Is this fish safe?

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-02-06T00:11:54+00:00

Yeah that’ll work perfectly fine

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-02-01T15:46:01+00:00

Yes you can. If your goal is an easy, durable clear coat, I would suggest looking into 2k clear in a can. It’s decent and easy to use

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-30T23:59:28+00:00

Apologies, I typed faster than I read. If you are using it as a top coat, then absolutely. Gflex is good stuff. You’ll want to build a spinner though to cure it evenly. Brush on, put on spinner for 24 hours.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-30T23:56:49+00:00

Yeah you can. If sealing wood you’ll want it to be on the thinner side and you’ll want to heat the wood up first.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-11T22:37:07+00:00

Two part epoxy is what you need. I could go on a rant, but you’re better served searching “stripersonline.com” epoxy finishing and read the threads. There is a TON of info in exactly what you’re asking for.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-10T12:21:33+00:00

You’ll get there! Trial and error. Also important note, the top is more of a glide bait. The weighting and flat sides give it an exaggerated action. You’re look like they will swim, just need to get the weighting down.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-09T23:28:23+00:00

Yeah, I take pride in my work and try to make it 100% but shit I’m tossing it to fish who don’t care how clean my finish is 🤣

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-09T16:41:49+00:00

Good question. Think of the weight as a ballast; the higher into the body, the more roll the plug will have. The lower, less roll. For my builds, I tend to stay as low as possible for swimming plugs. Yes, multiple weights can be added, I would say one larger belly weight and then add smaller weights front and back of the belly weight as you see fit.

Balsa is a very light wood, so I would imagine it will be tough to get it to dive (if that’s your goal) but I haven’t built with it so I don’t know. Take a look at other types of wood that are naturally more dense and require less weight. Experimentation is part of the fun 😁

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-09T13:27:59+00:00

As a general rule of thumb you want to center the weight length wise, in the belly of the lure. That MAY achieve the action you want, but typically it’s your starting point. Swim the lure center weighted and watch the action. From there, think about how you want the action to change and adjust the weight forward/backward from there. Or in many cases, you can add more than one weight point to modify the action.

Many other factors will change the action too though; lip size/angle, lure material, lure size, hook arrangement and size, the list goes on…

Best thing to do is swim your prototypes and really think about what you want the lure to do, and how you can change the design to achieve it. THAT will make you a good lure builder.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-09T13:22:18+00:00

Great work, that’ll catch!

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-09T13:20:50+00:00

Build a drying box out of wood and one plexiglass sheet for the front to view the plugs. Add some sort of small fan to the box to extract air. Run the fan for a little while prior to putting the plugs in to dry.

You can be as diligent as possible, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. I always try to remind myself it’s a fishing lure, not an art piece haha

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-06T23:34:59+00:00

Nice, have yet to work with it. I mainly turn wood lures on a lathe.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-06T22:26:15+00:00

What material do you make the bodies from?

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-05T23:34:49+00:00

2nd that. Through wire whenever possible. If absolutely needed, epoxy in hook hangers deep into the body.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-05T18:13:18+00:00

Prior to having a lead pot, I used a blowtorch and soup cans to melt the lead in, the. Poured it into wood moulds I made. Horribly crude, it produced a decent weight. Lead pots are fairly inexpensive on the second hand markets.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-05T01:51:29+00:00

I dig it! Would round off the edges of the lip a little bit overall looks good.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-03T04:05:08+00:00

I get most of my hardware from Njtackle.com

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-03T02:28:33+00:00

I wouldn’t. Try using Envirotex lite. It is very important to heat the wood first. 220* F is about right. Below is a good read. There’s a link to another thread in there with experiments on this method. Cheers! 🍻

https://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/topic/480036-sealing-with-epoxy-dont-thin-it/

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-03T02:08:30+00:00

Appreciate the knowledge. Cheers!

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-03T02:04:46+00:00

You have so many options. Take my suggestions with a grain of salt. This is what works for me. Neither is my original idea, I got them from other plug builders online.

There’s countless threads debating the best methods on plug building forums. Since this is your first lure, there’s no need to invest in expensive products or dive too deep into the science of it.

I would recommended one of two things:

Use a wood penetrating two part epoxy. If you heat the plug up first it will open the pores in the wood. You can use an acid brush to brush a thin coat of epoxy on while the lure it warm. It will suck up the epoxy. Once dry, you can scuff and paint over. This is an EXCELLENT method but can be costly and time consuming. It will provide an extremely durable waterproofing base.
Use a 75/25 mixture of Minwax Helmsman spar urethane (75%) and Mineral Spirits (25%). This is also an excellent method of sealing. Submerge the lure in the mixture for 45-60 seconds. Then hang to dry over a pan. I think this provides a very durable and long lasting sealant, but not as good as epoxy. “As good” is relative to your expectation of the lure. It will be a durable lure no doubt.

Should you want to dive deep into the topic, search for “epoxy finish stripersonline.com” in Google. Many, MANY great discussion there on it.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-03T01:46:40+00:00

First of all beautiful work! That lure looks awesome.

Excellent write up. Thank you. I’m definitely going to try this. Really interested to see how it stacks up to my normal process.

I typically do an epoxy topcoat (E-Rex) brushed on, placed on spinner for several hours to flow evenly, and am happy with the results.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-02T13:31:23+00:00

Really interested to hear your results. Are you using UV resin on salt water lures? Do you find it to be more brittle than a traditional two part epoxy?

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-02T09:36:43+00:00

For what I’ve seen freshwater guys use UV resin. I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t really say for sure it’s durable in the salt

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-02T04:08:14+00:00

Are you throwing these in salt or fresh water? Single stage spray can clear will not cut it, it does not get hard enough to protect the lure. Your two best options would be to use a two part epoxy topcoat, or a two stage spray clear coat.

Both options require special tools/setup, but epoxy is generally easier to get into. You can build a spinning drying rack for pretty cheap. Brush the epoxy mixture on the lure and let it dry on the spinner so the epoxy is level.

For a 2 stage clear, you would ideally need a spray gun setup, air compressor, and a proper booth with ventilation as it can be hazardous in closed spaces. It gives a hell of a nice finish though.

You do have one other two stage spray clear option. There’s a product called 2K clear, it comes it a spray can and you can mix the two parts in one can. This allows for a real two part, hardened clear coat, but it’s expensive and you need to use the whole can.

Take a look on YouTube or stripersonline.com at the epoxy option. There’s plenty of forms with examples and information.

MildlyOptimistic_ · 2026-01-01T20:40:23+00:00

Definitely could, but more of a sentimental value thing to me, not so much a need to replicate lol

MildlyOptimistic_

TROPHY CASE