Making Wooden Fishing Lures For Beginners

When I was a boy I wanted to try my hand at making wooden fishing lures. I remember how I used to marvel at all the lures in my tackle box and wonder at how to make fishing lures. So without any experience or anyone to help me I tried to make my own homemade fishing tackle. Let's just say my first few attempts didn't quite turn out. That's why I decided to write this article on making wooden fishing lures so that you can avoid making the same mistakes I did when I first tried.
My first attempt at making homemade fishing tackle went like this if I remember correctly. I grabbed on old broken broom from my mom's closet and did my best at hand carving out a very rough looking fishing lure. I didn't know anything about what wood selection, sealing the wood or proper painting techniques I just wanted to make my own homemade fishing tackle. Back then there wasn't anyone to help me, no internet just plain trial and error.

Once I had sanded the wooden lure into shape and used some of my dads eye screw from his tool box and attached a few hooks I took my car modeling testor paints and gave that fishing lure the best minnow paint job that would make any 12 year old boy proud. I remember heading down to the lake and trying her out when I was finished. What a disaster! The fishing lure didn't wobble like the other wooden lures in my tackle box and my paint job lasted all of 5 minutes before it began to peel and curl and hang off my homemade fishing tackle like a wet soggy noodle. I was broken hearted. Wow making wooden fishing lures was a lot harder then I had hoped.

In retrospect how to make fishing lures isn't actually difficult it just takes some proper consideration and technique. The tools needed do not have to be complex and you don't have to spend a lot of money. In fact a lot of fishing lure making jigs can be constructed from old scraps lying around and they will do as good of a job as any fancy spinner wire making jig around.

Here are a couple quick tips on making wooden fishing lures.

1. Proper Wood Selection. While you can craft out a lovely looking crankbait from your mom's or wife's old broom handles it isn't exactly the best choice. Most wooden baits in our tackle box are made from balsa or basswood. However not a lot of people have access to these kinds of woods so easily without either having to travel to an exotic wood store or through special order. So what's a guy to do? Well, take a tip from antique lure collectors. There's a lot of great lures back in the old days that used red or white cedar. These woods make excellent wooden lures and are a lot more accessible for the average hobbyist how wants to learn how to make fishing lures.

2. Seal the Wood Before you Paint.I know that for a lot of wood projects you often seal and varnish the wood when you're done to protect it. This isn't the best option when it comes to painting a professional job on your wooden lure. By sealing the wood with a couple light coats before you paint you make the job of painting a lot easier. Great lure painting comes with practice but you will find it is a lot easier to get even coats if you seal the wood before you paint. Also after sealing make sure to sand the lure one more time before painting. Sometimes sealing the wood raises the grain a bit, even if you can't feel or see it. By sanding after sealing with using fine grade sandpaper you help to lower that grain and make it even. Again making it easier to get a nice even coat of paint.

Making wooden lures isn't a terribly difficult task but it does take some thought and technique to turn out a lure that is going to rival any rapala you have in your tackle box. There's a lot more to learning how to make homemade fishing tackle and it's best to read more about the subject before trying. That way you'll save yourself the same experience that I had when I was a boy trying to make wooden fishing lures.

For information about tackle making and get some great tips visit homemade fishing tackle. There you will find a lot of great information and resources to help you get started in this fun hobby of making fishing lures.

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


see my previous post :
How to Make Fishing Lures

How to Make Fishing Lures

How to make fishing lures is one of those hobbies that is extremely fun to learn and very satisfying. There's no feeling that can describe catching your first bass or trout on a fishing lure that you made all by yourself. The problem is there isn't a lot of information out there in learning how to make fishing lures. Most people start off in the hobby through a lot of trial and error. I was no exception to this. Back when I was a boy I used to marvel at all the fishing and experience for a 12 year old boy, trying to carve out fishing lures out of your mom's lures in my tackle box and wonder at how fishing lures were made.
My first few early attempts at making fishing tackle didn't quite turn out. In fact the results were down right hilarious. Back then there wasn't hardly any information about how to make fishing lures at all, so everything had to be learned through experience broom sticks and painting them with your car modeling testor paints. I still remember running down to the water with my first fishing lure that I had made. It didn't wobble, I think the paint job only lasted a few minutes before starting to peel and hang off my lure like wet noodles. But it sure was a lot of fun.

Today learning how to make fishing tackle doesn't have to be like back when I was boy. Even though there isn't a ton of information available the art of making fishing lures has come a long way to helping the beginner.

The first step is having a basic knowledge of fishing tackle, design and function and knowing of what lure making supplies you really need. After that the fun can begin as you try your hand at making fishing lures. Here are a couple quick tips to help you out in making wooden fishing lures.

* 1. Most wooden lures in your tackle box are made of a few different types of wood. Balsa and Basswood are the most common woods used to make fishing lures. However you can make some really great fishing lures out of more common wood found in you local home improvement store. Cedar makes some great fishing lures and you can use both red and white cedar. I have had great success using both. They carve and shape fairly easily and due to the woods water resiliency finish up nicely.
* 2. Easy Ready to Go Painting Patterns. Did you know you can use your wife's or mothers used nylons to get some great patterns on your fishing lures without a lot of fuss. By using an airbrush you can take advantage of some of the patterns on used nylons to make some great subtle patterns on the sides of wooden fishing lures just make sure to use an old pair or you just may find yourself in the dog house if you use your wife's best Sunday nylons.
* 3. Always seal your wooden plugs before painting. This was something I didn't even know to do when I was a boy during my early fishing lure making attempts. It may sound like a small tip, but it goes a long way to making some nice fishing lures. Just use some wood sealer from your local home improvement store but here the crucial tip. After doing so sand down the fishing lure once more using very fine sandpaper, or even a brown paper bag. Wood sealers have a tendency to raise to raise the grain in wood, and this would result in an un-even paint job. It doesn't take a lot of time to do, but it helps to create a better looking fishing lure.

There's a lot more that can be shared about how to make fishing lures, and for most the best way to start learning is to jump in and start having some fun. I would suggest however to get the most from your first few tackle making attempts is to learn a little more about this fun hobby.

For more information about how to make fishing lures visit tacklemaking tips. There you will find a lot of great information and useful information on how to get started in this fun hobby.

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


see my previous post :
Trout Fishing Lures - Tips On Which Ones To Use To Guarantee Success

Trout Fishing Lures - Tips On Which Ones To Use To Guarantee Success

There are countless different kinds of trout fishing lures which you can experiment with as you progress toward becoming a master angler, and which lure you use will depend on the type of trout, where you are fishing and the fishing conditions, and the time of year. Broadly speaking, however, trout fishermen typically use whichever fishing lure they are most comfortable with but also which lure the trout appear to be going after on the day so remember to arrive with a variety of lures and be flexible.



Trout fishing conditions change because of insect hatches and other natural food sources that the trout are most exposed to. Since trout are known as "easily-spooked" fish, you need to replicate the natural environmental factors at any given time found in the habitat you are fishing in. One great tip is to ask at the local bait shops which lures they are finding the most success with.

Let's consider a few of the variety of lures available to you.

Spoons are popular trout fishing lures because they come in all sizes and thickness. Early-season trout might demand thicker spoons because they are in deeper, faster water, while a thinner spoon works better in calmer waters, later in the season. Spoons cast easier than other types of lures, so you can cover more water in a shorter amount of time.

Spinners are popular trout fishing lures to consider as well. They are known to run deep, making them perfect for early season fishing. They are available in a variety of sizes, but a general rule of thumb is to consider a tiny 1/32 ounce lure with 2 pound test in smaller creeks, a 1/16 to 1/8 ounce spinner in mid-sized streams and move up to heavier 8 pound test line and a 1/4 ounce spinner in the deeper and faster waters.

Minnow plugs are popular lures because they resemble a natural food source of the trout. You will need to mimic the size of the local minnows that are found in the stream you are fishing in; generally, however, smaller minnow plugs are the best. That means you should keep the length below 5 inches and it can be best to use minnow plugs that are 2 to 3 inches long in almost any trout stream.

Flies are a category of trout fishing lures that encompasses a large number of styles, colors and sizes. When you are fly-fishing, there are different techniques you need to learn because you are imitating the natural insect hatch, which is their favorite food source. There is a wide variety of flies to choose from and there are many avid fishermen that "tie" their own flies. You can find kits for building your own trout flies at sources that cater to trout fishermen.

As you can see, there are many different choices when it comes to trout fishing lures. The secret is to find the ones that offer the best results for the conditions where you are fishing. Call on the expert advice of experienced anglers and educate yourself to accelerate your results and you will soon find that your results are more reliable and consistent than ever before.

Jerry Worden is a trout fishing expert. To learn secrets on how to become consistently successful in your trout fishing and selection of trout fishing lures and to obtain a Free Trout Fishing Secrets mini-course, visit http://www.troutfishingsecretsthatwork.com/ now.

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


see my previous post :
How to Make Plastic Fishing Lures