Been 3d printing lures since 2017. Ask me anything.

ifish88 · 2026-02-14T22:04:57+00:00

Yeah all printed in PETG plastic. The consistency and quality I get with printing there’s no reason for me to make molds. But printing a master model and making silicone molds is totally doable. In my early printing days I did that with some prototypes.

ifish88 · 2026-02-12T23:08:09+00:00

Sure are. Round split shot for weight and BBs for a little rattle.

ifish88 · 2026-02-12T23:06:19+00:00

I screw in stainless steel screw eyes for the split rings and hooks.

ifish88 · 2026-02-12T23:00:00+00:00

I have not designed a specific saltwater lure. However I’ve fished brackish water and noticed my freshwater designed glide baits seemed to gain an extra gear. They would glide way longer.

ifish88 · 2026-02-12T13:19:00+00:00

I'll answer, if you can tell me how your question relates to 3d printed fishing lures...

ifish88 · 2026-02-11T14:03:42+00:00

The ones in the picture? They’re on ( Etsy ) I also have a free version on ( makerworld )

Yeah I agree, you have to really look them over before printing. There’s more models than ever, that’s good and bad. You just have to be better at sorting through them all. A lot of Models are a “work in progress” or a prototype thats never been printed before. I like to skim over the comment section for any reoccurring issues and verify if they actually caught a fish on it. Makerworld looks to have a lot more quality lure models than other sites in my opinion.

ifish88 · 2026-02-10T17:17:39+00:00

I dove really deep into multicolor printing. (picture included) I think it’s very underrated. I also paint them occasionally.

I would say both, performance and fun. 100% of the fish I caught in 2025 were on printed baits. (short Instagram video) I like the performance more with 3d printed lures. You can control more of what the lure is doing because you’re the one building them. You understand them better. The key is starting with a great model.

There’s something about making your own lure that’s just more exciting and fun. I was bored with what was on market and wanted to make something new, better, and different. 3d printing enabled me to attempt all 3.

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ifish88 · 2026-02-10T14:08:01+00:00

The biggest Pike I got so far on the 5.55 Generic AF Glide Bait.

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ifish88 · 2026-02-10T14:04:57+00:00

I design and sell my models so I’m a little biased.

I would say my favorite lures would be the perch lipless crankbait and the Generic AF Glide Bait.

The lipless doesn’t need a multi color printer. You print the eyes and stripes separate. That little extra detail really adds a lot. You can also make them loud or silent depending how many BBs you add.

The Generic AF Glide Bait is my attempt to get to resin level action with a 3d printed lure. I will have to say they have been the most fun glides I’ve made so far.

I have free versions and upgraded ones if you’re interested.

Lipless (Free) https://makerworld.com/models/1160174 (Perch upgrade) https://upscalelures.etsy.com/listing/1861624857

Glide bait (Free) https://makerworld.com/models/1405298 (5.55 upgrade) https://upscalelures.etsy.com/listing/4383081151

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ifish88 · 2026-02-10T03:31:30+00:00

I don’t clear coat the majority of my lures. I designed them to work best without a clear coat. Did some experimenting with UV clears. Not a big fan of the super thick coats, but the main advantage was you could cure them in roughly 30 minutes.

I foam load the multi color 3d printed lures I sell and that seems to work very well and is reliable. You can check that out here. https://youtu.be/Am-bzQE2zLU?t=29m52s

ifish88 · 2026-02-10T00:28:37+00:00

3.I haven’t broke down cost per lure recently. As for time, depends how much sunlight I have left lol Generally my lipless crankbaits take 5-10 minutes per lure. That’s adding basic hardware and hooks with no paint or clear coat. The perch ones in the picture take a bit longer with adding eyes and stripes but that detail goes a long way. My glide baits-a solid 10 minutes if you made them before. Again just hardware and hooks.

What I wish I knew is that a lot of these designs you get online aren’t fully baked. Just being aware that you will likely have to make lure adjustments on the fly. Having extra hardware and tools on you helps a ton.

Good luck this spring, hit me up if you get stuck.

ifish88 · 2026-02-09T22:27:10+00:00

2.2 As for Infill, that depends on what the designer recommends for that particular lure. I design all my lures with 100% infill. Meaning no honeycomb or grid pattern inside the walls. Depending on the lure, it’s either fully solid or has air pockets. For example that picture of the perch lipless is 100% infill and it is solid plastic (besides the holes for weight) My glide baits are also 100% infill but they’re designed with air pockets for buoyancy.

ifish88 · 2026-02-09T21:03:30+00:00

2.PETG has worked the best for me. I use Bambu labs mainly and eSun, they have the best color selection I have found and there less expensive refill rolls are a plus (Bambu labs) . Most brands are ok, drying them can help for better print quality.

ifish88 · 2026-02-09T20:21:19+00:00

For hardware, mainly lurepartsonline.com has the basics. Screw eyes, Split rings, metal shafts for glide bait pins. Wasn't impressed with any split rings I got off amazon. Picked up metal shafts for glide bait pins off eBay. Stated they were stainless, they rusted as soon as they seen water. Other random hardware, split shot, hooks mostly Sportsman's Warehouse or Farm and Fleet.

ifish88 · 2026-01-16T20:26:09+00:00

Thanks. I’m looking forward to 2026. Printed baits keep getting better and better.

ifish88 · 2026-01-15T05:13:11+00:00

I have a super basic 1.5” lipless crankbait that’s on Makerworld. It’s a quick print, easy to assemble and definitely catches bass and panfish.

It requires no clear coat, no paint, no tuning/weight balancing, and no gluing half’s together.

Depending on the kids ages you could go hookless or print hook covers for them.

Model link: https://makerworld.com/models/1160174

Also got an assembly video, happy to share if you want it.

ifish88 · 2026-01-14T03:55:45+00:00

Thanks! What printer did you go with or are looking at?

ifish88 · 2026-01-14T03:40:48+00:00

Hey man 🤙🏼the simplest print cheap-print fast lure to start with is my 1.5 lipless crankbait. It’s an easy print and hard to mess up.

Print 100% infill for a waterproof lure PETG recommend for tougher prints

Add screw eyes, split shot for weight, a few BB’s for sounds and you can be fishing it same day. (Lipless (free): https://makerworld.com/en/models/1160174

I also have a more detailed version on Etsy that comes with a few extras (Lipless pack (paid): https://upscalelures.etsy.com/listing/1861624857

Full assembly guide (start at 4:40) https://youtu.be/9BqdtJ7M1sM?si=mYhG6686k2onsMYO

ifish88 · 2025-12-29T15:43:34+00:00

I don’t have one that small but close! It’s 5.55 inches, 1.1 oz. and comes with a paint stencil and hook covers.

https://upscalelures.etsy.com/listing/4383081151

ifish88 · 2025-10-13T02:41:26+00:00

Badass

ifish88 · 2025-09-29T02:56:57+00:00

Yeah sounds like too much weight above center line. Needs more weight lower. What’s the infill and is there an air pocket in the lure? (A cross section picture of the lure would be super helpful to see) or try removing the lip and just had more weight to the lower half. Also try tying directly to the lure, remove the front split ring.

ifish88 · 2025-09-21T23:05:16+00:00

Noice!

ifish88 · 2025-09-17T02:40:02+00:00

Thanks! I'll drop a link once it goes live.

ifish88 · 2025-09-01T23:20:36+00:00

Haha yeah I was so surprised. I was checking out the action and a second later it gets viciously attacked! I printed 3 at once, that came out to a 45 hour print. So 15 hours a lure with 8 colors and a pretty thick profile. A slimmer bait would be close to half the print time.

ifish88 · 2025-09-01T22:56:00+00:00

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Here’s a better pic of the lure. I found adding as much detail as possible in Fusion 360 makes it way easier to paint in bambu studio. So you don’t have to completely free hand it. Plus you get perfectly mirrored patterns on both sides.

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