The ultimate walk the dog lure, Making a balsa wood topwater lure

If you like the Heddon Spook lures you'll like my version better. In this video I make an Engineered Angler version of the old trusted Spook topwater lure.
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[@leehowell4258]

Agree. I have always disliked how tail heavy many topwaters sits when not being retrieved. You did a fantastic job on this one! For even more sound you can get the glass rattles and insert them in or cut up some small pieces of copper and stick them on either end of your rattle chamber for the balls to hit up against. Great job again Franco!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thanks! 👍

[@pedalandpaddle1971]

The paint scheme and eyes, makes it kinda resemble a tadpole. Great build.

[@patrickfox9470]

Great video! Thanks a lot for showing everything in such great detail. I'd never thought of using a cheap bath-scrubber as a random stencil like that - I'll give it a shot on the next lure I paint. Tight lines!

[@garrisonh]

That turned out great !

[@jonasluke4808]

One of your best paint jobs yet in my opinion. Great content as always, taking the guess work out of lure making and breaking down how to get the best action out of hand made lures.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thanks...happy that folks get something they can use from the videos. Cheers

[@toddbfreeman]

Maybe the best build yet. The action was great and neat details in design. Thanks!!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Wow, thanks!

[@tedmemo9625]

Franko you continue to amaze with your abilities. I love the lure and you have inspired me to make one for myself. I will share the results with you when finished.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Go for it!

[@wesneal7913]

Really appreciate all the tips and tricks you share in your videos. Another great lure, I really like the action and how you got it to sit in the water perfectly.

[@EngineeredAngler]

I appreciate that!

[@Fishingin290]

Really nice job! Appreciate you sharing how to make that lure.

[@EngineeredAngler]

You bet

[@nicksmith437]

Excellent work thanks Franco. I've never fushed with walking the dog. But will now. I've made a couple of diving lures using Magnum ice-cream sticks laminated and painted them like an almond Magnum with a bite out of it. It's your enthusiasm that gets me doing this sort of stuff. Thanks again

[@EngineeredAngler]

Have fun!

[@LBendandi]

Another fantastic video!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thanks again!

[@tork62077]

That one turned out real good

[@davidtitcombe4686]

Another great blog, I like the idea of the Amazon list, very helpful, thank you

[@EngineeredAngler]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RiverbendWoodworks]

Cool build! I also have had a few of these roaming around the tackle box over the years and would love to try a build. I just completed a trout wakebait build on my channel and the thing hammers the big northern largemouth! Great work and I can't wait to see more!

[@kleinboysoutdoors5666]

Great video. Very interesting and informing. Tight lines from Michigan.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Appreciate it!

[@patrickduffy3101]

Wow! Work of art! Perfection!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@stripermanly]

As always, amazing. Still don’t have time in my days to carve and process one of my own. At least I’m getting in some good paint time on my purchased blanks

[@Vitamin-Deez]

my absolute favorite lure to use in all waters

[@thegoods2240]

I agree, I fish a wide variety of places and species, and I've gotten to the point that the only surface lure I carry are spooks.

[@stevebrockway4738]

Many good tips and techniques in this video. I've never used a walk-the-dog type lure. This may be the next build.

[@EngineeredAngler]

You should!

[@bigbrotherbarber]

I really want to make this lure! I feel like it will be one of my top five for top water! Love the huge green eyes too!!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Go for it!

[@lukelabonte6869]

Amazing job as always..love the channel 🍻🎣

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thanks 👍

[@jhjhjh242]

Really enjoyed this video, fabulous looking lure, great movement on the water too. Tight Lines

[@EngineeredAngler]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@TheCopperVillageAngler]

Nice lure!

[@jorgericardomachadodasilva7663]

Hi there, great video again for out lucky!!! thanks for your kindness in sharing this with us. take care.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thanks 👍

[@ashmullahey3065]

Love the lures, bit of science here and there, and best of all no ego making everything cringy! Thanks mate!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thanks

[@hookreelfishing]

Another great lure!!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thanks

[@somebody655]

Having fished multiple s in different sizes and colors, kzbin.infoUgkxCbNOWAGmn6nfbCbJDmasvBq7J38KZNw2 this is by far my favorite. One thing to be aware of is the sided willow blade. One side is silver and the other is the green/orange shown. This is not bad, just unconventional. In terms of fishing, I have found the lure works just fine without a tail like a craw or shad. That addition is up to you. Also, the hook part where you attach the swivel snap or tie the line is a problem on baits these days, since it's able to slide up and down. However this lure seems to be tight enough that that doesn't happen often, and you can solve it by putting a thin slice of medical tube over the hook before attaching the line. Like others have said, it's really magic on a good windy day.

[@dahutful]

the workspace youre in is tremendous....and the tools! Super jealous, - I admit it. The finish coats are - what? David

[@pakde8002]

Glad you did a spook type lure. It was very popular for North Carolina inshore speckled trout and I'm thinking it will be a great lure for coral trout here in Indonesia.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Wow coral trout on topwater sounds amazing.

[@MichaelGriffis]

That white walk the dog was a killer today. The bass just ate it up.

[@AlbrittonTribe]

Really nice lure! I might try to make one.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Go for it!

[@pagisubuh]

What a beautiful top water wtd lure. I personally use wtd top water lure most for fishing Giant Snake head in Malaysia. Thanks for sharing this information. learned so much from your channel how to make lure.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Nice 👍

[@CarolinaBassHunter]

I use walking baits a lot, and I've found the key is actually to not stop the bait but keep it moving. I definitely have had them hit it when I pause if I had to paddle or whatever the case was. So, they definitely like that too! That's fishing. I'm still enjoying the video a lot. 👍👍👍

[@johnthompson6656]

The flat floating gives fish better view from underneath. More baitlike profile. Great video.

[@tommysts1920]

Found that a net mesh potato or orange sack works really good.

[@PilzE.]

Gorgeous! New fan from Cornwall, England. Liked, sub'd and turned notifications on!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Welcome aboard, and thanks.

[@thegoods2240]

Hey now, your video didn't pop up on my recommended list, I had to search for my Friday lure building fix! Love spook plugs!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Be sure you're subscribed and click on the bell.

[@wyldbill100]

Oughta put your name or initials on that thing, give it some class and pride! Nice looking lure! Having built model airplanes for years and years using balsa wood, I'd highly encourage everyone (IMO) to use a dust mask while working (sanding) with balsa.

[@lightsnsiren79]

Another great video! Quick suggestion: can you do a video making a trolling lure? Maybe for near shore/inshore trolling on light rigs? Maybe a gotcha plug variant or something.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thanks for the idea!

[@toulee1079]

Wow your God at making lure man I wish I was you

[@JD.California_monkey_mackerel]

Hello I always love seeing your fishing lure making videos 👍🎣 can you please do a long casting weight transfer sinking lure for saltwater fishing 🎣

[@EngineeredAngler]

Great idea

[@striperhunter-ic2wt]

Cool looking bait! I'm going to fish spooks more in the salt this year. Yozuri makes a decent plastic option. I like wood better though....

[@iJacker]

You can get a distinct scale pattern with that material - problem is it’s too thin - once you use it a few times or maybe thicken/flatten up the fabric with paint accumulation it will work better. There’s a few different patterns depending on which loofah you buy too!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Great point!

[@andrewholst4870]

I thought for sure it was going to be the spider lure in the back of the airbrush video.

[@michaelbyrne8860]

Then use a rebel jumpin minnow! They're the best! Especially the early models

[@aclures101.]

Probably the lure we used in texas coast for early morning ...ever

[@alexm1841]

Great video! Do you ever make larger glide swimbaits? Like a Deps 145 slide swimmer? New subscriber. Keep up the great work 🙏🏼

[@EngineeredAngler]

Welcome and thanks so much for becoming part of the channel. Yes, you should spend a little time checking out my past videos...

[@claudegagne2805]

Well, if you're ever interested in fishing big Norhtern Pike, come on up to Canada. I live on a lake and we can find them fairly easily with your lures.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Sounds like a great offer...Cheers.

[@edhunter549]

An item you did not mention was the amount of weight you need to achieve a walking motion. I used less weight and failed to get that motion. Your thoughts please. Like all others, this was an interesting video.

[@magcolor]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@vinnyleone3427]

Another awesome build. Can you tell me what size ball bearings you used?

[@EngineeredAngler]

1/4 inch

[@fishingmilesaway]

This is an awesome video and the lure turned out great. Would this design work on a bigger scale like 8-9 inches? I fish in SW Florida and would love to be able to make some big walk the dog lures for snook. Thanks for these videos, they're great!

[@EngineeredAngler]

Sure, just add a couple extra steel balls.

[@fishingmilesaway]

@@EngineeredAngler Thanks!

[@maniachill3069]

Hello from Maine.

[@hankvana2149]

Nice one Franco! Yup, like to take the Spook for a walk, Rapala Pop-R does well and the Dying Flutter is at it's best in cold water just after ice-out. I have a problem with balsa wood - they're called PIKE - they destroy it! Balsa is too soft and by the time you add enough hardener and epoxy to make it durable enough, it weighs almost as much as a hardwood. IMHO, I find that basswood, cedar, and pine (in that order) are better. I've come to prefer poplar for lures, it's middle-ground for durability and weight; splinters and grain wise it carves and machines easily; sands well (no fuzzies) with minimal airborne dust; plays well with paint and glues and holds screws without wanting to split. It's not pike-proof but then nothing short of solid resin or metal is... I've got hard-maple baits with deep tooth holes in them :) Added a couple of these top waters to the list to make for spring! Cheers!

[@EngineeredAngler]

I totally agree on your assessment of wood types. 👍

[@levipanchyshyn2220]

This lure looks amazing! I tried to make a few for my self, but I realized I don’t know what kind of clear coat to use. What clear coat do you use?

[@EngineeredAngler]

I use UV cure epoxy.

[@levipanchyshyn2220]

Thanks!

[@okisurfbum]

I was wondering if you could make a smaller version about 1/2 the size you made in the video) for me for trout. Most of the trout are about 12 - 16". Of course I would pay for them. I'm a retired disabled vet lining in Prescott, AZ. Most of my time is spent fishing and hunting.

[@EngineeredAngler]

I'm going to try to make some micro size lures this coming season and will probably make a topwater among them. I'm afraid I don't make lures for individuals but, I'm really flattered that you would ask. Thanks.

[@user-uo7in2gg2b]

Hello, sir. I love trolley engineering. Is there an explanation?

[@alboresivn7012]

Hola eres un gran ingeniero, ojalá pudieras enseñarnos en un video el Magic Stick que es un señuelo usado en Brasil.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Si se puede...

[@alboresivn7012]

@@EngineeredAngler seria genial, es un lindo señuelo pero difícil de hallar.

[@mike1261]

Oh My Goodness! I have loofah material in my lure making stuff for painting scales, BUT, I never thought to use multiple layers for achieving different patterns. Thanks so much for the idea. I've seen others do that with other types of material...but it never clicked. Question: With what do you thin and clean the Ghost Tint paints? I've tried water and Createx thinner, but the Badger tints seem to coagulate into solids inside my airbrush. Then I have to take it all apart and thoroughly clean it, because the clots clog the nozzle.

[@EngineeredAngler]

You don't need to thin it at all

[@mike1261]

@@EngineeredAngler You are correct, I do not thin the Tints when spraying them. This mainly happens when I'm trying to clean the airbrush. I've found the Tints dry out quite quickly in the cup and I've tried thinner and plain water to clean the airbrush. But it seems to always turn to oatmeal in the bowl. Then I have to take it apart and do a careful cleaning. I took three separate drops of Ghost Tint and placed them on a surface. Then put a drop of water on one, a drop of thinner on another, and a drop of airbrush cleaner on the third. Each test subject was stirred individually and each one thinned out without clumping up. But when I go to change from Ghost Tint to Acrylic paint, I attempt to clean the Tint from the airbrush and it coagulates in the cup. It has been a bit frustrating so I thought I'd ask how you handle cleanup. Thanks!

[@AAE-cg1il]

That looks fishier at rest than the typical tail weighted top lures. I messed around a bit with a walk-the-dog popper from Rapala…..The Skitter-Pop. It was tail weighted……..Never caught much on it…….I do much better with traditional poppers…..

[@ronwhitman7633]

wonder if you could save yourself some time and effort an start with a wooden dowel?

[@surfcat2051]

Good video. Why didn't you just start that on the lathe?

[@EngineeredAngler]

Some folks don't have lathes

[@DubNub181]

What is that tool you are using to twist the wire? It's fascinating, but i can't seem to find it.

[@EngineeredAngler]

Check out my Amazon store

[@v_bone]

As always, great build! Balsa is really a fantastic material to work with! One little advise on working with it though, do yourself a favor and wear a respiratory mask. It's known to sensitise and in some cases cause allergic reactions after repeated exposure. Unfortunately I learned the hard way after bulding multiple lures from balsa and now my eyes get super itchy and i feel like having a bad cold for a few days even after only minor contacts to the dust :/

[@EngineeredAngler]

Thanks for the tips!

[@AlbrittonTribe]

Good question, Have you ever made a lure with color shift paints?

[@EngineeredAngler]

Yes I have

[@turdferguson5300]

I'm not saying this will work but if you want to build another painted the same without rattles it could be an interesting comparison. If a young animal gets bitten by a rattle snake it'll never mess with anything else that rattles. Could fish be the same? In muddy water a rattle could be a locater but in average color water is it necessary? When you answer the question of rattles use the painted lure against a unpainted lure. Some of my best baits are only wood and sealer. I have many more questions than answers but I do know if you want to be successful in fishing ya have to be different. I live on Chickamauga Lake and it is pressured to death, if you're not doing something different don't even come here.

[@vincentiustrisandhi4110]

Hi, Franko. I have some target fish who realy hard to catch from shore. That is baramundi. Do you have some video about hard lures for this kind a fish? The fish only bite if lure swim realy close to the nest, and move realy slow and natural🙄.

[@EngineeredAngler]

That's interesting

[@kendavy57]

Do you think it would be possible to make a balsa spook in a fly size with a single hook at the tail?

[@EngineeredAngler]

A micro-spook less than an inch? I think its doable. The hook might be the only weight you need or maybe a tiny split shot. The problem with a micro walk the dog is that the line would have to be scaled down too, probably 2 or 4lb test and even then it still might not allow the lure to walk. A WTD lure pulls slack from the line to move laterally, no problem for normal size lure, but a tiny balsa lure would likely not have the inertia to overcome the drag and inertia of the line. But why not try...?

[@wayneterry4949]

What type of wire do you use for the internal harness?

[@EngineeredAngler]

I use 174lb stainless leader wire. You can find it in my Amazon store.

[@Kevin24018]

Random question, are there any alternatives to micro balloons for resin?

[@EngineeredAngler]

Yes, silica. But I would just go with straight resin. Fast setting resins are buoyant.

[@rosumarian1075]

Buddy pls can you tell me where do you get the balsa wood ?

[@EngineeredAngler]

Yes I've tried dipping and spraying but I prefer brushing. I go into the reasons inmy clearcoat videos.

[@Trashmouth75]

Not being a jerk here, but to save time, could you have started with a Balsa Wood Dowell? Shape it, then cut it in half on the band saw?

[@EngineeredAngler]

Yes...But I have not been able to source balsa wood dowels

[@Trashmouth75]

@@EngineeredAngler ok gotcha. I saw some recently in a hobby store, but thinking back, they were smaller diameter. Would be great if you could find 1" or 1-1/2" diameter somewhere. Great video though. Love the use of the loofah!

[@screamingreelbd6948]

Please make a suspending jerkbait like megabass kanata

[@droppincaskets9785]

I have an idea for a lure. Is there anyway you could make one if I request it? And also I’ll pay if you send to me

[@EngineeredAngler]

You should take advantage of your idea and build the lure.

[@droppincaskets9785]

@@EngineeredAngler I don’t have the skills. But I’m learning. 😆

[@totalfishingdiy3102]

Franko, I always enjoy your videos. Made a walk the dog topwater lure and had a major fail making a silicone rubber mold. Sealed my master with polyurethane and my blue silicone rubber did not cure at the surface of the lure. Sticky and gross. It cured everywhere else. I'm guessing that the blue silicone didn't like the poly?? My molds usually turn out well . Any thoughts? Thanks John

[@EngineeredAngler]

I agree the polyurethane and silicon reacted for some reason. Maybe the polyurethane did not set completely

[@joebobsbass]

Do you sell them?

[@EngineeredAngler]

I'm afraid not...Thanks.

[@joebobsbass]

@@EngineeredAngler no worries! Beautiful baits. Got my sub. Keep at it.

[@samdavies8564]

Okay I’ll “bite”. Do you sell any lures!? You must get asked all the time…

[@EngineeredAngler]

I do get asked all the time...but I don't sell anything. Thanks for asking though.

[@bodeanholler]

Note pad trick is good, I like that

[@brucewilliamsom5928]

You're awesome....I'm going to try a crank bait ya can't buy anymore ...I wish I could remember the name...it's the the polish rapala😂

[@brucewilliamsom5928]

I've remembered the company name......Salmo lures...

[@brucewilliamsom5928]

Name's on the lip....ugly duckling...side to side motion drives bass nuts