Mark Houghton Custom Lures

The majority of the lures I make are from balsa. With the advent of the modern epoxy topcoats, it is now possible to produce balsa baits as durable as the varnished harder wood baits of years past.
The basic workflow for the creation of each bait is as follows. . . .

First the bodies are cut, shaped, and smoothed, then soaked in wood hardener, which has the effect of preventing any splitting, should there be any water ingress after extensive heavy use. The lures are then sealed again, this time with a hardening agent which gives the bait a tough outer shell, and makes it less prone to being crushed.

Next, the belly slots are cut, the bait`s through wired and glued. At this stage any necessary ballast is added, and the diving lip slot (if present)is cut and the lip temporarily fitted for testing and balancing.
Once tank tested, the lures are sealed again after drying, and then undergo a 3 stage priming process.

Then, the baits are smoother again, airbrushed, epoxy topcoated and the diving lips fitting, where appropriate.

The final process is the fitting of hooks, and another bout of tank testing to ensure the baits work as expected.

As you can see, the building of these baits is quite an extensive process, with the emphasis being on their action, durability and strength. There may be much prettier baits out there, but these baits are built as tough as I can possibly make them, with actions that I know from experience will catch fish.

I am always keen to receive feedback on my baits, good or bad, as it helps me to improve them, both in durability and performance. Also, if anyone who has purchased any of my baits would like to do a mini review for this site, then feel free to email me at markhou68 "at" aol "dot" com.

Likewise, any feedback on the site itself is most welcome, and will help me to keep the site as user-friendly as possible.

The majority of the lures I make are from balsa. With the advent of the modern epoxy topcoats, it is now possible to produce balsa baits as durable as the varnished harder wood baits of years past.
The basic workflow for the creation of each bait is as follows. . . .

First the bodies are cut, shaped, and smoothed, then soaked in wood hardener, which has the effect of preventing any splitting, should there be any water ingress after extensive heavy use. The lures are then sealed again, this time with a hardening agent which gives the bait a tough outer shell, and makes it less prone to being crushed.

Next, the belly slots are cut, the bait`s through wired and glued. At this stage any necessary ballast is added, and the diving lip slot (if present)is cut and the lip temporarily fitted for testing and balancing.
Once tank tested, the lures are sealed again after drying, and then undergo a 3 stage priming process.

Then, the baits are smoother again, airbrushed, epoxy topcoated and the diving lips fitting, where appropriate.

The final process is the fitting of hooks, and another bout of tank testing to ensure the baits work as expected.

As you can see, the building of these baits is quite an extensive process, with the emphasis being on their action, durability and strength. There may be much prettier baits out there, but these baits are built as tough as I can possibly make them, with actions that I know from experience will catch fish.

I am always keen to receive feedback on my baits, good or bad, as it helps me to improve them, both in durability and performance. Also, if anyone who has purchased any of my baits would like to do a mini review for this site, then feel free to email me at markhou68 "at" aol "dot" com.

Likewise, any feedback on the site itself is most welcome, and will help me to keep the site as user-friendly as possible.