DH LURES

2012-11-12T13:47:00.001-08:00

To make your own fishing lures, start with an old tablespoon or teaspoon. I stress old because if you filch a good spoon from the family silver set, someone’s going to be in trouble — although a silver-plated spoon would work well.Next, use a hacksaw to cut off the handle close to the spoon bowl, and file the cut end smooth. Then make a long, narrow lure from the handle by cutting it to a suitable length. Drill a one-sixteenth-inch hole near both ends of the spoon and the handle. After drilling the handle lure, add a slight twist so it will wobble, imitating a minnow.

For each lure, slip a split ring through all four holes. Split rings, swivels and hooks can be bought anywhere fishing lures are sold. At the tip end of the spoon and the narrow part of the handle, slide a swivel through the ring. At the other end of both, slide your choice of hooks through the ring. Attach the hooks using needle-nose pliers to avoid hooking your fingers.

If you paint one side of the lure with high-quality gloss paint, it will produce contrasting colors when the lure rotates in the water. Paint the lure long before you plan to use it so there will be no paint odor.

When you catch a really large fish, be sure to casually mention to anyone nearby that you caught that monster with a spoon!

update coming SOON..

2012-07-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

lot of new design's ...

one of my designs the green machine in action .

2012-03-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

GOOD TIP

2011-12-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

Where possible try to use white cedar wood for forming your lure bodies. White cedar is a light and strong wood that holds up well in water. Red cedar or other similar woods can be substituted if white cedar is not available.

Simple Spinner Bait

2011-12-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

The last and hardest to construct involves elements of both previous pieces of fishing equipment. The Spinner-Bait starts like the Top-Water Lure and is the same up to after it is carved out. Now cut a spoon as with the spoon lure but dont drill holes at the end. Rather drill a hole in the middle. Now take an eye screw and use it to attach the spoon to the scalloped end of the lure by screwing it through the hole in the spoon into the lure with the rounded side of the spoon facing and fitting snuggly into that scalloped groove. Paint all surfaces to your own design. Now screw an eye screw into the other end and attach a trebble hook with a split ring. This unique architecture gives The jitterbug lure an attractive jittering motion as it is reeled through the water as well as its name.

Simple Spoon Lure

2011-12-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

This lure is made using one spoon, two split rings, a trebble hook, your paints and some of the other tools we listed earlier. Securing the spoon in a vice, saw the handle off as close to the spoon as possible. Adjusting the spoon in the vice, first drill a hole in one end with an 1/8 inch of spoon left at the end to spare, then do likewise to the other end. Using the metal file, file off the rough edges of the sawed end of the spoon until smooth and round. Paint the spoon only on the rounded side, leaving the other side to shine in the water when used; this attracts the fish. Attach split rings at each end. Attach a trebble hook to the split ring at the larger end of the spoon only

Fishing Lure Making & Design - Eye Spots

2011-11-15T04:08:00.000-08:00

To make fishing lures that actually catch fish, you need to have a strong understanding of response triggers. A response trigger is a fishing lure characteristic that makes a predator feel compelled to strike at it. Although there are many opinions among fishing lure makers about which response triggers actually work, there is general agreement about the effectiveness of one trigger in particular - the "eye spot" (a.k.a "eyespots"). The eye spot is considered one of the single most effective triggers on a lure.
Research has shown that virtually all predator/prey relationships involve some sort of exchange of eye responses (such as making or avoiding eye contact) that sets the social order among species. Over time, the predator and prey species learn to interpret the intentions of each other by monitoring these physiological eye responses and reacting to them accordingly. For instance, a predator fish's pupils will typically get extremely small at the moment of attack while the target prey species' pupils will get very large at the same instant. Knowing that the predator fish expects its prey's pupils to rapidly dilate during the attack helps us, as luremakers, to design fishing lures that mimic this behavior and thus provide better strike triggers for the fish we are targeting. Likewise, knowing that a very small pupil is an aggressive sign that a fish is about to strike tells us we should avoid making eye spots with very small pupils because that could actually scare our target fish away!
In addition to the pupil sizes, the position of the eye in relation to the axis of the body also helps the predator anticipate the direction that the prey fish will go when it flees. Predator fish will watch the eyes of their prey and then gauge their angle of attack based on the direction the eye is facing and the level of dilation of the pupil. When the pupil gets big, it signals that the prey fish is about to flee, and the predator fish will attack at an angle that intercepts the prey fish. When you're designing lures, the pupil should always be facing in the direction of the line tie so the predator fish can anticipate the forward movement of your lure as you retrieve it and make contact with the hook during the strike.
Fishing Lure Making Tips for Eye Spots- The pupil should be large on your lures in comparison to the overall eye (see "Prey" image above)
- If you're making an eye with only one color (a single dot), the eye spot should be darker than the lure's surrounding body color
- The pupil should always face in the direction that the lure travels during retreive (on typical lures, it should face the line tie)
- The eye boundaries should be crisp and well contrasted against the lure's body color

Painting Clean Eye Spots on Lures
There are many different techniques for adding eyes to fishing lures, including stickers, stencils, brushes, and countless other techniques. Without dismissing the value of these other approaches, my personal favorite is the common "nail dropping" technique. With this technique, you literally "drop" a small dot of paint from the flat end of a nail onto the lure's surface and allow it to spread out into a perfect circle and dry. During this process, you must take care to prevent the nail from actually touching the lure...the only thing that should touch the lure is the paint! Use different size nail heads to create eye spots of different diameters and allow the paint to dry between drops.

homemade Fishing Lures

2011-11-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

Fishing lures are extremely important in fishing. As exemplified, fishing lures are needed to bag the catch of the day. Meaning, good lures are needed to have a good catch. If you are planning to indulge into this kind of activity, might as well know what fishing is.

Fishing is a form of hunting activity with the goal of trying to catch a fish. This is an ancient practice that was handed down from generation to generation. From the very simply way of catching fishes, various techniques are now emerging. To some degree, other proponents claim that fishing is already considered as one of many sports.

Tracing back the history, fishing has started during the Mesolithic Era. This is a claim that was further proven when archaeological evidences were uplifted. Fish bones, preserved fins, scales, and fish cave paintings were just some manifestations implying that sea foods have been part of ancient survival mechanisms.

Among the groups of inhabitants, Egyptians played a vital part in pronouncing the history of fishing. The gift of Nile River enabled many of them to pursue early fishing. This was clearly illustrated on tombs where fishing scenes and drawings can be found. In ancient Greek culture, fishing was also considered but did not gain much recognition from the early people.

This is where fishing started. It may be a pastime or means of survival, but the important thing here is to continue the tradition set out by our ancestors. Today, various means and techniques of fishing have emerged. There are many considerations to observe, one is the use of fishing lures.

If you are new to this activity, the very first thing that you need to learn is the different tools for different water and catch types. To simply say, this means that your lure choice would greatly depend on the setting, whether you will be going on for a fresh water fishing or on salt water. Moreover, there are also choices to consider for common targets such as bass, tout, minnow, salmon and pike. This could also determine your success rate in fishing.

Today, there is no need to go extra mile in searching for the best fishing lures, there are stores that offer different forms and types of fishing lures. There are different designs to choose from and different sizes depending on your reach. These fishing lures are reliable because manufacturers give out their best especially when their credibility is at stake. This is most true for the branded ones. The only consideration here is your willingness to stretch out your pocket and spend.

On second thought, it might not be very financially practical to own brand new sets of fishing lures. There are various options that you can choose from, you can either purchase a pre-owned fishing lures, you can borrow from a friend, and you can also rent and others. Getting an expensive fishing lures would not be always a good idea to follow. Sometimes, because of the amount of money you paid for a fishing lure set, you may even become hesitant to use it especially in a harsh condition or being afraid of casting it to rocky areas. The probability is, you are just going to display it at home or take risk in using it.

Because of people’s innovative ideas, fishing lures can now be made at home. This only requires your creativity and imagination in order to make a good one. If you find yourself getting troubled in doing it, there are many instructional manuals, guides, and tutorial videos that are widely available and offer step by step instructions that are easily understandable. The power of internet can also give you the benefit of getting an instructional medium in a short span of time. Remember, there are enormous numbers of booklet that can be bought or downloaded online. Some of them may not even charge any cent.

For the materials that will be needed, most home made fishing lure types can be made out of items that can you find at home. If you lack these, might as well go to a nearest hardware and gather the necessary materials. Some of the tools that will be needed include hammers, saws, electric drill, hand drill, pliers, snips and soldering iron.

Now that you are ready and set out in making a homemade fishing lures, all you need now is the determination to make one. The following are steps on how to make a homemade fishing lures.

For wooden lures, different types of wood can utilized. Balsa and Basswood are the common woods used to make fishing lures. But being resourceful is a great edge here; you can utilize the common wood that you can find at home. Cedar which comes in red or white can make a good quality fishing lures. Using these will enable you to carve and shape the wood easily depending on the type that you wish to make. Wood is also resilient enough to shape it easily.

After creating the design, you may now go to painting patterns. It is important to use a light color to give a favorable look. You can also look for some patterns on books or over the internet. Utilizing an airbrush is a lot more convenient aside from the great look it gives. In order to create a subtle pattern on the sides of the lure, you can also make use of used nylons. When painting, always seal your wooden plugs before doing so.

After painting, use a fine sand paper to sand down the lure. This will give a finer look and smooth to touch. Failure to do so will result to an uneven paint job. Sand papers can be found in different hardware, be sure to buy the appropriate one, a sand paper that can be used on woods. Utilizing a sand paper will help you create a better fishing lure.

The best thing about fishing is the technique in doing it. It is also advisable to make your own personalized fishing lures. This will give you comfort in using it.

jitterbug

2011-11-01T07:27:00.001-07:00

You can easily build jitterbug fishing lures when you build the wooden fishing lures. Just cut a handle off of a spoon and drill a hole in the center of the scooped part of the spoon. Attach it to the scalloped end of the wooden fishing lure and fasten the eye screw through it into the lure.

Simple Top-water Lure

2011-10-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

This lure is made of a 5-inch piece of broom handle, two eye screws, a split ring and a trebble hook. You will want to saw off a 5-inch piece of broom handle. Next, scallop one end and carve the other to gradually sloping point with a rounding head on the end. Smooth the rough areas with light sandpaper. Next, choose your color scheme. If you have chosen yellow and green you can go for a natural effect like some type of lizard might appear to look to a fish. Once painted and dried, you will want to screw an eye screw into the scalloped end of the lure in the very center; screw it in securely. In the very tip of the opposite end you will want to screw the other eye screw. On that eye screw you will want to add one split ring. On that split ring you will want to place your trebble hook. And there you have your first homemade Lucky 13 lure.

Wobbler Plugs

2011-10-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

A simple way to make wobbler plugs is to cut the head at a 45-degree angle, as shown below. However most of these plugs are made with a grooved head.

To do this, cut the plug at the same angle, then carve out the head with a rotary file mounted in a drill press or hand motor tool. If you haven't got such power tools, use a small gouge to cut out the groove.

To complete the wobbler plug you'll need three treble hooks and four screw eyes. To start the screw eye in the wood, first take an ice pick or awl and push it into the wood where the screw eyes will go to make small holes.

Then put the screw eyes into the holes and twist them in. The screw eye which goes at the head of the plug (where the fishing line is tied) is forced in "as is". Pliers can be used to screw it in.

The other three screw eyes hold hooks and if the screw eyes are closed they must be opened. Then slip a treble hook over the eye and close it.

If you want to give the plug a professional look, slip small disc or cup washers over the shank of the screw eye before you force them into the plug (see illustration below). Two treble hooks are attached below the plug and the third at the rear or tail.

Screw eyes make inexpensive simple hook hangers and are strong enough for most freshwater plugs. However, you can also use special hook hangers to attach the treble hooks.

These are small metal saddles with a stop that prevents a hook from fouling with other hooks or the fishing line on a cast, or when the lure strikes the water.

The hook hangers have two small holes on each end and are attached to the plug with small screws, as shown above.

Popping Plugs

2011-10-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

It is easy to make popping plugs, using the same plug body as the wobbler plug . You simply turn the plug around and attach the hooks on the opposite side, as shown below.

Here you do not necessarily need a grooved head. A head cut at a 45° angle will provide plenty of splash and commotion when jerked.

This plug is also made with three treble hooks. However, if you are making a smaller version of this plug for use with spinning tackle, it can have only two trebles—one at the belly and the other at the tail.

The typical popping type of surface plug is shown below. This plug has a wide, cupped head and then tapers to a narrow tail. It should be about 2 3/4 in. long with the head section l 1/8 in. in diameter and tapering to a tail about 3/8 in. thick.

This lure has one screw eye at the head in the center of the cupped head and two treble hooks, one at the belly and the other at the tail.

Because of its shape, this popping plug is most easily made when turned down on a lathe. However if you don't mind the work involved, whittle or file it down with hand tools.

Basic Lures You Can Make For Fishing In Freshwater

2011-10-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

No one is sure who made the first fishing lures for freshwater fishing. The fishing lure known as a "plug" had its origins in the distant past.

The modern wooden fishing plug had its beginnings around 1900, and in the following years several companies started to manufacture these fishing lures for black bass.

Later they made larger and stronger fishing plugs for pike, muskellunge, and salmon. Plugs are now widely used in freshwater fishing, as a look at any fishing tackle store showcase or counter will reveal.

Today there are many different types, sizes, shapes, and colors of freshwater fishing plugs on the market. The angler who wants to make his own plugs can duplicate many of the more popular models.

However, there are a few basic types, and the construction of these will be covered in this page.

To make plugs you will need wood which can be cut into small blocks and then shaped to the size and form you require.

The best all-round wood for making freshwater fishing plugs is cedar. Straight-grained white cedar is excellent since it is light, strong, and easy to work. It also stands up better in the water than most woods.

Red cedar can also be used instead of the white variety. Other woods which can be used for making plugs are basswood and birch.

Most of these woods can be obtained at a lumber yard in large blocks or round logs. They can then be sawed with a circular saw or hand saw into convenient small blocks about 6 in. long and about 4 in. square.With a wood-turning lathe or even a metal-turning lathe, for that matter, you can shape the plugs quickly and uniformly in fairly large quantities.

If you already have such a lathe, so much the better. When turning down plugs with a lathe, mount one of the wooden blocks between the centers.

Measure and mark the length of the plug you are making on the wood block with a pencil so you know where both ends will fall.

Then start the lathe and, using the wood-turning tools, shape the wood to the correct diameter, taper, and shape of the model you are copying.

After this is done take some sandpaper and sand the plug very smooth as it is turning. Then cut the finished plug off from the rest of the wood.

If you have no lathe you can turn out plugs at a fair speed with ordinary hand tools. You can whittle plugs from the softer woods with an ordinary sharp knife if you prefer to work that way.

However, a somewhat easier and quicker method is to secure the block of wood in a bench vise and then use a rasp to take off the corners. If you cut the block of wood almost the diameter of the finished plug, you will have less filing to do.

In other words, if the finished plug will be an inch in diameter, start with a block of wood of about the same diameter or a bit more. Then you only have to round off the corners with the rasp.

After using the rasp for the rough work finish shaping the plug with a wood file. Then it can be made smooth by using different grades of sandpaper.

Several basic body shapes are used in making freshwater fishing plugs. An old-time favorite is the wobbler type shown below. This plug is simple to make since it is uniform in thickness with a rounded tail and a grooved head.

It should be about 3 3/4 in. long and 3/4 in. in diameter. The dimensions given for all the wooden plugs here are the so-called "bait-casting" size.

These are fairly large freshwater fishing plugs suitable for use with bait-casting, spin casting, or spinning rods. They weigh about 5/8 of an ounce when finished.

If you want smaller fishing plugs strictly for use with light spinning tackle, make them about one third smaller than the dimensions given here.

Next we have the surface plugs which ride on top of the water and create some kind of commotion, such as a splash or ripple. One of the simplest of these surface fishing plugs is the popper type. Another type of surface fishing plug which was popular many years ago and is still a good fish getter for freshwater fishing is the collar type.

Illustrated above, yet another popular surface plug which has proven effective over the years is the propeller type. There is also a less common, but equally effective freshwater fishing lure and it is the darter type of surface plug.

The strictly underwater plug shown below is an old-time favorite of freshwater fishing consistently through the years.

The large bait-casting size in this plug consists of a body about 4 in. long, 3/4 in. in diameter, and the tail tapers to 3/8 of an inch.

The head part is round with a concave cut on top. This can easily be done with a half-round file or by holding the plug against a revolving grindstone.

If you haven't got the time or desire to turn out the plug bodies with hand tools you can order different types and sizes of finished wood bodies from some of the mail-order houses.

These wooden bodies are already shaped and sanded smooth so that all you have to do is assemble the parts, such as the hardware and hooks.

If you want to make plastic plugs, order such bodies from the mail-order houses. Some of these plastic plugs come complete, all ready for adding the hooks and other metal parts. Others come in two sections and must be cemented together.

Before making the wooden plugs described in this section, decide how you will paint or spray them.

The freshwater fishing plugs described in this page and suggestions for making them are just a starter for the ambitious do-it-yourself angler.

Many different kinds of plug can be made or created. The angler can experiment with plug weights and shapes and work out a freshwater fishing lure most suitable for the waters he fishes.

One angler may want big, strong plugs to use for such large fish as muskellunge, pike, Pacific salmon, etc. Naturally, he will use larger plug bodies, stronger, heavier hooks and heavy hardware and fittings.

Another angler may want small, light lures to use for such small fish as trout, bass, and panfish. He will make much smaller plugs and use lighter hooks and hardware.

Still another angler may want to create a plug which resembles some particular minnow or small animal which fish feed on in the waters he fishes.

All of these anglers can usually meet such demands more exactly by making or designing their own freshwater fishing lures.

Choosing a Wood

2011-10-29T15:19:00.001-07:00

The body of your wooden fishing lure is created from a rectangular block of wood that is a little bit larger than the desired finished lure size. If you are planning to make a wood lure 3-1/2" in length, you might start with a wood block that measures roughly around 3-1/2" x 1" x 1."

You can cut your wood to size using one of several different types of saws, including a bandsaw, mitre saw, a scroll saw, or a hand saw. Some suppliers sell wood in pre-cut blocks, however they usually cost more than if you buy a larger piece of wood and cut your own blocks.

Different types of wood create different types of actions in your lures when they are in the water. Soft lure woods include basswood, cedar, pine, and balsa. Harder woods are those such as oak, walnut, maple, ash, and birch.

Soft woods are lighter which gives them the ability to float, easier to cut to shape, and offer quicker action than hardwood lures. Hardwoods are more difficult to work with as far creating the lure shape you want, but they make great suspending lures

Try creating lures from both hard and soft woods and trying them out to see which you like best.

The choice you make in wood depends on the type of lure you plan to make, such as a topwater lure. You can also make your own spinners, plugs, spoons, divers and swimmers.

If you are a beginner at lure making, you might start with basswood because it is easy to work with. Most commercial fishing lures are made of basswood, red or white cedar, or balsa wood.