Creating your own fishing lures can be a fun and rewarding hobby. The basic premise is simple: create something that a fish would want to eat and put a hook on it. But the materials that can be used in DIY lure-making are as diverse as the fish in the sea.
Natural Materials
If you've ever read the back of a Rapala fishing lure box, you know the story. The first Rapalas were hand-whittled by a fisherman so that he could troll with a hand line while waiting for his nets to fill. While it's a good story, wood is actually one of the more difficult natural materials to work with when making your own fishing lures.
You need to be a skilled woodcarver to make an attractive wooden lure. And even if you carve a great, lifelike wooden minnow, wood's buoyancy makes fishing at any significant depth with a wood lure difficult. Furthermore, wood lures will rot after a season or two unless they're expertly sealed and painted.
Deer antlers are about as easy to work with as wood in terms of cutting the material and being able to affix hooks and eyelets. Although they're somewhat harder than wood when it comes to making detailed carvings, antlers are a good material for fishing lures because they're less buoyant and more naturally water-resistant. They also add a rustic "outdoorsy" look to your tackle kit.
Other natural materials like fur and feathers can be used to good effect to dress up a lure. Where a store-bought lure might use a plastic or rubber-like skirt on a jigging lure, you can opt for the organic look of a tuft of deer fur or a brightly-colored feather. In general, any natural item you might find in a fly-tying kit can also be incorporated into lures for casting and trolling purposes.
Synthetic Materials
If you want to stray from natural components, you can once again turn to a fly-tying kit. Synthetic furs and feathers can be used to good effect on lures. Regular spinners, jigheads and skirts from your local sporting goods retailer can also be the basis for homemade lures. However, if you put a rubber skirt on a pre-painted jighead and clip on a spinner, you're really not making your own lure at all anymore--you're simply putting together a few store-bought components.
Craft stores are also great for finding unique fishing lure components--beads, colored string, small decorative items and googly eyes all have their potential uses in making lures.
Hardware
Most of the hardware for your lure can be found in your favorite sporting goods store. Treble hooks and swivels are must-haves. The best weighting mechanisms can also be found in the fishing section in the form of split-shot sinkers (be careful if working with lead sinkers.)
Small eyelets for connecting your line can be found in a hardware store or specialty lure-making supply store.
Finishing Touches
You may think the obvious final step is to paint your lure. However, it's often easier and better-looking to make your lure out of materials that are the colors you want in the first place. Many paints don't hold up well in water. If you do feel the need to use a paint or coating, look to a hobby or hardware store for waterproof paints and clear coats. Nail polish is also an option. If you use any chemicals or coating on your lure, give it at least 48 hours to dry before you try it out, otherwise you risk polluting whatever body of water you're fishing in.
Whether you use natural or synthetic materials, the most important elements used to create your own fishing lures will be creativity and a clear sense of what you're going to use the lure for (what type of fish or what depth.)
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