http://www.fishing.net.nz/asp_forums/diy-lure-building_topic57080.html

There's some good lure making forums on bloodydecks.com & 360tuna.com that are worth checking out too.  If you get to know Jim Rizzutto on either of those sites you could contact him about getting a copy of his book "Lure Making 101 / 102", this has all the info that you need to get started.

Here is the first lure I have made, already have ideas to make better for next time.

that is way cool yknot, great effort...

if your just making them for yourself a lot will depend on how your boat is set up...
outriggers or rod tip trolling, how far back or how close your want them to run,
lots of factors and that is with out considering the weather at the time...

hence you need a few different head shapes just to handle these condition,
and on top of that there is your boat size gin palace 14ft tinny, each need considering...

another huge factor is the anglers experience...

Peter Pakula has given the angler lures that novices can swim, the cupped faced lures for which he designed gave the novice a chance in small boats to get out and mix it with the bigger boats,
this range of lures has proven beyond doubt that any idiot in a boat can catch game fish...

its this type of lure your likely to have more success with, learn what keeps the lure in the water under most conditions...
learn what makes the head wobble,
   "        "        "        "      "    dive,
   "        "        "        "    lure work: skirt/hooks/trace

understanding how your lures work in conjunction with the above is just a start....
good luck yknot, you've made a positive start....

 
 

#2, its already been cast. Due to the great weather today went shopping and got some new bits. (Pearl fleck with a red belly in a clear head). The rest of the family are involved and want to make their own too.

Easiest way I've found is to use a piece of 4mm brass tubing as your leader hole, then insert a solid piece of wire that fits snuggly inside, (so that the tube doesn't crush in the chuck), and hold it in a Jacobs chuck at your headstock end with the other end supported by the pointy tailstock thing in the other end of the tube.  Works a treat for me!

I have lately been using a lathe to turn wooden heads, you can try and turn different shapes & styles. I have about 50 turned heads now and will probably cast about 10 of them to see how they go :) its all about trial & error some will work some with fail once you have a couple that work then start playing with weighted inserts, colours etc it can get very addictive especially when marlin are getting caught on the lures you make

the angler wrote: Lethal wrote: any idiot in a boat can catch game fish..      phew that makes me feel better

Not to forget the Moldcraft series of lures which in my opinion are some of the most ordinary looking lures around and yet they have caught ****e loads of fish all around the world.

yknot wrote: New to lathes, may have used wrong wordings, the lathe I now have has the two pointy bits, thus I believe I can only turn the lure as it spins between the two points, thus cupped face lures are currently not available in my line of lures. Thoughts being jawed chuck is needed to turn cupped face.