are for panfish and trout; bigger (1/4–1/2 oz and up) for bass or walleye.
Skirt trimming: If your jig has a bulky skirt, trim a few strands off so it doesn’t hide the hook too much. A properly trimmed skirt will still look full underwater but allow better hooksets.
Practice and patience: Your first few jigs may have bubbles or rough castings. Sand them smooth and keep practicing. Once you have a jig press or good pliers, production becomes faster.
By making jigs yourself, you can tailor every aspect – weight, color, hook size – to your needs. A homemade jig with a sharp hook and a lively skirt can be just as effective as any store jig on trophy fish.
DIY Topwater Lures
Topwater lures are usually hard-bodied baits that float. A classic DIY topwater is a wooden “stickbait” or popper. This project involves woodworking, but even without power tools you can shape a lure. Here’s a basic wood lure method:
Materials and Tools: You need a piece of soft wood (balsa or cedar about ¾″ square by 6″ long), screw eyes or keel weights, at least one treble or single hook, paint or spray finish, clear epoxy or polyurethane (for sealing), and optionally a small wood block or lip for popper action. Tools: a saw, sandpaper, a drill/awl for starter holes, a lathe or carving tools (a lathe if available makes quick work), and paintbrushes. Safety: wear eye protection when cutting or drilling.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Select and cut wood: Choose a dense, buoyant wood. Spanish cedar or pine are traditional choices. Cut a blank roughly 6″ long, ¾″ square, or slightly larger if you plan a heavy popper.
Shape the body: If you have a lathe, mount the blank and turn it into a slender, fish-like profile. If carving by hand, draw your lure’s outline (side and top views) first. Minnow shapes (long and slender) are popular. Use a saw to cut the outline from the wood (most instructables suggest cutting the side view first). Sand the edges into a smooth 3D shape, leaving a flat spot where any weight or keel will go. Typical proportions: ~3-4″ long and ½″ thick.
Hollow or weight (optional): For a diving lure or sink rate control, you can drill a cavity or attach a lead weight. For a simple floating topwater (walking bait or popper), keep it mostly solid. If you want a slow sink or lip, you can cut a slot in front and insert a clear plastic bill (see note below).
Seal the wood: Any wood lure must be sealed to keep water out. You can soak it in resin or apply several coats of epoxy/varnish. In the instructable, the maker sprayed the lure with a can of Krylon and let it dry. Make sure the wood is fully dried and sanded smooth before sealing. A good finish helps paint and prevents warping when fishing.
Install hardware: Once dry, drill a hole at the nose for a line tie (screw eye) and one or more holes on the belly for hooks. Use an awl or small drill bit to start. Screw in stainless steel eyelets tightly. For a surface lure, one hook (often at the belly) is fine. The example used one treble hook because they dislike tangled multiples, but treble(s) are common on poppers. If making a diver, include the plastic lip: cut a slot under the nose, slide in a pre-made bill and secure with epoxy or small screws. (A popped topwater often has a concave face – you can carve a cupped front to splash.)
Paint and decorate: Paint your lure in fish-catching colors. The instructable author used household nail polish for quick color. Natural shad patterns (silver sides, dark back) are safe bets. You can also do high-contrast or bright neon patterns for low light. After base color, add any spots or stripes. Let paint dry fully. For durability, coat with a clear epoxy (two-part) so the lure stays waterproof and chip-resistant.
Final assembly: Attach split rings to each screw eye, then attach the hooks. Make sure the lure balances so it sits horizontally on the water (add nose or belly weight if it tilts too much). If you carved a cupped face (for a popper), test casting and popping it to create splashes. If it dives too deep, bend the lip up slightly or reduce weight.
Tips and Troubleshooting:
Use proper wood: Balsa floats high but can be too lightweight. Cedar gives a nice action. Hard woods (oak) will be very heavy and sink – not ideal for a floating lure unless you carve it very thin.
Carving vs. lathe: If you don’t have a lathe, handheld power tools (Dremel) or even just a good file and sandpaper will work. Take it slow and keep checking symmetry.
Lip shaping: For a walking topwater (like a “Heddon Zara Spook”), you may want a shallow cupped face instead of a plastic bill. You can carve a small round “poper” face on the wood front. Test its action by jerking the rod tip as you retrieve.
Eyes and details: Realistic 3D eyes (commercial stickers) can attract fish. Add a few fins or gill lines with thin paint lines for life-like detail.
Waterproofing: Don’t skimp on sealing. Several coats of epoxy or clearcoat can be applied before painting as well as after. Any cracks or unsealed wood will soak up water and ruin the lure’s action.
Body balance: A good topwater lure usually has slight negative buoyancy or neutral buoyancy so it sits flat. If your bait bobs up too much, add a small weight inside (drill a hole and epoxy in a brass insert). If it sinks, reduce weight or add foam.
Experiment: Topwater action can vary by small changes. Try different retrieve speeds (walk-the-dog vs. pop or steady). Change face angle. Homemade lures allow you to iterate – if it doesn’t work, tweak it and try again.
DIY topwater lures let you tailor fit the lure for local conditions. Try matching the hatch – for example, paint it like the common baitfish in your lake. Or make bold patterns (chartreuse, black) for murky swamps where bass hide. The key is to have fun and don’t be afraid to experiment with shape and color – big strikes await those surface treats you create!
DIY Crankbaits
Crankbaits (hard-bodied lures) can be more complex, but wood carving and epoxy are the main processes. You can make either surface crankbaits (no lip) or diving crankbaits (with a bill). Here’s a broad approach:
Materials and Tools: A block of wood (½″ thick, 4–5″ long) – balsa or pine. Drill bits and drill (for eye holes), sanding tools (drum sander or sandpaper), saw (scroll saw or band saw is ideal), split rings, eye screws, treble hooks, and either thin clear plastic (lexan) or aluminum for the diving lip. You’ll also want waterproof glue or epoxy, lure paints, and varnish. Tools: saw, files/sandpaper, drill, pliers.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Choose your wood blank: Use a ½″ thick, 4–4.5″ long piece of wood as a starting blank. Balsa is very buoyant; pine is good too. Weigh it – without weight, a piece ½″ x 1″ x 4″ might weigh around 0.5–0.7 oz.
Draw your shape: Decide if you want a minnow shape or something like a shad. A common approach is to draw the side profile on paper, keeping it symmetrical. Cut out the paper shape and trace it onto the wood from the side view. Also consider the top view (body width). Popular crankbait shapes are squat fat bodies (fat-body shad) or slim minnow bodies.
Cut and sand: Use your saw to cut the wood close to the drawn outline (do the side-view first). Keep the edges vertical as much as possible so eyelets will sit straight. Next, sand or carve it into a 3D form. Leave flat the spots where you’ll glue in the lip (for diving lures) and install the eye screws. For a shallow/surface crank, just round off everything with no lip. For a diving crankbait, the lip is key (see next step).
Drill eye screw holes: Mark the line where the belly is. Drill small pilot holes for eye screws. A common placement is one eye on the nose (for the line tie), one in the belly about 1/3 back, and sometimes one on the tail. Drill through carefully – the wood thickness is only ½″. Pre-drill with a fine bit and then screw in metal eyelets. These are where you’ll attach split rings and hooks.
Make and install the diving lip (if diving bait): For a diving crankbait, you need a bib/lip. Cut a piece of thin lexan (clear plastic) or aluminum sheet. The lip should mount at the nose under the mouth. Use the method of folding paper for symmetry: fold a piece of paper, draw half a lip shape, cut it out and unfold for a template. Trace that onto the lexan/aluminum. Cut it out (snips or saw) and drill two small holes near the front edge. These holes will take a small bent wire “bolt” (a U-shaped metal piece). Fold a piece of thin steel wire into a U, insert it through the lip’s holes and the body’s front, and bend the ends outward to lock the lip in place. Adjust the angle for the depth you want (steeper = deeper dive).
Attach hardware: Put split rings on the eye screws (belly and tail) and attach treble hooks to them. Add a split ring to the nose eye and attach your fishing line when casting.
Finish painting: Seal the wood in a clear coat if not done already. Paint the lure in realistic or high-contrast patterns (use multiple coats for durability). Common patterns mimic shad, trout, or perch. After paint dries, cover with a clear epoxy or polyester resin coat for a glass-like finish. This also makes the bait waterproof.
Tune the bait: Many crankbaits need slight adjustments. If your lure tends to roll over, bend the eye screw or add a bit of weight. If it dives too deep or shallow, tweak the lip angle. For floating baits, the lure should come back to surface when paused. Test it in the water and adjust lip/bent-wire until the action looks natural (a side-to-side wobble).
Tips and Troubleshooting:
Wood selection: Balsa is easiest to carve and floats, but some anglers start with pine or cedar for durability. The choice affects buoyancy and action. Trying different woods can yield different swimming actions.
Thickness matters: As the instructable notes, about ½″ thick by 3–4″ long is ideal for lake-size fish. Too thick and it may sink too fast (or not cast well), too thin and it might not have enough casting weight.
Sanding: Keep the edges slightly square (with minimal rounding) until paint stage. That way, if you need to tighten a wood eye (by shaving a bit), you have material to work with.
Weighting: If your bait is too light to cast far, drill a small pocket and epoxy in a brass insert or lead shot. Many homemade lures use a small drilled cavity with glued-in split shot.
Lip material: Lexan (clear plastic) is commonly used for lips. You can often find lexan sheets at hardware stores. Cut multiple lips to experiment with angle and size. A short wide lip makes a shallow-runner; a long narrow lip makes a deep diver.
No-lip option: For a lipless crankbait, skip the lip entirely and carve a thin body with a belly weight. It will sink slowly and have a tight wiggle. Many DIYers make “rattlin’ woozies” by hollowing out wood and inserting a ball for noise.
Test frequently: After each major step, try dry-fitting or lightly testing in water. Small sandings or changes add up, so it’s better to check the wobble and buoyancy early.
Safety: When cutting metal lips, be sure to wear eye protection. Use a bench vise or clamps when drilling through the lure body to avoid slipping.
A handcrafted crankbait will add realism to your tackle box. Making your own lets you match the exact prey in your fishing hole – try painting it like a local shad or craw – and experiment with diving depth and wobble. Even if your first crankbait isn’t perfect, you’ll learn by tuning, and eventually you may land trophy bass on a lure you built from scratch!
Safety Tips and Best Practices
Working with hot materials and tools comes with risks. Follow these safety guidelines to ensure your DIY lure-making is accident-free:
Protective Gear: Always wear eye protection (safety glasses or goggles) when cutting, melting, or sanding anything. Steel bits or metal fragments can fly unexpectedly. Heat-resistant gloves are a must when handling hot lead or plastics. If you’re melting lead or plastics, use a respirator or at least a dust mask – fumes from molten lead and certain plastics are toxic. Use hearing protection if you’re running power tools.
Ventilation: Work outdoors or in a very well-ventilated area when melting plastics (like plastisol) or lead. The instructables repeatedly warn about toxic fumes. Keep a fan blowing fumes away from you, and don’t inhale near the pot.
Heat and Fire Safety: Treat molten materials with respect. Keep flammable items (solvents, paper, cloth) far from the heat source. Have a fire extinguisher or a bucket of sand nearby. Do not melt lead or plastics over an open flame indoors. Use dedicated equipment: metal pots and spoons only for lead or plastisol – do not reuse them for food. Label these items or keep them separate.
Tool Safety: When cutting wood or plastic, secure the piece in a vise or clamps. Hold tools firmly and cut away from yourself. As Wired2Fish advises, when cutting wire or blades, use pliers or wire cutters and wear safety glasses – small wire bits can shoot off.
Workstation: Keep your workspace tidy. A cluttered bench leads to knocked-over buckets or accidental burns. Clean up shavings, dust, and spills promptly.
Children: If kids are around, supervise or keep them away from dangerous steps. The instructables emphasize that adult supervision is essential for young people.
Handling Chemicals: Plastisol, solvents, paint, and lead are all potentially dangerous. Store them safely and dispose of any waste (like old lead or paint chips) according to local regulations. Never pour lead or toxic paint down drains.
Inspect Finished Lures: Even finished lures should be checked before fishing. Ensure hooks are sharp but not bent inwards. Eye screws should be tight. Make sure any split rings aren’t opening up. A loose component on a heavy jig could fly off and injure you on the cast.
Remember: accidents in the workshop can spoil the hobby. By taking precautions – glasses, gloves, ventilation, and careful handling – you’ll keep your lure-making fun and injury-free.
Customizing Lures for Different Fish and Environments
One of the greatest advantages of making your own lures is customization. You can tailor color, size, and features to match the fish species and water you’re fishing. Here are some general tips:
Match the Hatch: Research what natural prey is common where you fish. If the lake is full of minnow-sized shad, paint your crankbaits or topwaters in silvery shad patterns. If bass are feeding on crawfish, use copper or brown hues and crayfish-shaped profiles. LureBolt notes that “choosing the right fishing lure is essential” and often involves matching the local baitfish. Even small tweaks in color (blue vs. green, pink vs. orange) can trigger a strike.
Water Clarity: In clear water, use natural or translucent colors so fish aren’t spooked – think realistic baitfish or worm colors. In murky or stained water, bright or high-contrast colors (chartreuse, hot pink, white) and added flash help fish see the lure. Also in low-visibility water, lures that produce vibration (like spinnerbaits) are effective. RiteAngler recommends in muddy water, “choose lures that rattle or make noise”, whereas clear water calls for lifelike lures.
Light Conditions: At dawn/dusk or heavy cloud cover, brighter colors and glow-in-the-dark finishes can help. Midday in bright sun often favors subdued shades. If fishing under a canopy or in stained creek water, try brighter flies or add wings.
Size for Species: Big lures go after big fish. Large swimbaits and big spinnerbaits (with 5–6″ skirts) may entice trophy bass or pike, while small panfish and trout often want tiny jigs or micro soft plastics. Adjust hook size, lure length and weight to match your target.
Saltwater vs. Freshwater: LureBolt points out that freshwater anglers tend to use hardbaits, soft plastics and crankbaits for bass, trout, etc., while saltwater anglers favor jigs, poppers, and trolling lures for species like tuna, snapper or redfish. Saltwater lures are built heavier and with corrosion-resistant finishes. When customizing, make sure any metal you use (eyes, hooks) is appropriate for salt – stainless or nickel-plated.
Action and Sound: You can add extra attractors. For soft plastics, try tail add-ons or vibrating inserts (“rattles”) that fish feel. For hard lures, consider adding rattling chambers or using hard plastic lips to create sound. Many fish (walleye, for example) key in on sound, so a rattling spinnerbait or jig can be deadly.
Testing: Once your lures are made, test them. In a boat or on shore, watch how they run through the water. Do they wobble or walk as intended? Adjust weight or retriever speed as needed. You can also test them by slowly reeling and feeling the resistance – does the jig sink too fast or wiggle right? Adjust by trimming or adding weight.
Be Prepared to Iterate: If a lure design doesn’t catch, don’t discard it. Change something – new paint scheme, a different skirt, or modify the lip angle – and try again. Homemade lures are easy to tweak.
Example: In a lake with clear water and green weeds, you might craft a soft plastic worm in natural brown or green pumpkin with a slight chartreuse belly, rigged weedless on a shaky head jig for bass. In the same lake’s murkier back channel, you could dye a spinnerbait skirt bright pink and white, using a larger Colorado blade to punch through the gloom. For saltwater redfish in flats, you might make a popper and paint it like a small crab. Tailoring by species and situation will greatly improve your success.
In summary, think about what a fish is expecting to see or feel. Matching color, size, and action to that expectation is easier when you can literally paint your own colors and shape the bait precisely. As RiteAngler points out, aligning your lure choice with the fish’s feeding habits “increases your chances of success”. Use that to your advantage with custom, home-crafted lures.
Conclusion
Crafting your own fishing lures is a fantastic blend of creativity, craftsmanship, and fishing skill. You get to become a tackle inventor, saving money and gaining new knowledge in the process. Remember the benefits we discussed: homemade lures are budget-friendly, endlessly customizable, and give a sense of pride when you catch fish on them. Plus, it keeps old baits out of the trash and turns debris into success stories – melting down that torn plastic worm into a new one is both thrifty and satisfying.
Don’t be discouraged by early hiccups – every angler and lure-maker learns by trial and error. Start simple and work step-by-step, as we’ve outlined. Share the hobby: lure crafting can even be a great project to do with friends or family. Each failure (a bait that doesn’t swim quite right, or fish that won’t bite that color) is just data for your next experiment. Change one thing at a time – color, size, or action – and note the difference. Over time you’ll know your favorite patterns and tricks.
Above all, have fun and stay curious. There are countless ways to innovate: mixing unusual color combinations, trying new materials (biodegradable plastics, glow paint, scented add-ons), and even 3D-printing molds if you’re high-tech. The more you experiment, the more intuitive it becomes. Soon you may be sitting on the shore with a whole tackle box of your own creations.
Tight lines and good luck! With the knowledge from this guide, you’re ready to turn your next fishing trip into a personal test of your craftsmanship. Remember, there’s no better feeling than landing a big fish on a lure you crafted in your garage. Get out there and start DIY fishing lure crafting – the fish won’t know the difference, and you’ll enjoy every cast a little more for having made it yourself.
For more ideas and high-quality lures to supplement your homemade creations, check out LureBolt – a great resource for tackle and tips.