Crafting Precision: The Ultimate Guide to Fishing Lure Molds

Introduction

Imagine the thrill of reeling in a prize fish with a lure you crafted yourself. The subtle twitch of the hand-painted tail you designed, the flash of glitter embedded in its scales, and the irresistible scent you carefully selected—luring your target into a decisive strike. This isn’t simply fishing; it’s an expression of ingenuity and a deep understanding of what drives fish to bite. Fishing lure molds are your gateway to transforming ideas into personalized, fish-catching creations.

There’s a distinct satisfaction in venturing beyond the pre-packaged aisles of the tackle shop, where mass-produced lures offer a one-size-fits-most approach. DIY lure making empowers you to tailor your angling arsenal strategically. Whether you envision replicating a hyper-realistic baitfish pattern or concocting a bizarre creature no fish has ever encountered, the only limit is your imagination.

Perhaps you long to experiment with colors that catch more angler attention than actual fish. Maybe you’re obsessed with adding custom scents, ranging from classic attractants to off-the-wall culinary inspirations. Or, the idea of tweaking an existing lure design to achieve enhanced action draws you in. It’s all possible with fishing lure molds!

The act of lure-making itself is a captivating blend of hands-on craftsmanship and tactical problem-solving. From melting soft plastics to precisely injecting resin, it’s a mesmerizing process that adds another layer of enjoyment to your fishing passion. Each successful homemade lure brings with it a sense of achievement that amplifies the thrill of every fish brought to hand.

Beyond the practical advantage of custom baits, consider the economical side. Sure, those flashy store-bought lures are enticing, but they dent your wallet with every lost snag or toothy predator encounter. Creating your own lures can slash your tackle replacement costs while offering endless room for experimentation.

Ready to step into the fascinating world of custom lure making? Let’s demystify the process, covering lure mold types, essential supplies, and the how-to behind bringing those ideas to life. Let’s get started!

Speaking of different mold types, let’s dive into the variety of choices that await eager lure crafters.

Why Make Your Own Fishing Lures?

If you’re drawn to the idea of making your own fishing lures, you’re likely fueled by a blend of motivations, ranging from pure practicality to unbridled creative expression. Let’s explore some of the compelling reasons why lure making transforms from a simple hobby into a passion for many dedicated anglers.

Creativity and Experimentation

Your Unique Vision: Store-bought lures are designed with broad appeal. Unleash your inner lure designer! Making your own gives you complete control over form, color, scent, and action. This is your chance to bring those “wouldn’t it be cool if…” ideas to life.
Tinker and Tailor: Replicate existing designs with personalized enhancements, adjust buoyancy, fine-tune vibration profiles, or develop hybrid baits inspired by multiple successful patterns. Your lure-making toolbox puts you in the innovator’s seat.
Test Your Theories: Have a hunch that a neon pink worm dipped in garlic will slay post-spawn bass? There’s only one way to know for sure! DIY lure making fuels rapid experimentation, accelerating your discoveries regarding what truly drives fish wild.

Match the Hatch with Unparalleled Accuracy

Hyper-Realistic Replicas: When the bite turns on a very specific prey species, custom molds let you recreate those baitfish down to the finest detail. Achieve realistic color schemes, size profiles, and subtle movements that commercial lures struggle to perfectly emulate.
Location-Specific Designs: Your local lakes or rivers might harbor unique forage that standard lures simply don’t represent. Customize lures to imitate crayfish patterns, insect imitations, or regional baitfish types that give you an edge over anglers relying on generic off-the-shelf options.
Seasonal Adaptations: Tailor lures to different stages of the year. Experiment with subtle variations to account for changes in prey movement, water clarity, and fish behavior across the seasons. This dialed-in approach increases your chance of drawing strikes year-round.

Cost Savings and Unmatched Durability

Budget-Friendly: While the initial investment in molds and materials exists, crafting your own lures significantly reduces your per-lure cost, particularly for high-use favorites like soft plastics.
Control Your Stock: Replacing that go-to lure lost to an unexpected snag is far less frustrating (and less expensive) when you have the blueprint on standby. Avoid disappointing delays waiting for your local tackle shop to restock!
Enhanced Durability (Sometimes): While no lure is indestructible, you control the quality of materials, hook choice, and construction. With certain lure types, the homemade version might even outlast some of their mass-produced counterparts.

The Deep Satisfaction of DIY

Pride of Creation: Every fish caught on a self-made lure becomes a trophy with an even deeper story behind it. There’s something incredibly satisfying about witnessing your craftsmanship tempt a fish to strike.
Elevating the Experience: Lure making fosters a heightened understanding of fish behavior and their feeding preferences. Each creation informs your overall angling knowledge, making you a more strategic and well-rounded angler in the process.
Share the Experience: Introduce friends to the craft, create custom gifts for your fishing buddies, or perhaps even turn your creations into a small side business. Lure making connects you to a broader community of like-minded enthusiasts.

Important Note: The success of DIY lures hinges on both creative ideas and careful execution. Expect a learning curve as you discover intricacies in materials, techniques, and achieving perfect, fish-enticing action. Remember, the joy is in the journey as much as the end result!

Types of Fishing Lure Molds

The world of lure-making molds is surprisingly diverse, opening opportunities for anglers targeting many species with various techniques. Choosing the right mold type is largely determined by the style of lure you wish to create.

Soft Plastic Molds

Perhaps the most popular entry point for beginners, soft plastic molds give rise to those versatile worms, creature baits, swimbaits, and countless other designs. Soft plastic lures excel in both freshwater and saltwater scenarios. Here’s what you need to know:

Material: Most DIY soft plastic lures are created using Plastisol, a liquid PVC formulation that solidifies when heated. Plastisol comes in varying degrees of hardness, colors, and even embedded glitter options. Example supplier: Do-It Molds.
The Process: Heated Plastisol is usually injected into the mold with meticulous care to avoid air bubbles and imperfections. After cooling and solidification, the newly formed lure is ready for rigging with hooks, weed guards, etc.
Types of Soft Plastic Molds:
- One-Sided Open Pour: Great for beginners, these allow you to directly pour molten plastic into an open cavity for basic shapes.
- Two-Sided Injection: Offer enhanced detail and 3D forms but require precise injection for perfect results.
- Laminate Molds: Create lures with multi-color layers and intricate effects.

Hard Bait Molds

Hard bait molds unlock the world of crankbaits, topwater plugs, jerkbaits, and lipless rattlers beloved by bass anglers and many other species hunters. Here’s the breakdown:

Material: Typically made from resin, plaster, silicone, or even 3D-printable materials. Hard bait molds often involve a two-part design to cast precise internal cavities and hook placement points. Resin is a common DIY choice with user-friendly options like Alumilite.
The Process: Creating hard baits often involves multiple steps starting with mold creation, embedding weights and rattles, resin casting, careful sanding, painting, and a clear-coat finish. It’s generally more elaborate than soft plastic lure production.
Complexity: Hard bait making typically involves a steeper learning curve, demanding attention to detail for proper lure balance and swimming action. However, the ability to craft hard baits that dive, twitch, and rattle just right rewards dedication with unparalleled precision.

Jig Molds

Essential for avid bass anglers, crappie fanatics, and saltwater bottom fishing enthusiasts, jig molds grant control over these fish-catching staples.

Material: Generally constructed from aluminum for its thermal transfer properties, jig molds allow you to melt lead directly into the mold cavity to form the weighted jig head. Example jig mold resource: Barlow’s Tackle.
The Process: Lead safety should be top priority! Working with molten lead necessitates caution and protective gear. Once the lead is formed, attaching jig skirts, wire weed guards, and your chosen hook style completes the transformation.
Jig Head Variety: Molds are available in countless designs – round head, football jig, swim jig, bullet head, standup Ned rigging jigs… the possibilities are endless to refine your presentation in diverse scenarios.

Important Factors in Mold Selection

Target Species: Consider the lures your preferred fish go wild for – this largely dictates your mold choice.
Desired Complexity: Are you excited by a meticulous process or seeking a simpler gateway into lure making? Factor this into your decision.
Budget: Mold costs vary depending on size, material, and intricacy of design. Start small to gauge your interest before investing heavily.

Understanding Fishing Lure Molds

Before you get started, let’s clarify what we mean by a fishing lure mold:

Types of Molds:
- Two-part molds: These are the most common. You form the lure by joining two mold halves and injecting the material into a cavity.
- Open-pour molds: Simpler molds with a single open top where you pour the material in. These are usually for basic shapes and topwater lures.
- Spin casting molds: Used for adding metal weights and spinning components to lures.
Mold Materials:
- Aluminum: The most durable and heat-resistant, ideal for high production volume.
- Silicone: Affordable and flexible, great for beginners and complex lure shapes.
- Plaster: Cheap and easy to make, but limited to a few casts before degrading.

Choosing Your Casting Material

The two most common lure-making materials are:

Soft Plastics: Molten plastisol is poured or injected into molds to create various soft-bodied fishing lures like worms, creature baits, and swimbaits. Plastisol provides movement, color possibilities, and the ability to add scent.
Resins: Hard resins like epoxy or polyester are mixed and poured into molds, yielding tougher lures suitable for crankbaits, topwater lures, and jerkbaits. Resins allow for intricate details and the embedding of eyes, rattles, and other components.

The Lure Making Process

1. Prepare Your Mold

Cleaning: Wash new molds with soapy water and thoroughly dry them. For old molds, remove any residual casting material.
Mold Release: If needed, apply a light coat of mold release agent to prevent the casting material from sticking.

2. Prepare Your Casting Material

Plastisol: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Heat the plastisol to the correct temperature according to its specifications. Adding colors, glitters, or scents comes here.
Resins: Carefully mix resin and hardener in the required ratios. Improper mixing will affect curing and lure durability. De-gas the resin using a vacuum chamber if you want to remove air bubbles for a clearer casting.

3. Cast Your Lure

Two-Part Molds: Securely clamp the mold halves together. Inject or pour the material through the sprue (entry point). Gently tap to release air bubbles.
Open-Pour Molds: Slowly pour your material into the mold, carefully controlling the flow and aiming for the target areas. You might want to overfill slightly to account for shrinkage.

4. Curing and Demolding

Plastisol: Allow the plastisol to cool according to the specific formulation. The lure is ready when soft with some flexibility.
Resins: Allow the resin to fully cure. Curing times vary depending on the resin type, so always consult the manufacturer’s instructions.
Demolding: Once cured, remove any flash (excess material) around the edges of your lure.

5. Finishing Touches

Painting: Paint your lure based on the look you want to achieve, creating realistic baitfish patterns or custom, attractive designs. Use paint designed for your chosen material (plastic or resin).
Hardware: Attach necessary hardware like hooks, split rings, line ties, and swivels
Clear Coat: Seal your paint job, protecting against chips and fading while extending your lure’s lifespan.

Important Safety Considerations

Proper Ventilation: Ensure adequate ventilation when working with plastisol or resins, as fumes can be harmful.
Gloves and Eye Protection: Wear gloves and eye protection at all times, especially when working with heated plastisol and when sanding.

Advanced Techniques

Multiple Colors: Create laminated lures with multiple colors by pre-casting layers or creating injections within the mold.
Embedding: Add internal weights, rattles, or other components into resin lures when you cast them.
3D Printing: Consider using a 3D printer to create unique and custom mold designs.

Specialized Online Retailers

These stores are dedicated to lure making, stocking a wide variety of molds, materials, and everything you’ll need:

Do-It Molds (https://www.doitmolds.com/): A pioneer in the industry, offering a massive selection of high-quality molds for virtually every type of lure imaginable.
Barlow’s Tackle (https://www.barlowstackle.com/): Great source for molds, plastisol, injectors, and other essential lure-making equipment.
Janns Netcraft (https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/): A comprehensive supplier of molds, materials, paints, and components for both freshwater and saltwater lure making.
Lure Parts Online (https://www.lurepartsonline.com/): One-stop-shop for lure crafting; along with molds, they carry extensive plastisol supplies, coloring agents, and lure components.
Angling A.i. (https://anglingai.com/): Specializes in custom aluminum molds and offers top-notch mold design services if you want to create unique lure patterns.

General Sporting Goods Retailers

These stores carry a smaller selection but are good if you’re just starting and want to check out basic options:

Cabela’s (https://www.cabelas.com/): Well-known retailer with a decent selection of molds and beginner lure-making kits.
Bass Pro Shops (https://www.basspro.com/): Similar to Cabela’s, carrying some molds and supplies to get you started.
Tackle Warehouse (https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/): Primarily focused on fishing gear, but they often have a range of molds and essential supplies.

Other Options

Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/): Offers a vast marketplace where you can find various lure molds and sometimes snag good deals on materials.
Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/): Look on Etsy to find makers selling unique, hand-crafted molds, both silicone and 3D printed.
Local Hobby Shops: Smaller hobby shops sometimes carry basic lure-making supplies or can recommend places to find them. Consider asking local fishing groups or searching online for lure-making communities in your area.

What Materials Will You Need?

Here’s a breakdown of the basic materials you’ll need alongside your molds:

Plastisol: The classic for soft plastic lures, available in various densities, colors, and additives (glitter, scent).
Resin: Use hard resins (polyester, polyurethane) for hard-bodied lures and jigs.
Pigments & Dyes: Color your plastisol or resin. Make sure the dyes are suitable for the material you’re using.
Mold Release: Helps prevent sticking with a thin coating inside your molds.
Hooks, Line Ties, Split Rings: The necessary bits to rig your finished lures.

Important Considerations:

Mold Type: Molds are generally made of aluminum (durable), silicone (flexible), or plaster (cheap, short-lived).
Material Choice: Will you be casting soft plastics or hard resin lures? This will dictate the appropriate mold and supply choices.
Experience Level: Starting out? Opt for starter kits and simpler molds before investing in a vast array of supplies.

With some research and the right supplies, you’ll be ready to start crafting custom lures in no time!

Environmental Consideration

Making your own lures also allows you a greater degree of control over your environmental impact. Utilize less toxic materials when possible, choose lures that won’t easily snag and get lost in the ecosystem, and support responsible fishing practices. Remember, casting with a lure you’ve created adds a level of pride to every catch, knowing you’re leaving a lighter footprint on the places you love to fish.