i have been making plugs for a little over a year now. i have caught fish with them both blues and stripers. nothing bigger than about 24" but plenty in numbers. i too have never sold a plug but i think i am going to start selling a few to pay myself back for all wood bought and other supplys bought. i do give them to my friends and family. i have also taught one of my friends how to make lures and he occasionally comes over and works with me. he stinks though.
i havent boght a plug in a really long time, at least a year now. its definitly worth buying all the stuff to do it, and when you do catch fish on your own creations its great. once my friend tied on one of mine and i didnt notice. we both cast out and began popping. the lures were working side by side. i was using one of his skitter pops and he was using one of my poppers. we both saw a bluefish hanging right in back of both of our plugs and the fish choose the one i made. i knew then that i had begun something very cool