Homemade Top Water Lure

Top water lures are some of the most effective and productive lures for fishing. While these types of lures are readily available for purchase, you can make your own, as well. There are many ways to make a top water lure, but one of the simplest is to make a wooden stickbait-style lure, which is a type of top water lure that requires the skill of the fisherman to attract the fish.

  1. Wooden Lures

    • A simple wooden lure requires only a little woodworking skill to make. Cut a 4-to-5-inch segment off of a dowel rod that is at least a half-inch thick. Round down either end by whittling with a knife or using a handheld rotary tool, then sand. Make a mark on one side to indicate which is the underside. Drill a small hole on the top of the lure and two on either end of the bottom. Attach a small eye-hook in each hole and add a small amount of epoxy into the holes to prevent fish from pulling out the eye-hooks. Add a jump ring and a treble hook to each eye-hook on the underside, and the lure is complete.

    Enhancing Lures

    • While a simple cylinder is sufficient for a top water lure, some people prefer to create a more complex lure. A stickbait lure is designed to imitate a small fish that a larger fish might target for prey, attracting their attention. Because of this, you might want to make your lure resemble a small fish. Use your knife or rotary tool to flatten a basic cylindrical lure slightly, then taper either end. Make the taper at the tail end longer and sharper than that of the head. If you want a very intricate lure, you can carve in scales or eyes as well. Add the eye-hooks, jump rings and treble hooks as before on the plain cylindrical lure.

    Replicating Lures

    • If you make a wood lure that you find particularly effective or have a favorite lure that you are afraid of losing, you can easily make a mold to duplicate the shape of the lure with casting resin. Remove all hooks and hardware, then attach a small segment of a thin dowel rod or similar to the lure. Place the lure in a small, disposable box. Fill the box with silicone rubber. Make sure that the dowel rod piece sticks out of the rubber; this forms a hole in the mold for you to pour resin into. Wait for the rubber to set, then use a craft knife to slit the mold open just far enough for you to remove your lure. Mix some casting resin and pour it into the mold. When the resin has set, remove the new lure and cut off any excess resin from the lure.

    Choosing Colors

    • While it is not necessary to paint a top water lure, most people paint their lures. In general, the lure should match the colors of common baitfish in the area you are fishing, particularly those that are found close to the surface of the water rather than at the bottom. Some fishermen prefer chrome-colored lures that imitate silvery, shiny baitfish. For fishing at night, you might want a plain black lure, as this will be visible to fish as blocking out any light in the night sky.