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I began crafting baits before this blog came into being. At the time, I was in the market for super fun baits I could actually enjoy fishing with..so I started making my own. Three years, several molds, hundreds of baits, 50+ blog posts, and countless fun fishing adventures later… and I’ve learned A TON about crafting fun baits that catch fish. I think the following observations will resonate regardless of whether you build jigs, soft baits, hard baits, or simply enjoy fishing.
1. You can save money…if you’re diligent.
One of the first questions people ask about bait making is “Is it cheaper to make your own lures?”
The answer is yes…and no.
Making your own baits can be very budget-friendly. Once you purchase a little necessary equipment, you can easily make your own baits for pennies on the dollar. Making budget-friendly baits is totally possible to do.
BUT…
The truth is… crafting baits is addictive. And it’s a ton of fun. As a result? It’s suuuuper easy to buy way more molds, materials, and equipment than you’ll ever realistically need.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. (I think it is.)
Just consider yourself warned…
2. Follow safety procedures. Or don’t, at your own risk.
Ever had 600 degree lead spatter on your face? I have 🙋♂️. True story.
Thankfully it was one or two very small drops. And I was wearing safety glasses 👓.
Those safety glasses saved me from a world of hurt. Now I’m never without safety glasses, a pair of thick gloves, close-toed shoes, and at times even a respirator.
Follow good safety measures, and you’ll never be sorry. Or don’t, at your own risk.
3. Buy once, cry once.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever bought the cheap tool. Then later bought the slightly more expensive tool. Then eventually caved and bought the pricey, quality tool you should have bought in the first place.
Slowly raises hand 🤦♂️.
Funny story, one of my fellow baitmakers bought a really nice Renzetti Traveler fly tying vise (which he LOVES). He had started with a cheap-o vise when he first started tying. Then he moved on to a more expensive vise he saw on Amazon. But he wasn’t fully satisfied with that vise either, so he caved and paid the 200-plus dollars for the Renzetti vise 😂.
If you know you love bait making and you have the extra $$$ on hand, go for that pricey quality tool! You’ll save yourself money in the long run. Which leads us to the next lesson…
4. The right tools make everything better.
It really does. And “the right tools” don’t have to be expensive, either. Case in point? I bought a set of small hand files for less than $20 off Amazon. The result? My lead jigs and spinnerbaits now look superb before powder paint ever touches them.
Which translates to a better looking end product. Which translates to me actually being happy with the baits I’m making!
If you’re a soft bait maker, this might be buying high quality injectors. If you’re a fly tyer, this might be buying that rotary vise you’ve been eyeing!
Whatever your lure craft, you owe it to yourself to get tools that help you enjoy your craft.
5. Experience is the best teacher.
In the last three years, I’ve read and watched more bait making tutorials than I could shake a stick at. And some have been truly valuable.
But the best education has come from… making baits! Curious if rabbit fur has more movement than marabou? Tie a couple jigs with each and put them in the water to find out!
Curious if olive pigment can replace green pumpkin in your soft bait recipes? Pour some soft baits with each pigment and compare!
Watching lurecraft can be a great way to learn, but nothing beats doing it.
6. Marabou is both amazing and agonizingly awful.
Speaking of marabou…I hate the stuff. Marabou jigs are legendary smallmouth catchers, but they are a pain to tie. Breathe too hard and – poof! – marabou feathers everywhere! Cinch down on your thread too hard and – snap – there goes the stem of the feather!
Does it have amazing action in the water? YES.
Do fish seem to be enamored with it? YES.
BUT…I’m not yet convinced that it’s worth the pain of working with it 😵💫.
7. Don’t be afraid to modify a lead mold.
You can accomplish a lot using an unmodified lead mold. But with a little modification, you can take the same mold every other jig maker is using and create something special.
For example, I bought a Poison Swingtail mold by Do-It Molds. This mold makes some dandy swim jigs. But then I modified this mold to take a spinnerbait wire, and now…👇
I can make some gorgeous, unique spinnerbaits!
8. Crafting baits is more challenging than you think.
In a good way! The video tutorials you watch on YouTube always make it look easy. In reality, it takes time and practice to figure out the do’s and don’ts.
This goes back to lesson #5…you learn best by doing.
After three years of crafting baits, I have learned how challenging bait making can be. That’s part of what keeps me coming back to it. Solve one puzzle, and there is immediately another to solve.
Embrace that fact, and you’ll enjoy the art of lurecraft all the more.
9. Fishing with amazing baits inspires confidence.
In fishing, confidence is key.
Fish a bait with confidence, and you will catch more fish.
Many folks – myself included – do not feel confident fishing lackluster baits. Dull hooks? Paint that chips off after several casts?
No thank you!
There are plenty of amazing mass-produced baits on the market that catch fish. But something magical happens when you craft a bait and immediately recognize “Wow, this thing is going to slay.”
When you craft a bait and have the utmost confidence in how it will perform, it unlocks something in your brain and in your fishing. And it’s flat out addictive. Ask me how I know 😎.
It’s a simple equation.
Amazing baits 👉 higher confidence. Higher confidence 👉 more fish in the boat.
10. You’ll never want to use store-bought lures again.
Which brings me to this point – after you start crafting your own baits, you’ll never want to use store-bought lures again.
To be candid, I still buy baits from tackle shops. I simply don’t have the time and resources to make every single bait that I need. But I have this inner objective that one day I will make all my own baits, and never have to buy them from a tackle shop ever again.
Because truth be told, catching fish on baits you haven’t made yourself, simply isn’t as satisfying. It doesn’t offer the same gratification. I mean, catching fish in of itself is awesome. But catching fish on your own masterpiece? Priceless.
