Choosing a Wood

The body of your wooden fishing lure is created from a rectangular block of wood that is a little bit larger than the desired finished lure size. If you are planning to make a wood lure 3-1/2" in length, you might start with a wood block that measures roughly around 3-1/2" x 1" x 1."

You can cut your wood to size using one of several different types of saws, including a bandsaw, mitre saw, a scroll saw, or a hand saw. Some suppliers sell wood in pre-cut blocks, however they usually cost more than if you buy a larger piece of wood and cut your own blocks.

Different types of wood create different types of actions in your lures when they are in the water. Soft lure woods include basswood, cedar, pine, and balsa. Harder woods are those such as oak, walnut, maple, ash, and birch.

Soft woods are lighter which gives them the ability to float, easier to cut to shape, and offer quicker action than hardwood lures. Hardwoods are more difficult to work with as far creating the lure shape you want, but they make great suspending lures

Try creating lures from both hard and soft woods and trying them out to see which you like best.

The choice you make in wood depends on the type of lure you plan to make, such as a topwater lure. You can also make your own spinners, plugs, spoons, divers and swimmers.

If you are a beginner at lure making, you might start with basswood because it is easy to work with. Most commercial fishing lures are made of basswood, red or white cedar, or balsa wood.