One thing that becomes apparent the more fish you catch on more of the lures you create, is that lurecraft opens one's mind as to what it is a about lures that provoke strikes.

The lurecrafter has a huge number of variables to choose from such as size, shape, color/flash, softness and action. The more lures we create and try in different waters, the more we understand exactly what it is about lures that make them superior to others in the same class of lures.

Take surface lures for example. It used to be frogs, Spooks, poppers and buzzbaits we'd cast for the surface bite. I've discovered many soft plastics designs that do as well if not better - even near the middle of the day.

Some say it's not cost effective to make lures, but if you scan the pages of lures in Bass Pro or Cabelas catalogs, the prices are getting kind a steep and with shipping quite a bit more than many of the lures you can make and at less than half the price. Plus, we never run out, always having the materials handy to make as few or as many lures as we want in any color or size we choose.

Another factor which I've come to rely on for lurecraft designs is this:
One way of looking at fish striking out at lures is the similarity between fish and a human infant when it comes to moving objects:
An infant will look at a mobile hanging over its crib and reach out trying to grab the moving objects above or a set of keys jigged near its face. An infant's brain is on par with a fish's brain, reacting reflexively to moving objects, having no idea what they represent. But unlike the baby's brain, fish do sense the fine details of lures or any moving object that comes near. The catchability of lures is in the details - those we hope we include in our lures that increase a fish's level of aggression.

Pretty lures don't necessarily mean they catch more fish than ugly ones and as we all know - beauty is in the eye of the beholder (IE fish) and fish ultimately dispel many superstitions we've held dear regarding why fish bite or reject lures. The more we make and cast, the more those truths become clear.

Keep posting your creations. Ideas shared mean more ideas that evolve that add to the many designs we've found do so well.

I just like painting them. The crank bait blank is a canvas, and I paint what I want. I've yet to paint a pattern that I haven't caught fish on.

It's ten times more rewarding. And when you buy your materials in bulk it definitely saves money I think. 5 gallons of plastisol cost 130-160 and that's a whole lot of senkos. If your into big swimbaits where people charge 10+ for a single bait it's even more worth it

Plus you can reuse plastic and pour it again.
Painting crankbaits is an art - one I haven't mastered. Bet yours are incredible.