Category: Lure Making

So you want to add details to your lures but you want to keep them constrained in the certain areas of your lures? Today I'm going to go over best practices to make the best lure details with Fusion 360.

Prepping the Lure Body

Here I have the start of a paddle tail I'm working on. I've sculpted the body & I've split it in two because we only need to work on one section. Now we're going to go about adding some details to this lure.

The first thing to do is to create a sketch on the same plane that I used to split my lure in two. Then select ‘Create a Project' and select the geometry on the outside. Select ‘Hide' and the result will be an outline of the lure. Once you have your outline, think of it as the foundation of your design, now we assign where the body parts of the lure will be placed.

For the purposes of the lure I'm designing. I'll carve the head by using a fine-point splice & bend. Then, insert a line that splits the top and the bottom half of the lure to the middle-half of the tail. After this we can bring the body back by clicking ‘Unhide' then using the ‘Split' tool on the first arc, and then split it again once the arc has been removed.

You'll be left with a lure that is split at the arc, resulting in the ‘Head' on the top-half and then the bottom-half of the lure all accomplished to make the best lure details with Fusion 360.

For the purposes of this guide, we won't go into extreme detail on the full detail of the lure, we have plenty of videos that can be found here if you're interested.

What we're attempting to replicate is something you see on a lot of lures where the top-half has the cross hatch kind of pattern and the bottom has you know single line pattern on it so we're going to create a sketch on the same plane.

Rectangular Patterns to create Lure Details with Fusion 360

We're going to create a sketch on that same plane that we've been working on. Begin by using the line tool that goes the length from the top to bottom, so when you stretch it out the pattern needs to be long enough. Next we're going to create a rectangular patten on the plane and we're going to from left to right across the lure, we're setting this up based on how you want it to look.

Next we're going to repeat the same process using the line, we're going to go across with the line tool. At a 30 degree angle on both sides it creates a cross hatch pattern all the way through. From here we can use these lines and pull them longer so we can place them accordingly.

‘Finish Sketch' and lock the top layer of lines so that you're only working the bottom layers of lines.

Project to Surface

Using the ‘Project to Surface' selection, it allows you to select the appropriate faces for your lure, in the last section we highlighted that you can pull the lines out longer, during this step you'll be selecting the bottom half of the lines, since they are longer they are easier to select. This should allow you to select the image vector and and ‘Finish Sketch.'  The same will be applied to the next selection of the top lines. During this process you will receive plenty of errors but you can ignore them.

What you will be left with is this frame-like structure. Using the ‘Create Form' then select ‘Create Pipe' and go along the frame one at a time. If you do not then you will be met with an error denoting intercepting figures. Click ‘Finish Form' and we can clean the intersections.

Clean up the Midline & Bring it all together

In order to clean up the lure, is to add in a midline and ‘Create Form' once the midline has been added in you can combine your bodies together to bring the design together.

Once you're at the end and have your design, we can mirror the body and apply it to the opposite side, once that has been completed you'll have your completed lure.

Looking for a unique lure? Consider one of the best finesse bass lures in the industry, the TechnoFrog. If you’re fishing for largemouth or smallmouth bass you’re going to want to add a pack of Techno Frog finesse baits to your tackle box. Also, check out our online shop for all the apparel you'll need! Whether you're lounging at home, mixing mica pearls for soft plastic lures, or on your weekly fishing trips!

If the Crypto winter has you down, we have a suggestion: purchase your lures with cryptocurrency. W.M Bayou has a big announcement, you can now buy fishing lures with crypto.

What is cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a virtual asset that is secured by cryptography, making it nearly impossible to counterfeit or duplicate. It is distributed across decentralized computer networks, this allows the digital currency to be exist outside the control of the government. In recent years, cryptocurrency has become a method for normal people to place their cash into to make double the amount in digital assets.

Types of cryptocurrency?

While Bitcoin is the most recognizable cryptocurrency, many more have taken the reigns of being apart of everyone's digital asset portfolio. Ethereum, Tether, USD Coin, and even one called DogeCoin, a cryptocurrency that hit all-time high in popularity in 2021. In short, all these are types of tokens that can be exchanged for goods and services like remain money, however these are digital assets that can be transferred instantly.

That leads us onto the current “cryptocurrency winter.” While the value of digital assets fluctuate often, in recent months, cryptocurrency has experienced a new low. The original 2021 boom during the pandemic made normal Americans a lot, but as more and more people withdraw their funds from their digital wallet, the value of the currency has gone down.

Buy fishing lures with Crypto

W.M Bayou is now the first to accept cryptocurrency to purchase fishing lures. You cannot sell your digital assets because doing so would mean that you accept the loss if you purchased crypto at a higher price than it's being sold for. If you feel like you aren't getting mileage out of your crypto investment, then now is the perfect time to convert your digital assets into the purchase of a W.M Bayou Techno Frog.

How to buy fishing lures with Crypto

We have made a simplified experience for you when you purchase when you buy your fishing lures with crypto. When you are on the checkout screen, select the Check out box and follow the onscreen instructions when it prompts you to use your Coinbase account, a digital asset wallet application. Please note that we are only accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum and Doge. Click HERE to see the Techno Frog.

There's no better time to buy fishing lures with crypto than now, especially since we are offering a special discount code on your first purchase using crypto currency. Use code CRYPTO15 at checkout to receive 15% off your first order. Not only are you dumping your unwanted crypto, but you are also receiving your Techno Frog, it's a win-win.

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A question that comes up in Facebook groups I’m a part of is, “where can I acquire bags for my soft plastic fishing lures?” If you are facing the same issue then you’ve come to the right place, we’ve compiled the tips and tricks all about lure bags so that you don’t make the same mistakes we did. 

Basic Lure Bag Option

For the standard bag you have two options, the first being a bag that can be purchased from clearbags.com. It’s essentially a Ziplock bag, while it’s not rigid, it’s super cheap and comes in various different sizes. I’ll use this bag to send samples of bait to testers. In our last blog, we discussed how you could purchase bulk lures from D&J Plastics, these basic bags could be used to package your lures along with some branded cardboard and sell them like that, however when it’s packaged in a standard bag, you’re showing this is a budget friendly option. 

Standard Bait Lure Bags

The next option you have would be a standard bait bag, I’ve purchased these from baitplastics.com. You can also get them from most lure shops. These are also available in various sizes, are more rigid and higher-quality than a standard Ziplock bag, and come with a hanger so you can display these in your storefront. From a material standpoint, these are the lure bags that you want for anything you're doing. 

Stickers

So now that you’ve decided on your bag, now you can make it your own. The first way you can customize your lure bags are with stickers. You can bulk purchase stickers very inexpensively, in fact if you look online for stickers and you hop on to Facebook, you’ll be treated to multiple introductory offers from sticker printing companies. You will have to design the sticker logo, and you can include information about what’s included in the package like the color, model number, quantity, and of course, your company logo. Stickers offer a cheap way to brand your lure bags and it elevates the look of your product. 

Pro Level Lure Bags

The highest level of bag you can use for your soft plastic fishing lures are screen printed bags. These plastic bags are double-side, printed with multiple colors and sport a high-quality sealed bag. However, it’s rare for manufacturers in the United States to use these lure bags. If you want to showcase a custom design on your lure bags you can consult with Chris Sands at Advocate Graphics. The process for a screen printed bag goes like this, if you want to build a bag, you’ll have to get the template for the lure bag, so you can accurately place your artwork within the dimensions of the template.

Generally speaking however, you should consult with someone who is knowledgeable in graphic design. Expect to drop more money based on the quantity of lure bags you get and the amount of colors that are used for printing. If you're dealing with a Chinese manufacturer, also expect additional shipping fees and an extended shipping time frame. 

Bad Design Tips

Keep your design simple with less colors and keep the bags generic so you can use them for other products. In the corner of some bags, you’ll see safety warnings, like a California Prop 65, you’ll want to make sure that you include these warnings on your lure bags and account for them when designing your bags. Also, when making your bags make sure you leave plenty of space for your product to be showcased on your lure bags. Avoid creating busy bag designs that obstruct the view of the lures inside. 

Want to check out more content like these? Click here. As always, take care, tight lines!