# Some new crankbaits



## All Eyes

Here are a few newer baits I made over the past month or so. Itching to make more but haven't had time. These are all made from cedar.


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## silver shad

Very nice All Eyes


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## All Eyes

Thank you SS!


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## Kenlow1

Do I see teeth marks already on that bottom bait? They look like real fish catchers to me. Keep us posted and let us know how they work out.


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## fishing_marshall

Those look great!


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## TIGGER

Those look great! I love them all. I really like the top one.


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## All Eyes

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the inspiration and kind words. The craftsmanship and talent displayed in here from you all has really helped fuel my hobby. My last week of work is approaching and I will be able to commit more time to building. Thanks again!


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## All Eyes

A pic before paint of this latest one. 4 1/2" cedar body


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## bassinjody

Nice looking baits.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## BigFoot158

Nice looking lures!!!!

Hope mine turn out that nice.


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## chatterbox

Eyes, I hope all is good. Those new sticks are really nice. How are You'r shad baits working? What is up with the job?


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## vc1111

Beautiful!


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## Bladecrazy

Those are great looking baits.


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## All Eyes

Thanks again everyone for the nice comments! This is my last week of work at my current job of 16 years, so I will have time to build soon enough. 
I was offered an early retirement package that was too good to refuse so I took it.


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## chatterbox

Congratulations, I sure wish You the best. I will admit I am envious! Just in time for the falll cool off to boot! Are You sure You can handle all the tough decisions of where to fish next? If it gets bad just flip a coin.:B


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## All Eyes

This is a Hornet body type that I am making a few of now. Just love the way these look before paint. Always tempted to clear one just the way they are


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## All Eyes

Yeah Chatter Box, It will be tough for a while but I will struggle thru it.
Was thinking about Berlin the other day and wondering how much it's dropped. Haven't been watching the NE threads in a while. Good Luck this fall!!!


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## All Eyes

Just in time for Halloween. Actually more inspired by Massillon Tigers colors plastered all over town.


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## BigFoot158

All Eyes... Got just one question for ya. Are using a lathe on these?


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## All Eyes

No lathe Bigfoot. Made from 3/4" cedar from Menards. Using a skill saw for profile and sanding the rest.


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## Photog

All Eyes, these are some beautiful baits! I'm jealous!


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## All Eyes

Thank You Photog!


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## sonar

Geeez John!! You are in the same boat as me.....Only dif.,, is I'm done in Dec... I will then,,find more time for my blades,,& ALL those other things I've been putting off!!(Honey doos).... But that is great news,,that your Co.,,has done the RIGHT THING,,in offering a "Buy-Out" !! Congrats!! GOOD FOR YOU!! Your "Spooky" bait is too cool!! I do hope to ramp-up my --->>>ZONARZ<<<--- hobby to a more productive level,,like you & all the other Masters here & TRY to get better as not to compete,,but only to contribute..Oh ya,,& fish the Hell out of them!! ----->>>>>sonar<<<<<----- 12-31-13.. >89 days & counting......


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## All Eyes

Thanks a lot Sonar! And an early congrats for your retirement! Hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of your blades!


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## All Eyes

My photos leave a lot to be desired, but here is another little multi-species crank bait in the works. Also made from cedar.


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## crappie1962

All eyes your from Massillon?


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## All Eyes

Sorry Crappie, missed your post. Yes I'm from Massillon. Go Tigers!
Here's is another bait that I used holographic scale tape on. Not the best picture but it came out pretty cool! The tape is from BPS and really molded well around the curves without wrinkles. It's vinyl so it flexes pretty well but really hard to hide the edge line due to it's thickness. I have used it in the past for my spoons and blades but never tried it on a crank bait before. This bait is 4 1/2" long (not including the lip) and made from cedar.


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## BigFoot158

There still nice lure, I would be proud of them. Keep cranking them out.


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## All Eyes

A slightly better pic of my latest bait taken outside. I was able to test swim my new ones yesterday and was pleased with the actions.


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## All Eyes

A new bait that I haven't tested yet. I'm not sure how the rubber tail will effect the action of this one. Also making a tinsel tail to compare the two. This bait is 4" minus the tail and made from cedar.


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## TIGGER

Looks great! Can't wait to see how it runs.


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## fishing_marshall

That one with the tail looks sweet!!!


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## sonar

I think All Eyes,,MAY be the,,"Most Progressed" this year?? If not,,He has surely has been the busiest !! Nice Baits John!! IMO..... ----->>>>>sonar<<<<<-----


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## All Eyes

Thank you all for the compliments! And yes Vince, I def have more time now for the "important" things in life!


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## vc1111

You, sir, have some nice baits!

The paint, the lines, the carving...its all right on.


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## fiveeyes

All Eyes..new guy here would like to say,very,very nice work. You should be right proud! 5


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## All Eyes

Thank You Vince and Fiveeyes! I really appreciate the interest, feedback and kind words! My last one swam great during a trial run. I am in the process of making a similar one now.


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## All Eyes

Here is another one in the works that is weighted a bit heavier than the first one. I also changed the angle of the lip slightly for comparison sake. The plan was to add gill plates and fins to this one but it has grown on me just the way it is. The belly is a toned down orange that didn't show up in the pic.


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## All Eyes

A 2-1/2" blue tiger cedar bait.


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## All Eyes

2 shad body baits with different types of lips. One is circuit board and one is a molded line tie lip. I am in the process of making 4 more of these in the same size with slightly different lip designs. These are both made out of cedar and are 3"


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## vc1111

Such super clean work. Great stuff.

I love that blue tiger pattern. I may borrow that one from you if you don't mind!


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## All Eyes

TY Vince!!! I saw a somewhat similar version of this blue tiger pattern on a blade bait once and loved it! It would be great to see this color scheme on one of your creations!!!
Here is another shot that shows the colors a bit better. Pearl base with transparent purple, pink, yellow, orange, and light blue stripes. It was wet in this pic so the bumps are water spots.


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## opwins

Great Work!! Awesome Colors!


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## muskyhound

Very very nice alleyes, your painting is getting very good..


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## All Eyes

Thank you all for the nice comments! I really appreciate it. 
More to come


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## ranger373v

I noticed your going the screw eye method vs my one wire method...how well do those screw eyes hold up


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## All Eyes

ranger373v said:


> I noticed your going the screw eye method vs my one wire method...how well do those screw eyes hold up


When I started making baits all of them were done with one wire by splitting the blank half way and filling in with putty. After trying some screw eyes I found that it was much easier and the action was still what I wanted. The holes are pre-drilled smaller than the thread diameter and then filled with epoxy. I also put some epoxy on the threads before screwing them in. Once they are sealed they will never come out, and since they are stainless they hold up very well.


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## All Eyes

A couple shots of some new ones before epoxy. Both 3" cedar baits


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## TIGGER

Oh man those look nice!!!!!! Those Cleveland walleyes would gobble those up!


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## Mr. A

Does the purple and yellow lure have cats eyes? If so that is cool as heck!

Mr. A


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## All Eyes

Thanks Tigger! Hope you are right! I am planning on doing a lot more fishing in 2014 and would love to have half the year you and Frank had. 
My boat is too small for Erie so I'm limited to Skeeter/Milton/Berlin etc unless I go with Many Eyes (my friend Shawn)

Thank You and yes Mr A- the eyes are reptile or cat eyes. I've heard them called both. They are stick on eyes and I love the way they look on certain baits.


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## All Eyes

Another shot of these two after epoxy and a top view


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## All Eyes

Here is another 3" cedar bait in the works. I swear one of these days I'll get around to getting some better pictures.


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## cmiller21

Looks great!


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## TIGGER

Those are fantastic!


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## All Eyes

Thanks a lot guys. I really appreciate it.


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## All Eyes

Looking forward to spring and making some smaller baits for the inland eyes. These are made from cedar and are 2 5/8"


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## muskyslayer96

Love em..always enjoy seeing your paint schemes 

MS


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## All Eyes

TY Muskyslayer! Here is an attempt at a foiled shad bait before the gills were finished.


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## All Eyes

Another 2 5/8" cedar bait.


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## SlabSlayR

AllEyes, Your lure are some of the best I have ever seen! I'm just getting started in making my own cedar body muskie lures and was wondering what brand of paints you are using?


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## All Eyes

Thanks SlabSlayR! I use Createx water based paint on my lures but only because it's easy to clean up and I can spray indoors without the strong odor.


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## SlabSlayR

How well do their pearl colors work and do you have to spray a silver base coat under them?


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## TIGGER

Eyes those look great!


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## All Eyes

SlabSlayR said:


> How well do their pearl colors work and do you have to spray a silver base coat under them?[/QUOTE
> 
> TY Tigger!!!
> Slab- No silver is needed under the pearl paints, but you HAVE to lay down a white base coat before applying any colors. (including pearls and metallic's)
> I do like to use silver underneath transparent colors for metallic finishes, but pearl colors do not require it.


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## All Eyes

Here is a shot of some of my homemade lures. When the box gets full I start on another one. This is my 3rd box but I can quit anytime I want to.


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## mirrocraft mike

All Eyes said:


> Here is a shot of some of my homemade lures. When the box gets full I start on another one. This is my 3rd box but I can quit anytime I want to.


WOW those look great !!! How u you doing ? Don't think I saw u once on the water this year.

Am looking for a sponsor next year...LOL All Eyes custom baits. Has a nice ring to it !!


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## All Eyes

Thank you Alumacraft Mike!!!  My fishing was pretty limited last year especially on Berlin. I think I saw you one eve from a ways off but wasn't sure. Looked like your hair and red boat as I was heading in. We def have to get together and hit it this spring. Skeeter, Berlin, Milton, Atwood, name it. I'm free at last!


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## SlabSlayR

All Eyes said:


> Here is a shot of some of my homemade lures. When the box gets full I start on another one. This is my 3rd box but I can quit anytime I want to.


I'm glad you get to retire and work at something you obviously love to do. You are one talented lure maker and I'm sure those lures are better than any box store lures out on the market. I wish I was half as talented as you are.... Maybe one day I will be. LOL 
I would love to have you as a mentor to help me along the way! I'm just starting my lure making adventure, and so far so good. I haven't painted any of them yet, but I can tell you right now that mine won't look half as good as yours!!!
Keep up the good work and I can't wait to see what color patterns you come out with next. 

PS: You wouldn't want to share some of your lure patterns with a newbie would you?


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## Queen Bee

wow on the crank baits just wow!!


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## All Eyes

SlabslayeR-
These pictures were taken indoors using my I-phone, but you can kind of get an idea as to what the paint looks like before and after epoxy. This is a very basic paint job using 3 colors of fluorescent Createx, thinned 4 to 1 (4 being paint) with Auto Air Reducer sprayed at 18 psi. Thinning and air pressure can change depending on factors like types of paint and how close you get to your project, but that's how this one was done. Individual opinions and results seem to vary greatly so you will just have to play around with it to see what works for you.
There's no need to get too fancy painting scales and gills etc. for them to catch fish. Especially just starting out. As elaborate as paint schemes can get, I still like the simple clean look of your basic 2 or 3 colors some times. Especially these bright colors and pearls.


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## SlabSlayR

All Eyes said:


> SlabslayeR-
> These pictures were taken indoors using my I-phone, but you can kind of get an idea as to what the paint looks like before and after epoxy. This is a very basic paint job using 3 colors of fluorescent Createx, thinned 4 to 1 (4 being paint) with Auto Air Reducer sprayed at 18 psi. Thinning and air pressure can change depending on factors like types of paint and how close you get to your project, but that's how this one was done. Individual opinions and results seem to vary greatly so you will just have to play around with it to see what works for you.
> There's no need to get too fancy painting scales and gills etc. for them to catch fish. Especially just starting out. As elaborate as paint schemes can get, I still like the simple clean look of your basic 2 or 3 colors some times. Especially these bright colors and pearls.


Those look great!!! I love the color scheme! So simple yet very effective.


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## Many Eyes

Them are looking sweet!!!! Now get up here so we can work on some real image baits!!! LOL!!


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## All Eyes

Many Eyes said:


> Them are looking sweet!!!! Now get up here so we can work on some real image baits!!! LOL!!


Wha??? I'm not there yet? 

Many Eyes just bought a cool vinyl printer and we are planning on doing some real image stuff on our baits. Looking forward to it.


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## All Eyes

How do some of you go about making your own 3-D eyes? I was thinking about making some but the only method I have done was by dripping quick set epoxy on foil or holographic tape. It works okay but was thinking about hand painting some or stenciling? Wanting to make some different sizes that will better fit the eye sockets in some of my baits. Thanks!


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## All Eyes

Here is a silver tiger pattern that I just finished.


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## vc1111

Silver tiger! You are magic with the colors, my friend.


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## All Eyes

Thanks Vince! This is a re paint of the one in the last picture that I didn't like. I will have to get a better shot of this one outside later. It came out pretty cool.


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## SlabSlayR

That is a awesome color scheme!!! Love the silver tiger stripes!!!


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## All Eyes

TY Slab! Tried to get a little closer


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## Many Eyes

Are you reading my mind?!! I was thinking the same thing for tiger stripes!!! LOL!!  That is sweet!!


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## All Eyes

Couldn't help but post this pic my friend Shawn (Many Eyes) sent me of one of his new baits using his vinyl printer. I can't wait to make some of these especially in shad and perch. Talk about matching the hatch. 
This pic was taken before epoxy so it will look even better with some depth and a glossy finish.


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## All Eyes

Looking into making a drying wheel and came across this one that looks like a pretty easy and inexpensive build. It would be lite weight and holds a good amount of baits. Any thoughts or pics of suggestions would be helpful. I am looking on E-Bay for rotisserie motors now and would prefer to have one with a rheostat to adjust the speed.


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## vc1111

If you find a powerful motor with a reostat control please let me on the info.


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## muskyslayer96

Eyes,

Great baits, I'm always impressed with you paint work
When you say vinyl printer what exactly do you mean? Is that vinyl or decal transfer paper? Either way it sure is impressive!

Here are a couple of pics of the lure dryer I made from an old stereo cabinet....can go ambient to 110 degrees...but only one speed...seems to work great. Have modified it since pic it only uses a single motor that we modified so it didn't need to be balanced to run





Best
MS


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## All Eyes

Vince- I'm starting to find out what you mean. I will probably stick to a microwave or rotisserie motor and build it as lightweight as possible. 

Musky- I have seen that cabinet you made in a previous post and it's very impressive to say the least. Quite sure what I end up with will more resemble a wire Ferris wheel on a stick. 
And yes, I am talking about a vinyl printer. Indoor outdoor permanent stuff like Fatheads signs and banners. It prints standard vinyl plus decal and magnet material. Many Eyes new toy.


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## Catproinnovations

My wheel is very simple and in-expensive just a rotisserie motor and the steel skewer it came with have a 2x4 holding up the supporting end and I use small spring clamps or pony clamps to clamp the lip of the bait to the squared skewer it will hold around 10 baits got everything at lowes for under $50 works great for me but I'm sure there are better ways out there. 


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## SlabSlayR

All Eyes said:


> Vince- I'm starting to find out what you mean. I will probably stick to a microwave or rotisserie motor and build it as lightweight as possible.
> 
> Musky- I have seen that cabinet you made in a previous post and it's very impressive to say the least. Quite sure what I end up with will more resemble a wire Ferris wheel on a stick.
> And yes, I am talking about a vinyl printer. Indoor outdoor permanent stuff like Fatheads signs and banners. It prints standard vinyl plus decal and magnet material. Many Eyes new toy.


We have a couple of the vinyl printers at work and a couple of the wrap machines too. I will have to give this a try on a few baits.


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## vc1111

Eyes, I wish I knew more about electric motors. I tried to find a 110 volt motor with a slow rpm. It seems they are anything but 110. 

I also looked into gear reducers, and as I recall, they were pricey, and required coupling hardware.

I still use a BBQ rotisserie, but the coupling is the weak link. The point where the bar attaches to the motor gets "rounded out" and the wheel starts to slide a bit on every rotation. I did find a way to drill out the coupling and put in a "set screw," which locks the joint down and eliminates most of the slipping.

All in all, I'd like a heavier duty motor and coupler. 

I can't complain though. I've only had to buy two rotisseries in the last ten years.


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## BigFoot158

I use a Mirror Disco Ball motor that turns at 3 rpms.


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## vc1111

I can't give up my disco ball. Not yet.


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## All Eyes

Thank you everyone for the info and insight. I never would have thought of a disco ball motor in a million years. Brilliant!!! For some reason I am picturing my baits drying to a Bee Gee's soundtrack.


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## All Eyes

Is there an ideal rpm speed that is recommended for drying wheels? The motors that I am looking at are rated for 40 lbs. but have different rpm's. Thanks!


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## ShutUpNFish

This is what I bought....works awesome!

http://www.mcmaster.com/#electric-motors/=q8evbi


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## muskyhound

here is what custombaitmaker made me, find a old microwave with a turn table steel the motor and this works and its cheep


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## ShutUpNFish

The only problem I have with cheap rotisserie motors or microwave motors is that they peter out a lot quicker than a good industrial motor. The motor I purchased from Macmaster Carr is on its second year turning up to 30 muskie baits at a time (which is a lot of weight)...It has turned well over a thousand baits I'd say so far. It is rated to handle a 100lb pig! I had a Wal-Mart special rotisserie motor that I bought brand new ($25) and it lasted about 4 months before skipping like crazy then eventually burning out. The AC motor cast $55....WELL worth the money IMHO!

I can't afford to have my turner crap itself in the middle of the night with $600 worth of baits on it!


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## vc1111

Paul, which one did you buy? When I click on your link it shows a whole page of different motors.

$55 sounds great.


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## All Eyes

This is the one I ended up with. It's rated for 40 lbs. which should be fine for my smaller baits. Thanks for everyones input.


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## ShutUpNFish

I believe it was the 3RPM 6142K42 motor...They also make a 1 RPM...it was too slow for my liking....you could always control the speed of the 3RPM with a rheostat switch...good luck.

Here is a photo of it in action.











ALL EYES - Let me know how long that one lasts you before it starts to sputter and skip


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## All Eyes

ShutUpNFish- I'm not turning hammers, I'm turning nails.  Hopefully the drive train in this motor will work well for smaller baits and a lighter wheel design.


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## ShutUpNFish

All Eyes said:


> ShutUpNFish- I'm not turning hammers, I'm turning nails.  Hopefully the drive train in this motor will work well for smaller baits and a lighter wheel design.


That was funny! You should be good, all I'm saying is that those cheaper motors wont last near as long that's all....even if you run it dry with no weight whatsoever, I don't think those motors are really built to last. If you took the fancy stainless cover off the motor, you'll probably see a tiny, cheap Chinese built motor inside. And I bet you paid somewhere between $25 to $45 for it? Those industrial, reduced gear AC motors are around $55; Made in the USA and will last you a whole lot longer, possibly a lifetime turning nails....Just sayin'


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## All Eyes

ShutUpNFish said:


> That was funny! You should be good, all I'm saying is that those cheaper motors wont last near as long that's all....even if you run it dry with no weight whatsoever, I don't think those motors are really built to last. If you took the fancy stainless cover off the motor, you'll probably see a tiny, cheap Chinese built motor inside. And I bet you paid somewhere between $25 to $45 for it? Those industrial, reduced gear AC motors are around $55; Made in the USA and will last you a whole lot longer, possibly a lifetime turning nails....Just sayin'


In hindsight I should have went with one of those. Sounds like I may end up with one sometime anyways. I assumed that they would cost a lot more than that. Def appreciate the info and link. It will probably come in handy down the road.


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## All Eyes

I took my new drying wheel motor for a test spin last night. Talk about a hillbilly rig job!!!  Def anxious to get my wheel built. This bait is also an experiment using spray can green glitter over black createx. It doesn't show up well in the pic but it sparkles like a bass boat in sunlight.


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## All Eyes

Here is a new one before epoxy. Painted yellow dace


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## All Eyes

After epoxy


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## All Eyes

The finished re painted version of one of my new ones. It's 3" and cedar


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## SlabSlayR

Looks great Eyes! I just wish this weather would settle down a little and give me a break! I've been so busy at work all I have been able to do is come home, shower, eat, and maybe get a couple of hours of sleep before my phone rings again!!!


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## BigFoot158

Send some my way and i will send you some plastic color of choice. Getting ready to do some black and white with chartreuse tails and legs.


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## All Eyes

TY Slab!
And Bigfoot, sorry but I have more plastic in more colors than I will ever need already and don't really bass fish at all anymore. Still use a lot of grubs and swimbaits for eyes but have all I need. Thanks anyways!


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## tuffy42

nice looking baits


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## All Eyes

Thanks Tuffy! 
Here is a reverse tiger


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## BigFoot158

I like the contrast, should be good in dirty water.


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## All Eyes

BigFoot158 said:


> I like the contrast, should be good in dirty water.


You read my mind. One of my fav go to walleye baits from years ago in muddy water was a solid black Hot N Tot. Especially effective on Skeeter Lake. 
This one was originally going to be all black but I do like the contrast of the stripes.


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## TIGGER

Man that body style is incredible! Just plain sexy. I love the reverse tiger. Black baits rock!


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## All Eyes

Thanks Tigger! I'm working on 3 more of that same body and size now. Going to try the circuit board lips in a couple of them and see how they run. Always look forward to seeing your work! And will probably bend your ear some when I get into making resin bodies.


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## ShutUpNFish

Don't you just love painting the reverse tiger on black....blahhhhhhh...my least favorite! lol


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## All Eyes

ShutUpNFish said:


> Don't you just love painting the reverse tiger on black....blahhhhhhh...my least favorite! lol


This was my first attempt at reverse tiger and was originally intended to be solid black. I'm not sure how much I like it yet. My favorite color scheme is anything that catches fish.


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## All Eyes

Here is a new little perch bait also done in cedar


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## All Eyes

For those of you who are just getting into building or painting your own baits, the Clown color is probably the easiest one to do and yet one of the most effective colors out there. You don't have to be an airbrush pro to paint lures that catch fish. This is a cedar bait with a circuit board lip. I used gold foil behind the eyes to make them pop a little bit.


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## MoreBass

Man your work makes me jealous. Even the "easy stuff" looks great. I would of loved to have picked up that skill to help deal with this cabin fever. You ever thought about hosting a workshop? (paid)

Keep up the great work. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## All Eyes

Thanks a lot MoreBass! Never put much thought into teaching anyone. This hobby of mine is always developing and I'm still learning things myself. There is a lot of great info on here regarding building and painting by some of the best you will ever find. My advice would be to get some wood and just go for it. Once you learn the basics it's easier than you might think. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have to get you started. Thanks again!


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## MoreBass

Thanks! I'll do some research on here, because I def think it'd be a fun hobby to get into. I appreciate the offer to lend some advice. I'll probably be in touch after I do some reading so I'm not asking questions you may have already answered 

Have a great night!


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## All Eyes

Here is a link that may help you get started. 
http://learnhowtomakefishinglures.blogspot.com/2012/07/crankbait-making-my-first-attempt.html


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## All Eyes

Top and belly of the last one.


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## MoreBass

Thanks! This will give me some good info to look at this weekend while I wait for the ice to thaw out. 


Sent from my SCH-I535 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## All Eyes

A new bluegill bait getting ready for epoxy. It is 2 3/4" made from cedar. This one was fun to paint and makes me want to do some more gills and sunfish.


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## vc1111

That one is another great example of your work with color. I like the shape too. Looks like there's a tiny bit of a hump on its back.


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## fishing_marshall

Wow I love that bluegill pattern! I keep thinking of trying a bluegill/sunfish pattern , but haven't attempted it yet.


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## All Eyes

Thanks guys! Here it is all finished. There are 9 different colors that went into this bait not including the white base coat.


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## silver shad

Great work Eyes


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## TIGGER

All Eyes said:


> Thanks guys! Here it is all finished. There are 9 different colors that went into this bait not including the white base coat.


That is one of my favorites!!!!!!!!!!!! Just amazing!


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## muskyslayer96

Eyes
Top notch paint work there....love the shape as well.

Best
MS


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## All Eyes

Thanks again guys. I have been working on these trolling baits lately and am anxious for open water to do some real testing on them. This is a 4" cedar bait (5 1/4") overall. I plan on experimenting with a couple of different lip designs with this body style.


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## sylvan 17

That bait looks sweet,love the paint job!


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## All Eyes

Thanks Sylvan! I tried to get a better pic of this outside today.


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## sonar

As usual John,,GREAT work!! You keep advancing all the time,,keep it up!! ----->>>>>sonar<<<<<-----


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## All Eyes

Thanks Sonar! We will have to meet up this spring and throw some blades. I've been making some new ones out of brass and have a couple new styles I want to test out. 
Here is a paint scheme on a new bait that I liked... but I didn't... so am repainting it. I think a hair less orange on the head and tail with slightly bigger pink spots??? May look kinda cool.


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## MEISTERICS

That purple/pink tiger is one fine looking bait! Very impressed!!!


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## phishyone1

Great work as always guys............ Just when you think these lures cant get no better, they do!


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## ShutUpNFish

IMHO, your best work yet!


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## Many Eyes

Looking good John, I need to get back to making some more.


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## muskyhound

John that bluegill is awsome!!!!


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## All Eyes

Thanks again everyone for the nice comments. I really appreciate it. Still busy making some different styles of baits and will post some more of them soon. John


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## All Eyes

Not fishing related but this gave me a smile tonight. I found these old pen/pencil drawings I did back in the 80's while going through some boxes of things for the trash. It sure makes me feel old but also cool to see some of this forgotten stuff again. These were both done in study hall at high school when I should have been learning gooder.


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## MoreBass

Wow I thought the kiss one was an actual photo! Looks like you've always been an artist at heart. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## All Eyes

MoreBass said:


> Wow I thought the kiss one was an actual photo! Looks like you've always been an artist at heart.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Thanks! That kiss drawing is one that I did on a piece of typing paper and for some reason I covered the back with strips of scotch tape. You should see how yellow it is.


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## rjbass

All Eyes said:


> Thanks guys! Here it is all finished. There are 9 different colors that went into this bait not including the white base coat.


This is an awesome bait....great job!!


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## All Eyes

It's been a while since I posted any baits, so here is a new one. It's a 4" walleye diver made from cedar, painted "Uncle Rico". The back is an iridescent purple that has a blue cast in the sun.


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## Many Eyes

That one came out sweet!! simple but catchy!!


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## All Eyes

Thanks Shawn! We need to toss some new baits in the pool and get some shots with your Go Pro.


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## All Eyes

Making some for the box again. These are 4 and 6 inch cedar baits. The stick bait is much more square sided than any I've done before so looking forward to running it. The top is purple with iridescent flakes. Too bad the fish rarely see the top cause it's all sparkly and what not.  The other one reminds me of the Hamburglar. Simple but looks catchy.


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## JamesT

It has been a few years since Ive seen your cranks AE. Quite honestly I am at a loss for words...just amazing work and a couple baits that look like a ton of fun to fish. Love the bluegill in 140 as well. Square sided stick bait...hmmmm...


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## All Eyes

Thank you James. Getting the itch to break the boat out and swim some new baits. Always have a few in the works.


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## All Eyes

Working on some new baits and accidentally dropped one into the back of my belt sander and it got stuck for a second. DOH!


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## TIGGER

Those look great. I love the hamburglar! Those belt sanders will eat away wood and skin fast.


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## All Eyes

Thanks John. Your latest work has been amazing! 
As you can tell by matching blood blisters under both thumbs that I am always sanding, or whacking at my fingers somehow.


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## Frankie G

All Eyes said:


> Working on some new baits and accidentally dropped one into the back of my belt sander and it got stuck for a second. DOH!


You do some awesome work!! Maybe that one is not an accident after all. Try matching the concave on the other side. I'd be real curious how that would affect it's action. Ya never know.


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## All Eyes

Thanks Frankie. That gouged blank is already in the trash but I like the way you think.


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## sonar

When I first saw that "misshap resulted blank",,I said just what Frankie G said... John,, I'd go dig that out & go to work on it ...That may be your new evolution series?? Two guys agree?.?..Just sayin... I'm goin to Berlin tomorrow for the 4pm to sunset time slot,,for a bit of Hydrotherapy..  what's your afternoon lookin' like?? ----->>>>>sonar<<<<<-----


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## All Eyes

Sonar, would love to join you but have some things to do tomorrow. Text me if you would and let me know how you did. I will probably be up there this week. 

Here are a few new 3" cedar baits I just finished with a bunch more in the works. Looking forward to getting some of these wet soon.


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## sonar

OK,,will do... & Fine looking Cranks!! as usual... BUT all you need for them now is some of those blades you've made,,vertical or toss & retrieve is the answer now & for the near future..They are gettin' busy with the metal... ----->>>>>sonar<<<<<-----


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## All Eyes

As far as that bad blank goes, the gouged area was almost down to the center line so nothing could be done to salvage it.


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## All Eyes

Finally got around to working on this musky bait that EyeCatchEm suggested that I make a shad pattern. Great idea! Here it is next to the 3 inch shad bait from the last post for size comparison. Just need to add some fins yet.


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## All Eyes

Another shot that shows the colors a bit more, but for some reason the gold pearl all but disappears in the pics.


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## spinnerbayt

Great looking bait!


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## TIGGER

Super nice!!!!!!!!


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## vc1111

That thing will get wrecked at West Branch!


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## All Eyes

Thank you guys! I really appreciate the interest and kind words.


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## All Eyes

sonar said:


> OK,,will do... & Fine looking Cranks!! as usual... BUT all you need for them now is some of those blades you've made,,vertical or toss & retrieve is the answer now & for the near future..They are gettin' busy with the metal... ----->>>>>sonar<<<<<-----


Still didn't get to make it up to Berlin. Hope you have been getting into them. Probably have 20 lbs of metal bait creations between blades and spoons from years past. I usually don't break out the cranks till post spawn when they move up shallow but have a lot of new ones to test out. Keep in touch and I will see you soon!


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## All Eyes

A few new ones for walleye. These are 3 1/2" made from cedar


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## All Eyes

A few more new ones for the box. These are 2 1/2" cedar baits.


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## JamesT

Very nice AE! Perch reminds me of Salmos perch. Love the purple!

//lol I was responding to your initial post back in 2013.


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## JamesT

All Eyes said:


> A few new ones for walleye. These are 3 1/2" made from cedar


Top one reminds me of a megabass I have (I think it is their firetiger color, but not positive). Great color schemes!


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## JamesT

All Eyes said:


> A few more new ones for the box. These are 2 1/2" cedar baits.


Did you polish with Mother's Carnuba wax? or what?!?  Sweet!


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## fishing_marshall

Those are great looking baits. I really want to make some eye/bass cranks .


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## Headboat Hunter

All Eyes said:


> A few more new ones for the box. These are 2 1/2" cedar baits.


Nice work!


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## All Eyes

Thanks for the compliments everyone. I have several more of these smaller baits in the works as well as some new ones for musky. Will post pics soon.


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## Headboat Hunter

All Eyes said:


> Thanks for the compliments everyone. I have several more of these smaller baits in the works as well as some new ones for musky. Will post pics soon.


Do you cut the wood and shape them yourself?


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## All Eyes

Headboat Hunter said:


> Do you cut the wood and shape them yourself?


Yes Headboat. I cut them out with a scroll saw and sand them into shape. A center line is drawn with a compass onto the wood while they are still in block form to establish where the hook hangers and/or belly weights are to be placed. The holes all get drilled before any sanding is done. Providing that the wood you start with is nice and square and the holes and weights are on center, they will balance well. It's not as hard as it may look, and a heck of a lot of fun.


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## All Eyes

Templates for transferring outlines onto the wood can be found online or made by tracing a bait that you want to reproduce, (which is how I started). Now all of my baits begin as a freehand sketch like these. I am always drawing body profiles and tweaking lines here and there until something stands out to me. Lately I've been messing with some hybrid looking stuff that has a bass plug profile and a narrow lip design more commonly used on walleye baits. Basically a shorter stumpy profile with a tighter shimmy action to try out on inland eyes. While it may be impossible to create a style that hasn't already been made, it's always fun to play around with ones that are new to me. 
The intriguing part about this hobby is that it's never going to be perfected and there are endless possibilities and combinations of things that effect the end result. Just a few degrees of pitch change on a diving lip can be a noticeable difference in performance. That's not to mention all the lip styles and sizes, body styles, weight placement, line tie placement, etc. that all play off of each other.


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## Headboat Hunter

All Eyes said:


> Yes Headboat. I cut them out with a scroll saw and sand them into shape. A center line is drawn with a compass onto the wood while they are still in block form to establish where the hook hangers and/or belly weights are to be placed. The holes all get drilled before any sanding is done. Providing that the wood you start with is nice and square and the holes and weights are on center, they will balance well. It's not as hard as it may look, and a heck of a lot of fun.


What size and type of wood do you start with?


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## All Eyes

Headboat Hunter said:


> What size and type of wood do you start with?


Cedar is my favorite wood due to it's buoyancy and ease of use to cut and shape. Basswood and balsa are also easy to work with but lately all I've worked with is cedar. I like to start with pieces that are just slightly wider than the finished bait so there is less material to remove which cuts down on dust. On my smaller ones I use a lot of 3/4" stock.


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## Bad Bub

All Eyes said:


> Yes Headboat. I cut them out with a scroll saw and sand them into shape. A center line is drawn with a compass onto the wood while they are still in block form to establish where the hook hangers and/or belly weights are to be placed. The holes all get drilled before any sanding is done. Providing that the wood you start with is nice and square and the holes and weights are on center, they will balance well. It's not as hard as it may look, and a heck of a lot of fun.


Where did you get your compass for drawing the center line? I've just been making dashes with a tape measure all the way around the bait, then connecting the dots. Usually it works, but I've been using some odd sized material (PVC board) and the math has been getting tricky. Lol! Think Lowe's would carry something useful? Or should I look more at say hobby lobby?


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## All Eyes

Bad Bub said:


> Where did you get your compass for drawing the center line? I've just been making dashes with a tape measure all the way around the bait, then connecting the dots. Usually it works, but I've been using some odd sized material (PVC board) and the math has been getting tricky. Lol! Think Lowe's would carry something useful? Or should I look more at say hobby lobby?


I just use a cheapy one. I got it at Wal Mart in the school supplies.


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## Phish_4_Bass

Go to harbor freight, they sell ones that have a slot you can put a pencil in.


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## Bad Bub

All Eyes said:


> I just use a cheapy one. I got it at Wal Mart in the school supplies.


O.k. thanks! Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something.


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## All Eyes

There are a few ways to go about marking a center line but I like using a compass with sharp lead. It's an easy way to check the squareness of your wood. If you run it down both sides and it doesn't veer off of one fine line then you know it's good to go. I almost bought a better quality compass recently but don't know that it's necessary for what I use it for. The center line should be nice and visible through the whole shaping process to check the uniformity of both sides. It's also good to make C (or half oval) shaped templates that line up on the top and bottom center line that hug the desired shape of the sides. Switching it from one side to the other while sanding helps to match both sides for uniform thickness.


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## Bad Bub

All Eyes said:


> There are a few ways to go about marking a center line but I like using a compass with sharp lead. It's an easy way to check the squareness of your wood. If you run it down both sides and it doesn't veer off of one fine line then you know it's good to go. I almost bought a better quality compass recently but don't know that it's necessary for what I use it for. The center line should be nice and visible through the whole shaping process to check the uniformity of both sides. It's also good to make C (or half oval) shaped templates that line up on the top and bottom center line that hug the desired shape of the sides. Switching it from one side to the other while sanding helps to match both sides for uniform thickness.


I've got a long ways to go.... Lol!


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## All Eyes

Bad Bub said:


> I've got a long ways to go.... Lol!


Having a template outline drawn on all 4 sides of the wood and an accurate center line takes a lot of the guess work out of shaping them. It's not that hard once you do it a few times. Making both sides uniform and cutting a square lip slot are the most important things that will determine how they run. I make my lip slots and drill the holes before cutting out the profile shape. It's easier to cut a square slot when the wood is in block form. There are other methods that people use, but this is the way I learned.


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## All Eyes

A few new ones. These are 2 1/2" and once again done in cedar.


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## All Eyes

My initial intention was to paint this in a reverse clown pattern without any stripes. Now that I added them it reminds me of McDonald's.


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## All Eyes

Maybe not the best comparison shot, but on these last 3 baits I decided to shape the lips a bit different on each of them. These circuit board lips are nice to work with in that they are easy to shape and yet they are almost indestructible to bumping into things. They also dive a bit faster than the thicker lexan. Some say they dive deeper but I haven't really noticed much of any difference myself.


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## vc1111

All Eyes said:


> Maybe not the best comparison shot, but on these last 3 baits I decided to shape the lips a bit different on each of them. These circuit board lips are nice to work with in that they are easy to shape and yet they are almost indestructible to bumping into things. They also dive a bit faster than the thicker lexan. Some say they dive deeper but I haven't really noticed much of any difference myself.
> View attachment 185238


Nice! I love that one with the stripes.


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## All Eyes

Thanks Vince! I am making up a few for West Branch now. Here is the first new one. It's a 6" cedar bait. Will add fins and some more gill detail between coats. Love the way gold pearl looks in sunlight


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## All Eyes

While moving some pictures to a new file I noticed something really strange (at least to me) while looking at this shot of these 3 baits. On the first pic, look how much larger the bottom orange bait appears compared to the bluegill one at the top. It easily looks a half inch longer or more, but as you can see by the other photo, they are the same size. Even considering the angle of the shot it still makes no sense to me whatsoever. There was no editing or any funny stuff done either. Just a weird optical illusion. 
Things that make you go Hmmm...


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