Make your own fishing lures
Carve a block of wood into a little fish, paint it, add hooks and see if a bass will bite. Make your first one over a weekend. Here's the video that hooks everyone, and everything you need for your first lure.
Space neededA garage bench
First projectA topwater popper in a weekend
Skill levelBeginner-friendly
Good forAnglers, whittlers, teens with an adult
The video that hooks everyone
Lure making: a classic crankbait from scrap wood
A plain board of scrap wood becomes a glossy orange-and-gold crankbait with a clear diving lip, painted eyes and three treble hooks. Press play and see why it hooks people.
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Tool list
What you need to start
Everything you need for your first project, and nothing you don't. A dowel, a few hand tools and some hardware make several lures.
Starter kit
01Wooden dowel, 3/4 in.Poplar or basswood. Already round, so a popper is mostly done.
02Small handsawA pull saw or coping saw cuts the dowel to length.
03Carving knifeTapers the tail and shapes the face.
04Sandpaper, 80, 150 and 220Smooths the body before sealing.
05Pin vise or small hand drillPilot holes for the screw eyes.
06Small screw eyesStainless or brass. Line tie and hook hangers.
07Split rings and split-ring pliersJoin the hooks to the screw eyes.
08Small treble hooksSized to the lure. Add them last.
09Paint, stick-on eyes and clear coatAcrylic paint, then an outdoor clear coat to seal it.
10Safety glassesFor sawing, drilling and bending wire.
The manual tells you what to look for when you buy each one.
- 1Hooks on too earlyHooks catch on everything, including you. Paint, seal and finish the lure first. Hooks go on last.
- 2Skipping the sealerBare wood soaks up water, gets heavy and the paint peels. Seal it well before you paint.
- 3Hooks that tangleIf the belly hook can reach the tail hook, they foul each other. Check the spacing before you drill.
