3 Tips To Make Fishing Lures At Home

During non fishing days because of bad weather, the anglers who are always ready to learn something new, could find it interesting to sit at home and make lures of different types. It is not a difficult task to make fishing lures if you have patience and a little bit of creativity. You could make these lures at home with resources that are around the house and if you have to procure some of the materials they are not expensive at all.




1. Some ideas on how to make lures:
Spoons: As you can make out from the name itself are lures that can be made from spoons of different shapes and sizes. You could try buying second hand spoons of different sizes from a second hand shop and you would have a sizable collection. With a propane torch or hand torch the metal part of the spoon should be heated and with a pair of cutting pliers or hammer, flatten it out and until you have a consistent shape. Once this cools you can cut the handle off from the spoon. With a small sized bit of drill, bore a hole in the handle on the top end and bottom end of the spoon that has been shaped. Connect a hook to the lower hole and a swivel and leader to the top hole. You could either paint the spoon any colour or leave it unpainted too, in fact you can make whatever design or colour you want on the spoon.

2. Methods of making Minnows and Crank baits
You need a piece of plank or of doweling to make minnows or Crank baits. Outline a design with your most preferred crankbait body, or on the other hand you could just be imaginative. The idea is to maintain the shape of the crankbait body symmetrical on both sides to make it cut through the water with the right movement.

3. The tools to make lures at home
The tools that you would need to make lures at home are a small hand or skill saw, a wood file, a swivel, some hooks, epoxy glue and sand paper. Position the dowel flat and cut the required span of the body. Draw a centre line down the "back" of the body and on the wood, you will be able to maintain the balance and keep the shape too in this way. The fish shape should be tapering so begin sand papering the contour from the center point. Bore two or more small holes in the middle line of the front and put in the treble hook in the hole at the back and in the hole at the front put a weight, after the shape is smoothened to the right form. Glue it in with epoxy glue into both the holes and let it set completely. If you want to create a rim on the crankbait, slash a niche in the bottom front of the lure and put in a commercial rim using the glue. You could if you want connect a tail and a swivel too.

Once you are through you could paint the crankbait with your lucky or favorite colors. You could gather the kids to get involved in this activity of making fishing lures or have the adults in it too. Even if the kids do find it a bit difficult to do this they will still enjoy the whole experience and like the idea of being drawn in, in the final part of painting the lures.

Abhishek is an avid Fishing enthusiast and he has got some great Fishing Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 116 Page Ebook, "Fishing Mastery!" from his website http://www.Fishing-Masters.com/772/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.
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See my previous post:Need Cheap Fishing Lures? It's Easy to Make Them Yourself!

Need Cheap Fishing Lures? It's Easy to Make Them Yourself!

It is very easy to empty your wallet when you prepare for a fishing trip. To catch the perfect fish you need the perfect lure and, unfortunately, store-made lures are pricey. It can be enough to discourage the most enthusiastic fisherman. Perhaps you may ask, "What is the best way to get fishing lures for decent prices?" The answer is surprisingly simple: make them yourself!
Making your own fishing lures allows you the freedom and creativity to design them as you wish AND it is a great money saver. There are ample tutoring videos over the Internet, some of the materials needed to make the lures can be found around the home, and with the right molds you can be snagging bigger and better fish with fewer lures! Here are a few tips on making good, convincing lures that will snag the right kind of fish:

1. Choose the right size. Fish do not chew their food. Doing so would cause suffocation since it interferes with their gills. Instead, they swallow their food whole by grabbing, tearing it into smaller pieces, if necessary, then swallowing. It is not always the larger bait that snags the fish; it is the bait they can swallow whole with the hook.
2. Choose the right shape. Some shapes and types of bait are more appealing to different types of fish. Worms may be more attractive to certain types of fish and shad may appeal more to others. Know the fish you are going for and what they typically hunt and what looks good to them.
3. Choose the right "color." Most fish are actually colorblind, but that does not mean they cannot discern different color shades. Most of all, fish are attracted to reflected light so lures made with glittery material fare better as well as lures that are made to look realistic. But what makes them appear more realistic?

Resin molds are the cheapest molds to make, since they can be made from materials found around the house. However, they can wear out quickly and they are difficult to clean after use. Plastic molds are the same, being cheap and reliable but lacking in detail. Aluminum molds, although seemingly pricey at first, are the best and cheapest buy, over all. Not only are they easy to clean, and virtually limitless in their number of uses, they also produce factory quality bait. With aluminum molds you can make realistic lures over and over again without fear of gunk building up. A great website for purchasing aluminum molds is http://www.basstackle.com where you'll find an incredible variety of molds for different lures, safe and reliable transactions, and other gear suited to your sport. Happy fishing!

Paul David Jones, a Generation X-er, is passionate about writing, computing, animating and video-gaming! Currently pursuing a degree in Psychology, he is interested in human behavior, martial arts, and physical fitness, among other things. He currently contributes to his family's Internet Marketing Venture with his articles. You're invited to visit their website, meet the family, and learn new ways to maximize your potential as an entrepreneur! Live the dream! http://www.WeTeachYouMedia.com Thanks for stopping by!

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See my previous post:Making Fishing Lures With the Right Tackle Making Tools
 

Making Fishing Lures With the Right Tackle Making Tools

Making fishing lures with the right tackle making tools makes learning the hobby of tackle making a lot of more fun. It's true for any job when you think about it right? Use the right tool for the right job carries within it a lot of wisdom. It reminds me of how I learned this lesson in a couple different ways both of which apply to fishing.

I used to be really cheap when it came to fishing. I would head out with the cheapest rod and reel going to try my luck at landing the big one. Only to find that I spent more time messing with my equipment then I did actual fishing. Most of the time was spent unraveling tangled line in a fishing reel mishap where by the end of the day you're cursing your shoddy equipment at stealing your opportunity for a great fishing trip. Sound familiar? I best it does, I quickly learned if I wanted to improve my fishing I needed quality equipment.
The other lesson actually pertains to the subject of this article about tackle making. Back when I was a boy I used to marvel at all the lures in my tackle box and thought I would take a stab at making fishing lures. Well my first early attempts at lure making were disasters. Of course being just a young boy I didn't really have any tools nor did I know anything about tackle making but that never stops a young man at trying something he has his heart set on right?

My early wooden plugs were hand carved from some of my mothers broken broom handles and I painted them with my trusty car modeling tester paints. I remember the feeling of disappointment when I headed down to the water to try out my first wooden lure. It didn't wobble like any of my beautiful Rapala's and my paint job didn't last too long either. I think about 5 minutes into fishing the paint started peeling off and the lure landed up looking more like a wet soggy noodle then anything else.

Those 2 early lessons taught me a lot of using the right tool for the job and learning to make fishing lures is no different. Using the right tackle making tools will go along way for the beginner to turn out professional looking fishing lures. The good news is actually proper tackle making tools doesn't have to cost a lot of money. In fact a couple great tackle making books explain how you can make great tackle making tools with stuff most of us have lying around the house. Now that's good news for anyone looking to get started into this hobby.

For information about tackle making visit making fishing lures. There you can learn more great tips and information on how you can get started with the fun hobby of making homemade fishing lures.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Bolton

See my previous post:Making Wooden Fishing Lures - Are Eyes On Lures Important?

Making Wooden Fishing Lures - Are Eyes On Lures Important?

For those out there that make your own wooden fishing lures, the question is this:
"Does painting or glueing eyes on my wooden lures improve their fish catching ability?"
Everyone has their own opinion, but many seriously good lure makers argue that having prominent eyes on your wooden fishing lures will always improve catch rates. After all, fish strike at the head of baitfish, right? Fish home in on the eye, don't they?




There are definitely times when having eyes painted on your lures doesn't matter a bit.....
I consider myself a thinking angler, so I like to analyse my fishing situation and adapt. So, take the case of throwing high speed chrome lures at longtail tuna or other pelagic speedsters. Usually this style of fishing involves casting your offering in front of fast moving schools of fish that compete in packs. They don't look closely at a lure because there simply isn't time, they just smash it before the opportunity passes. Under these conditions a barrel sinker and hook cranked at full speed can be as effective as any lure and the size, shape, color or exact location of the eyes on a lure aren't important.
But, there are other times when a wooden lure with prominently painted eyes is critical to your catch rates!
Our local bass love to munch on glassfish, which are small local fish that is translucent olive in color but has prominent, silver eyes and gill covers. The eyes are often the most visible thing when these baitfish are schooling in numbers, and I custom make wooden lures that are small and olive green with big, silver eyes and gill covers. Well designed custom lures like this can work a treat when all bought lures fail to turn a scale.
Or another example: Trout and salmon feed can feed aggressively on glass eels at certain times of year. These are the transparent juvenile eels that are making their way back into fresh water after having hatched in the ocean and they can look like a big school of eyes swimming upstream! For these, I make wooden lures that are long, slender, drab colored and with prominent, oversized, eyes.
Or yet another example, this time from our estuaries. At certain times of the year black bream and sea trout feed exclusively on whitebait moving upstream from their marine nursery areas. These are slender, translucent silver fish with prominent silver eyes that are quite large for the size of the fish. Can you see a pattern emerging?
So is having large eyes on your wooden lures only important when the local baitfish have large eyes?
Good question! In my opinion it's about three things:

• the hunting habits of the fish species you are targeting,
• how much time they have to observe your wooden lure before deciding whether to take it
• whether eyes are one of the more prominent features of the local baitfish

What does all of this mean for those who make wooden lures? Well, to wrap all of this up, I can't think of a single instance when having eyes painted on your wooden lures will result in you catching less fish. But, I can think of instances where not having an eye could definitely hurt your chances of catching trophy fish. So, I'd advise putting eyes on all of your lures, and make them as big as you like!

Dr Greg Vinall has been hand crafting custom fishing lures for decades from both wood and plastic. Why? Because he's proven time and time again that custom fishing lures allow you to catch more fish, bigger fish and have a HUGE edge over competitors and fishing buddies who use off the shelf commercial lures.
Greg now shares the substantial lure making skills and knowledge that he has amassed over this time through his web site and articles.
If you found the content of this article informative and would like to receive similar wooden lure making information via email, you can subscribe to Greg's weekly wooden lure making tips by completing the online form at
http://www.makewoodenlures.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Vinall  

See my previous post:Making Wooden Fishing Lures - 5 Ways To Make Your Lures Catch More Fish

 

Making Wooden Fishing Lures - 5 Ways To Make Your Lures Catch More Fish

Wooden Lure Making: 5 Ways To Make Wooden Lures Extraordinarily Successful
So, you've made a few wooden fishing lures, huh?
And hopefully you've caught a few fish on them, right? Great!

Now if you are using a system that enables you to clone your wooden lures, you are in a strong position to tweak your creations until you have a boxful of killer lures that will out-fish anything you can buy in the shops.


Here are my top five tips for supercharging your homemade wooden fishing lures:

Tip #1: Vamp Up The Volume!

Adding some extra sound to your wooden lures is a straight forward thing to do and can greatly improve the ability of fish to find the lure, particularly in the hours of darkness, in strong currents or when the water isn't so clear.

You can make all kinds of rattles to go into your lures if you want, but the easiest way is to purchase pre-made rattles in the form of small glass tubes containing ball bearings. You'll find these in the soft plastic lures section of major fishing stores. Simply drill a hole of an appropriate size into the side of the lure, insert the rattle, fill the hole and paint as normal. Wha-la!

Rattles in wooden lures tend to be deadened a little by the wood, while rattles in hollow plastic lures are louder and sharper. I have a theory that the lower frequency sound made by wooden fishing lures is more natural to fish and gets better results.

Adding rattles sound doesn't work under every circumstance. If you are fishing in small, clear mountain creeks and lakes where fish are shy a rattle may actually cost you fish.

Tip#2: Supercharge The Stickiness!

What's a sticky wooden lure?

Ever pull a lure out of it's box and it's caught in your finger? Then it's caught in your shirt? Then your hat, a bush on the streambank, then back in your shirt? What do you suppose it will do when it's inhaled by a fish?

Choosing the right hooks can make a world of difference. Small, chemically sharpened varieties are great for fish with small bony mouths, larger heavy duty hooks are required to hold tough adversaries.

Match the hooks to the lure for best results, and don't be afraid to think outside the box, even if the result may look a little strange. For example, you may get a better action from your wooden lures by dropping down a hook size at the tail. Maybe you need heavy duty hooks for fishing around snags, but you're worried the weight will spoil the action of the lure? Consider using double hooks or snipping a point of each of your trebles to give you strength without weight. Think carefully about which point you snip off and you won't even notice a difference in hookup rates.

Tip#3: Match The Hatch!

If your target fish feed mainly on shad, don't make a bunch of long, sleek minnow style lures. You want your lures to be similar in size and shape to the shad the fish are eating. It may take a little research to find out the feeding habits of your local fish, plus you'll need to find some drawings or photographs of the baitfish so you can get an idea of shape. Google is a great friend here!

Have a look at the water you'll be fishing as this will give you some clues as to what shape and style of lure to make. Fat little baitfish generally live in slow flowing or stationary water. Long skinny fish are usually the most common bait in faster flowing water. Your wooden lures should match this profile.

Lots of wooden lures are brightly colored to take advantage of aggressive fish behaviour, but if fish are being selective you may want to have some lures in your box that have some similar colors to the baitfish. Don't feel they need to match the baitfish exactly, but if your local food species has a large black spot near it's tail, so should your lures!

Tip#4: Tweak the Trebles

Most wooden lure makers tend to fit their lures out with treble hooks, so have a good look at how they are aligned on your lure. Were you aware that treble hooks can be "left and right handed"? It's true!

Try this: take a couple of treble hooks and hold them so that the eye of one hook is in tight against the point at where the bends in the other hook all meet. Make sure both eyes are vertical. Now hold the two hooks up together and look at where the points are. Then, rotate the rear hook around 180 degrees. What do you notice?
When you attach hooks to your wooden lures you can increase the hookup rates by having the rear hook aligned so that its points travel different lines to the front hooks.

It takes 30 seconds to do, so go through your box now and fix every lure you have!

Tip#5: Boost The Bib

Try temporarily gluing bibs into some of your home made wooden lures using hot glue. I do this all the time because the bibs can usually be removed (without heat) by pushing gently but firmly sideways on them. Yet they stay in place long enough to test and develop the lures.

When I'm developing wooden lures I'll go fishing with a pocket full of pre cut bibs in different shapes and sizes, plus a file, a stick of hot glue and a lighter. Why? I can remove a bib from a test lure, try a different shape, trim one down and reshape it and generally experiment with bibs until I get one or more that give me the desired dive depth, swimming action and balance that works like magic on the fish.

Of course, once I've settled on a bib that works I'll glue it into my lures using something much stronger than hot glue!

So there you have it, five simple tricks that can take your wooden lure making to the next level! Good luck with your lure making, and remember: always keep experimenting. That's how new lures are created!

Dr Greg Vinall has been hand crafting custom fishing lures for decades from both wood and plastic. Why? Because he's proven time and time again that custom fishing lures allow you to catch more fish, bigger fish and have a HUGE edge over competitors and fishing buddies who use off the shelf commercial lures.

Greg now shares the substantial lure making skills and knowledge that he has amassed over this time through his web site and articles.

If you found the content of this article informative and would like to receive similar wooden lure making information via email, you can subscribe to Greg's weekly wooden lure making tips by completing the online form at
http://www.makewoodenlures.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Vinall

See my previous post:Small River And Stream Fishing Tips