Building Wood Crankbaits

Question
QUESTION: I am wanting to start building my own freshwater crank baits and have decided to use Balsa Wood. The one thing I am not sure on how to do is to attach the line tie eye and hook eyes. I know that some people use the screw-in type but I am wanting to use 18 gage stainless steel wire and do a through body connection. Can you give me any direction on how to do this correctly?

ANSWER: Hi Dale,

Some people drill holes for thru wire.  For balsa, I like to make the lure in two halves.  Bend the wire and put it right where you want it and then epoxy the two halves together.  Use two ton epoxy and clamp it over night.  Rough cut the side profile's in two halves.  Glue the two halves together with the wire sandwiched. Then shape the bait after the glue is dry.

Here is a good posting on www.tackleunderground.com regarding the subject and has some photos.  

http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/hard-baits/13912-through-wire-help.html

There is also a good tutorial on youtube for the drilling method.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSIMzLeBXfs

I have epoxied 1" stainless steel screw eyes into balsa baits and they are fine for bass.  I don't trust them for Musky.

For the most part, I use brass wire for thru-wires.

Good fishing,

Marc

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your quick response. I have looked at a lot of info on the net about how to cut in half the balsa wood, place the wire where you want it and then glue the two halves together. That would work fine but I will be using premade, presealed blanks and am wanting to do the thru wire method. I have checked out the method you suggested on youtube but it doesn't say anything about installing weight for ballist!  Do you have any suggestions on this?

Answer
There are a few options for the the premade blanks.  

First, yes you could run them through the band saw and cut them in half.

Second, drill through the bait with a long bit. Bullet bits don't track very straight.  Look for a 1/8" Forstner bit. You will have to drill from nose to tail and then one in the belly to meet the other hole.  Drill the bigger hole for the weight after you drill the wire hole.  You can pour the lead in or use egg sinkers.  Honestly, this method is like brain surgery to get everything right.  It's very difficult to get drill bit to come out of the bait exactly where you want.

If you don't want to cut them in half, heres what I have done.  Drill the ballast weight hole where you want it.  Now, with the bait belly up, take a hack saw and cut a slot the length of the bait about half way through.  Stop when the slot is where you want the nose tie and the tail loop.  Fit your wire harness in from there and even run the belly wire through the weight (egg or bullet sinkers).  Then when everything is in place (goop in some 2 part epoxy like Devcon 2-ton) fill the slot with something like wood filler, Durhams water putty, or bondo.  Sand it later and you won't know there was a slot there.  Floating Rapalas have been made like this forever.  That's what that white belly strip is on a floating Rapala minnow.  It's a plastic insert that fills the slot.  They just finish (or should I say Finnish) over it.

I hope that helps.

Feel free to write back.  Making lures is great.  

Marc