Like all swimming lures, whether it be a tady 45 or a wooden chuckin plug, you gotta check out the lures prior to purchasing them. No two are alike- even if they are from an injection mold! Wood is naturally inherent to absorption. Water is gonna get in somewhere when wood is involved. Buy a can of sander sealer at the hardware store and drop it in the cracks with a brush. After it drys put a little mix of rod finish on the cracks and that will do the trick.It's the prep work prior to the paint that seals the wood.

If you are making your own plugs you can either coat them with sander sealer prior to painting, or use a mixture of rod finish and denatured alcohol. This will soak the pores and keep water out, that is until you stick a grumpster, get excited and slam the plug on the deck. PRACTICE AND TEACH CATCH AND RELEASE