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Homade Bluegill lure

After reading an article in an older fishing magazine about carving your own baits for Bluegill, I decided to try it. This tiny baby bass really gets slammed by all kinds of fish. In fact, this is about the 5th one I've made because the fish tear it apart! (I'm not sure, but I may have posted this pic before)

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Comment by Vince Fusco on February 25, 2013 at 7:03pm: Great job on that tiny crankbait, Jeff! I have tried my hand at making spoons, but never tried a crankbait. It really is fun catching fish on a fly, or lure you made yourself.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on February 21, 2013 at 5:50am: Im making a mini crank bait now, inspired by this. I just copied a bass type bait. I have it roughed out and sanded.

Its going to be a "fatty," much like a Yo-Zuri 'Snap Bean.' I measured it at one inch - Im surprised at how tedious it is to handle something this small. I've done a fair amount of woodworking, but this is a different animal.

I'm pretty sure it is cedar, some reclaimed wood out of an old barn. Ill get a pic or two next time.

Comment by klrbaer on February 20, 2013 at 10:43am: Jeff, Great job on your lure. I am also waiting on a tutorial. Isn't it funny the trouble you can get yourself into buy posting a pic. lol

Once again, great job.

Comment by Ray Ditzenberger on February 20, 2013 at 10:27am: That is a neat little bait. I would like to try one on a flyrod. L&S mirrolures used to sell a real small jointed minnow bait with a steel lip. If you could get them to swim correctly they caught a lot of fish in wadeable creeks and rivers. They were barely castable with U.L. spinning but too heavy for the flyrod. I still have several but only 1 that swims correctly. I am looking forward to a SBS also and more details on the type of wood used.. I would suggest a single hook. It will probably help it to swim better than the 'heavy' treble. I think a lot of the old wood bass lures were made from white cedar or spruce. Can't remember which. I wonder if one could not drill a small hole thru and make a common wire hook holder/line eye so that there are no screws to pull out of the wood. You did a really nice job making this lure.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on February 20, 2013 at 9:30am: Thank you Mr. Jeff. These instructions will go in my back pocket!

You are the man!

Comment by dick tabbert on February 19, 2013 at 8:15pm: Nice little lure Jeff. I love the bass pattern great job.

Comment by Jeff Soto on February 19, 2013 at 8:12pm: Well guys, it was not a big deal. I just had a piece of wooden doweling, I believe it was 3/8" diameter, and I just started grinding a basic "fat minnow" or tadpole shape with my Dremel and the barrel sanding attachment. Once I had the tapered body shape done, I cut off the lure shape from the dowel and hand sanded and shaped the round head. Once I got the body shape to what I thought looked good, I used finer sandpaper to get it really smooth. Then I sealed it with an old liquid sealer that I had on hand for taxidermy work (for sealing fish skins). Then I took a thin modelers saw and cut a slice for the plastic lip, which was cut from a thin plastic lure box. I super glued it in, not really sure it would have any wobbling action at all, then painted it with water acrylic paints and markers. I glossed it with more taxidermy spray gloss, screwed in the eye screws and put on the only small treble hook I had, a size 14 gold treble trout bait hook. But you know what? It has really great action! It sinks very slow and works best on a super slow retrieve, and you need to use 2lb test and tie it on with a loose loop knot. Sometimes the fish will just smack it as soon as it lands on the water. It's fun to watch all the fish that follow it, and there's always one fish that just rushes in and slams it! I cannot cast it out very far, but with my longer whippy rod and that 2 lb test line, I can throw it out about 20 feet or so. I'm going to make some more with different colors and try to use a single hook or double hook.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on February 19, 2013 at 2:27pm: Get on him, Leo!

Comment by Leo Nguyen on February 19, 2013 at 1:14pm: That is freaking awesome! You got to show the steps and results of your great work.

Comment by chris on February 19, 2013 at 12:19pm: Outstanding little lure.

I cant wait for the tutorial. I want to make some of these.

I just got a air brush set up and have been practicing, so I will be ready.