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.
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Friday, 12 November 2010
Best Lure - What is the Best Fishing Lure?
Is there one fishing lure that's better than all the others? In other words what is the best lure? I think it would be impossible to say what the best lure is with all of the options available, but it would be possible to determine the best lure in a few categories of fishing lures. In this article I'm going to list the best lures in each of the categories listed. Armed with this information, you will be able to make a much more informed decision when searching for your next fishing lure.
Top Water - Top Water fishing lures are just what their name suggests. Fishing lures that are fished on top of the water. Top water lures produce some of the most exciting strikes imaginable. Catching fish with top water lures is, without question, as enjoyable as fishing gets. So what is the best lure when it comes to top water fishing? There are some great choices: the Zara spook, the classic popper, the slug-O, and many more. But the best lure in the top water arena has to be the Original Jitterbug.
Minnow Imitations - Minnow imitations are incredibly popular fishing lures and determining the best lure in this family of lures is a tall order. Minnow imitations are obviously fished below the surface. These lures are obviously designed to look like minnows. Again there are many great choices: the Storm minnow-stick, Uncle Buck's minnows, Blu-fox Vibrax minnow, plus many more. The best lure among all of the minnow imitations has to be the Rapala Original Floating Minnow.
Spinner baits - Spinner baits are kind of a combination between a jig and a spinner. These baits are incredible popular for bass fishing. When it comes to bass fishing lures, these lures can be as good as it gets. Spinner baits are also good baits for other predatory fish like northern pike. Because these particular fishing lures are so unique, yet simple it's impossible to pick a particular kind of spinner bait.
Shad Imitations - Shad imitations are most popular among bass fishermen and are extremely effective in lakes in the southern United States where shad are a very plentiful forage fish. Just as with Spinner baits, shad imitations are most popular among bass anglers. Some of the more popular shad imitations are: the Northland Mimic Minnow Shad, the Shad Rap, and Strike King King Shad. The most realistic shad imitation and the best lure in the shad imitation family of fishing lures is the Kick Tail minnow.
Hopefully this article gave you some insight into the wild and crazy world of fishing lures. When it comes to fishing lures, picking the best lure is all but impossible. This article broke the various fishing lures down into families and then picked the best lure within each family. The ones we picked as the best have all been proven to be effective through more than 50 years of combined fishing experience.
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Top Water - Top Water fishing lures are just what their name suggests. Fishing lures that are fished on top of the water. Top water lures produce some of the most exciting strikes imaginable. Catching fish with top water lures is, without question, as enjoyable as fishing gets. So what is the best lure when it comes to top water fishing? There are some great choices: the Zara spook, the classic popper, the slug-O, and many more. But the best lure in the top water arena has to be the Original Jitterbug.
Minnow Imitations - Minnow imitations are incredibly popular fishing lures and determining the best lure in this family of lures is a tall order. Minnow imitations are obviously fished below the surface. These lures are obviously designed to look like minnows. Again there are many great choices: the Storm minnow-stick, Uncle Buck's minnows, Blu-fox Vibrax minnow, plus many more. The best lure among all of the minnow imitations has to be the Rapala Original Floating Minnow.
Spinner baits - Spinner baits are kind of a combination between a jig and a spinner. These baits are incredible popular for bass fishing. When it comes to bass fishing lures, these lures can be as good as it gets. Spinner baits are also good baits for other predatory fish like northern pike. Because these particular fishing lures are so unique, yet simple it's impossible to pick a particular kind of spinner bait.
Shad Imitations - Shad imitations are most popular among bass fishermen and are extremely effective in lakes in the southern United States where shad are a very plentiful forage fish. Just as with Spinner baits, shad imitations are most popular among bass anglers. Some of the more popular shad imitations are: the Northland Mimic Minnow Shad, the Shad Rap, and Strike King King Shad. The most realistic shad imitation and the best lure in the shad imitation family of fishing lures is the Kick Tail minnow.
Hopefully this article gave you some insight into the wild and crazy world of fishing lures. When it comes to fishing lures, picking the best lure is all but impossible. This article broke the various fishing lures down into families and then picked the best lure within each family. The ones we picked as the best have all been proven to be effective through more than 50 years of combined fishing experience.
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Thursday, 11 November 2010
How to Use a Trout Fishing Lure
In this article I'm going to outline how to use a trout fishing lure. A trout fishing lure could be a rooster tail or any small spinner, a small spoon, small minnow imitation, or any other small lure used for trout fishing. From my more than 25 years of trout fishing experience, I've noticed some things that really cost people bites. In this article I'll explain some of those mistakes and how to avoid them.
The first thing to keep in mind when trout fishing is that trout have very keen eyesight and tend to live in cold clear water, therefore very light fishing line should be employed. Many anglers use fishing line that's much too heavy when fishing for trout. This is a huge mistake. Not only can line that's too heavy effect the action of the trout lure itself, if the trout can see your line you will get many fewer bites. I personally use and suggest using four pound test or lighter, but six pound test line is also passable.
The net step in learning how to use a trout fishing lure is to never use snap swivels. You know those swivels that simply snap apart for easy access? Do not use snap swivels to attach your trout fishing lure to your line. As a matter of fact, if you have any snap swivels for any type of fishing, throw them away. Nothing will ruin the action of a fishing lure like our friend the snap swivel. Either tie your lure directly to your line or use a barrel swivel with a twelve to eighteen inch 'leader' (piece of line). Incidentally this is the best way to rig a trout fishing lure. Take the end of your line and snip off a 12-18 inch leader and set it aside. Now tie a small barrel swivel (size 10 to 12) to the end of your line. Now take your leader and tie it to the opposite end of the barrel swivel. Now, tie your trout fishing lure to the leader. This is how to rig your trout fishing lure.
Now for how to use the trout fishing lure that you just rigged up. For the most part you don't want to simply cast your trout fishing lure out and reel it back in. The goal is to make your lure appear injured or otherwise different than any actual prey that swims in the water that you're fishing. A good trick is to "snap" your rod tip as you.re reeling your trout fishing lure in. In other words, make your trout fishing lure look as much as you can like wounded prey.
Varying the speed of your retrieve is a good idea as well. I'm referring to varying your speed within each individual retrieve. Many times if a trout is following your lure, and that lure suddenly speeds up (as if it's "trying to get away"), many times the trout will strike. It's never a bad idea to make sure that you're fishing when the trout are the most active as well. This can make a huge difference in bite rates and can be as important as which trout fishing lure you choose to employ.
Another tip is to allow your trout lure time to sink before reeling it in. Many times the closer to the bottom the lure is, the more success you will have. Trout tend to hang out near the bottom, especially in river and stream situations. As any "flea flicker" will tell you, this isn't at all true when a hatch is going off, but that's neither here nor there. In any case what was just described is how to use a trout fishing lure.
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The first thing to keep in mind when trout fishing is that trout have very keen eyesight and tend to live in cold clear water, therefore very light fishing line should be employed. Many anglers use fishing line that's much too heavy when fishing for trout. This is a huge mistake. Not only can line that's too heavy effect the action of the trout lure itself, if the trout can see your line you will get many fewer bites. I personally use and suggest using four pound test or lighter, but six pound test line is also passable.
The net step in learning how to use a trout fishing lure is to never use snap swivels. You know those swivels that simply snap apart for easy access? Do not use snap swivels to attach your trout fishing lure to your line. As a matter of fact, if you have any snap swivels for any type of fishing, throw them away. Nothing will ruin the action of a fishing lure like our friend the snap swivel. Either tie your lure directly to your line or use a barrel swivel with a twelve to eighteen inch 'leader' (piece of line). Incidentally this is the best way to rig a trout fishing lure. Take the end of your line and snip off a 12-18 inch leader and set it aside. Now tie a small barrel swivel (size 10 to 12) to the end of your line. Now take your leader and tie it to the opposite end of the barrel swivel. Now, tie your trout fishing lure to the leader. This is how to rig your trout fishing lure.
Now for how to use the trout fishing lure that you just rigged up. For the most part you don't want to simply cast your trout fishing lure out and reel it back in. The goal is to make your lure appear injured or otherwise different than any actual prey that swims in the water that you're fishing. A good trick is to "snap" your rod tip as you.re reeling your trout fishing lure in. In other words, make your trout fishing lure look as much as you can like wounded prey.
Varying the speed of your retrieve is a good idea as well. I'm referring to varying your speed within each individual retrieve. Many times if a trout is following your lure, and that lure suddenly speeds up (as if it's "trying to get away"), many times the trout will strike. It's never a bad idea to make sure that you're fishing when the trout are the most active as well. This can make a huge difference in bite rates and can be as important as which trout fishing lure you choose to employ.
Another tip is to allow your trout lure time to sink before reeling it in. Many times the closer to the bottom the lure is, the more success you will have. Trout tend to hang out near the bottom, especially in river and stream situations. As any "flea flicker" will tell you, this isn't at all true when a hatch is going off, but that's neither here nor there. In any case what was just described is how to use a trout fishing lure.
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Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Fishing Lures - Types and Tactics
I've always found fishing lures to be fascinating, often beautiful little things. With their colorful and shiny designs, it can be easy to ignore the purpose of such lures. Yet they do have a purpose, one for which they are named, and that is to lure and catch fish on their hooks. Lures are attached to the ends of fishing lines and are designed to mimic the appearance and movement of something a fish might like to eat. Once the fish bites, it is caught, and the lure has done its job. What is amazing is the sheer variety of lures on the market. There is a reason fishermen carry huge tackle boxes-it is to store and convey the wide variety of lures considered necessary to the pastime.
Fishing lures have been used for thousands of years. The Chinese and Egyptian cultures were using such lures as much as 4000 years ago. Ancient fishing lures were often made of bone with hooks of bronze. Over the past few millennia, fishing lures have come a long way, evolving and mutating into the vast array of models available to the modern fisherman. The first modern commercial fishing lure was developed in the United States in the early 20th century. Since then, the product and its market have expanded exponentially. It would be impossible to cover every kind of fishing lure available today, so only a few of the more common will be discussed here.
A jig consists of a lead sinker with a hook molded to it, accompanied by a soft body that will attract fish. Jigs can be used to create a jerky, vertical motion, as opposed to come other lures, which move horizontally through the water. Jigs are versatile: they can be used in both salt and fresh water and to attract many different species of fish.
A spinnerbait is characterized by one or more metal blades shaped like propellers. When the lure moves horizontally through the water, these blades spin and flash. Such movements mimic those of a small fish, which attracts larger ones.
Surface lures are different from those mentioned above in that these lures are designed to rest atop the surface of the water. There, they waddle, pulse, twitch, pulse, and perform a number of other small motions, all of which imitate fish's surface prey. Such prey includes mice, lizards, frogs and insects. Surface lures usually have wooden bodies and carry one or more hooks.
Spoon lures are a simple design of lure, consisting of an oblong, concave piece of metal that resembles the bowl of a spoon. The metal reflects light, and when pulled through the water, the lure moves randomly in the manner of a small fish.
Artificial flies, as their name implies, are designed to resemble the insects that fish prey upon. Flies are used in fly fishing, or angling. While most forms of fishing rely on the lure's weight to pull the line from the real, artificial flies are not heavy enough to do this. Angling, therefore, relies on the weight of the line to cast the fly.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for sweatpants, sweatshirts, outdoor gear, sports clothing, and model motorcycles. Click here when you want to find sweatpants, sweatshirts, outdoor gear, fishing lures.
Fishing lures have been used for thousands of years. The Chinese and Egyptian cultures were using such lures as much as 4000 years ago. Ancient fishing lures were often made of bone with hooks of bronze. Over the past few millennia, fishing lures have come a long way, evolving and mutating into the vast array of models available to the modern fisherman. The first modern commercial fishing lure was developed in the United States in the early 20th century. Since then, the product and its market have expanded exponentially. It would be impossible to cover every kind of fishing lure available today, so only a few of the more common will be discussed here.
A jig consists of a lead sinker with a hook molded to it, accompanied by a soft body that will attract fish. Jigs can be used to create a jerky, vertical motion, as opposed to come other lures, which move horizontally through the water. Jigs are versatile: they can be used in both salt and fresh water and to attract many different species of fish.
A spinnerbait is characterized by one or more metal blades shaped like propellers. When the lure moves horizontally through the water, these blades spin and flash. Such movements mimic those of a small fish, which attracts larger ones.
Surface lures are different from those mentioned above in that these lures are designed to rest atop the surface of the water. There, they waddle, pulse, twitch, pulse, and perform a number of other small motions, all of which imitate fish's surface prey. Such prey includes mice, lizards, frogs and insects. Surface lures usually have wooden bodies and carry one or more hooks.
Spoon lures are a simple design of lure, consisting of an oblong, concave piece of metal that resembles the bowl of a spoon. The metal reflects light, and when pulled through the water, the lure moves randomly in the manner of a small fish.
Artificial flies, as their name implies, are designed to resemble the insects that fish prey upon. Flies are used in fly fishing, or angling. While most forms of fishing rely on the lure's weight to pull the line from the real, artificial flies are not heavy enough to do this. Angling, therefore, relies on the weight of the line to cast the fly.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for sweatpants, sweatshirts, outdoor gear, sports clothing, and model motorcycles. Click here when you want to find sweatpants, sweatshirts, outdoor gear, fishing lures.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Big 5 Vintage Fishing Lure Companies - Who Are They?
One of the first things a person new to the world of vintage fishing lure collecting will hear about are the so called "Big 5" companies that dominate the news about the pastime. Knowing who these companies are (or were) and a little bit about them will go a long way towards alleviating any fears of someone new to the hobby who is feeling intimidated by all of the information available online.
The Heddon Company
The Heddon Company was created by James Heddon, the man who is given credit for the invention of the first artificial wood fishing lures in 1894. The often repeated story is that he had his light bulb moment when he tossed a hand carved wood plug into the waters of the Dowagiac, Michigan mill pond and watched as a bass struck it. With this insight an industry was born. The original lures were frogs hand carved from broomsticks by Heddon himself. The lures were originally made by hand in the Heddon family kitchen located in Dowagiac, Michigan, but by 1910 there was a new factory in Dowagiac and expanding sales.
The Lucky 13, Punkinseed, River Runt, and the Meadow Mouse are a few examples of this classic brand.
Creek Chub
Creek Chub was founded in 1910 by three friends in Garrett, Indiana. The company is named after the creek chub, which is a small fish commonly used for live bait by fishermen.
Henry Dills created Creek Chub's first lure, The Wiggler, which had a metal lip that caused the lure to wiggle in the water leading more fish to strike it. Another early lure was the Pikie minnow. This bullet-shaped lure had more than one variation available, allowing for choices on the amount of movement in the water desired. The Open Mouth Weedless, later renamed the Open Mouth Shiner is another early lure. These lures were designed to be weed proof and featured long-shanked double hooks facing backwards so they would drag over snags without hanging on them. Open Mouth Weedless lures are a hard to find vintage fishing lure and all three of these are great examples of Creek Chub vintage fishing lures and collector's items.
One of Creek Chub's most important innovations in the lure industry was the process of spray painting lures by spraying the paint through netting. Paint applied to this netting (originally from ladies' hats!) was used to create the now common scale patterns on Creek Chub lures. Creek Chub was a very innovative company in other areas as well. Their early adoption of the use of glass eyes on lures and the invention of the weedless bait mentioned above are great examples of this spirit of innovation. Creek Chub also held numerous other patents related to lure improvements.
Pflueger
Ernest F. Pflueger founded the Enterprise Manufacturing Company in 1881 making fish hooks. When his son took over the business in 1906, it changed names to the E.A. Pflueger Company. During this time, Pflueger was the first company to open up commercial production of wooden fishing lures. The company would also grow from being only a hook maker to all areas of fishing gear. As competition in the industry became more fierce the company began to focus more on reels than lures.
Two of the lures that the company started with were the Flying Helgramite and the Luminous Crystal Minnow lure. These are two very vintage fishing lures from Pflueger that incorporate the founding E. Pflueger's invention of a luminous lure paint.
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, Jr. founded his company in 1897 with a first product that wasn't a fishing lure. He started out with reels before expanding into the lure market. Shakespeare began making fishing lures around 1900 and the first catalog was issued shortly after that containing only four lures: the Revolution, Bucktail, Evolution and a Frog. The Shakespeare Revolution is one of the most collectible of the Shakespeare vintage fishing lures. Many of Shakespeare's early products were rubber lures, including rubber frogs that mimicked real life motions of a frog when in the water. A very rare collector's item is the Shakespeare Tournament Casting Frog, which is a prize find for any vintage Shakespeare fishing lure enthusiast.
South Bend Bait Company
South Bend was founded in the early 1900's by F.G. Worden of South Bend, Indiana.
Worden had already been selling his Bucktail baits since 1894 prior to the official company founding. These bucktail baits were wooden minnow shaped lures that were invented and popularized by Worden. The South Bend Bait Company also made the famous Oreno fishing lures. The Oreno was also a minnow shaped lure and would become a popular long term seller for South Bend. The Bass Oreno, which started production around 1915 and was still in production into the mid 1960's, was the most popular South Bend bait. Another popular vintage South Bend lure is The Vacuum Bait which can be quite hard to find and is a nice collector's item.
Use this information
Now that you know more information about the "Big 5" go and start using this knowledge to build your collection. Try going to a local fishing tackle show or event and with this starter information you will feel capable of holding your own in an initial conversation and start the network that will help you build your collection. Or if you want to go online to browse around for more information or to find out how to find items online, visit the website in the author box below
Vintage Fishing Lures is the source for more information about collecting vintage fishing lures. There you will find information about the top companies and manufacturers being collected, why and how to get started collecting, and where to find vintage lures to add to your collection.
The Heddon Company
The Heddon Company was created by James Heddon, the man who is given credit for the invention of the first artificial wood fishing lures in 1894. The often repeated story is that he had his light bulb moment when he tossed a hand carved wood plug into the waters of the Dowagiac, Michigan mill pond and watched as a bass struck it. With this insight an industry was born. The original lures were frogs hand carved from broomsticks by Heddon himself. The lures were originally made by hand in the Heddon family kitchen located in Dowagiac, Michigan, but by 1910 there was a new factory in Dowagiac and expanding sales.
The Lucky 13, Punkinseed, River Runt, and the Meadow Mouse are a few examples of this classic brand.
Creek Chub
Creek Chub was founded in 1910 by three friends in Garrett, Indiana. The company is named after the creek chub, which is a small fish commonly used for live bait by fishermen.
Henry Dills created Creek Chub's first lure, The Wiggler, which had a metal lip that caused the lure to wiggle in the water leading more fish to strike it. Another early lure was the Pikie minnow. This bullet-shaped lure had more than one variation available, allowing for choices on the amount of movement in the water desired. The Open Mouth Weedless, later renamed the Open Mouth Shiner is another early lure. These lures were designed to be weed proof and featured long-shanked double hooks facing backwards so they would drag over snags without hanging on them. Open Mouth Weedless lures are a hard to find vintage fishing lure and all three of these are great examples of Creek Chub vintage fishing lures and collector's items.
One of Creek Chub's most important innovations in the lure industry was the process of spray painting lures by spraying the paint through netting. Paint applied to this netting (originally from ladies' hats!) was used to create the now common scale patterns on Creek Chub lures. Creek Chub was a very innovative company in other areas as well. Their early adoption of the use of glass eyes on lures and the invention of the weedless bait mentioned above are great examples of this spirit of innovation. Creek Chub also held numerous other patents related to lure improvements.
Pflueger
Ernest F. Pflueger founded the Enterprise Manufacturing Company in 1881 making fish hooks. When his son took over the business in 1906, it changed names to the E.A. Pflueger Company. During this time, Pflueger was the first company to open up commercial production of wooden fishing lures. The company would also grow from being only a hook maker to all areas of fishing gear. As competition in the industry became more fierce the company began to focus more on reels than lures.
Two of the lures that the company started with were the Flying Helgramite and the Luminous Crystal Minnow lure. These are two very vintage fishing lures from Pflueger that incorporate the founding E. Pflueger's invention of a luminous lure paint.
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, Jr. founded his company in 1897 with a first product that wasn't a fishing lure. He started out with reels before expanding into the lure market. Shakespeare began making fishing lures around 1900 and the first catalog was issued shortly after that containing only four lures: the Revolution, Bucktail, Evolution and a Frog. The Shakespeare Revolution is one of the most collectible of the Shakespeare vintage fishing lures. Many of Shakespeare's early products were rubber lures, including rubber frogs that mimicked real life motions of a frog when in the water. A very rare collector's item is the Shakespeare Tournament Casting Frog, which is a prize find for any vintage Shakespeare fishing lure enthusiast.
South Bend Bait Company
South Bend was founded in the early 1900's by F.G. Worden of South Bend, Indiana.
Worden had already been selling his Bucktail baits since 1894 prior to the official company founding. These bucktail baits were wooden minnow shaped lures that were invented and popularized by Worden. The South Bend Bait Company also made the famous Oreno fishing lures. The Oreno was also a minnow shaped lure and would become a popular long term seller for South Bend. The Bass Oreno, which started production around 1915 and was still in production into the mid 1960's, was the most popular South Bend bait. Another popular vintage South Bend lure is The Vacuum Bait which can be quite hard to find and is a nice collector's item.
Use this information
Now that you know more information about the "Big 5" go and start using this knowledge to build your collection. Try going to a local fishing tackle show or event and with this starter information you will feel capable of holding your own in an initial conversation and start the network that will help you build your collection. Or if you want to go online to browse around for more information or to find out how to find items online, visit the website in the author box below
Vintage Fishing Lures is the source for more information about collecting vintage fishing lures. There you will find information about the top companies and manufacturers being collected, why and how to get started collecting, and where to find vintage lures to add to your collection.
Monday, 8 November 2010
The Best Fishing Lures For Bass Fishing
In this article I'm going to list the best lures for bass fishing. The lures are being listed in no particular order as it would be impossible to say that one bass fishing lure is the "most effective". All of these lures are effective for bass fishing and if any of them aren't a part of your bass fishing repertoire, they should be. These lures are definitely the best lures for bass fishing.
When I use the term 'bass fishing' I'm referring mainly to the twp most popular species of bass, large and small mouth bass. All of the bass fishing lures listed in this article can be used for both species. The key is to use smaller versions of whichever lure you choose when fishing for smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass obviously have smaller mouths and therefore eat smaller prey than their large mouthed cousins.
Here are the lures that every bass fisherman should have access to:
Plastic Worms & Grubs - Plastic worms have long been known as a great lure for fishing. Plastic worms can be rigged in a variety of manners such as the Carolina rig and the Texas rig. Plastic worms are most effective for largemouth bass. Plastic grubs are normally rigged on a lead head jig. Grubs are normally thought of as smallmouth bass bait. A great breakthrough in the plastic grub and worm market are Berkley's Gulp and Power products. These products are just like the plastics that you're used to except for the fact that the have been impregnated with fish attractants. Gulp grubs and worms are extremely effective lures for bass fishing.
Crank Baits - Crank baits are extremely and versatile bass lures. In most cases these lures are made to imitate bait fish and are fished in a variety of manners. An important thing to remember about crank baits is the more realistic the look in the water, the more effective they will be. Rapala and Bagley make very realistic crank baits that work for both species of bass. One of the most realistic and effective of the bass fishing lures on the market today is the KickTail Minnow. This lure looks as much like a live baitfish as any bass lure that I've ever seen.
Top Water Lures - Top water lures are very effective when fishing for either species of bass, especially in the early morning or late evening. One of the keys to fishing top water lures is for the water to be as flat as possible. The more the water is like glass, the better luck you will have when fishing top water lures. Some great choices are the Jitterbug and the Pop-R. Fishing for bass with top water lures is a ton of fun and as exciting as fishing gets.
The bottom line is that the 3 lures above are 3 of the best lures for fishing for bass. If any of them aren't a part of your fishing arsenal, add them sooner rather than later. You'll be glad you did.
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 25 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his five year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana! Get Fishing Tips & Techniques Twice A Month For FREE - http://www.jrwfishing.com/signup.html
When I use the term 'bass fishing' I'm referring mainly to the twp most popular species of bass, large and small mouth bass. All of the bass fishing lures listed in this article can be used for both species. The key is to use smaller versions of whichever lure you choose when fishing for smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass obviously have smaller mouths and therefore eat smaller prey than their large mouthed cousins.
Here are the lures that every bass fisherman should have access to:
Plastic Worms & Grubs - Plastic worms have long been known as a great lure for fishing. Plastic worms can be rigged in a variety of manners such as the Carolina rig and the Texas rig. Plastic worms are most effective for largemouth bass. Plastic grubs are normally rigged on a lead head jig. Grubs are normally thought of as smallmouth bass bait. A great breakthrough in the plastic grub and worm market are Berkley's Gulp and Power products. These products are just like the plastics that you're used to except for the fact that the have been impregnated with fish attractants. Gulp grubs and worms are extremely effective lures for bass fishing.
Crank Baits - Crank baits are extremely and versatile bass lures. In most cases these lures are made to imitate bait fish and are fished in a variety of manners. An important thing to remember about crank baits is the more realistic the look in the water, the more effective they will be. Rapala and Bagley make very realistic crank baits that work for both species of bass. One of the most realistic and effective of the bass fishing lures on the market today is the KickTail Minnow. This lure looks as much like a live baitfish as any bass lure that I've ever seen.
Top Water Lures - Top water lures are very effective when fishing for either species of bass, especially in the early morning or late evening. One of the keys to fishing top water lures is for the water to be as flat as possible. The more the water is like glass, the better luck you will have when fishing top water lures. Some great choices are the Jitterbug and the Pop-R. Fishing for bass with top water lures is a ton of fun and as exciting as fishing gets.
The bottom line is that the 3 lures above are 3 of the best lures for fishing for bass. If any of them aren't a part of your fishing arsenal, add them sooner rather than later. You'll be glad you did.
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 25 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his five year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana! Get Fishing Tips & Techniques Twice A Month For FREE - http://www.jrwfishing.com/signup.html
Sunday, 7 November 2010
How to Carve Fishing Lures
Most people when they decide to get into learning how to make fishing lures at home have done so because of the wonder that is a crankbait. I know I marveled over the contents of my tackle box many times wondering at how those wooden fishing lures were made. I remember trying my hand at it when I was a boy with no help from anyone just plain trial and error in trying to figure out the lost art of tackle making.
Most people when they decide to get into learning how to make fishing lures at home have done so because of the wonder that is a crankbait. I know I marveled over the contents of my tackle box many times wondering at how those wooden fishing lures were made. I remember trying my hand at it when I was a boy with no help from anyone just plain trial and error in trying to figure out the lost art of tackle making.
Learning how to carve fishing lures is something that isn't difficult to learn and here's a few tips to help you so that your first wooden fishing lures turn out as professional looking as the main brand name crankbaits.
Most wooden fishing lures are made of Balsa or Basswood, but that's not to say you can't make a really fine looking crankbait out of such woods as white and red cedar and others. In fact it was only about 30-40 years ago that a lot of top quality wooden lures were made from these woods. So if you don't have access to Balsa or Basswood then give white or red cedar a try, I'm sure you will like the results.
I like to use my scroll saw for the rough in of the crankbait before I get into the carving and shaping out the details. Now using a scroll saw may take a little more finesse then a small band saw, so if you have a bandsaw then use that, I don't so I use my trusty scroll saw. The trick is to draw on the wooden blank the lures profile both side and top profiles so that when you cut the rough shape out with either your band saw or scroll saw you have a real blocky looking crankbait.
From this stage how to carve fishing lures can take a couple different directions. Some like to hand carve out the rough shape into something more refined, others like to use wood rasps and the like to achieve the same thing. For me it depends on my wood choice if I'm using the easier to carve woods like Balsa and basswood, I'll whip out my swiss army knife and whittle out my block rough crankbait into a more refined shape. If I'm using cedar then I might use a combination of rasps and knife work in my tackle making process. Either way the idea is to round off the edges and start to bring the crankbait alive.
Once the shape is basically formed then it's time for sanding. A lot about wooden fishing lures and learning how to make fishing lures at home depends a lot on your skills at fine sanding. Once sanded and shaped then it's time for sealing the wood and painting and finishing the crankbait. The topic of how to carve fishing lures really is beyond the scope of this article and the person wishing to get into tackle making should look up some more material on websites and books to learn more but hopefully these few tips will give you some ideas.
Learning how to carve fishing lures is something that isn't difficult to learn and here's a few tips to help you so that your first wooden fishing lures turn out as professional looking as the main brand name crankbaits.
Most wooden fishing lures are made of Balsa or Basswood, but that's not to say you can't make a really fine looking crankbait out of such woods as white and red cedar and others. In fact it was only about 30-40 years ago that a lot of top quality wooden lures were made from these woods. So if you don't have access to Balsa or Basswood then give white or red cedar a try, I'm sure you will like the results.
I like to use my scroll saw for the rough in of the crankbait before I get into the carving and shaping out the details. Now using a scroll saw may take a little more finesse then a small band saw, so if you have a bandsaw then use that, I don't so I use my trusty scroll saw. The trick is to draw on the wooden blank the lures profile both side and top profiles so that when you cut the rough shape out with either your band saw or scroll saw you have a real blocky looking crankbait.
From this stage how to carve fishing lures can take a couple different directions. Some like to hand carve out the rough shape into something more refined, others like to use wood rasps and the like to achieve the same thing. For me it depends on my wood choice if I'm using the easier to carve woods like Balsa and basswood, I'll whip out my swiss army knife and whittle out my block rough crankbait into a more refined shape. If I'm using cedar then I might use a combination of rasps and knife work in my tackle making process. Either way the idea is to round off the edges and start to bring the crankbait alive.
Once the shape is basically formed then it's time for sanding. A lot about wooden fishing lures and learning how to make fishing lures at home depends a lot on your skills at fine sanding. Once sanded and shaped then it's time for sealing the wood and painting and finishing the crankbait. The topic of how to carve fishing lures really is beyond the scope of this article and the person wishing to get into tackle making should look up some more material on websites and books to learn more but hopefully these few tips will give you some ideas.
How to carve fishing lures isn't really all that hard and can be quite fun to learn. To learn more about how to make fishing lures visit tackle making tips.
Most people when they decide to get into learning how to make fishing lures at home have done so because of the wonder that is a crankbait. I know I marveled over the contents of my tackle box many times wondering at how those wooden fishing lures were made. I remember trying my hand at it when I was a boy with no help from anyone just plain trial and error in trying to figure out the lost art of tackle making.
Learning how to carve fishing lures is something that isn't difficult to learn and here's a few tips to help you so that your first wooden fishing lures turn out as professional looking as the main brand name crankbaits.
Most wooden fishing lures are made of Balsa or Basswood, but that's not to say you can't make a really fine looking crankbait out of such woods as white and red cedar and others. In fact it was only about 30-40 years ago that a lot of top quality wooden lures were made from these woods. So if you don't have access to Balsa or Basswood then give white or red cedar a try, I'm sure you will like the results.
I like to use my scroll saw for the rough in of the crankbait before I get into the carving and shaping out the details. Now using a scroll saw may take a little more finesse then a small band saw, so if you have a bandsaw then use that, I don't so I use my trusty scroll saw. The trick is to draw on the wooden blank the lures profile both side and top profiles so that when you cut the rough shape out with either your band saw or scroll saw you have a real blocky looking crankbait.
From this stage how to carve fishing lures can take a couple different directions. Some like to hand carve out the rough shape into something more refined, others like to use wood rasps and the like to achieve the same thing. For me it depends on my wood choice if I'm using the easier to carve woods like Balsa and basswood, I'll whip out my swiss army knife and whittle out my block rough crankbait into a more refined shape. If I'm using cedar then I might use a combination of rasps and knife work in my tackle making process. Either way the idea is to round off the edges and start to bring the crankbait alive.
Once the shape is basically formed then it's time for sanding. A lot about wooden fishing lures and learning how to make fishing lures at home depends a lot on your skills at fine sanding. Once sanded and shaped then it's time for sealing the wood and painting and finishing the crankbait. The topic of how to carve fishing lures really is beyond the scope of this article and the person wishing to get into tackle making should look up some more material on websites and books to learn more but hopefully these few tips will give you some ideas.
Learning how to carve fishing lures is something that isn't difficult to learn and here's a few tips to help you so that your first wooden fishing lures turn out as professional looking as the main brand name crankbaits.
Most wooden fishing lures are made of Balsa or Basswood, but that's not to say you can't make a really fine looking crankbait out of such woods as white and red cedar and others. In fact it was only about 30-40 years ago that a lot of top quality wooden lures were made from these woods. So if you don't have access to Balsa or Basswood then give white or red cedar a try, I'm sure you will like the results.
I like to use my scroll saw for the rough in of the crankbait before I get into the carving and shaping out the details. Now using a scroll saw may take a little more finesse then a small band saw, so if you have a bandsaw then use that, I don't so I use my trusty scroll saw. The trick is to draw on the wooden blank the lures profile both side and top profiles so that when you cut the rough shape out with either your band saw or scroll saw you have a real blocky looking crankbait.
From this stage how to carve fishing lures can take a couple different directions. Some like to hand carve out the rough shape into something more refined, others like to use wood rasps and the like to achieve the same thing. For me it depends on my wood choice if I'm using the easier to carve woods like Balsa and basswood, I'll whip out my swiss army knife and whittle out my block rough crankbait into a more refined shape. If I'm using cedar then I might use a combination of rasps and knife work in my tackle making process. Either way the idea is to round off the edges and start to bring the crankbait alive.
Once the shape is basically formed then it's time for sanding. A lot about wooden fishing lures and learning how to make fishing lures at home depends a lot on your skills at fine sanding. Once sanded and shaped then it's time for sealing the wood and painting and finishing the crankbait. The topic of how to carve fishing lures really is beyond the scope of this article and the person wishing to get into tackle making should look up some more material on websites and books to learn more but hopefully these few tips will give you some ideas.
How to carve fishing lures isn't really all that hard and can be quite fun to learn. To learn more about how to make fishing lures visit tackle making tips.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Make Your Own Fishing Lures - A Time Honored Craft For the Serious Angler
Image via WikipediaI love crafting, especially woodworking. I am equally, if not more, passionate about fishing. One truly rewarding experience is the combination of two things I love, which is creating homemade wooden fishing plugs. You, too, can enhance your fishing experience: make your own fishing lures!The incredible experience of creating your own handmade wooden fishing lures is hard to beat. If you love fishing, you'll find that landing a catch using a lure you made yourself is an event that is hard to beat.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating your own wooden fishing lures.
1. Homemade Lure Wood Choices
You have the option of using a softwood or a hardwood. Softwoods, such as balsa and basswood, create a buoyant lure so that it will float. The softwoods are easier to work with, and the resulting lure offers more action in the water. Other popular lure softwoods are red and white cedar.
Hardwoods are usually harder to work with as far as shaping and cutting, but they have many of their own benefits as well. Hardwoods can be used to make suspending lures. Typical lure hardwoods include oak, birch, walnut, and maple.
2. Handmade Fishing Lure Equipment and Supplies
You'll find that the hobby of making your own fishing lures requires little in the way of supplies and equipment. The largest investment is your time, and if you enjoy crafting, it is time well spent. Here's a general supply list:
* Scroll saw, drill, carving or whittling knife
* Wood
* Lure Hardware (screw eyes, split rings, treble hooks, acrylic if creating a lip)
* Sandpaper, masking tape
* Permanent marker and paper
* Wood sealer, paint, marine varnish, and wood filler
* Miscellaneous supplies such as pliers, paint brushes, etc.
3. Endless Lure Possibilities
You can vary every lure you make so that no two are alike. Keep in mind, though, if you create only one copy of a truly hot and successful lure and it gets lost, you may find yourself wishing you had a digital photo image of that specific lure or some specific notes on how you made it.
You can vary the lure by wood choice. You can choose whether to place a weight inside the plug body. You can change the action of the lure based on its shape and the hardware used. You can change up the lure appearance by the detailing and paint used.
4. Budget Minded Fishing Tackle
You can easily "assembly line" your lure making, making several at one time, which is very practical since all the materials are out and available.
If you make your own fishing lures, you can have several on hand in case one gets lost, or dare I say it, hung in the trees. Nothing is worse for an angler than losing his last lure just when the fish start biting, but buying up several extra "have on hand" commercial lures gets expensive.
5. The Rewards of Lure Testing
If you make your own fishing lures, by all means, you must test them. That is where the big fun and reward comes in.
So hit the hobby room, spend a weekend cranking out several homemade fishing plugs, and get to the lake. Analyze which lures work well, making notes on types of fish caught, time of day, the weather, and so forth.
You'll be an expert lure maker in no time, and oh, the sweet rewards of catching fish using your own lure creations. Happy angling!
Get more info on how to make your own fishing lures. Make them for yourself, as gifts for friends, and you might even consider making homemade lures to sell! Check out more great tips and tricks for anglers and crafters at Handcraft Market.
Friday, 5 November 2010
Choosing the Right Bass Fishing Lure
Choosing the right bass fishing lure at the right time to catch the right bass can be one of the most difficult things to do. Let's face it there are hundreds of different lures in hundreds of different colors and sizes. What lure are you using to catch bass may be the most asked question when you are out fishing. At the very least we tend to keep one eye on what bass lure the competition has tied to the end of their rod.
If you are serious about catching bass you most likely have three or more rods already set up with your favorite lures ready to cast into that weed bed or drop off. One with your favorite spinnerbait, one with your favorite top water lure and your favorite crankbait and probably a fourth one with that favorite plastic worm rigged up in your favorite style. We choose these bass fishing lures because they are the basic year round successful bass fishing lures around.
Using spinnerbaits is easy and fast, covering a lot of water at many different depths to find and attract the bass. Keep in mind that bass are schooling fish and once you get a strike you can fish out the area using the other baits of your choice. Fish it fast with the spinnerbait and crankbait then drop in your plastic worm with a little finesse and wiggle.
Crankbaits is another easy and fast fishing lure to catch bass with and if I had to choose just one fishing lure for my tackle box it would be a lip-less crankbait. I would choose the rattle noise making kind of crankbait. I would also choose one of the basic food chain colors, chartreuse, chrome, crawfish brown, or shad lures. Know what kind of bait is common in the lake or river you are fishing in and go with those colors. I was just at the sporting goods store and cannot believe the myriad of different colors available. I have a hard time fishing with a hot pink or lime green fishing lure for bass. Give me a bait fish or crawdad color and let's catch bass. Make sure you have more than one color and a tackle box full of your favorite. Nothing irks me more than losing the one lure that is catching bass and not having a back-up.
My all time favorite lure is the Rapala 6 inch shad color floating topwater cigar shaped bait. I get overly confident with this bait and even though I catch a lot of bass with it I many times over fish it and miss bass I would have caught had I chosen a different lure. Of course having confidence in your selection of lure for the conditions you are fishing is an important aspect in catching bass. However, when they are not hitting on the lure you have chosen then by all means choose another bass lure until you find the sweet spot.
On a final note, choose the right bass lure for the conditions you are fishing. If the waters are muddy then the bass will be feeding by sound then use a rattle crankbait or Colorado blades on your spinner bait in a copper or painted blade. In clear waters a good bright silver is best. Don't just throw on any old lure out there but choose the best bass lure for the clarity of the water and the type of food available in other words, give some thought to where and what to fish with.
"Remember even a bad day fishing is better than any day working unless your work is fishing then every day is a good day!"
Dennis has been fishing mainly for bass for over 45 years. His website http://www.bassfishingfundamentals.com is loaded with great stuff for fishing. Dennis has started a great new web 2.0 site dedicated to Bass Fishing complete with videos, forum and chat go here My Bass Fishing Space
If you are serious about catching bass you most likely have three or more rods already set up with your favorite lures ready to cast into that weed bed or drop off. One with your favorite spinnerbait, one with your favorite top water lure and your favorite crankbait and probably a fourth one with that favorite plastic worm rigged up in your favorite style. We choose these bass fishing lures because they are the basic year round successful bass fishing lures around.
Using spinnerbaits is easy and fast, covering a lot of water at many different depths to find and attract the bass. Keep in mind that bass are schooling fish and once you get a strike you can fish out the area using the other baits of your choice. Fish it fast with the spinnerbait and crankbait then drop in your plastic worm with a little finesse and wiggle.
Crankbaits is another easy and fast fishing lure to catch bass with and if I had to choose just one fishing lure for my tackle box it would be a lip-less crankbait. I would choose the rattle noise making kind of crankbait. I would also choose one of the basic food chain colors, chartreuse, chrome, crawfish brown, or shad lures. Know what kind of bait is common in the lake or river you are fishing in and go with those colors. I was just at the sporting goods store and cannot believe the myriad of different colors available. I have a hard time fishing with a hot pink or lime green fishing lure for bass. Give me a bait fish or crawdad color and let's catch bass. Make sure you have more than one color and a tackle box full of your favorite. Nothing irks me more than losing the one lure that is catching bass and not having a back-up.
My all time favorite lure is the Rapala 6 inch shad color floating topwater cigar shaped bait. I get overly confident with this bait and even though I catch a lot of bass with it I many times over fish it and miss bass I would have caught had I chosen a different lure. Of course having confidence in your selection of lure for the conditions you are fishing is an important aspect in catching bass. However, when they are not hitting on the lure you have chosen then by all means choose another bass lure until you find the sweet spot.
On a final note, choose the right bass lure for the conditions you are fishing. If the waters are muddy then the bass will be feeding by sound then use a rattle crankbait or Colorado blades on your spinner bait in a copper or painted blade. In clear waters a good bright silver is best. Don't just throw on any old lure out there but choose the best bass lure for the clarity of the water and the type of food available in other words, give some thought to where and what to fish with.
"Remember even a bad day fishing is better than any day working unless your work is fishing then every day is a good day!"
Dennis has been fishing mainly for bass for over 45 years. His website http://www.bassfishingfundamentals.com is loaded with great stuff for fishing. Dennis has started a great new web 2.0 site dedicated to Bass Fishing complete with videos, forum and chat go here My Bass Fishing Space
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Bass Fishing Lures - Why Bass Bite
If you're interested in bass fishing lures, it's necessary to explore some of the reasons why bass bite. Is there one feature that makes one bass fishing lure better than another? There are many features to bass fishing lures but the most important by far is realism. The more realistic your bass fishing lure the better. In other words the more your lure looks like the quarry the bass normally eats, the better.
So what types of quarry do bass normally eat? Live crayfish, minnows, shad, lizards, small rodents, frogs, and almost any other aquatic quarry that they can fit into their mouth. The most popular of these aquatic quarries (depending on the lake or river system) are probably crayfish, minnows, frogs, and shad. In many lakes shad are amazingly abundant and a major food source for bass.
The more that your bass fishing lures look like the quarry they normally eat the more success you will experience. This is why top water lures that mimic frogs and minnows are so effective in flat water conditions. Any seasoned bass angler knows how effective (and fun) top water bass fishing lures are to use in the right situations. The main reason for this is because top water lures that mimic frogs or bait fish appear so much like the real thing to the bass when the bass is looking up through the water at the lures silhouette.
So what about other bass fishing lures, where the bass sees said lure in the water with the bass, rather than above the bass such as in the case of a top water fishing lure? In most cases it is imperative that these types of bass fishing lures appear as natural as possible to the bass. You want your bass fishing lure to look as realistic as possible, especially when said bass fishing lure is in the water with the bass, rather than above the bass.
The bottom line is that there are many reasons why bass bite, but one of the most important is the fact that your bass fishing lures look as realistic as possible. The easiest way to know that you're dealing with a realistic fishing lure is to experience it for yourself or see video evidence of the fact that the bass fishing lure looks like a real fish. The more realistic the lure appears, the more effective it will be, it's as simple as that.
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!
Get Fishing Tips & Techniques Twice A Month For FREE - http://www.jrwfishing.com/signup.html
So what types of quarry do bass normally eat? Live crayfish, minnows, shad, lizards, small rodents, frogs, and almost any other aquatic quarry that they can fit into their mouth. The most popular of these aquatic quarries (depending on the lake or river system) are probably crayfish, minnows, frogs, and shad. In many lakes shad are amazingly abundant and a major food source for bass.
The more that your bass fishing lures look like the quarry they normally eat the more success you will experience. This is why top water lures that mimic frogs and minnows are so effective in flat water conditions. Any seasoned bass angler knows how effective (and fun) top water bass fishing lures are to use in the right situations. The main reason for this is because top water lures that mimic frogs or bait fish appear so much like the real thing to the bass when the bass is looking up through the water at the lures silhouette.
So what about other bass fishing lures, where the bass sees said lure in the water with the bass, rather than above the bass such as in the case of a top water fishing lure? In most cases it is imperative that these types of bass fishing lures appear as natural as possible to the bass. You want your bass fishing lure to look as realistic as possible, especially when said bass fishing lure is in the water with the bass, rather than above the bass.
The bottom line is that there are many reasons why bass bite, but one of the most important is the fact that your bass fishing lures look as realistic as possible. The easiest way to know that you're dealing with a realistic fishing lure is to experience it for yourself or see video evidence of the fact that the bass fishing lure looks like a real fish. The more realistic the lure appears, the more effective it will be, it's as simple as that.
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!
Get Fishing Tips & Techniques Twice A Month For FREE - http://www.jrwfishing.com/signup.html
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Fishing Lure Components - What To Take Into Consideration Before Buying
There are many different fishing lure components that go into deciding on the right lures for your next fishing outing. Quite simply, the fishing lure that you decide to go with is very important to your successes as a fisherman. Along with your fishing knots, fishing poles, and fishing reel parts, fishing lures are crucial to your fishing success.
Without the right one, you will never be as effective as you otherwise might. Whether you want Bass fishing lures, Salmon lures, are other kinds, here are some important components you need to keep in mind to help you find the right lures for your next fishing adventure.
As you are probably are you aware of, if you are an avid fisherman, a lure is something that is put at the end of a fishing line. When you do this, be absolutely sure that all of the lure is connected tightly to the line so that it doesn't fall off when the line is cast into the water. If this is in the case, then the fishing will be gone, and your money will go down the drain.
There are many different kinds of fishing lures that are designed specifically for different kinds of fishing. For instance, if you plan on fishing in a river, then you'll want a different lure than if you were to sit as fish in the ocean for instance. Also, the kind of fish you go after will be a big determinant in what kind where you purchase. for us is, if you were to go after a catfish, you would purchase a different fishing more than if you were to go after a trout.
Also, another component keep in mind that a fly fishing lure is much different than a regular. For instance, the fly fishing lure will generally either float to the surface of the water, or slowly sinks to the bottom. This is based on the real behavior of an insect, and therefore will fool the fish into thinking that they can get some free lunch. Obviously, the more closely at your fishing where imitation inside, the more likely you are catching a fish.
A great tip to help you find the right fishing lure for you is, when you are on the river or stream that you plan on fishing a lot, observe the kind of insects that are around you. Remember, this is the kind of insects of the fish are used to eating, so you want your get a lure that closely resemble them as possible. Obviously, you can see how this would be different depending on the different locations you are in.
All of these are important components that go into finding the right fishing lures for your next fishing outing. However, the question still remains: where can you find the best fishing lures to help you be as effective a fisherman as possible?
Today, these are available in many local retail stores, and also the Internet. Remember, you can often times save money by shopping online, so you might want to start their before going to your local store.
No matter which one you go with, you need to take into consideration what kind of fish you plan on going after, where you want to go fishing, before you go shopping. Without knowing this information, it is all the uses to go shopping. Hopefully these fishing lure components will help you be as effective a fisherman as possible.
To find the top saltwater fishing boats, visit onlinefishinginformation.com. Also learn about Lake Huron Fishing and much more.
Without the right one, you will never be as effective as you otherwise might. Whether you want Bass fishing lures, Salmon lures, are other kinds, here are some important components you need to keep in mind to help you find the right lures for your next fishing adventure.
As you are probably are you aware of, if you are an avid fisherman, a lure is something that is put at the end of a fishing line. When you do this, be absolutely sure that all of the lure is connected tightly to the line so that it doesn't fall off when the line is cast into the water. If this is in the case, then the fishing will be gone, and your money will go down the drain.
There are many different kinds of fishing lures that are designed specifically for different kinds of fishing. For instance, if you plan on fishing in a river, then you'll want a different lure than if you were to sit as fish in the ocean for instance. Also, the kind of fish you go after will be a big determinant in what kind where you purchase. for us is, if you were to go after a catfish, you would purchase a different fishing more than if you were to go after a trout.
Also, another component keep in mind that a fly fishing lure is much different than a regular. For instance, the fly fishing lure will generally either float to the surface of the water, or slowly sinks to the bottom. This is based on the real behavior of an insect, and therefore will fool the fish into thinking that they can get some free lunch. Obviously, the more closely at your fishing where imitation inside, the more likely you are catching a fish.
A great tip to help you find the right fishing lure for you is, when you are on the river or stream that you plan on fishing a lot, observe the kind of insects that are around you. Remember, this is the kind of insects of the fish are used to eating, so you want your get a lure that closely resemble them as possible. Obviously, you can see how this would be different depending on the different locations you are in.
All of these are important components that go into finding the right fishing lures for your next fishing outing. However, the question still remains: where can you find the best fishing lures to help you be as effective a fisherman as possible?
Today, these are available in many local retail stores, and also the Internet. Remember, you can often times save money by shopping online, so you might want to start their before going to your local store.
No matter which one you go with, you need to take into consideration what kind of fish you plan on going after, where you want to go fishing, before you go shopping. Without knowing this information, it is all the uses to go shopping. Hopefully these fishing lure components will help you be as effective a fisherman as possible.
To find the top saltwater fishing boats, visit onlinefishinginformation.com. Also learn about Lake Huron Fishing and much more.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Top 4 Best Bass Fishing Lures Secrets
So you're planning your next bass fishing trip. You've got all those brand new shiny crankbaits sitting ready to go in your tackle box, and now your surfing the net looking for the best bass fishing lures secrets. In this article that's exactly what we are going to look at, and I know after your done reading this you'll have a added a tip or 2 to your bass fishing arsenal of knowledge. After all it's all about getting that nest monster bass in the boat right? There's no point having a nice shiny crankbait in your tackle box if you don't understand how to put a bass into your live well with it.
So let's look at best bass fishing lures secrets and their strategies and how they apply to bass fishing. All lures no matter if they are spinnerbaits or crankbaits are designed to perform a specific way. A lot of times the reason why anglers fail to catch more bass is because they fail to use lures for the function they were designed for. If you're completely familiar with the function and characteristic of each lure in your tackle box then you can be rest assured you have an edge over the angler that just starts grabbing crankbaits on a whim when the chips are down.
There are all kinds of different bass fishing lures available. Many of these lures overlap in their function, but there are others that were designed to meet certain conditions and require special techniques to be successful. In general bass fishing lures fall under the following;
1. Shallow Water Fishing: Ah the magic of catching bass in shallow water can be a bit tricky. This is one water type where snags can rule the day and it can be easy to lose 20 bucks worth of crankbaits and catch zero fish if you are not careful. This is also probably the most common section of water where most bass anglers prefer to take on their trophies. Floating/Diving plugs and Spinnerbaits are the winners here.
Choose, minnow-imitating balsa plugs or plastic plugs that float when they are at rest and dive only a foot or two on retrieve are your best choices here.
Spinnerbaits are excellent shallow water lures, particularly in the spring when fish are shallow due to the warmer water. Spinner baits are also very good at covering large amounts of water fast as you look for those active feeding bass. So I often like to hit shallow water areas up with a 1-2 punch technique. First fish an area with a quick covering spinnerbait looking for those active lunkers then follow up with a shallow running plug. By using the 1-2 punch you can cover a lot of water, and be sure you covered it effectively before moving on to the next spot.
2. Medium depth angling (4 to 12 feet): Here you are best off choosing a straight running dive to the bottom plug often referred to as a crankbait. Crankbaits generally come in 3 styles, shallow medium and deep diving versions. Each version is dependant on the size and shape of the lip that protrudes from each one. The idea is you want to choose a crankbait that can dive into the strike zone where the bass are sitting as fast as possible and stay there the longest. Medium and deep divers are usually the most useful to bass fishermen here as they tend to work best for most conditions.
Don't forget worms and jigs are also highly effective bass baits in this depth range, so don't forget to give them a try too. Often worms and jigs in this depth range will tend to target the shy biting bass or are great to tie on if your fishing during a cold front.
3. Deep Water Bass Fishing (10 feet or more). A bass fisherman needs to understand why bass heads for these deeper waters and understand this then you'll see why this bass fishing lure secret should be your first choice. Bass seek the comfort of cooler, deep water in late spring, summer, and early fall. A lot of the times the water is too warm for the bass in the shallows so this tends to push the bass into deeper water. Another reason why bass head into deep water is because of weather. A heavy cold front will push bass into deep water as well, but for whatever the reason why bass may be holding in the deeper water doesn't mean you can't catch bass, it just means we change strategies.
Here the bass fisherman that knows how to handle a plastic worm is going to put lunkers in his boat. In deep water plastic worms are probably more effective then all the other lure combinations combined. Another great choice here is the jig. Both lure choice are extremely effectively in very deep water (and at any depth for that matter) at targeting shy bass.
4. Surface fishing: Ah the favorite technique of bass anglers, nothing gets the heart pumping more then the excitement of surface fishing for bass. Watching a bass nail a fishing lure on the surface is breath taking and I don't know an angler alive that doesn't get excited just thinking about it. Surface lures run the gamut here and there are a lot of choice from soft plastic floating baits to wood or plastic plugs that twitch, wobble, chug, and sputter. Going through all the techniques in how to fish surface lures is an article all on it's own but finesse in working these surface lures is the name of the game.
That's the basics of bass fishing lures secrets and how to choose the best bass fishing lure for the job. The point to remember here is there is a time and place for every fishing lure. If you want to maximize your potential to catch big bass then you need to use a lure that was designed for whatever situation you may be fishing in. There are good lures and bad lures, good times to use them and poor time to use them. But having a solid understanding of the usage a lure was designed for an its place will go a long way to help you choose the correct fishing lure the next time you open your tackle box.
Now obviously there is a lot more to bass fishing then understanding lure choice and having a well stocked tackle box. For more information on bass fishing check out bass fishing secrets.
So let's look at best bass fishing lures secrets and their strategies and how they apply to bass fishing. All lures no matter if they are spinnerbaits or crankbaits are designed to perform a specific way. A lot of times the reason why anglers fail to catch more bass is because they fail to use lures for the function they were designed for. If you're completely familiar with the function and characteristic of each lure in your tackle box then you can be rest assured you have an edge over the angler that just starts grabbing crankbaits on a whim when the chips are down.
There are all kinds of different bass fishing lures available. Many of these lures overlap in their function, but there are others that were designed to meet certain conditions and require special techniques to be successful. In general bass fishing lures fall under the following;
1. Shallow Water Fishing: Ah the magic of catching bass in shallow water can be a bit tricky. This is one water type where snags can rule the day and it can be easy to lose 20 bucks worth of crankbaits and catch zero fish if you are not careful. This is also probably the most common section of water where most bass anglers prefer to take on their trophies. Floating/Diving plugs and Spinnerbaits are the winners here.
Choose, minnow-imitating balsa plugs or plastic plugs that float when they are at rest and dive only a foot or two on retrieve are your best choices here.
Spinnerbaits are excellent shallow water lures, particularly in the spring when fish are shallow due to the warmer water. Spinner baits are also very good at covering large amounts of water fast as you look for those active feeding bass. So I often like to hit shallow water areas up with a 1-2 punch technique. First fish an area with a quick covering spinnerbait looking for those active lunkers then follow up with a shallow running plug. By using the 1-2 punch you can cover a lot of water, and be sure you covered it effectively before moving on to the next spot.
2. Medium depth angling (4 to 12 feet): Here you are best off choosing a straight running dive to the bottom plug often referred to as a crankbait. Crankbaits generally come in 3 styles, shallow medium and deep diving versions. Each version is dependant on the size and shape of the lip that protrudes from each one. The idea is you want to choose a crankbait that can dive into the strike zone where the bass are sitting as fast as possible and stay there the longest. Medium and deep divers are usually the most useful to bass fishermen here as they tend to work best for most conditions.
Don't forget worms and jigs are also highly effective bass baits in this depth range, so don't forget to give them a try too. Often worms and jigs in this depth range will tend to target the shy biting bass or are great to tie on if your fishing during a cold front.
3. Deep Water Bass Fishing (10 feet or more). A bass fisherman needs to understand why bass heads for these deeper waters and understand this then you'll see why this bass fishing lure secret should be your first choice. Bass seek the comfort of cooler, deep water in late spring, summer, and early fall. A lot of the times the water is too warm for the bass in the shallows so this tends to push the bass into deeper water. Another reason why bass head into deep water is because of weather. A heavy cold front will push bass into deep water as well, but for whatever the reason why bass may be holding in the deeper water doesn't mean you can't catch bass, it just means we change strategies.
Here the bass fisherman that knows how to handle a plastic worm is going to put lunkers in his boat. In deep water plastic worms are probably more effective then all the other lure combinations combined. Another great choice here is the jig. Both lure choice are extremely effectively in very deep water (and at any depth for that matter) at targeting shy bass.
4. Surface fishing: Ah the favorite technique of bass anglers, nothing gets the heart pumping more then the excitement of surface fishing for bass. Watching a bass nail a fishing lure on the surface is breath taking and I don't know an angler alive that doesn't get excited just thinking about it. Surface lures run the gamut here and there are a lot of choice from soft plastic floating baits to wood or plastic plugs that twitch, wobble, chug, and sputter. Going through all the techniques in how to fish surface lures is an article all on it's own but finesse in working these surface lures is the name of the game.
That's the basics of bass fishing lures secrets and how to choose the best bass fishing lure for the job. The point to remember here is there is a time and place for every fishing lure. If you want to maximize your potential to catch big bass then you need to use a lure that was designed for whatever situation you may be fishing in. There are good lures and bad lures, good times to use them and poor time to use them. But having a solid understanding of the usage a lure was designed for an its place will go a long way to help you choose the correct fishing lure the next time you open your tackle box.
Now obviously there is a lot more to bass fishing then understanding lure choice and having a well stocked tackle box. For more information on bass fishing check out bass fishing secrets.
Monday, 1 November 2010
Top 5 Reasons for Making Your Own Fishing Lures
Imagine this: You are on sitting on the dock, feet hanging over the side, and a fishing pole in your hand. You are talking to your best friend, drinking a coke, when there is a quick jerk on your fishing pole. You start reeling as fast as you can, and after a minute or two the fish finally emerges from the water hanging from your lure on the end of the line. What an adrenaline rush.
Fishing is one of the most popular and relaxing ways for one to spend their leisure time. It is also one of the best ways to bond with family and friends. I'll never forget the first time my dad took me fishing, it is one the best memories of my childhood.
Fishing like many other sports and hobbies requires costly equipment. A boat can cost as much as a new car. Fishing poles can cost anywhere from $20-$200. Don't forget about other equipment such as fishing line, weights, a tackle box, and most importantly a vast variety of fishing lures.
Lures are the main factor that decides whether or not you catch a fish. Different fish are attracted to certain types and colors of lures, at certain times of the year. So to be prepared for all these circumstances a fisherman must have an extensive assortment of fishing lures.
Instead of buying fishing lures some fisherman choose to make their own.
Here are the top reasons to make your own fishing lures:
1. Saves you money. Fishing lures can cost anywhere from $2-$15. Most range from $3-$8. Buying a wide variety of fishing lures can cost you hundreds of dollars. Why buy lures, when you can make them for pennies.
2. Gain a hobby. Instead of watching television, get a hobby that relates to something you love. Making fishing lures is fun hobby and a useful way to pass the time.
3. Stay in touch with fishing away from the water. Making your own fishing lures will keep your mind on fishing even when there is not a pole in your hand.
4. The great feeling you get when you catch a fish on a lure you made. It always feels good to catch a fish, but it feels even better when you know that your lure that you made is reason you caught it.
5. You will be the envy of you buddies when fishing. When fishing with your buddies they will definitely be impressed that you made your own lures, and might even ask to use one.
Making your own fishing lures will enhance your fishing experience on and off the water. Not only will you save money, but you will gain a hobby, and learn an impressive skill.
Fishing is one of the most popular and relaxing ways for one to spend their leisure time. It is also one of the best ways to bond with family and friends. I'll never forget the first time my dad took me fishing, it is one the best memories of my childhood.
Fishing like many other sports and hobbies requires costly equipment. A boat can cost as much as a new car. Fishing poles can cost anywhere from $20-$200. Don't forget about other equipment such as fishing line, weights, a tackle box, and most importantly a vast variety of fishing lures.
Lures are the main factor that decides whether or not you catch a fish. Different fish are attracted to certain types and colors of lures, at certain times of the year. So to be prepared for all these circumstances a fisherman must have an extensive assortment of fishing lures.
Instead of buying fishing lures some fisherman choose to make their own.
Here are the top reasons to make your own fishing lures:
1. Saves you money. Fishing lures can cost anywhere from $2-$15. Most range from $3-$8. Buying a wide variety of fishing lures can cost you hundreds of dollars. Why buy lures, when you can make them for pennies.
2. Gain a hobby. Instead of watching television, get a hobby that relates to something you love. Making fishing lures is fun hobby and a useful way to pass the time.
3. Stay in touch with fishing away from the water. Making your own fishing lures will keep your mind on fishing even when there is not a pole in your hand.
4. The great feeling you get when you catch a fish on a lure you made. It always feels good to catch a fish, but it feels even better when you know that your lure that you made is reason you caught it.
5. You will be the envy of you buddies when fishing. When fishing with your buddies they will definitely be impressed that you made your own lures, and might even ask to use one.
Making your own fishing lures will enhance your fishing experience on and off the water. Not only will you save money, but you will gain a hobby, and learn an impressive skill.
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