Making fishing lures may be easy for the seasoned do-it-yourself angler. But the maintenance of these lures is just as important to ensure a tip-top condition.
After buying or making the fishing lures there is still the responsibility of taking care of and repairing them so that they are always in good condition. This requires some effort and time but is usually easy for the angler who makes his own fishing lures.
Since he makes them and puts them together, he also knows how to take them apart and repair them. He also has the tools and fishing lure parts necessary for such work. All the tools required to assemble the parts and make the lures are explained on this page about hand tools.
Fishing lures in general do not require much care when storing them in a home or shop. The best idea is to put them into cabinet drawers or individual boxes so that they can be found easily and can be kept dry. In humid climates or near the seashore it is important not to expose the metal parts to the air; otherwise, hooks will rust and other metals will corrode.
Fishing lures that have feathers or hair should be kept in airtight containers so that moths and other insects or small animals will not get to them. This also applies to new fishing lures that haven't yet been used. Lures which have been used require considerable care if you want to get the maximum use from them. Freshwater fishing lures usually require less care and repair than saltwater ones.
In general, when examining any fishing lure you have made or bought it's a wise policy to repair it if you are the least bit doubtful about its condition. Repairing usually means sandpapering the part of the lure body that is slightly chipped and then touching up with a small brush, using enamels or lacquers.
Replace the hooks with new ones if they are badly rusted. When doing this it is important to use the same size and weight as the old ones so that the action of the fishing lure is not changed in any way. If the damage is too bad and the lure cannot be repaired, throw it away after salvaging any usable parts.
It doesn't pay to take chances with a fishing lure that is weak in any way. You may hook a record fish but lose it if the lure is not dependable. Many anglers who buy their fishing lures in tackle stores often use them until they fall apart, before buying new ones. But if you make your own fishing lures you can afford to use only those that are still in good condition.
It is better to be safe than sorry.
Keith Lee is a practical, do-it-yourself angler and owns Make-Your-Own-Fishing-Lures.com, an info-packed website on making fishing lures. Learn how to make fishing lures at Make Your Own Fishing Lures and use it as your trusted guide on home made fishing lures.
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your newsletter or on your website so long as you leave all active links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed here.
Jack Karpawack here.I've taken to the road...Life can be simple,and life can be hard on the road, but mainly it just makes your butt hurt having to drive so far to pursue the call of... Read More
Like most fishermen my age I originally learned about spinnerbait fishing for largemouth bass with my Dad. My class room was the back of an aluminum rental boat drifting the brush flats and rocky points... Read More
Ketchikan, located in southeast Alaska, is a good place to fish for halibut. Sally and John Balch live in Ketchikan and have a favorite spot nearby to halibut fish. It's a secret spot, so don't... Read More
My young stepson and I was fishing at Rush Creek in Ohio and using the same rod and reel, line and lure. Everything was exactly the same, the problem was I had caught about a... Read More
5 Things To Be Careful of When Night FishingNight fishing can be some of the most exciting, rewarding and fulfilling fishing you ever do in your life. It can also be the most dangerous fishing... Read More
An angler should therefore become familiar with the three main senses a trout uses. These are:Smell:Trout have amazing powers of smell. For humans, trying to understand smell underwater is rather difficult since we can't do... Read More
Try doing a web search on the words "fishing lodge" and you will come up with hundreds of thousands of matches. Visit any major sports show and you'll find dozens of outfitters, each offering promises... Read More
More and more women are learning to enjoy fishing each and every day. And, why not? Fishing is a sport that doesn't require exceptional strength, stamina or height ? quite the contrary, fishing is a... Read More
For those of you that don't know, Alaska trout fishing is one of the most beautiful, most unbelievable experiences in this world. Not only are the trout big and beautiful, but the area around the... Read More
We can learn alot from kids.Last Friday, which incidently was St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec, was also the day we decided to have Grandpa's Pond day in Shady Cove, Oregon.Everything went off just as... Read More
Whether it's the peaceful and serene beauty of being on the ocean, the excitement of a Sailfish or Dolphin erupting from the water, the brute strength of a Tuna or the drag-searing run of a... Read More
Generally an oceanic species, the swordfish is primarily a midwater fish at depths of 650-1970 feet (200-600 m) and water temperatures of 64 to 71°F (18-22°C). Although mainly a warm-water species, the swordfish has the... Read More
My first experience surf fishing was with my father on Wrightsville Beach, NC in the 60's. He parked our shiny black Ford Fairlane in a gravel parking lot off the beach and we hiked over... Read More
Nothing is better than to snap a photo of your big fish that you just caught. You've spent the day out on the lake and then you feel a pull at the line. You... Read More
The true Angler Fish lives in both shallow and deep water and there is regularly confusion over their identity as either Angler Fish or Monkfish. It is more a case that there is more than... Read More
Lake trout are a type of fish that are completely different then any other fish. Those that like to go lake trout fishing, know that they are difficult to catch. Unless you know just how... Read More
When fly fishing for trout, it is of crucial importance to understand their senses. Trout are fish, after all, and make different use of their senses than we do. Understanding these senses can greatly increase... Read More
High fuel prices got you down?Imagine how most of us feel in the recreational fishing world.Let me explain.Here we are rounding into September, the time of year that all true "sport fishermen" look forward to.... Read More
Every River Tells a StoryThe next time you begin a journey or fishing expedition on one of your favorite rivers or streams, take the time to look at the surroundings (I mean REALLY look), and... Read More
The beginner must learn to look with eyes that see. Occurrences of apparently little importance at the moment may, after consideration, assume proportions of great value. The taking of an insect, for instance, may mean... Read More
Night fishing is becoming more and more popular recently, and for good reason.Not only do you get cooler temperatures, less competition and congestion for the best areas, but there are also many more opportunities for... Read More
Tide rips are one of the most common areas to fly fish for salmon at Neah Bay. I'm addicted to fly fishing tide rips for coho salmon in the saltwater. The stronger the current and... Read More
I started fishing a little lake just south of Somerset, Ohio, called Clouse Lake about 35 years ago. Matter of fact, when I first started fishing it, I fished with a fly rod. One day,... Read More
Get Rid Of SharksSharks buggin' you? To get rid of them pour some fish blood on a paper towel or newspaper and roll it into a ball. Toss it overboard and the sharks will follow... Read More
You knew it would come to this sooner or later....I was sitting in one of my favorite fishing haunts the other day, getting yet another report from a recent Alaskan fishing trip,when I overheard a... Read More
In the text below I shall try to give a short overview of some of the basics when breeding crayfish. Particular species may have other behaviours and demands. It should be said that my main... Read More
Brook Trout: Frequently gullible, yet extremely tasty, Brook Trout are wonderful trout to fish for - especially since they frequently inhabit the most beautiful stream settings in the U.S.The Brook Trout was originally found in... Read More
Picture this; you've spent some time hiking into a small stream in the back country. It's early morning, mist is rising and the midges that have been swarming around you are breakfast for the small... Read More
Brown trout fishing can prove very challenging. This is due in part to the fact that brown trout are smart fish. They tend to feed at dusk or at night. They do put up a... Read More
As Forrest Gump would say, you never know what you're going to get.Not too many things get me more excited than the prospect of hooking and landing big fish. The mere thought of setting the... Read More
As the landscape of the World Wide Web changes at lightning speed, so do many online trends. Communication and the exchange of information have become instantaneous and the rate at which we can find and... Read More
One of the most versatile of all lures, the grub mimics baitfish better than almost any other soft plastic bait, and they can be fished many different ways and all year round.A grub's fat short... Read More
For Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating or cycling in all kinds of weatherCommunication in the wilderness is a matter of survival, as well as convenience. Before even leaving home, communications must begin. In fact, our first... Read More
Competition between offshore and inshore anglers has skyrocketed within the last few years. As the competition increases, so does the need for fishing teams to differentiate themselves and stand out from other teams. To do... Read More
Good Fly PresentationObviously, the goal when casting a fly is to present the fly to the fish in a realistic manner. You are trying to simulate nature here. If you are going for trout in... Read More
Fishing Fishing |