Anglers tend to be tinkerers and nothing is better than building something yourself that catches fish. Rods, crankbaits, jigs, terminal tackle and more are all part of it. Much like building a brush pile that produces tournament winning fish, the ability to build your own baits is not only fun but rewarding as well.
There is no question that large tackle manufacturers have a leg up on quantity and duplication and those that build their own jigs, spinnerbaits and other tackle have to do it as a labor of love and a matter of pride.
As a youngster, I remember building crappie jigs with my dad. We designed the head, cut the shape from a block of aluminum and poured lead we made from wheel weights. We bought hooks in bulk at the local hardware store and used deer hair for skirts. We called them “crappie killers”. I was fun making them, but it was even more fun catching fish on them.
There are several great companies that provide everything you need to build your own creation and we have worked with LureCraft Fisherman’s Shop for over 8 years.
LureCraft is a family owned Indiana company that is all about the do-it-yourselfer and has all the materials need to have fun building your own baits. They have all kinds of supplies but also do custom CNC work building molds for companies and also have a wood repeater to be able to duplicate wooden baits as well. They have a full line up of molds called the Joe Pa Line that covers all kinds of plastic products.
They designed and crafted a worm weight called the Infinity Weight that allows anglers to add or remove weight on the fly. With two or more the action is enhanced as the weights pivot to give the bait more realistic action. Those weights come in 1/8 and 1/4-ounce sizes.
LureCraft is a specialty shop that stocks soft baits, lead lures, leaders, fly tying materials, hooks, blades, skirt tabs, collars, lure paint, dye and crankbait components. They also have a full array of spinnerbait and buzzbait heads. They also carry name-brand drop-shot hooks and weights from VMC, Gamakatsu and Mustad. They also carry a full line-up of plastisol and colors plus glitter and tools to make your own plastic creation. Completed plastic products like tubes, curly tails, and stick baits can be bought in bulk from LureCraft. Hitchhikers, swivels and 1-pound lead, tin and antimony ingots are also in stock. They also provide live bait too.
LureCraft has evolved constantly to meet demand and offer new innovations, and their selection of lead melting equipment and tools are some of the best. Kim and Mitch Straley have been designing baits and components for more than 45 years and work hard with their customers not only offering the products they need but also teaching them the fine art of lure building too.
“Everything we do at LureCraft is about putting the customer first,” said Kim Straley. “We not only sell the best products to the person that likes to build their own baits but work hard to answer questions and help them do it right.”
You can check them out at LureCraft.com or by calling 260-829-1274 and check out their Facebook page.
