We're the Diamond in your Tackle Bag! Salty's wood lures are your source for stripersonline!

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Lure Kits and Lure Building Hardware / Complete Plug Building Supplies.


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Wood Lure Building Kit Pictorial Instructions

Topwater Kits

These are GUIDES only.
All kits will require minor finish sanding, assembly, paint, etc.
 

We also carry a full line of DIY lure parts too!

  2 Oz Topwater Glide Bait
 
 

1 Oz Pencil Popper Kit
 

  1.25 Oz Bottle Popper Kit
  1.5 Oz Bottle Popper Kit
  1.25 Oz "The Deputy" Pencil Popper
  1 Oz Little Big Mouth Popper Kit

Miscellaneous notes/tips on finishing kits:

Do NOT force weights into holes. If there by chance is some sprue/flashing on the lead it must be removed before insertion. Salty's is not responsible for cracked lure bodies due to improper assembly/care taken during assembly-these are kits..made on high precision cnc equipment but sometimes things don't fit perfect-it is your responsibility to properly assemble kits. Ya can't fit a square peg in a round hole :)
We provide you with the basic raw materials
and pictorials to aid in assembly.

Finishing: There are many ways to finish a lure. We highly recommend you dip your lures in something to waterproof them. Thompson's waterseal will not work and anything with wax in it is not recommended-we recommend either Boiled Linseed Oil cut with mineral spirits, Tung Oil, Shellac, Spar Urethane, Val-oil, or any kind of sanding sealer will also work with multiple dips may be required-let dry properly after each step..if you don't your paint/clear is likely to not stick properly. Out of all the different methods for a home based person to safely use I think the Minwax sanding sealer with multiple dips between drying is one of the best options. You can find this at HD, Lowes, etc.

After you seal your lures you need to prime them. Try to use a color close to your base coat. White/light lures should have white primer for highest color clarity. Lures meant to be dark can be primed grey or black. Bin spray primer in the red can is alcohol based and dries quickly. This stuff will stick to just about anything. Just make sure it's compatible with your paint. Try to stick to similar brands of paint. Bin is available at HD, Lowes, your local hardware store etc.

Paint can be Spray cans, Testors model paints, Createx T shirt paint, Acrylic paints from AC Moore, Enamels with a brush, etc. It's up to you how fancy you want to make them!  Want to make scales? Go to a fabric store and buy a small amount of fabric used in wedding veils called Thule. Clip over your lure kit and lightly spray through the mesh. Let dry and remove.

We recommend you topcoat your lure kits with either a thin coat of 30 minute epoxy, several coats of spar varnish, multi coats of clear in a spray can, or some of the new water based polyurethanes can work well also! Remember to use the same brand of paints throughout to eliminate adhesion issues!

Basically the order in which you want to finish the kits is to dip seal them, prime, base coat (white or black), color coat, clear coat, final assembly.

Lips, grommets, weights ,etc can be glued in with 30 minute epoxy, or any expanding polyurethane glue will work also!

One tube of 30 minute epoxy can assemble many lures-eyes, lips, grommets, weights, etc, and give you a great clear coat when "drawn" across the lure using an acid brush found in your local hardware store plumbing dept (or we sell the good one's on the site here under the plug building section). Cut the bristles short and it will allow you to get a thin coat which looks great and lasts well. We have the bristle brushes also in our online store under the lure parts section.

If kids are doing the work remember to use proper precautions-rubber gloves are a good idea when working with glues, safety glasses if re-drilling through holes, etc. Always use proper ventilation and follow manufacturers directions!
COMMON SENSE PREVAILS! SAFETY FIRST!

It is your decision on how you want to finish them, and we will not make recommendations beyond what you see here.
It's what works for you!
I don't wish to have people be unhappy with something because it
didn't work for them and I recommended it.

If you have questions, register and ask on our lure forum! This forum has alot of people that make these kits on it!
 

  1.5 Oz Peanut Plooper Popper Kit
  2 Oz Pencil Popper
  2.5 Oz "Canal Special" Pencil Popper
  3 Oz Pencil Popper-use same pictorial as the 2.5 Oz above
  1.5 Oz LITTLE BLABBERMOUTH Popper
  3 Oz BIG BLABBERMOUTH Popper
Needlefish Kits  
  1.5 Oz Slim Needlefish Kit
  1.5 Oz CHARKTAIL Needlefish Kit
  2 Oz Wad Needlefish Kit
  2 Oz Sandeel Needle Kit
  2.5 Oz "The Rat" Needlefish Kit
  2.5 Oz Jointed Needlefish Kit
  5 Oz CANAL MONSTER Needlefish Kit
Swimmer Kits  
  1.5 Oz Midget Swimmer
  1.25 Oz Egglet Swimmer
  2 Oz Egglet Swimmer
  2.5 Oz Tallywhacker Swimmer
  2 Oz Sandeel Swimmer
  1 Oz Lil Bugger Surfster Style Swimmer
  1.5 Oz Little Troublemaker Surfster Style Swimmer
  2.5 Oz Big Troublemaker Surfster Style Swimmer
  2.5 Oz Danny Surface Swimmer
  2.5 Oz Torpedo Danny Surface Swimmer
  4 Oz Pikiezilla Giant Jointed Pikie Swimmer
Classic Series Kits 2 Oz A40 JR Swimmer
  2 Oz A40 JR Eelskin Swimmer
  2.25 Oz A40JR Jointed Swimmer Kit
  2.75 Oz A 40 Style Swimmer
  2 Oz Conrad JR Swimmer
  2.25 Oz Jointed Conrad JR Swimmer
  3 Oz Fathead Bottle Swimmer
  3 Oz Danny Swimmer
  3 Oz Slopehead Swimmer
  3 Oz Darter Kit
  4 Oz Conrad Sr Metal Lip Swimmer Kit
Musky/Freshwater
Lure Kits
3/8 Oz Freshmouth Popper Kit
  5/8 Oz Micro Scuttlebugger Topwater Kit
  2 Oz Scuttlebugger Topwater Kit
  1.75 Oz Shuttlebugger Topwater Kit

Generic assembly/wiring instructions and a pictorial on how to make the tail loop

Click here for a video we put together of how to make the tail loop

More information on lure building and finishing can be found in our new lure building forum!
 

 

All images and pages Copyright 2002-2010 by Scott Bullock/Salty's