Other than thru-wiring?
 

Any input on screw eyes? I've been making some plugs from dowels with a dremel and can make some decent needle and spook models (and by decent I mean catches blues when I don't want to risk other plugs). I've been using screw eyes and applying some epoxy to keep them in tight. Any input on this? Thru-wiring really isn't an option for me right now. This hardware has held up to some beefy blues, but will it eventually give? I'd really like to get into making plugs but right now I don't have the time or equipment. Thanks guys.

If I am not mistaken most of the old school builders utilized screw eyes.

I recall a thread where #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& mentioned doing a test on screweyes and they ended up being really strong. I made a couple of small pencils from #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& kits with screw eyes and they stood up real well to my "unscientific" tests. I haven't fished em' yet, but am very confident that no fish I encounter is going to pull the hooks out.

Screw eyes are fine if predrilled and epoxied in with 2 ton stuff (Gorilla glue and 5 min epoxy soften in water I've heard). The trouble with big screw eyes, I find, is that getting breakaway clips on them can be tricky and you also loose the ability to tune the lure by bending the line tie attachment. There is a third option that is surprisingly strong. You can use brass sinker eyes (medium size), drill a 1/4" hole about 1/2 " deep, then epoxy the sinker eye in the wood BEFORE sealing the plug. This is the way a famous LI plug builder, Jack Frech, did it. I have used it on some handcarved stuff and it has proven very strong.

I've used them off and on and never had one fail on me.

I've been building for about three years. All my plugs have 0.072" x 1" screw eyes, epoxied in with rod building epoxy. I haven't caught any monsters yet but there has been no evidence of the screw eyes being a problem. I counter sink the screw eyes holes making a little "cup" to a depth of about 1/2 eye diameter. I fill the countersunk hole with epoxy then screw in the eye. The epoxy gets drawn into the threads as you're screwing in the eye, and what remains in the cup adds a little extra holding power to the screw eye.

should hold up just fine if epoxy'd in place.

It's like the naturally aspirated engine versus nitrous, it comes down to your individual choice :)

Let see some pics of those blues!!!!!! :happy:

Thanks for the help guys. Will certainly help cure the long off-season. I'll try to get some pics when I start building this winter.