tackle making...do you do it yourself?

[derwood]

hello gents,<br /> i put up this post because i am interestid to see how many of us go into the art of fishing with gear we have made ourselves. when i go to wally wourld i see all kinds of stuff that " big fishing brother" has put out for us to buy. alot of it is crap! fishing IS an art. alot of pepole tie thier own flys, truely and art and gaurded carefuly by some. fishing line, hooks and reels excluded...what do you do as part of the art of fishing that you take pride in makeing yourself. i have made my own bobbers a few times, and tried to tie a fly once (don't ask how that came out) but when i asked myself this question i had to say not much. aside from makeing something out of need, i could not think of anything. i personly think that alot of new grafite poles are ugly and have no pride put into thier building. there are a lot of crappy, shrink wraped, weak eyed, cheap, visualy unapealing, over priced fishing rods out on the market today. i noticed this when i went into my closet and found that 80% of my fishing poles are more than 20 years old. they had enough pride in building to last this long and still looked like someone put a little love into hand wrapping the rod guides on with string in artful patterns to make them unique. all have cork handles that my granfather and others thought enough of to give a good coat of linseed oil to keep them in one pice and good condition. i made a few balsa bobbers with natural wood finish' and a little bright paint that got a few good comments as well as working just like they were made to. so i have decided to take up rod building. i have talked to a man at a bait shop that builds his own rods (very nice) and am asking him to apprentice me. a good rod is a good thing, but dose it have to be so utilatarian in nature that it is almost disposable. where is the pride in this? dose anyone feel this way to? i'm just curious. all comments welcome. <br />derwood

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

UHHH Geee, I have replaced more than one rod guide. So far I have found myself too busy fishing to actually make something. I do pride myself on a certian amount of ingenuity on some things like rod holders and other accessories but that comes from a lack of funds to get what I want and having to make it versus buy it. As far as fishing lures, or other tackle I buy it it is easy and saves time. I even buy my flies from the shop versus making my own.

 

[DTB]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

I tie my own flies, for trout and salmon I love it more often than not the flies I tie work better than the store bought ones I have yet to try my bucktails out but will post with thier effectiveness

 

[martyscher]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

If others are like me, time, or lack of, often dictates how much we can spend on the whole fishing hobby (or obsession). I can barely make it to the lake, as it is. <br /><br />Personally, I like the composite materials, including graphite rod and reels, especially the low priced stuff (Ugly stik and reel for $29). They are durable and (mostly)maintenance free.<br /><br />Some are cheap enough that if a guide breaks, just upgrade to a better rod. Agreed that much of the discount-store lures, trolling rigs, etc. are gaudy and many times overpriced.<br /><br />I'm new to trolling and find I don't like losing expensive rigs. I am considering building my own, if I find the components.<br /><br />If people have the time and inclination to build (and use) their own tackle, then that is very cool also. <br /><br />Enjoy.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

i have put together a kit to make inline spinners for trout fishing, since the mepps & comparable lures are @ $3ea around here. i've only made a few and they seemed to do just as well. but then, i haven't gone trout fishing but 2-3x since i made em. i do plan on making more/diff sizes as soon as i get other 'projects' finished. i'm using all gold/brass stuff since i've had the most success with those colors.

 

[steve forsythe]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

I tie all my own rigs for Kingfish or other saltwater species. They are custom, done right, and i use a little smaller components that most manufacterers. It does take a lot of time though!

 

[crab bait]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

when the time is rite,, we use alotta jiggin'lures.. those 'crippled herring' 'swedish ****le' metal lures & such.. we call 'em 'heavy metals' there's nothin' to 'em,really... an they are pricey.!! i was walkin' around a flea market one time ( on my top 10 lists of enjoyable things ).. an always run across tons & tons of old silver ware, well ss steel ..it's junk to me.. who about the stuff & walk on by it.. one day i came up on the stuff & a lite bulb went off in the ole' noggin... i bought a mess of spoons & butter knives cheap.. cut the handle off the spoons & made ' spoons out of 'em.. drill a small hole for leader,( insert a circle...) an cut the knive blades back some & drill a hole.. turn it into a 'heavy metal.. it's fun stuff......

 

[crab bait]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

WOW !! really wild .. it **** on my word.. really wild.. the word is what teens get on there face.. a blemish .. an it *** me.. guess it took it the wrong way..

 

[DaleT]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

Crab Bait, I do the exact same thing, every time I use 1 the other people in the boat just laugh, until I catch something. I also make my own crawler harnesses, leaders, wooden 'hula poppers' and other items as well. The last few years our winters have been on the warm side so the ice hasn't been thick enough for fishing, for me anyways, and that gives me three or four months to fool around with different ideas. It's very relaxing and it does save 'some' cash.

 

[derwood]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

sounds like alot of us are in the same boat. im always riggin up something out of need or because i think i have a better way to do it to make it work for my particular situation. <br /> lately i have been noticing a trend twords mass producing everything, kinda like music, it dose'nt have to sound good, as long as it makes you dance its accepted. and thats all fine with me, heck, i buy it just like anyone elese but i miss the artful side of it.<br /> well made, visualy pleaseing, quality fishing tackle is an endangerd spices to most of us. there are alot of very good, well made fishing poles out on the market, but just try and buy a hand made, bueatiful, balenced fly rod with out spooning out a lung or kidny.<br /> i've seen the prices for G.loomis and others in cabelas. good fishing equipment like that is geared for the rich in my opinion. i certainly don't have 300 smackers to lay down on a fly rod, but i can make one just as good or better for far less and put my own personal love into it with all of the visualy appealing things that i think should be on a fishing pole.<br /> this is just my opinion and as soon as you start selling things like this it gets exspencive to the one buying it, unless you do it for pleasure and not for profit. its my exsperiance that if i go to the trouble to make something artful anyone who wants it will just tell you that they can get it at wall-mart cheaper and just as good. but they realy can't, they just are buying something that works well and was mass produced without blood, sweat and tears. and there is not a darn thing wroung with that, i just want to have something well made, visualy appealing and unique without haveing to sell my car for it.<br /> I was just curious if anyone elese felt this way and if so what they were doing about it.<br /> last year i made some pistol grips for a guy that my brother knew. he saw some other grips that i had done for a few pepole and he said he wanted me to make some for him. i told him that i was not a gunsmith and it would take me a little while to get them right so that they would look good and also work well. he brought me this pistol that looked like he just mugged a crackhead. it was filthy and had flat, scrached, clear plex-glass grips with a purple pice of consruction paper under each one for color.<br /> baddddd, baddddd, terribal, awful and did not shoot well at all because it would not sit in your hand right. so nice guy that i am i cleaned (and cleaned,and cleaned) this pistol, got some real nice pumkin colored paduke from a shipping crate from my freind and started to work.<br /> after two weeks he had a pistol that shot well and had some fine grips that after a good oil coating turned a plum wine color. very, very nice. i did not ask to get paid for it, i just did it because i wanted to. he was pissed that it took two weeks and peeled out in my driveway after he got it back, what a jerk. i have not made anything for anybody since. now i am getting the itch.<br />derwood.

 

[pedrobenet]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

if you are interested in making your own tackle don't miss mudhole tackle in Orlando beach - they're on the web - Pedro

 

[bKelly]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

I have made a few wood crank baits (Beever on Stick zen style) . I couldnt find what I wanted so I made it. I also take those mass produced crank baits and sand the finnish off them and repaint them the way i want them. There is a lake here that the bass will hammer a white crankbait w/ a black scale back and an orange belly. They will just look at anything else and pass it up. I now a guy who helps me with custom spinner and buzz baits, he makes them I have just had some ideas on how I wanted mine. My favorite rod is a custom rod, love it!<br /><br />Tight Lines and Solid Hooksets

 

[harrison20002]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

derwood; Glad you posted this thread, I thought I was the only one who did things like this. It seems I can decorate most any "Christmas Tree" in a Lake and the price of Flashers wasn't going down so I got a catalog from Janns Netcraft in Ohio and sent for about 60 bucks worth of components. When I got through making them up I had $300. worth of Flashers,[retail}.<br /><br />The first time we tried them out, my wife and I caught 5 Rainbows from 2# to 3 1/4#. I was sold on the idea of making my own tackle so now I'm thinking of trying my hand at rod building. Will let you know how I make out.<br /><br />The web site for Janns is: www.jannsnetcraft.com They will send a catalog.<br />Merry Xmas and good fishin', Hal

 

[Ross J]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

I also like to make or repair my own equipment. The latest being an old snapper rod from the turn of the century. Native timbers used throughout along with much brass fittings. It took a lot of time and was originally a gift from a family friend who was going to toss it out. OK I begged them to give it to me. They had no interest in it.<br />Now it gleams and sits in my bedroom. All it wants to do is catch one more snapper!<br />I have taught myself to repair or make most things I need on my boat as the price is usually prohibitive down here for more than the basics.<br />Ross

 

[DJ]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

About the only thing I've ever done was make lead head jigs and flies. I use the tail fur of deer and old tire weights for the lead. <br /><br />Best part about these, is that you can make something that no one else has tried. Sometimes they're just the ticket and other times, not.<br /><br />They sure are cheap to make though.

 

[trollhole]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

I make a lot of my own spoons. But thats it.

 

[JB]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

Ahoy, Anglerwood.<br /><br />I "make" a lot of my lures by cusomizing some of the best spinners and spinnerbaits.<br /><br />My favorite starts life as a Mepps Aglia, #5.<br /><br />I remove the hook/skirt and add tandem trebles a size larger, with spinnerbait skirts on each. Makes a good esox lure that is easier to cast and has much more action on slow retrieve. I have caught many big smallmouth bass and walleyes on them, too.

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

I make my own spinners for bottom bouncing<br />walley . Ive lost so many blades and clasps,<br />beads. etc; to them toothy critters, especially pike.I now make the leaders out of wire ,the fish dont seem to care. and saves my favorite rigs<br />from deep 6'n.

 

[cts122]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

I build my own rods and tie my own fly's. I do this for fun and because I don't have the money to buy new rods and tackle all the time. I have found that I can build a rod that retails for $500, for about $250. As for flys, I do a lot of fishing for Steelhead during the fall and I can go through maybe 10 flies a day. That can add up really quick at $1-2 per fly. Most trout flies can be easily learned to tie and necessary tools can be acquired for a minimal amount. For any hunters out there save the hides of animals taken for they make good fly tying materials and save you money.

 

[93evinrude]

Re: tackle making...do you do it yourself?

Here is a link to an excellent Canadian company that's very popular for those making their own tackle that may be worth checking out as they ship internationally and with the dollar the way it is......<br /> http://www.luremaking.com/