Handcrafting fishing lures is an immensely satisfying endeavor, not only financially but emotionally too! Crafting your own lures gives a special sense of pride and accomplishment when catching fish with them that cannot be replicated with store-bought baits.
When creating lures at home, pliers (ideally jewelers pliers ) and scissors will be essential tools and materials.
Tools
Making fishing lures on your own can save money and be an exciting way to learn new skills. While you’ll likely find many tools and materials at your local hardware store, lure making requires special supplies from manufacturers as well. These might include things such as a dual-action airbrush with compressor for more detailed paint schemes; lure blanks crafted out of balsa wood, plastic or even poured urethane; as well as screws, bills and wire forms which you will use to form line ties and hook hangers – among others!
At the outset of creating your own lures, the first step should be deciding upon your design. Next, browse online images of lures or look through magazines for some ideas; look at store-bought lures as a source of inspiration; copy their shapes. Some lures have specific functions; for instance a thin minnow lure may feature a lip on its front that makes it dart around like real minnow when retrieved; other may feature a curved body that wobbles when pulled back out. Finally, weight must also be decided upon before proceeding further with making lures!
Use a leather punch to punch holes into your bait to place split shot weight. Make sure the size matches up with what is already shown on your template for optimal results, otherwise your lure could end up not fitting its target fish size properly.
Coloration of lures is vitally important if you want to attract fish. Choose colors that work in harmony with the environment you are fishing in – brightly-hued lures work well in shallow water environments while darker blues and greens may work better when fishing deeper waters. When selecting colors for lures it is also important to take into account eye sight of target fish as some species possess great vision which won’t be fooled by fake baits.
Materials
Crafting lures yourself is an enjoyable hobby that enables you to craft exactly the bait you need for any fishing situation. Furthermore, homemade lures have proven more likely to increase catch rates since there’s something special about using something you created yourself; purchasing store-bought lures just can’t compare. From basic materials, this book will walk you through how to craft plugs, spoons, spinners, metal squids and jigs!
As your first step in crafting lures from water-resistant wood such as balsa or pine, ensure it is damage resistant and select a size corresponding to the lure you intend to create. Doing this will reduce chances of expansion or contraction when drying out occurs – potentially altering its shape and leaving an unattractive finish behind.
Once your wood has been cut to size, the next step will be sanding it to achieve your desired finish. A belt sander works best for this task; alternatively you could also opt for handheld handheld sanding tools or smaller handheld tools that you use by hand. When selecting the appropriate grit – higher grit will produce coarser edges while lower grit provides smoother surfaces – ensure it suits the type of lure you’re making; higher grits work faster while lower ones will provide smoother surfaces whereas higher grits work faster while lower grits will produce smoother more delicate surfaces if applicable to what type of lure it’s creating.
Dependent upon the lure you’re making, additional holes might need to be drilled for hooks or split rings. For a standard treble hook, plan on drilling two holes near its tail end and belly; add another closer to its front if adding tail hooks as well.
Fishing split rings and screw eyes, commonly sold as lure eyes, will also be necessary. You can easily find these in outdoor supply stores and bait shops. For optimal results, use split rings that are slightly wider than your pilot holes as this will ensure that the eye stays put even in turbulent waters.
Coloration
As part of the fun in making lures is exploring various color options. A visit to your local tackle shop or search online will show that there are thousands of choices ranging from paint and dye options, plus additional paint for creating unique lures.
When selecting the ideal fishing lure color, it is essential to take into account both your chosen environment and what species of fish you hope to catch. Different lighting conditions may alter visibility; bright lures may reflect sunlight well in clear water conditions but may be less effective during lower light environments like dusk or overcast days where bright lures won’t stand out as much against their surroundings; in such instances dark or muted lures may work more efficiently in order to blend into their surroundings and catch more fish.
Color of fishing lures also depends upon their reflection off of water surfaces and how light passes through its columns, with longer wavelengths such as those used to color lures absorbed more quickly by water than shorter wavelengths such as those reflected back to them, making them appear less vibrant – this explains why some fishermen opt for darker lures in murky conditions.
Selecting the ideal color for your lure can make a substantial impactful statement about its effectiveness. Experiment with various hues until you find one that works in your particular environment, but don’t be intimidated to experiment and try something completely novel; after all, many successful lure manufacturers began by crafting homemade lures at home to save money and test out theories.
Making fishing lures yourself is a rewarding hobby that keeps your passion for fishing alive while simultaneously developing fine motor skills through small movements. Furthermore, studies have proven that engaging in creative hobbies improves brain process, plasticity and memory retention. So get to work on your lure project! You won’t regret it.
Shape
An array of lure shapes is available to fishermen today. When fishing a murky lake, for instance, natural-colored and less flashy bait will attract more fish.
The type of fish you’re targeting will also dictate the shape and size of lure you use; for instance, bream may prefer smaller lures that resemble natural environments over loudly colored spoons. Furthermore, season can play an integral part; waterflow will have an impactful role here; for instance in creeks or rivers experiencing spring runoff conditions larger weighted bait may be required to get it moving quickly enough to catch fish quickly enough.
Not only is its shape important when designing a lure, but also the kind of hooks and components it will use are crucial factors. Some lures feature treble hooks while others may use double hooks or snap swivels. Rattle features can add even further appeal as they provide vibration and sound that help fish locate the bait more quickly.
Making lures on your own can be an extremely enjoyable and fulfilling hobby that saves money compared to purchasing them from retailers. While it requires patience in terms of waiting for glue, paint, or lacquer to cure before applying more layers, as well as time to let them sit and dry, lure making can be very satisfying when used for fishing! However, patience may be challenging at first but will eventually become second nature! However, once your first fish comes along on one you created yourself it can feel extremely rewarding; with every lure created you’ll gain confidence in producing quality products…so why not give it a try?
