LURE LOVE!!!
By Montana Grant

Posted: November 6, 2022

Everyone that has ever fished thinks about making a new Super Lure that will catch fish. Stranded survivors have used anything shiny, sharp, flashy, and trashy to attract a fish to bite.

As a kid, my brother and I were checking out the freshly stocked pond, where we planned to start on opening day. The pond was full of big rainbow and Brook trout. Normally, we would toss in small sticks and rocks to see the fish chase our attractors. I also found beer can zip tabs. When we through them into the water, the trout went crazy! The shiny tabs fluttered and flashed to excite the fish.

When we got back to camp, I pulled out a bunch of tabs and we began to create our Super Lures. Fine copper wire was perfect for attaching the tabs to the right sized hooks. The next day, both of us limited out on our Zip Tab Specials. Fishermen around us were getting skunked as our Super Lures did their job.

Lure crafting is a fun way to save a few bucks, be creative, and hook up your buddies with some new ideas. You can use wood, metal, rubber, or… Check the local regulations to make sure that your idea is legal.

Fisherman have been carving, shaping, and molding lures since fishing began. Wood carving is especially fun. Once you have the right size and shape, you can paint the lure to match whatever bait fish, mouse, or…. that you need.

Lead is a great medium to work with. Not only can you melt and shape lead into lures, but you can also make your own sinkers, weights, and anchors. Tire weights are perfect to use and often free. You can buy molds or craft your own using stone or wood forms. Civil War soldiers often used lead bullets to shape weights and jigs.

Like fly tying, you need some accessories, but fishermen are always looking to get more stuff.

The best homemade lures, that work, are loaded with the best and sharpest hooks. You can get treble or single hooks that are colored, and acid sharpened. In the right conditions, a plain colored hook can generate a bite.

Winter and after hunting season are a good time to reload your tackle boxes with new super lures. Small jigs can have flies tied onto them. Shad darts can be dressed in colored bucktail or impala tail. Jigs can be shaped and sized in many variations. European nymphs for fly fishing are jig flies.

There is something special about using your own flies, lures, and gear. Your personal investment makes the sport more fun and creative. With Winter just around the corner, make plans to find your lure crafting niche!

Lure away!

Montana Grant

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