I started building my own jigs a year ago and I've been very satisfied with what I've been doing.

But now, I've got a wild hair up my tail and I want to take on a new hobby. I understand that this will require purchasing at least one airbrush gun and other materialssuch as paints, clear epoxy, and other things. Cost isn't a huge concern but I do want to be conservative in the beginning as I learn both to airbrush and to build the lures.

My goal is really to develope another hobby inside of fishing. The crank building and customization intrigues me. My goal is simply to have fun learning the craft and to fish with my own cranks, lipless, and topwaters...and to catch fish on them.

I've been searching a lot of the web, web stores, forums and such and I'm a little overwhelmed.

My questions are, what do I absolutely need to get started? What are a few things that I don't necessarily need but would make life easier?

I see several sites with unpainted bodies, whose are the best? I want lures that are quality and consistent. I see lure prices between .60-3.00.

Any other good info or starter kits or buy stuff individual...

Thanks guys

I use blanks from predatorbassbaits.com and i love em l, havent had a prob out of any yet.

As far as airbrush equiptment go, find a hobby lobby and print the 40% off coupons to get the expenive stuff like airbrushes, hoses, and air compressors if u use a airbrush aircompressor. Hobby lobby has a neo made for iwata, its a decent beginner airbrush, i have the iwata eclipse its about 200$ but worth it if your planning on doin a lot of it.

Stick with createx, wicked or auto air paints they are all made by the same company and they have tons of colors. Anymore questions pm me or bring em up

Yep, no reason to buy from Hobby Lobby without a 40% coupon. Back in my model building days I was there a few times a month and always used a coupon clipped from the newspaper. Sadly I never got an airbrush, so I can't help you out there.

Thanks guys. I steer clear of hobby lobby when I can.... They are high. I'm still collecting info. I hope to make my first purchases by end of the week

Cranks are just like jigs in that you can really get into different levels, for jigs a lot of guys get premade heads and tie skirts on and others go a step further and by unpainted heads and skirt tabs to make their own and then you have the full monty guys who pour, paint, and make and tie their own skirts. The same deal with cranks, you can buy blanks and paint them yourself, or you can buy carved wood blanks and then seal the wood, add the lip and hook hangers and paint, or you can go all in and design your own or buy or make a mold and pour your own plastic resin or carve from wood. Look at Harbor freight for a compressor for an air brush and then you can look at most of the lure parts vendors like Barlows Tackle, Lure Parts Online, Janns Netcraft, and Lure Craft. Check those places out and you'll find all different levels of equipment to get you started.

I am just getting started myself or my wife is anyway. Dick Blick has a good deal going on right now. They have one of the best selections of paint Createx, free shipping, and 20% off orders $99 or more.

 

Hobby Lobby near me is having a big sale of Createx Paints and with the Coupon Dick Blick was more than $1.30 cheaper per 4 oz  of paint. I ordered my gun (Iwata Revolution), compressor, cleaner, helping hands, and hoses off Amazon Iwata before I saw the Dick Blick Sale.

 

As for blanks I ordered from Predatorbass baits, unpainted lures, and Bustin Bass Baits. The hardware I ordered from Janns Net Craft.