Making muskie lures

So I think that this will be the year that I start tinkering with making some lures. My guess is that I will probably make bucktails to start. My question to all who have tried this before, is do you have any good videos or suggestions on where to get a lot of the basics regarding tying techniques etc.? I found 1 or 2 on youtube. I am planning on going to Thorne Bros. to get most of the materials that I need, because I know that they have pretty much everything. Also, are their any other categories of lures that people have had success making? I would love to try and make a topwater lure, but I don’t have all of the molds or plastic/resigns. Also, are there certain brands of split rings or swivels that you have found to be the best? It might be a total waste of money and time, but it sure would be cool to catch a big fish on a home made lure. Thanks for the help!

Hi Jason,

Funny, I just started to make my own bucktails. Nothing fancy. So far I am just fixing some old ones, then I will move on to new.

I have a utube that shows you how to do a closed loop and also a PDF which I will e-mail you when I get home for the bucktail shafts.

Thorne bros does have what you need including round nose knipex pliers ( very important for bucktails) I was just there last week to pick up a few things. If you are going to shrink wrap your hooks, I would choose # 5 split rings over # 7, and also 1/2 egg sinkers seem to be better than the 1/4. Beads and bodies I will leave up to your preference.

Beyond that it is a matter of whether you want to do flashabou (cowgirls), rubber skirts (llungens), or hair and if you want to start with pre-made or you make them. Thorne has all options for you.

For components also check out Moore’s lures, http://www.jannsnetcraft.com, lurepartsonline.com.

Let me know if you have any questions…

Pal

Here’s a link to an article I did a while back.

BUCKTAILS 101

Awesome guys! I knew I would get some great info from IDO. I am a big fan of maribou and flashabou in combination so I will probably work with those two first. Jeremy that it great, I am going to give it a try! I will post results if they look like they will catch something.

Garage logic with a few guys during the winter is a very easy way to learn some tips and techinques to blades. I have a buddy who started making his own baits a number of years back, he does a bang up job and he has boated a few good fish on homemade stuff, rewarding to say the least. It’s a great thing to do over the winter months when we can’t huck baits. Tie up some baits, drink some beers and tell lies…its the making for a great time

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It’s a great thing to do over the winter months when we can’t huck baits. Tie up some baits, drink some beers and tell lies…its the making for a great time

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Amen Bob

I’m looking to do the same thing, but I just don’t know what size beads & bodies, and how many to use

I believe that 5/16 & 11/32 beads are the most used, but there are many sizes and bodies also to choose from. I am staring with the 11/32..

Pal

Ok so here is my first try. .51 wire, #9 colorado blades on the one and #8 or #9 willows on the other(not sure on size but they looked right), 3/8th oz. egg sinker, various beads, 6/0 mustad hooks. I estimate about $9 or $10 in parts. I can’t wait for spring!!! Thanks for the instructions Jeremy!

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It might be a total waste of money and time, but it sure would be cool to catch a big fish on a home made lure. Thanks for the help!

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I watched an acquaintance of mine land a 40″er on a homemade hardbait he made in high school. He took a piece of wood to shop class and bought the other hardware to make his own custom Suick. You talk about cool…..that was the second fish he caught on it! The pic I got with him and the fish was all about the fish but on the ride home, it was all about succeeding with a home made lure he made 2 years earlier.

I’ve been creating some goodies while driving big rig and the thing I can’t wait to try is the “home-made” bucktails for my flyrod! I have a lot more ideas, a lot more to make, and a long time to wait but hopefully, between now and then, I’ll learn the rest of what I need to know.

As for any other goodies, I’ve got a tournament angler who’s going to test out a handful of prototypes for me in 2010. If anything comes of it, this forum will be among the first to hear about it!

Good job

Those are some nice looking bucktails

how to tye your own buck tail trebles

http://www.luremaking.com/howto/bucktails/bucktail1.htm#bed

don’t over look Christmas tinsel for tying like the holographic icicles or Halloween wigs here is a few examples

here is one i tied for fly fishing .

black tying thread
tail= 5 inches of yellow glow crystal flash with gold Mylar added
wing green buck tail
throat or beard red buck tail
over wing black buck tail
head epoxy

i get some of my stuff here if thorn brothers don’t have it

http://lurepartsonline.com/cart.php

im not sure if there ware house is still in Brooklyn park or not. if so you may be able to arrange to pick it up at the ware house . I have before .

Lure Parts Online (formerly Stamina) has a new owner. They are now located in Sprinfield, Illinois.

Hi–
Looks like you already have alot of great advice. I’ve been tying my own tails for some years now and it is a great way to pass the winter. I’m using a Boggs Tackle Maker to turn my wire. I’m using .051 diameter wire although some use the .062 but I find it hard to work with and have never had a problem with .051. IF you go that route be sure to order the one with the ‘extension’ so you can turn longer wire needed for today’s larger bucktails. I’ve tied hair, maribou, and put together my own ‘cowgirls’ as well. If you really get into it and decide you’d like to save money on components, Moore’s Lures has nearly the best prices around. One note, if you are going to work with flashabou, be sure to get the Mag Flashabou becuase the thinner stuff tends to get tangled in the clevises—learned that the hard way.

You will enjoy making your own bucktails as it is fairly easy to do. You’ll find yourself always tinkering trying to come up with something new. Below is a picture of a MAGNUM model I put together with flash and Magnum blades. The smaller blade on the top that is laying there is a size 10 like those on the cowgirls.

Once you catch your first fish on a bait you’ve made, you’ll never throw anything but your own! It is a rewarding past-time and they make great Christmas gifts for your pals! If you have any questions, PM me!

you can also use bicycle spokes for wire .

Thanks Guys! I went into this thinking that I was going to be able to save some $$, however it is so cool to make your own stuff with all of the combinations I will end up spending more and filling my tackle box I have some of each of the magnum and regular flashabou and I am mixing in some rubber skirting. Have any of you experimented with really weighing one of these double bladed bucktails down (1oz or more egg weight) in order to try and fish deeper on weed edges etc?

I’ve got a few super models that I rebuilt and added 2oz of weight so when I’m slow rolling I can get them to 15-18fow and when I burn them they run 2-5fow and they catch fish either way.

in order to save money you have to make a few .
your initial start up cost will be a bit .
but you can off set some of the cost buy shopping around.
on the spinner i made above i painted egg sinkers with finger nail polish . and shopping dolor stores or after Christmas sales can find you some skirting materials.
one can use Easter grass for skirts too .

fly tying has a tendency
to make you look at stuff in a new way .

2 oz. No roll sinkers also work great for getting those baits down deep.

I have been tinkering in the basement myself, let me see if I can figure out how to post a few

# 2

Bucktail hybrid

a couple I can mix and match blades with

Here’s one I just came up with. Somewhat like a Topraider or Pacemaker. Main difference is it’s about 15″ long X 1 1/2″ wide.. versus 8″-10″ of normal topwaters. The plopper tail is more than twice the size of those available. Just tested it out down at the river and it throws massive amounts of water. If any of you Muskie guys want to try one out I’m going to make a batch of 10-15 to begin with. They will only be available in black and the price will be $25.00 each with free shipping. PM if interested in a massive topwater!

Jeremy—
Nice looking bait! It’s hard to tell b/c I know it is a long bait, but what size hooks do you have on there?

The front ones might be a little small?? (any suggestions)….. 5’s looked too big. Rear hook is a 7/0. It is a pretty giant bait so maybe they just look tiny in comparison. Through-wire on the rear section, attached by a screw to hold it in place, and Wolverine triple split-rings holding the hooks in place. I’d love to do it as a completely through-wire bait but keeping a good center hole through nine plus inches on the front is pretty tough to do.

Good looking baits guys

I just bought a bunch of stuff to build bucktails at thorne, and I’m pumped to get started I decided to start with the pre tied tails, until I get the system down then move on to making my own combos, but I’m already coming up with coloring schemes I think would look cool

Good luck, I did all pre-tied also, it is an easy way to start out. I think I already got too much stuff to make lures…I seem to have quite a few components to work with

Too much tackle-building stuff…true-dat! My workbench turns into an absolute MESS after a few hours of making baits. After a week or so I can’t find a darned thing beneath the maribou, hair, and flash pieces of cut wire everywhere, clevises, beads…oh, ’tis a beautiful thing…and then have to take 40 minutes to clean up