• Step by Step constructioninstruction.

• A complete bill of materierals.

• Exploded view and elevationdrawings.

• How-to photos with instructivecaptions.

• Tips to help you complete theproject and become a betterwoodworker.

To download these plans,you will need Adobe Reader

installed on your computer. If you want to geta free copy, visit: http://adobe.com/reader.

Having trouble downloading the plans?Right click on the download link and select“Save Target As...” or “Save Link As...”(depending on the web browser you areusing) to download to your local drive.

WJ159 www.woodworkersjournal.com

“America’s leading woodworking authority”™

Turned Fishing Lures

Copyright Woodworker’s Journal © 2011

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rior to World War II, most fishing plugs were wood, and even today most con-sider the wooden Rapala the world’s most effective lure. But could an averagewoodworker make wooden lures and thus combine two hobbies? The answeris yes: with minimal turning skills and an eye on design, you can make yourown topwater, floating and sinking plugs at pennies on the dollar and in sizesfrom 1/2" fly rod plugs and poppers up to 10" surf and saltwater or evenmuskie plugs. Add to those advantages that your finely crafted plugs can behand tuned and tested to maximize your catch.(And I’ve found that my lureswill fetch $5 and more each at craft sales!)

Shape and Design FactorsCheck your local tackle shops for one of the two massive volumes of FishingLure Collectibles by Beany and Dudley Murphy, and you’ll see that there are

few new plug shapes. For that reason, you’ll need to decidewhich lures suit your fishing needs best. Short, subsurfaceplugs with wiggling scoops oscillate faster than long, skinny

plugs; streamlined long minnow plugs create less surface

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By Louis Bignami

noise and splash than blunt-nosemodels. Note that lure size is oftenthe most critical factor wheregamefish prey on schools of bait.Remember to vary lure length tomatch the growth of baitfish overthe season.

Spindle Turning PracticePlugs offer excellent spindle turningpractice. To get going, square upyour material, cut it to 21⁄2 times theplug length, mount it on the lathe,and shape it at high speed with a smallgouge or even a scraper. Eliminatethe cylinder stage and turn plugs twoat a time for faster results. Poppersand most other shapes can be turnedas a single unit and split after shaping

on the band saw — see the upperDrawing on the next page. While templates produce consis-

tent shapes, it’s more fun, and betterpractice, to turn freehand. Just leavethe square section in the chuck untilthe first plug tail is shaped. The holefrom the tailstock will provide bothsupport for the nail used as a handlewhen finishing and a centeredstarter hole for the rear hook eye. Soadvance the tailstock after the firstplug is parted off. It’s possible todrill these holes on the lathe, too.Finish the shaping by sanding the

body down to 400 grit and part offthe head. Leave a small flat nosesection that can be easily drilled,(sand the nose to shape later).Repeat on the second plug. When

splitting dished plugs, cut diagonallyand then use a spindle sander toshape the lip. Belt or other sanderscan also be used to flatten the sidesof minnow plugs for a more realisticminnow shape on plugs that imitateshad and shuck. Then drill any remaining holes for

the nose eyes or hook hangers andremove the plug for finishing.

Buoyant Wood ChoiceThe more buoyant the wood, thefaster the action, so balsa is tough tobeat for fat plugs ... if you finish your

This­is­a­great­mini-lathe­project,­requiring­a­minimum

of­turning­tools­...­just­a­small­gouge­or­even­a­scraper.

I­use­an­oscillating­spindle­sander­to­shape­the­ends­of

my­poppers,­but­you­could­carve­those­shapes­using

chisels­and­a­shaped­sanding­block­just­as­easily.­

Optional­but­important­supplies­include­plastic­skirts

of­various­colors,­wiggling­scoops­and­lead­weights.

Epoxy­and­super­glues­are­very­helpful­and,­more

importantly­...­waterproof.­Painting­the­lures­will

require­dipping­containers,­hobby­paints,­small

brushes­and­waterproof­sealers.­An

airbrush­is­really­useful,­but­optional.­

Sources for lure parts and paints:

Jann’s Netcraft:(www.jannsnetcraft.com)­free­catalog,­800-638-2723­

Barlow’s Tackle:(www.barlowstackle.com)­free­catalog,­800-707-0208­

Lure Components:(www.lurecomponents.com)­Box­66,­Mendon,­IL­62351

June 2004 Woodworker’s Journal4

Turn at high speed to shape the blank. Herethe author is using a skew to shape the plug.

To make painting easier, sand the plugs allthe way up to 400-grit sandpaper.

beat for fat plugs ... if you finishyour plugs in durable epoxy anduse sharp tools with a light touch.Otherwise, pine, cedar and easy-to-turn woods with reasonablytight grain are your best choices.For “one-off” designs, shop scrapsdo the job, so keep an eye out forwood with contrasting heartwoodand sapwood, as lures with naturallighter bellies are effective withonly a clear sealer and top coats.Basswood is wonderful if you planto carve details such as gills. Notethat dense woods improve castingdistance and stand up to pike andother “toothy” species. They alsosink faster when weighted.

Hooks, Hangers and Screw EyesIf you live in an area where “singlebarbless hooks” are the law of theland, I would go with Siwash openeye single hooks. (And by the way,in “side-by-side” trolling tests, theyproduce the same strike to hookupratios.) Just remember to usea single that’s two sizes larger thanthe usual treble. Double hooks arean easy to add or change alternativeworth considering on somedesigns. Quality treble hooks fromGamatsu, Mustad or Eagle Clawsized to match the hooks on com-mercial plugs work, too.While commercial plugs use

hook hangers, good lure design,which spaces hooks far enoughapart so they can’t snag each other,allows screw eyes superglued intoplace at big savings. Open screweyes let you crimp hooks on “point

Full-size TopwaterMinnow Pattern

Full-size Equatorial-skirted Vertical PopperPattern

Separate the two poppers with a band saw. Shape the curveswith a spindle sander or carve them with chisels.

Equatorial-skirt groove

This blank makes two poppers.See the photo sequence above

If you plan to use your lurein salt water, stainless steelhardware is a must.

Use these patterns as a starting point. Be creative and develop your own “secret” lure.

Begin with an appropriate blank betweencenters. Use the pattern below to get started.

down” for general use or “point up”for weedy fishing spots. Some folks attach hooks to eyes

with split ring hook holders. I prefera direct connection with a smallerthan usual screw eye for less hookswing and fewer line snags. Movingthe screw eye towards the plug topmakes lures run deeper; moving itdown on a flat or slanted face pop-ping plug increases noise.

Wiggling Scoops, Hardware and SkirtsA variety of wiggling scoops can bescrewed into wooden lures and thenbent to change the plug action.Sometimes, however, it’s cheaperand faster to just cut a slot and epoxyin a flat scoop (clear acrylic, polycar-bonate, metal or wooden) for subsur-face action. Tongue depressors orplastic sheets from the model shopwork well. Just remember: water-proof glue is a must.Surface lures generally do not

require scoops. Action is provided bytheir design and/or rod manipulation.The classic “vertical popper”(Drawing at left) uses an “equatorial”rubber skirt and sits and pops inplace tempting bass and other species. You can also dress rear hooks with

skirts, add propeller or spinnerblades fore and aft, or, for superiorspins, add a bead. Rubber skirts andtails or soft “jewelry box” plush

skins on mouse-type lures willimprove craft fair sales, too. Small strips of lead glued to the

lure bottom create “zero buoyancy”so lures will suspend when you stopa retrieve — tank test in the bathtub.

Paint, Eyes and Other OddmentsA coat of waterproof sealer or whitewaterproof finish thinned 20% isbasic. Hold lures by a nail jammedinto the back of the lure and dip orspray before the screw eyes areinstalled. Dry lures by inserting thenails into holes on a block of wood.Two base coats are recommended. Color coats of fer contrasting

heads and bodies. For example, diplures in white paint and, after dry-ing, dip red heads. You can also dipa second, darker coat on the lureback or add a red gill stripe, etc.Paint kits with one ounce bottleswill increase your color options.Spraying through mesh (top right)adds fish-scale details, increasingfish and sales appeal.Spraying allows the use of tulle

and other materials to producedesirable patterns. As a rule, darkbacks and light bottoms are typicalof baitfish that fall broadly into silverand gold divisions.

Adding eyes willalso improve your luck.To apply painted eyes, cut the pointoff a large diameter nail and use it toapply a white or yellow spot on eachside of the head. After this dries, usea smaller nail to add a black pupil.Like most procedures, this is bestdone a dozen lures at a time.Finally, add two clear coats for pro-

tection and eye appeal. Epoxy outercoats will foil pike for a bit, too.Finish up with a “tank test” at a full

tub. Tie the lure to a short stick witha couple of feet of four-pound test.Add strips of very light lead to thehooks for fore-and-aft balance. Takenotice of the most effective speed fortop action lures, and if it runs off-linebend the forward eye sideways toadjust. Note: offline lures are effec-tive under docks and weed beds.

Cut the popper blanks apart on the diagonalusing a band saw or scroll saw.

The author uses his spindle sander to shapethe front scooped curve of the poppers.

Painting createsthe details thatcatch the fish’s andthe fisherman’s eyes!One easy trick is touse a meshmaterial to createa “scale pattern”.

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Louis Bignami is a turner basedin Oregon who also writes abouttravel and fishing.