So a while back I bought a decent size piece of basswood with the intent of getting into making some of my own lures over the winter months. I did a little research and it seemed like a good choice to start out with. I plan on experimenting with some shallow-medium diving cranks and maybe a larger wake bait (Slammer style). As you can probably imagine I have a few questions before I dive in.

What do you recommend for hook hangers, are small screw eyes adequate for the job?

Should I look to buy some lips or can I make my own out of circuitboard material? 

Does the kind of paint matter so long as it is sealed well, and what kind of sealer do you recommend? 

Is Basswood bouyant enough where I need to add ballast weight (for the cranks) or will the hardwear weight be enough? 

Thank you in advance for any and all tips/answers!  

If you are making a wood crank, you will need ballast weight. I suggest going to Tackle Underground in the hard baits section, those guys will give you all the details to make it easier for you.