How to Make Wooden Fishing Lures

Wooden fishing lures aren't nearly as common as they once were, but many fishermen still love to use them to catch particular kinds of fish or on specific bodies of water. Wooden lures require much more craftsmanship than plastic baits or even metal baits, thus they are often more expensive. Their rare status makes them more difficult to find now as well. That is why you may want to make your own. It's a fun process that will teach you a lot about lures and make you appreciate the fish you catch and the sport of fishing even more.

Things You'll Need

• Old broom with wooden handle
• Ruler
• Handsaw
• Carving knife
• Low-grade sandpaper
• Paintbrush
• Wood sealant
• Paint
• Drill with 1/16 bit
• 3 eye screws
• Pliers
• 2 split rings
• 2 treble hooks

Instructions

1. Find an old broom you no longer need. Measure a 5-inch section of the wood handle. With a handsaw, carefully saw off the 5-inch-long section.

2. Take a small carving knife or a sharp pocket knife and scallop one end. Try to make the scallop as smooth as possible. On the other end, start an inch back and curve the end to a rounded point. With some low-grade sandpaper, carefully sand the wood to make it smooth and perfect.

3. Dip a paintbrush in a basic wood sealant and coat the entire lure. This is very important as wood will rot in water if it isn't properly sealed. Allow the lure to dry for at least one hour. Then select your color scheme and paint the lure as you desire. Let dry.

4. Take a drill with a 1/16 bit, and screw an eye screw into the direct center of the scalloped end. Make sure it is secure. Screw in another eye screw on the center of the pointed end. Screw the last one in on the underbelly of the lure center and slightly closer to the scalloped end than the pointed end.

5. 

   With a pair of pliers, attach a split ring to the eye screw on the bottom of the lure as well as one on the pointed end. Then attach a treble hook to each eye screw. Your lure is complete.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear gloves to protect your hands when carving and sanding.

• Don't forget to seal the wood or it will rot in the water over time