Crankbait Build Process

This is the process I go through to build these lures.

I start by using the appropriate size drill bit to clean out the alignment pin holes.

Next I cut three pieces of 1.75mm filament each about 1/8″ long.

I then Insert the pieces of filament into the alignment holes.

I test the fit to make sure the filament pins are not too long to allow the two halves to join properly together.

Next I need to bend a piece of wire to form the tie on and hook attachment points. I used .032″ (.83mm) motorcycle safety wire, it’s a little more flexible than the normal wire lures usually have but it does the job. I use to do this with a pair of small needle nose plies (as shown below) because it what I had at the time but I now use a pair of Wire Looping Pliers because it is a lot easier and the loops come out perfect with them.  I sometimes also use the option of buying preformed wire/loops from online lure sellers to start.  Nowadays I’ve actually started using the .040″ Stainless Steel Lure Wire from Lurepartsonline.com for all my lures as it is much stiffer and will help keep the lure tuned better. The trade off is it’s harder to work with as it is much stiffer.

I started with about a 8-10″ piece of wire and form the belly hook mount first. Starting about 3 inches back I started the first loop by bending the wire down.

Then using fine needle nose pliers I started to form the loop curving it back upwards over the round part of the pliers.

I Keep moving the tip of the pliers along the loop and continue to bending the wire back on itself.

I then Bent the wire across itself to form a nice rounded loop.

Next I just bend the long end back parallel with the shorter end.

Then I give the two pieces a crimp together to finish the loop.

It’s a little sloppy but it should still work.

Next I lay the wire in the lure body and make a few marks for the next bends in the center of the channel.

Then I bent the ends as shown.

Next I marked the location of the start for the front loop and using the same process as before form the front loop.

The front loop needs to be kept as close to the nose to the bait as possible. This will keep it from bending and cause the lure to veer to one side during retrieve.

I then trim the excess of the front loop wire and check the fit in the lure body.

Using the same processes of marking and bending the wire I formed the rear loop.

I then check the fit once again to make sure the lure halves fit together properly.

On some of my lures I add a few BB’s to the center cavity to get a rattle effect.

I use a CA type superglue glue (they are all the same) and Insta-set CA accelerator to join the two halves together.

I start by applying glue to the channel for the wires in one half….

… then place the bent wire in that channel.

Next I applied a liberal amount of glue to the other half…

… and place that half over the other side using the pins to align the halves.

Holding the two halves together being sure to keep the lip aligned, I wipe any excess glue away from the seam and then apply the CA accelerator along the entire seam to instantly bond them together.

After prying off the fingers I glued to the lure… I sand the seam flush using 220 grit sand paper.

If the seams have any gaps I fill them with glazing and spot putty….

… then just sand off the excess after it dries.

Using plies I straighten out the loops if need be.

Next I always prime the lure white before I paint them.

Now I airbrush the lures. (I usually follow some YouTube tutorials.)

After painting the lures I am going to need to seal them. I use this EnviroTex Lite Pour-On High Gloss Finish epoxy for this step.

The only problem with the EnviroTex Lite epoxy is it’s very thin so if I just leave the lure to dry in one position gravity will take over and I will get drips in the lowest spots of the lure as seen here.

After a bit of googling I found you need a lure drying rack to achive a nice even coat so I designed the Rotating drying rack as seen here.

As well as sealing the lure the epoxy will also bring the paint colors to life. I just use a cheap throw away kids brush (not shown) to coat the entire lure with epoxy and then spin it on the rack for several hours until it dries.  Sometimes I add glitter to the epoxy at this point to add some cool effects.

After everything is dry I add some hooks and it’s ready to tune and then go catch some Hogs.

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All Information, Pictures, and Material is copyright © 2018 by Stephen Thone and may not be used for any personal or commercial purposes without the consent of the author. All rights reserved. The Author makes no guarantees or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of, or results to be obtained from accessing and using the Information herein.