wood for making lures

If you are just getting started in wooden lure making you might be wondering what types of wood to use.

Let me say from the outset, selecting wood for lure making is always a compromise. If you go for a harder wood that will cope with the bangs and knocks of being cast into rocks and snags then you are compromising on the action of the lure. If you go a for a lighter timber that will give you a better action you are compromising on the durability.

There are no rights or wrongs, it’s simply a case of finding what works for you. Here are a few tips to get you started though:

· Choose wood that is soft enough to shape easily, free from knots and is reasonably straight grained. You’ll find it easier to make affective fishing lures if your wood is reasonably square to start with.


· I would recommend opting for a lighter weight timber whenever possible, providing it will be strong enough for your fishing application. Lightweight wood makes better lures because the action is more crisp, and it is better for making sinking and suspending lures too - more on that another time.


· Pick a wood that will hold screws, glue and paint well. Avoid timber that is too soft if you are using screw eyes, though this is less of a problem when using a through wire.


· Wood for lure making must be cheap and readily available. Don’t waste time on expensive timbers, they don’t make any better lures than the cheaper options about the place.


· Make sure your wood is well seasoned, preferably kiln dried. Using timber that contains too much moisture will end in disaster when the wood deforms or splits, or when the moisture expanding under the paint causes the paint to peel off.

Look, you can use scraps of timber from any lumber yard or construction site for making lures, but I’d recommend buying timber specifically for the job. That way you can make a whole bunch of lures knowing that the end result will be consistent.