 | Most Recent Posts How to Tune a Balsa Crank BaitPosted Feb-23-08 16:42:46 PST Updated Feb-23-08 16:58:07 PST Most often balsa crank baits come out of the box tuned and ready to run true on retrieve. Sometimes they may need a little tuning and it is also possible for a crank bait to get out of tune while getting beat up bouncing off structure or while in the tackle box. Tuning a balsa crank bait is a fairly simple process when you know the basic guidelines. To adjust or "tune" a crank bait simply bend the line tie to the left or right, depending on which direction it is running, a fraction of an inch. The line tie is the wire that you tie your line to. It can be on the diving lip of the crank bait or on the nose of the lure. When performing this procedure hold the front of the crank bait facing you. If the crank bait is running left; bend the top end line tie to the right. If the crank bait is running to the right; bend the top end of the line tie to the left. A small pair or needle nose pliers is the best tool for this job. The process may take more than one attempt to get it right in that you should make small moves on bending the line tie.
Handmade Balsa Crank BaitsPosted Jan-22-08 19:02:05 PST Updated Mar-06-08 20:47:03 PST When Joe Napier started making crank baits back in the nineties he knew what some of the most successful bass fishermen knew. They knew that for shallow water crank bait fishing; handmade balsa crank baits catch more bass. Handmade balsa crank baits catch more bass than plastic baits.
Joe is one of a small group of individual lure makers with the skills to make high quality handmade balsa crank baits. Joe’s Lures are made of the hardest grade of balsa wood. Lure bodies are first sealed and then dipped multiple times in a special lacquer formula that won’t crack with heavy use. Beautiful, fish catching colors are protected with a clear coat that will not crack or fade with heavy use. Joe’s lures are built with polycarbonate diving bills and have round shank VMC hooks. Joe’s lures have unsurpassed quality and handcrafted beauty that every fisherman will appreciate. These are beautiful, high quality balsa crank baits made to catch bass!
If you are a shallow water crank bait fisherman and appreciate the beauty and quality of hand crafted balsa crank baits; don’t miss this opportunity to own one of these masterpieces. Cheat the Wind!Posted Jul-29-07 18:00:17 PDT Updated Jul-31-07 18:54:00 PDT
When it is windy and you are trying to top water fish it is important to use a lure that casts accurately in the wind. My favorite lures are small popper style lures and most of them are small on the back end and tend to drift off target with a side wide. To remedy this I make a lure called the Cheater and it casts like a bullet even in the wind. With this lure I get the bass catching traits of the small popper and yet it is not blown off target by the wind. Good fishing, Kermett Adams Debunking a MythPosted Jun-27-07 17:19:32 PDT Updated Aug-16-08 20:09:32 PDT Guess which lure will catch the most and biggest bass. Will the new, shiny one on the left catch more bass or will the old beat up ones on the right catch catch just as many bass? My friend Sam, who this lure is named for, has used this lure in the pic on the far right for almost two years. It is the same lure as in the middle picture, just a few months later and hundreds more hungry bass eating it .It is amazing that he has not lost it with as many bass as he has caught on it. If you guessed the two on the right is still just as good as the new one on the left; you are correct. I made both of these lures and the name of the lure is Sam's Favorite . I gave it that name because my friend Sam loves it and he has caught many, many bass on this small popper style lure. Sam has made thousands of casts with the one on the right and has caught hundreds of bass with it and many of them over 4 pounds. The only reason I have the lure today is that the bottom hook hanger finally broke and I am replacing it with a new one. I offered to give Sam a new lure to replace the old beat up one but he declined. Sam has learned something that a lot of fishermen don't know. For top water fishing the lure color plays a limited role in your success. Used properly, the lure on the far right will catch just as many bass a fancy new shiny one made in Japan that costs $30. It is more about size, shape, and particularly the action the fisherman imparts to the lure. I make and paint wooden top water lures and I am much like a lot of other bass fishermen in that we all have our favorite lure color/patterns. The attractive colors I think are more for us fishermen and a hungry bass could care less. Takeaway? If you have a magic lure that seems to catch bass better than anything you have; don't quit using it just because all the paint is chipped off. Keep casting it just as it is because it is mostly likely not the pretty color that is attracting those hard hitting strikes. Learn How to Make This and Other Wooden Lures. Good fishing, Kermett Some Basic Wooden Lure Making GuidelinesPosted May-27-07 18:17:32 PDT Updated Mar-13-08 21:22:41 PDT Wooden Lure Making Basic Guidelines
There are several methods you can use to make/shape your lures. You can make them by turning the lure blocks in a lathe, by hand carving, or by the use of power sander like a Dremel tool or a belt sander. The use of a lathe is the easiest way to make high quality lures of a consistent size and shape. The lure blocks in the Wooden Lure Blocks Kits come with several of the key steps already completed. The eye holes for the 5/16 3D molded eyes and the eye screw holes in both ends of the lure block are pre drilled. The popper mouth in the Special K popper lure is pre cut. Whether you are carving the lure or turning it on a lathe; remove wood from the lure block down to where the eye socket hole is a little less than 1/8 inch deep. These holes will accommodate the eyes later. Whether carving or turning; the pre drilled eye screw holes in both ends of the lure will be the center of the ends of the finished lure. If you are turning the popper lure block in a lathe, mount the pre cut mouth end in the live center of the lathe. (right hand side of the lathe) When making lures from the Wooden Lure Blocks ; mark the center point on the ends of the lure block with a pencil before you start the turning or carving process. This ensures that the finished lure will be in the center of the lure block. When turning the lure blocks on a lathe; turn the lure blocks all the way to end of the block. In other words; the lure block length you begin with should be the length of the finished lure. Doing it this way ensures the holes for the eye screws are in the dead center on the ends of the lure and that each additional lure of this type is exactly the same length. If you purchase the Wooden Lure Blocks and plan to drill eyes holes for the 3D molded eyes; I suggest the use of a forstner bit for this job. Forstner bits and 3D molded eyes are available in various sizes. Details on how to build a lure block holder for drilling eye holes are available in the e-book on Lure Making. Sanding
When turning the lures on a lathe the only sand paper you will need is a sheet of 320 grit. Cut it into 1 inch strips to use on the lathe. When carving, a Fine Sanding Block will work fine for the sanding job. Painting Instructions Feel free to share these instructions with your fishing friends
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