I have some old cedar crankbaits I want to resurrect this winter. The line tie/wire has broken loose in the bill, and they just won't work this way. Even tried to epoxy the line tie into the bill.....no dice.

So, I'm at the remove and replace stage.

Where are you guys buying these? My main concern is line tie durability. I can, and will re-shape them to match the originals.

Are you looking for pre-fabricated bills, or are you considering making your own from scratch? jannsnetcraft.com has a bunch of pre-made bill styles, and you might be able to find something that works there. Or you can make your own bills using lexan sheet and stainless steel wire, which is more time consuming, but it allows you to exactly match the profile of the original bill.

Actually, I'm fine with making my own bills, but since the line tie is in the middle of the bill, I didn't think a home built model would work, since the bills had the wire line tie molded into them.

You can put a line tie in any bill. If the baits are old poe's then the lip slot will be 1/8 inch wide and you will have to find plastic bills thick enough to fill the slot and maintain the same angle.

Jann's, Barlow's, Lure parts online, will have bills you can purchase.

You can put a line tie in any bill. If the baits are old poe's then the lip slot will be 1/8 inch wide and you will have to find plastic bills thick enough to fill the slot and maintain the same angle.

Jann's, Barlow's, Lure parts online, will have bills you can purchase.

I am assuming you have the bill with a hole in it. A screw eye with a nut wont work?

....Bill

Guy's I'm not a tackle builder. I've painted a few jigs, and tied skirts and that is IT.

I don't really know what you mean in the quote above.

Got a picture?

How can you add a line tie to any diving bill?

Here is one I built that has a line tie through the bill.

Here's a pic that shows some bills with built-in line ties. The hardware is 19 gauge stainless steel wire, and the lip is lexan sheet. Thanks to Big M and BobP for showing me this technique.

When installing a bill with an integrated line tie, you'll need to use a rotary tool to grind a groove in the top and bottom of the bill slot for the wire.

You can shape bills using a file, rotary tool, bench grinder, etc. Any of those will get the job done; my personal preference is a rotary tool.

Here is one I built that has a line tie through the bill.

I musky fish too, and see lots of their baits have a similar wire/line tie/bill arrangement. I just wouldn't know how to do it.

I guess it would be simpler if I just bought one with the line tie already molded in. Are there any to avoid?

Here is one I built that has a line tie through the bill.

How do I go about making line ties like the one in this picture??

It's much the same as Fishwhittler's pictures. I just used the circuit board material. Drilling a hole half way between the end of the lip and the nose of the bait. I twisted ss wire (don't remember what size just yet) to make the line tie. Bend the line tie 90°. Slip the bill into the slot and mark the center of the bill on the bait and drill a hole to accept the line tie. Insert the line tie in to the bill and wiggle it around to snug it up. I like to make the line tie go into the bait about 1/2 inch to make sure there is plenty of hold once it's epoxied in place. I hope I was clear on how it works.

Nice lip work, Whittler! JMHO, a lip with an integrated line tie needs exact hole placement and some craftsmanship in twisting and bending the wire loop if you want it to work well. It's not rocket science but it's not a snap to do, either. Plus you have to buy a sheet of Lexan (aka polycarbonate) or circuit board (aka G10, Garolite, Micarta) and the correct type and size of wire (I use .040" dia soft temper stainless steel "safety lock wire"). If I didn't build crankbaits as a hobby already, I'd probably look at "store-bought" lips from Janns Netcraft or other online sources to see if there is an easy fix. BTW, if you have to cut the lip out of the bait, you'll have a larger lip slot than on the original. If so, I recommend using epoxy putty to install the new lips. Fill the slot entirely with epoxy putty, then push the new lip, wiping off the putty that squeezes out the back of the slot. The putty sets fast, has a similar density to cedar, and doesn't leak out of the slot like liquid epoxy will.