Making a Wooden Saltwater Stickbait

I love carving these handmade wooden fishing lures during these winter months while I dream of summertime saltwater fishing. These big baits are strong enough for GT and have excellent topwater walk-the-dog action. Join me as I carve this beautiful lure out of a block of basswood; I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
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[@nelsonsanchezriveronn4003]

Very didactic, step by step; All your videos are easy to make, thank you very much!

[@zimmtex]

Glad you like them!

[@anglerweekenderrizalzi3419]

what a comprehensive tutorial.......thank you

[@zimmtex]

I'm glad you found it interesting. Thanks for your support!

[@user-ie3fu3mr9h]

Very cool? good job! Thanks and best wishes!

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much for watching!

[@iantweedie4060]

I have to say your gill work is always so impressive to me its beautiful

[@zimmtex]

Thank you, I really appreciate it!

[@sweetsoundsof]

Great video showing your steps throughout the build of this lure. Quality final product. Thankyou just what I was looking for.

[@zimmtex]

Good deal, I'm glad you found it interesting!

[@frankymalialin1363]

Une des meilleures vidéos vues sur KZbin ! J en regarde des dizaines par semaine. Good job

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much, I really appreciate your support!

[@ERone43]

I like your baking soda bondo thing, I’ve done it before but I think I am going to use it more frequently now. Thanks!

[@zimmtex]

Thanks! It sure is fast and handy but be sure to have plenty of ventillation! I also wear a respirator because that glue is so toxic. Happy lure making!

[@benskai2475akurfishing]

Thank you senior for the knowledge and I like the video greetings from the Aru Islands, Indonesia

[@zimmtex]

Welcome to the channel and thank you for watching!

[@benskai2475akurfishing]

@@zimmtex you're welcome and thank you senior for the knowledge

[@anasheh1176]

Ive never seen someone put lot of dedication on a lure Nice lure👍🏼

[@gabrielaguiaroutdoorwoodwo786]

Marlon Bates, solar Bates.

[@zimmtex]

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[@zimmtex]

I agree, both are great luresmiths.

[@luinmaglaya8654]

Hello. I think it looks the best w/o the face tattoo. I love your videos. Please get a fish with it too

[@zimmtex]

Thanks! I appreciate your interest and support!

[@WorldTravelFish]

Really nice craft work! And even an swim test! Awesome!

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much, I'm glad you like it!

[@fonziefishingcrew6949]

you are a real goldsmith in wooden lure mate. Wonderfull piece like usual

[@zimmtex]

Thank you so much!

[@seatroutking7555]

Master peace of a lure great craftsmanship, did anyone notice as something at 46.25 👻 moved left to right 😱🤔

[@zimmtex]

Editing magic! Thanks for watching!

[@garylawlor2288]

Nice work buddy 👏

[@zimmtex]

Many thanks!

[@garylawlor2288]

@@zimmtex you're most welcome sir, thank you for taking the time to document your lure making and sharing it 👍

[@zimmtex]

@@garylawlor2288 Glad to do it so long as people care to watch!

[@MAGNUSDRONES]

Hoping you’ll be doing some 2021 projects. You’ve inspired me to try a lure from scratch. I recently purchased a “Buzz Plug”. A top water lure I’ll probably try making. Cheers 👍

[@zimmtex]

I've got several in the works that I'm really proud of. Good luck on your buzz plug and thanks for your support!

[@TheDowntimesfl]

That hotglue trick is fantastic. Thank you very much for sharing

[@zimmtex]

My pleasure, thank you for watching!

[@TexasTopwaterllc]

I guarantee that I'd screw up the foil part, you make it look so easy, I always either paint or carve the scales cause I'm too scared to do foil 😂. You do some fantastic work 👍

[@zimmtex]

The cool thing about the foil is that you can peel it off and ty again if you mess up. Thanks for watching!

[@edgardoconstantino217]

I’m so happy watching you making the best lure I hope someday I can have that kind of lure…..

[@zimmtex]

Thank you for your support, I appreciate it!

[@masonslouisianalife8090]

Great work as well

[@jamescopeland5358]

Great video

[@zimmtex]

Thanks for the visit; glad you enjoyed it!

[@michaeljasensky5438]

Great video... beautiful bait!!!!!

[@zimmtex]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@ronjaime3493]

Beautiful piece

[@zimmtex]

Many thanks!

[@patrickbutler1715]

That is awesome

[@zimmtex]

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[@rifanipman1103]

Good handmade 💙👍👍

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much!

[@butadsilafishing8149]

I love it and so inspire of your creation🎣🙏

[@zimmtex]

Thank you, I appreciate your support!

[@moiecol]

You made look so easy ! I didn't like the black and white detail but I only made one lure. 🙄🙄🙄

[@zimmtex]

Thank you for watching!

[@sonakmalelatv]

Incredible creation, good work colleagues

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@gabifishing642]

Nice work well done, Champion

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much!

[@michaelthompson1185]

Very nice job brother!!!🎣🎣🎣

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@sahabatmancing4454]

Thank you my friend

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@hooks_n_hornz_outsoors2288]

Very Nice! Now I'm off to buy some tools and try my hand at this 🫤

[@zimmtex]

Go for it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

[@raphaeltixier5750]

I love your craft, your work is superb. continue it's beautiful

[@zimmtex]

Thanks Raphael!

[@aclures101.]

Beautiful creation my broda...

[@zimmtex]

I appreciate your kind words!

[@omjenggotpetualang1214]

Very nice and beautiful bait♥️♥️🇮🇩Greetings from Indonesia

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much! Glad you stopping by!

[@mattjohnson4708]

Super cool lure, nice detail work on the gills. You are making great videos!

[@zimmtex]

Thanjs Matt, I really appreciate the support I get from amazing people like yourself!

[@michaelstillman5717]

I fish with those inline circles on all of my baits, with respect IMO you have them on upside down. The bottom hook should be point down otherwise the point butts up against the belly and won't hook up. Tail hook should be point up.

[@zimmtex]

You are correct; sorry if I had them on wrong. When I'm making these, I take the hooks off and on a lot, so sometimes I just throw them on however to test balance. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelbyrne8860]

Nice job and great paint scheme, it kinda has a peacock bass look? I like the single hooks, I would probably flatten the barbs for faster penetration and release. I think having the front hook facing forward and the back hook facing back would be better hook ups. Nice gliding action! I think that lure would be a bad ass Muskie Lure! Great work and I subscribed to your channel! Be Cool! CPR

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much! I've been working on my shop over the summer, so hopefully I can get back to making more videos soon.

[@ghalihitmi]

Amazing work mate😍💪🎣🎣🎣

[@zimmtex]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@BOTELHODREAMYFISHERMAN]

Very good man, a real artist... I want to learn, subscribed to the channel.

[@zimmtex]

Welcome to the channel!

[@wasntPete]

Excellent video

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@loverofthelostnarc]

Yes, I've noted that you weren't using the safety tape around your thumb and I thought it was a bad idea for not using one, but however it was good this time for first timers to use it as a precautionary measure. Thanks for adhering to safety rules keep it up. God bless and may you come up with many more lure making videos.

[@zimmtex]

Thanks for watching,I'm glad you enjoy it!

[@loverofthelostnarc]

@@zimmtex Thanks bro. God bless you, with much love from India ♥️

[@toph2o676]

Great craving and detail work. You should defiantly explain why you should spray a clear coat over the alcohol ink before moving on. Karmar varnish is what to be used over the alcohol ink and if you don't,,,,, 1) it will burn itself through the acrylic paints.... 2) if you use a 2 part epoxy or KBS with out sealing the ink it will run an separate on the lure. If someone try's this without knowing this they might get real pissed. Spraying with alcohol inks are a whole different animal and in foil finishes works great. Great craving love the single hooks on the lure I'd make sure that the hook points on the belly are pointed away from the belly of lure not into the lure.

[@zimmtex]

Great comments! I have not had any problems with ink, but I've also not been using them very long. Maybe I've just been lucky with the epoxies I use. I also have only ever used one solid color at a time. This is an interesting subject to me and I appreciate you sharing your expertise. I have been thinking about more complicated paint schemes using ink. I think it would be worth my while to practice with some test pieces with variations on sealers. Also, I knew I would get busted with the hook direction. :) However, that was onle for balancing purposes. Again, great comments!

[@toph2o676]

@@zimmtex I would suggest going to KZbin and watching some of the ink artists and how they actually use that product. I spent almost 2 months spraying inks and using them on lures, it is far different than using basic acrylics. If you shoot a second color over that ink it reactivates the ink and pushes the primary color away. But I commend you on using that ink over foil because that's what I've been doing for the last 6 months . The trick is to use karmar varnish in between your coats because bad things will happen. Also there is a UV spray that should be used because sun will lighten the ink to a point that it disappears. I was pretty shocked to see you used it because I haven't seen anybody do it before I was talking to a young man in Sweden that does a lot of painting and he's just starting to experiment with it himself. But you do great carving work man love to see that. Sometimes posting comments can be one-dimensional and people take things the wrong way.

[@zimmtex]

@@toph2o676 I am glad we had this conversation and am very interested in learning more about using inks. Thanks again for sharing!

[@pucca910929]

My love so like.thank you.

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@speed47racer]

As always, well done!!! Love watching a craftsman work. GT series?

[@zimmtex]

Thank you! I call my heavy duty lures GT rated because Giant Trevalli are some of the strongest game fish.

[@labtrainer09]

@@zimmtex Giant Trevally are very powerful, to be sure, but I truly think the difficult-to-work-with wire you used was serious overkill-even for GTs. That said, as always, you did a beautiful job with this big darter. I can't wait to see your next project.

[@zimmtex]

@@labtrainer09 Thanks for sharing your expertise! I have never caught a GT (it's on my bucket list for sure). I know from my testing that the hooks and rings will fail before the through wire. If you loose a fish with one of my lures, it won't be because the harness fails. Thanks for commenting and supporting the channel!

[@morandeaumorgane2660]

Incroyable qualité de travail,juste magnifique.

[@zimmtex]

Thank you so much!

[@asbung5760]

Great video... 👍👍👍

[@zimmtex]

Thanks!

[@dustinfehr3466]

Almost faked the bird out!!!!! nice plug!

[@zimmtex]

Thanks!

[@elmaestrodeliendres]

¡¡¡ Magnífico !!! Muchísimas gracias.

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@jackbalifishing]

Nice 👍👍👍

[@zimmtex]

Thanks!

[@anthonymorales842]

love the single hooks no need for more

[@zimmtex]

I really liked the way this one turned out; thanks for watching!

[@NickQlatey]

very nice broo

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@masrizalangler]

The best

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much!

[@czechcaptain9040]

厉害，工艺品一样，都舍不得拿去钓鱼了

[@zimmtex]

Thank you for watching!

[@khyeabbott9391]

Another beautiful lure! That would get smashed over here in Australia

[@zimmtex]

Thank you, that is good to hear!

[@mrshved7165]

Cool

[@zimmtex]

Thanks for watching!

[@ibtrisya-3993]

Nc work i waiting for next tutor ty

[@zimmtex]

Thanks!

[@yancaster]

I like. Tnk's👍👍🙏

[@zimmtex]

Thank you for watching!

[@MarcosMVlures]

Nice action!!! Come to Argentina and try it on huge Golden Dorado in La Zona!

[@zimmtex]

I would love to do that!

[@jean-noelfraix3054]

Magnifique

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@sergioprietoholgado9362]

Gran vídeo y precioso señueo, pero, yo los anzuelos los pongo en el sentido contrario a como tú los pones

[@zimmtex]

Thank you! I just needed them on for weight. The pond I was testing in is shallow and I did not want to get snagged.

[@KSBrockfishing]

Tutorial to make shinking please...🙏

[@zimmtex]

I'll put it on my list. Thanks for watching!

[@Antoniocarlosdigable]

Ótimo dia do BRASIL pra você! Ótimo trabalho, Parabéns!

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@simonpaquette7838]

nice

[@zimmtex]

Thanks!

[@j.ciscaartificialartesanal]

Meus parabéns. Esta isca artificial artesanal ficou muito bem feita.

[@zimmtex]

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[@JohnJonelis]

Nice!

[@zimmtex]

Thanks John!

[@rezanorikia837]

Perfect👍👍👍

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@rezanorikia837]

@@zimmtexplease pike lure for the next,Thank you Sir

[@zimmtex]

@@rezanorikia837 Do you mean a lure for catching pike or a lure shaped like a pike? Or both?

[@rezanorikia837]

@@zimmtex a lure shaped like a pike or a musky,Thank you sir

[@zimmtex]

Excellent ideas! I will put them on the list. I have one coming up that is not a pike or a musky, but is a very similar type of fish.

[@chocorrolmarinela9900]

Hola muy buen video te felicito por el talento que tienen para la fabricación de esos señuelos que son efectivos para la pesca de gran bass Lo único que si me puso a pensar que el el minuto 46:13 se mira una sombra que pasa corriendo por encima del agua o del la orilla del lago pero fuera de eso todo bien brother saludos desde México 👍🏻

[@zimmtex]

I am glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you for stopping by.

[@alive4082]

I used gorilla glue over epoxy with good results as well. Nice lure

[@zimmtex]

Thanks!

[@azlisk9287]

Nice!!!

[@zimmtex]

Thanks!

[@paulhooze]

Why soda with glue ?,your lure are very beautiful!!!!🙏🤙

[@zimmtex]

Baking soda & instacure make a good patch. Thank you for watching!

[@Kardunangler997]

Wah mantap ini bos

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much!

[@FannyLarreche]

Hi ! very good job it's amazing !! What kind of wood do you use ? Thanks a lot in advance !

[@zimmtex]

Thank you! I think I used basswood for this one.

[@zsuiramikcilak7713]

W Polsce ryby nie są tak głupie jak na zachodzie - na drewno nie biorą , a i na żelki zwane gumami też nie bardzo często jeszcze potrafią ryby z żelek rozerwać by wędkarzom udowodnić z czego och przynęta - miało być mięso a jest żelatyna .

[@zimmtex]

The older and bigger fish are usually hard to fool. I wonder if a wood lure covered with soft plastic would work?

[@zsuiramikcilak7713]

@@zimmtex I'm almost sure it will work !

[@ronjaime3493]

I saw a video where they split the lure in half and carve the area out for the thru wire weight and anchor and just glues it back together. Idk if that a better ideal or not.

[@zimmtex]

I suppose it's a matter of preference. I can't say whether one is better than the other. In the end everything is reliant on the through wire for strength. Thanks for watching!

[@mirsadmemic5863]

So compliketed

[@zimmtex]

Not really, you can skip the detailed carving. I just enjoy it.

[@armandoromeu4433]

Oh my God, you describe the locations to find almost everything except what I need the most: That wire bending tool you use there. Please let me know where can I purchast it...

[@zimmtex]

I don't have a link because rhet apparently quit making it or went out of business. I got it off of Amazon a while back; it was called a mini-wire bender by K&S Engineering.

[@PhoneyFrogsUSA]

Worth lure components sells the wire benders and wire 😎👌

[@user-rh4be8ui1j]

Я такой же техпроцесс использую, только инструментов столько нету, ленточной пилы( ,вот надо будет начать партию делать

[@zimmtex]

Awesome! It is great to hear from a fellow lure maker. Thanks for watching!

[@stephenjohnson1221]

have you thought of using a sewing thimble on your thumb to protect it.

[@zimmtex]

That is a good idea. I have also seen people cut the thumb off of an old leather glove. Thanks for your comment!

[@Christophfunke]

Great work. I'm just starting to build the lures myself, so I still have not the necessary practice to draw the sketches myself. Would it be possible to also provide the plans as pdf with the videos?

[@zimmtex]

That is something that I get a lot of requests for. I will let you know when those become available. Until then, thanks for watching!

[@malachigus9535]

You probably dont give a shit but does any of you know a method to log back into an instagram account..? I was dumb lost the password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me!

[@yousefcolten8124]

@Malachi Gus instablaster =)

[@malachigus9535]

@Yousef Colten I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im trying it out now. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@malachigus9535]

@Yousef Colten it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thank you so much, you really help me out !

[@wolverinex4243]

If I wanted a blank without wire, can you make that?

[@zimmtex]

Sorry, right now it's all I can do to make videos. I just don't have enough hours in the day for much else. I really appreciate your interest and support!

[@loungydoc]

Seems like just doing 3d artwork on lure is enough to fool the fish!! Like those people who do 3d artwork with chalk on sidewalks , but I get one may do it for the art form

[@zimmtex]

You are correct! I really enjoy detailed carving, but it is not strictly necessary to catch fish.

[@MrEmiXam80]

Bonjour de France !! quel est le papier que tu utilise pour le transfert de ta signature ?

[@zimmtex]

I do not transfer the signature. My logo is printed on decal paper. It is linked in the description. Thank you!

[@fredk8562]

After you foiled it and added the gold what did you sea lit with?

[@zimmtex]

I'm using True Coat Epoxy.

[@masonslouisianalife8090]

I’m just getting into bait making and I was wondering if you can cure wood with super glue

[@zimmtex]

Hey Mason! I don't know about curing wood, but you can certainly seal it with superglue. You can also use polyurethane to seal wood, but it takes longer. Thanks for watching!

[@user-qm6tq1ot5x]

Отличная работа

[@zimmtex]

Thank you!

[@avianfish8732]

Its going to float right on the surface?

[@zimmtex]

Yes, it is a topwater lure. Thanks for watching!

[@juiceknyte]

What is that awesome jig you are using for bending the wire?

[@zimmtex]

It's a heavy duty wire bender. You can follow the link in the video description to my website. Under 'tools of the trade' you will find it listed under the hardware category. Thanks for watching!

[@juiceknyte]

@@zimmtex tyvm!

[@gezgin4864]

What is the needle on the tip of the airbrush?

[@zimmtex]

0.3mm. Thanks for watching!

[@singgihkurnia3040]

where u put the balance

[@zimmtex]

The best place to put weight on this style of lure is behind the center of gravity. Some people make these really tail heavy, so it stands up in the water. I like to balance them with the tip of the tail slightly underwater.

[@richardmasse6315]

Hello,what a wonderful work, Well done. What is bass wood,is it balsa ?

[@zimmtex]

Thank you very much! This lure is made of basswood.

[@ignaciolopez7870]

Saludos desde argentina, es genial lo que haces ,tenés que hacer un "banana"que usamos acá

[@zimmtex]

That is interesting, I will put it on the list. I am glad you are here!

[@loungydoc]

So how long in total does it take to make one?

[@zimmtex]

I get this question a lot. So I have just started recording my time to find out. I think it takes me somewhere around 8 hours to make a single lure like this if it is a new design. If I've made it before it goes much faster. Keep in mind I am also messing with the camera a lot, so that adds a little extra time.

[@pecanjesaaleksandrom1108]

Bravo care.

[@zimmtex]

Thanks!

[@gex7772]

Отлично

[@zimmtex]

Thanks!

[@bobjohnson9559]

Your lures are beautiful. At the 19:10 mark in the video, your wire bending tool in the vise, what brand is that or did you make it?

[@zimmtex]

Thank you! That is a heavy duty wire bender. I have a link to it if you are interested.

[@thunderboltacres236]

How long does it take you from start to finish ?

[@zimmtex]

A one-off lure like this takes me around 16 hours of work time from start to finish because of all the detail carving and foil.

[@nolansbaits862]

What was that tool you were using to push the foil down to the gills? The bait came out grate!!!

[@zimmtex]

It's a ball tip embossing tool; I put a link to it in the description. Thanks for watching!

[@andyprest]

Nice lure buddy 👍 worked a treat, can I ask what the wheel tool is that you use to mark the centre line on the lure? It looks well handy that does!

[@zimmtex]

It's a marking gage; I linked it in the description. Thanks for watching!

[@sapunyere9337]

may i know the size details?

[@zimmtex]

Sure, it's a 6" (15.24cm) lure. Thanks for watching!

[@user-yd7mp1py2x]

Friend, what is the name of these paints with which you painted the fish?

[@zimmtex]

I used a little bit of Piñata alcohol ink for the base and Createx paints. I put a link to them in the description for you. Thanks for watching!