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Thursday, 30 December 2010

Cast Iron Mermaid Old West Cowboy Boot Jack

Cast Iron Mermaid Old West Cowboy Boot JackGREAT QUALITY + NICELY DETAILED AUTHENTIC ANTIQUE REPRODUCTION

ADVERTISING MERMAID LURES

HEAVY CAST IRON -WEIGHS 2 LBS

9 1/4 " X 3 1/2 "




NICE QUALITY BLACK PAINT JOB


BOTH DECORATIVE AND FUNCTIONAL










WOULD ALSO MAKE A GREAT PAPERWEIGHT

Price:


Click here to buy from Amazon

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

River's Edge Mailbox (Bass)

River's Edge Mailbox (Bass)Rivers Edge Bass Mailbox, ready to catch and release your mail! SAVE BIG! An authentic fish look, with vivid colors, a real trophy! Sturdy and quality made, with UV protection to prevent fading. It's a whopper of a gift for the angling enthusiast. Designed to fit on a standard 2 x 4" or 4 x 4" post. Inside the resin fish shell is a standard metal mailbox, USPS approved, with secure latch. Complete with mounting hardware. Measures approx. 38 1/4 x 9 1/2 x 16 1/2"h. Weighs 10 lbs., 9 ozs. Caught any good letters today? Well, you will with this fun Mailbox... get a line on yours quick! Rivers Edge Bass Mailbox

Price: $121.50


Click here to buy from Amazon

Monday, 27 December 2010

SCHEDULE YOUR DELIVERY DAY! Let's Go Fishing! Fishing Creel Gift Basket - Great Gift For Dad!

SCHEDULE YOUR DELIVERY DAY! Let's Go Fishing! Fishing Creel Gift Basket - Great Gift For Dad!Give the fisherman in your life a great gift made just for him! This keepsake wicker fisherman's creel is overflowing with gourmet goodies and fish-themed sweets and treats. This one's a keeper for any fishing enthusiast! To start with we take a keepsake wicker fishing creel complete with leather strap, add Fish Bait (gummi worms), a large fisherman's sugar cookie (hand frosted to perfection and holding his catch), gourmet cheese spread, peppercorn crackers crackers, snacking pretzels, butter toffee popcorn, Mobana dark Chocolates and just in case he didn't catch "The Big One", he can still enjoy a bag of everyone's favorite Swedish fish candies! We finish your gift with a keepsake fishing decoration just for fun. Each gift is handcrafted with attention to detail and includes a gift message card to convey your best wishes. Manufactured by Art of Appreciation Gift Baskets.

HOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR DELIVERY DAY: This item is available for our schedule delivery program. Check the box next to "Schedule a Delivery" in the top right hand corner of your screen, this will access the delivery day calendar. This must be done BEFORE adding the item to your shopping cart. If no day is selected, your gift will ship via Expedited delivery, Standard delivery is not available with this listing.

Price:


Click here to buy from Amazon

Sunday, 26 December 2010

Plano Tackle Box - 2 Tray with 136 Piece Tackle Kit

Plano Tackle Box - 2 Tray with 136 Piece Tackle KitIncludes 136 piece terminal tackle kit. Takle kit includes: three assorted floats, one 1/8 oz. jig head, one 1/4 oz. jig head, ten each size BB, 3/0 & 7 split shot, one 6' poly stringer, thirty size 2 baitholder hooks, two 6" curl tail worms, two each 3" & 4" curl tail grubs, thirty-one each size 4 & 6 baitholder hooks and one hook disgorger.

Price:


Click here to buy from Amazon

Friday, 24 December 2010

Antique Bobber and Lure Greeting Cards - Jon Q. Wright

Antique Bobber and Lure Greeting Cards - Jon Q. WrightThe perfect card for the sportsman in your family. Five of the cards depict antique bobbers and the
other five display old lures. The cards feature the artwork of Jon Q. Wright. They can be used for any
occasion. The cards are blank on the inside. There are 10 cards and 10 envelopes in each pack.

Price:


Click here to buy from Amazon

Thursday, 23 December 2010

Making Wooden Fishing Lures For Beginners


When I was a boy I wanted to try my hand at making wooden fishing lures. I remember how I used to marvel at all the lures in my tackle box and wonder at how to make fishing lures. So without any experience or anyone to help me I tried to make my own homemade fishing tackle. Let's just say my first few attempts didn't quite turn out. That's why I decided to write this article on making wooden fishing lures so that you can avoid making the same mistakes I did when I first tried.

My first attempt at making homemade fishing tackle went like this if I remember correctly. I grabbed on old broken broom from my mom's closet and did my best at hand carving out a very rough looking fishing lure. I didn't know anything about what wood selection, sealing the wood or proper painting techniques I just wanted to make my own homemade fishing tackle. Back then there wasn't anyone to help me, no internet just plain trial and error.

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

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

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

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

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

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








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


Tuesday, 21 December 2010

Homemade Fishing Lures - What Are The Benefits?


If you have been fishing for any length of time you will know that the difference between catching the big one or going home hungry sometimes comes down to the lures you are using.

There are many variables to take into consideration when choosing your fishing lure for the days fishing. You need certain lures for different fishing areas, lighting conditions, seasons, salt water vs fresh water and also what type of fish you are trying to catch, to name just a few.

There are many types of fishing lures these days. Go to any sport or fishing shop and you will find a huge array of lures for all types of fishing. Some work and some don't. Some look realistic and some don't.

If you could make your own homemade fishing lures you could design them to be exactly how you want them, they could have all the features that you know work and you could optimise them to the conditions mentioned above.

How much more satisfying would it be if you caught your fish using your very own homemade fishing lures?

Its not difficult to make your own lures, all you need are the necessary tools and the right parts.

There are a range of benefits if you make your own fishing lures.

1/ You save money-- It will cost you far less to purchase what is needed to make your

own lures than to buy commercial fishing lures.

2/ Satisfaction-- Catching "The BIG one" will be far so much more satisfying

if you catch it on a lure you have made yourself.

3/ Earn money -- You could sell lures that you have made.

4/ Tweak and modify-- If you see areas to improve the lure you can tweak or refine it.

5/ You know what works -- If you have been fishing for any length of time you know

what lures work best for the type of fishing you do. Have you ever thought to yourself

"if only there was a lure that..." well, you could make that lure.

6/ It's an enjoyable hobby designing and making fishing lures.

Would you like to be able to make your own fishing lures and enjoy the benefits above? It's easy to learn and you can't beat the feeling of catching a big fish on a lure you have crafted with your own hands.








Darryl is a keen fisherman and enjoys the art of homemade fishing lures. Do you want to feel the thrill of catching fish on your own Homemade Fishing lures? If you want to learn step by step how to make fishing lures Visit: http://homemadefishinglures.blogspot.com


Monday, 20 December 2010

10 Types Of Fishing Lures That Can Help You Catch The Big One


When it comes to fishing lures, you want to be sure you have the right one for the job but with so many to choose from how do you pick the best one? The waters you are fishing, the time of year and the weather all have an impact on what type of lure will look tasty to the species of fish you were trying to catch.

There are a variety of different lures, all in different shapes sizes and colors and most avid anglers have quite a selection in their tackle box. Here are a few types you might want to include in your list of fishing gear.

Surface Lures

These are lures that you retrieve along the surface of the water and are fun to use since the fish explodes up out of the water in order to take in the lure. They are great if you're fishing in waters that have a lot of weeds since they remain on the top and are less likely to get tangled in the weeds. Surface lures come in all kinds of colors and shapes and it's fun to pick them out in the store and find the ones that work best for you.

Spoons

Spoons are a simple metal lure that looks like a spoon. When you retrieve them they make a wobbling motion which is attractive to fish. They are inexpensive and fairly easy to use so a great choice for beginners.

Spinners

This type of fishing lore has a blade that rotates and the rotating motion gives off a reflection which imitates the light glinting off of fish scales in the water. When you are retrieving a spinner, you can alter the speed that you retrieve thus making it look like an injured fish. If you're fishing for pike a large spinner can be great but if you go in for mullet or trout try a smaller size.

Jerk Baits

Jerk baits don't have any movement on their own but allow the angler to jerk them and bring them to life like a wounded fish or worm. You cast them into the water and then make a jerky motion with your rod which simulates the movements of an injured fish making it look like a tasty morsel to the fish you are trying to attract.

Soft Baits

These are soft rubber baits that could look like long worms or frogs or a bunch of other shapes. Typically these are used with a weighted jig head and retreat slowly or in a jerky motion.

Floating Divers

This type of fishing lure sinks into the water after you cast and can cover depths up to 15 feet or more. Each floor is designed for a different depth and this depends on the angle of the lure. A lure with a smaller angle will dive deeper than a lore with a bigger angle. Depending on the depth of the water that your target fish hangs out in will dictate the type of lure you use.

Light Standard Casting Lures

Standard casting lures can be used to catch a large range of fish including certain types of bass if retrieve data slow to medium speed. They range from about 1/16 of announced to 3 ounces and are typically used for freshwater fishing of lightweight species.

Heavy Standard Casting Lures

This heavy fishing lure is best used for the heaviest fish like bass and walleye. Just like any other lure they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Long Casting - Jigging Lures

These jigging lures are used for long casting and are used to catch anything from tuna to trout to pike.

Deadly Diamond Lures

This is a small fishing lure that is under 1 ounce and is used to catch the smaller fish. It's cut with a diamond shape on the top and the light reflects from this therefore attracting fish. These lures are typically used for walleye and crappy although can work good for other small species to.








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Sunday, 19 December 2010

The Most Popular Fishing Lure


In the fishing world there are thousands and thousands of fishing lure choices available to anglers at any given time, so is it even possible to say that one fishing lure is the most popular lure for fishing? Probably not. There is the best selling fishing lure, the lure that your grandfather swore by and said was the best lure that could be used for fishing, and the fishing lure that you caught your biggest personal fish on, but the truth is that the most popular lure is one among a few choices that have stood the "test of time", and have been proven to be successful at catching fish in various fishing situations.

In this article I will list e few of the more effective and popular fishing lure choices, all of which are among the most popular fishing lure choices on the market. The bottom line is that the most popular lure or fishing is the one that catches fish consistently. Any of the lures below accomplish this task and catch fish consistently in a variety of fishing situations.


Arbogast Hula Popper - The Hula Popper has been around for more than sixty years, and many anglers swear by it's pulsating skirt for attracting hungry predatory fish such as bass. This top water lure is deadly when "popped" over weed beds or submerged timber. This popular lure is one that every angler should have at their disposal.

Rapala Fat Rap - This fishing lure is made from balsa wood and manufactured by Rapala, one of the most well respected names in the fishing lure game. When crank bait anglers encounter open water and weary fish, they can reach for their lightweight outfit and tie-on a Fat Rap. The tight swimming action of this balsa lure has been proven to be effective for many species of fish in various fishing situations.

KickTail Minnow - This fishing lure mimics the motion of a real fish so realistically eight professionals couldn't tell the difference between it and a live shad when it "swam" toward them on retrieval. This lure is definitely the "newest" lure being outlined in the article, but is nonetheless extremely effective as a lure for fishing (especially where live shad are present in the water you are fishing).

Original Rat-L-Trap - Bill Lewis' legendary invention, the Rat-L-Trap, is recognized as the most popular, and consequently, the most imitated lure over the past 35 years. Today's Rat-L-Trap is proven by leading experts to produce sound qualities nearly identical to those of schooling bait fish under attack. These sounds are the "Dinner Bell" for predator fish and is certainly one of the most popular lures available to anglers.
The most popular lure for fishing is probably impossible to determine, but there is little doubt that the answer to this question lies among the preceding choices. If any of these lures aren't a part of your fishing arsenal they should be added sooner, rather than later.








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.

Very Effective Fishing Lures


Friday, 17 December 2010

Make Better Fishing Lures - Types Of Towpoints And Hook Hanging Hardware


Have you ever made a wooden crankbait, jerkbait, topwater lure or other wooden hard bait? How did you attach the eyelet for the towpoint? What about the eyelets to hang the hooks from?

It's a very basic part of wooden lure making, and there are four basic approaches that I'm aware of and each has it's own advantages and disadvantages. They are:

Screw eyes.
Glued wire eyelets
Through wire
Metal frame

Screw eyes are the simplest approach to lure making - in many cases all you need do is screw them directly into the wooden lure body at the point where you want your towpoint to be. You might drill a small pilot hole first to keep the wood from splitting. I know a lot of lure makers who use this approach and who also screw the eyes into their fishing lures, then unscrew them, smear the threads with a little epoxy and screw them back into the lures again permanently for added security.

Screw eyes are fine if you get good quality ones, and they are certainly fast and easy. For me, the main drawback is the possibility that one might pull out of the lure when I'm locked into a trophy fish. I suppose this is reasonably unlikely if you are using decent lure making wood (for example, I wouldn't recommend using screw eyes in balsa!). And I'll admit that I don't personally know of anyone who has lost fish this way - but I have seen wooden fishing lures bitten in half when fishing for the razor gang (mackerel) in the brine. Be sure to only use screw eyes made from marine grade stainless steel, as you'll soon regret using anything else, even for freshwater fishing.

For me, the main problem with screw eyes is that you have to buy them from lure making suppliers and stick to whatever sizes are available! I hate being restricted by having to buy any lure supplies from specialist mail order or online stores, so screw eyes will always be the last option as far as I'm concerned.

Glued eyelets aren't that much more difficult to fitting into custom fishing lures than screw eyes. These are essentially just bits of stainless steel wire that you cut and bend yourself, then glue with epoxy into pre drilled holes in the lure bodies. I use these for light duty lure making, but I don't trust them for heavier lure making applications in case they pull. Again, make sure you use good quality, marine grade stainless steel.

Metal frames are essentially just an aluminum or stainless steel plate that has holes drilled in it where the towpoint and hook hangers are to be located and are then cut or filed to shape to fit in a slot in the underside of the lure body with just those few loops of metal hanging out.

This isn't a bad way to go, because it puts a little weight along the belly of the lure and acts like a sort of keel, to help stop the lure 'blowing out' to one side or other. It also gives the lure a little more casting weight and the angler the confidence of knowing that there is absolutely no chance the eyelets will pull out.

On the down side, metals frames are much slower for the amateur lure maker to construct, and the extra weight reduces the action of the lure somewhat. I find them too laborious. I love lure making and I love fishing, but I'd rather be churning put new designs fast, or testing new lures on the water than working in the shed with a file, grinder or hacksaw making metal frames!

Through wires are, in my opinion, the only way to go. A through wire is essentially a single piece of wire that runs from front to back inside of the lure and creates loops for the towpoint and the hook hangers that are joined together. Once you know how to make them they are very quick and easy. If you are using the other methods described above this may be the first stepping to improving your lure making.

The main advantage to the lure maker of using a through wire is having the confidence of knowing that no matter how hard a fish l pulls the eyelets can't be pulled out, and even if the lure body is completely chewed away the fish will stay hooked.

You might make lures forever using screw or glued eyes and never lose a fish, but I guarantee the day one of these lures fails it will be on a PB bass and you'll never forgive yourself! And if you are selling lures and a customer loses a PB fish because of this you'll be very unpopular.

Think about what all the top anglers do - they always retie their knots after a good fish, always resharpen their hooks regularly, always change their leader, always service their drag, always renew their line each season. The list goes on and on, and it's all these little things that add up to make them more successful - they are systematically reducing the chances of losing a fish.

Custom fishing lure making is also like that - putting a through wire into a lure is just one of those little things that the better lure makers do to reduce the chances of disaster just that little bit further.








Dr Greg Vinall has been hand crafting custom fishing lures for decades from both wood and plastic. Why? Because he's proven time and time again that custom fishing lures allow you to catch more fish, bigger fish and have a HUGE edge over competitors and fishing buddies who use off the shelf commercial lures.

Greg now shares the substantial lure making skills and knowledge that he has amassed over this time through his web site and articles.

If you found the content of this article informative and would like to receive similar wooden lure making information via email, you can subscribe to Greg's weekly wooden lure making tips by completing the online form at

http://www.makebetterfishinglures.com/woodenlures.html

You may also be interested in learning how to make hard plastic fishing lures. If so, check out http://www.makebetterfishinglures.com/plasticlures.html


Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Are Antique Fishing Lures Better Than Modern Lures?


Angling is hobby that is loved by various people. These countless numbers look upon sport fishing as constituting a mental test between themselves and the fish. To demonstrate their superiority over these kings of the water several artifices are used. Among these will be fishing lures. Both the new types and the old geezer fishing lures will be made use of.

Although the Modern fishing lures are configured to look slick and reminiscent of live bait the antique fishing lures do not deliver that special look. In fact the over all appearance of these olden fishing lures is that of stiffness and a partial derivative look to the insects that they are attempting to duplicate. You will discover that it is fairly hard to really find and buy one of these antique fishing lures.

By keeping your eyeballs open for this info you can be ensured that you will be able to take part in your favorite pursuit without needing to be concerned about elements like reduced counts of freshwater bass varieties. The antique fishing lures can uncover interesting info like where you can get the freshwater bass fishing.

There are additional varieties of antique fishing lures that you will encounter in bass fishing. These antique fishing lures can be purchased in a assortment of places. The most effective spot to get these bass lures is on the Net and auction houses. These antique fishing lures are your ticket for a successful sport fishing trip.

These places where you can get these old-fashioned lures will offer many assortments of fishing lures. The costs of these lures can be seen to be dissimilar. There are times when you can find these antique fishing lures in the stores wherever you can purchase lures, live bait and even fishing gear.

In freshwater bass angling the antique fishing lures allow for you to fish in a manner that reminds you of past times. The fishing lodges where you stay while on fishing vacations allow you the opportunity find others who may know good places to find antique fishing lures. You can ask other anglers where the finest places to get antique fishing lures are.

Some of these bass antique fishing lures can be discovered in bass sport fishing magazines and websites. The magazines will sometimes admit their contributors to post digital pictures concerning the antique fishing lures they've come upon.

The assorted websites that you can visit concerning antique fishing lures will offer you with a concise picture about the marvels of bass antique fishing lures. Armed with this selective information from the bass sport fishing reports you can put together an exciting fishing trip anticipating the ideal antique fishing lures to enjoy in some great bass fishing.








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Tuesday, 14 December 2010

Bass Fishing Lures - The Best Lures For Large & Smallmouth Bass


In this article I'm going to outline some of the best bass fishing lures that we as anglers have access to. These lures can be used to catch both large and smallmouth bass. As a general rule of thumb, the same fishing lures can be used for both species of bass the only difference being the size of the lure. Obviously as the name of the bass denote, when fishing for "small" mouth bass, smaller lures should be employed.

Before we discuss the types of lures, it's important to know some simple information about these fish. Both Large and smallmouth bass are part of the black bass family and the word "bass" comes from a word originally meaning perch. Both species are opportunistic eaters and voracious feeders. Bass are found throughout the world, and are a very popular game fish in the United States.

These fish can be caught in a variety of manners, and the bass fishing lures listed below are some of the best bass fishing lures available to fishermen. If one of them isn't in your tackle box/bag you probably want to add it.



Spinnerbaits - Spinnerbaits are best known for enabling bass anglers to cover a lot of water fast. These baits come in a variety of sizes and colors and are designed to imitate a bait fish. Small spinnerbaits are very effective for smallmouth bass, a fact that some fishermen tend to overlook. These bass fishing lures also have a variety of blade shapes and sizes, which can make a difference in bite rates.

The Jitterbug - The jitterbug is one of the most popular top water baits of all time, and is an extremely effective fishing lure. The key top fishing a jitterbug is to fish is slow so that it does its gurgling dance. When you are fishing over or in a weed bed, and the water is like glass, a Jitterbug is one of the best lures for large and smallmouth bass.

The KickTail Minnow - The KickTail minnow is not known top many bass anglers, but is the most realistic shad/small bait fish imitation that you will ever see. Underwater this lure looks as much like a real bait fish as any lure you will ever see. When it comes to bass fishing lures the KickTail Minnow is extremely effective. This lure is as realistic a bass lure as you'll ever find.

Plastic Worms & Grubs - Plastic worms and grubs are among the best fishing lures of all time. Plastic worms fished on a "Carolina Rig" have always been known as a great bass fishing lure. The entire plastic or rubber fishing bait market has been revolutionized by Berkley. Their Power and Gulp products are exactly like traditional plastics, except for the fact that they've been impregnated with fish catching scents. Berkley's Power and Gulp plastics will actually out fish live bait in many instances.

The lures just listed are the best fishing lures to catch both large and smallmouth bass. Are they the only fishing lures that can be used effectively? Of course not, but they are some of the more popular and effective fishing lures available to the average bass angler.








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 three year old daughter in the heart of fishing country... Montana!

Get Fishing Tips & Techniques Twice A Month For FREE - http://www.jrwfishing.com/signup.html


Sunday, 12 December 2010

Pike Fishing Lures - Freshwater


In this article I will discuss the most common and used pike fishing techniques and their pike fishing lures. If you are new and interested in this highly recommended fishery, pick one or two techniques and learn and observe as much as possible to become a successful pike fisherman.

Pike Spoons/ Crankbaits/ Wobblers

The traditional northern pike lures are pike spoons and different pike crankbaits or wobblers. Many are still using these and catch many fish with them. They move in different depths from the surface to 15 - 20 feet deep and move straight forward with a wobbly and lively movements like a sick or weakened fish. Pike spoons have to be more or less constantly retrieved if the water is shallow, but are most effective when retrieved slowly.

Crankbaits or wobblers are imitations of fish that are made of wood or plastic. They have a small plate mounted under the head at an angle of approximately 40 degrees which will press these pike lures down when pulled forward. The movements are very similar to a fresh fish with some wobbly movements. Jointed wobblers have much more lively movements.

Pikes are fond of these types of lures and especially big silver pike fishing spoons (i.e. Abu`s Toby) and jointed red and white wobblers (Abu`s HILO).

Pike Swimbaits

Pike swimbaits are lures made of soft plastics and come in a large variety of shapes. They are mainly imitations of fish, frogs, snakes and other undefined shapes. The main purpose of swimbaits is to create extremely lively movements which trigger predators to attack. The most effective way to fish with these are to reel them in with a jerking motion. These movements are similar to dying or injured fish, frogs or other living water creatures, and this pattern of movement is extremely effective at triggering attacks from all predators since this represents the easiest prey to catch. When pike see these lures they often attack them from longer distances than other pike fishing lures that are similar to more healthy prey.

Pike Jerkbaits

Pike jerkbaits are very popular among pike fishing enthusiasts because they are very effective for catching pike too. These pike fishing lures are made to look like a fish and must be reeled in with jerks and snaps. This is done by nibbing with the rod tip pointing up. Different types of jerkbaits are made for fishing in different depths of water. Jerkbaits are made to represent dying fish or a weakened fish trying to escape.

Pike Top Water Lures

Fishing with pike lures that are moving on or just under the surface of the water is exciting. Pike that are in relatively shallow areas are always aware of whats going on on the surface as prey in these areas are often very easy to catch, and predators are always looking for the easiest way to fill their stomachs. Because of this, different kinds of pike poppers, jerkbaits or other top water lures are great choices for surface fishing.

It is a fact that pike eat large amounts of ducklings or frogs each year, so the combination of small birds, frogs, small mammals and dying or injured fish on the water's surface triggers ambushes from these predators. Today's top water lures are developed to imitate this group of prey both in looks and in movement. Another fun and exciting aspect of this kind of fishing is that a reaction from a pike is very visible. Often you will feel a powerful pull on the line combined with a huge splash that tears you out of your quiet relaxing state and the adrenaline rushes instantly into your veins. Personally, this is my favourite way to fish. Large buzzbaits or Spook are excellent top water lures for pike.

Northern Fly Fishing

Fly fishing for pike has become very popular and pike seem to like both poppers and large colorful and flashy flies. This type of fishing can be done from spring to autumn in relatively shallow areas. Northern flies are very effective during the spring when the water is cold and the pike are slow. Pike flies can easily be presented slowly to trigger attacks from pike. When the water is warmer and the pike hide in the weeds, it is time to use poppers.

Poppers are "flies" with a bit of floating material which will dive under the surface when you pull the line. When stopped, the popper will pop up and make waves and lively movements. This is irresistible to pikes and an ambush will soon be under way when a pike spots the popper. Haggerty lures has numerous northern flies for sale and I recommend purchasing several of those if you are new to northern fly fishing.

Pike Dead Baiting

Pike dead baiting is increasing in popularity and this type of fishing has been developed and greatly improved over the last few years. With this type of fishing, you arrange a dead bait rig and then throw at an angle into hot spots. There are many ways to arrange the pike bait so that it is presented to the pike in the depths or position where you want it. When fishing in this way you can have lots of additional equipment such as fishing bite indicators, a telescopic landing net, rod stands, keep nets, and many other things to improve and take care of the catch.

Good treatment of the caught fish is a high priority among these sport fishermen. A dead bait-fish is a very good way of catching pikes since this is an easy meal for a pike and most pike will not hesitate to grab it when they spot dead bait in their hunting wanderings. Many anglers puncture the dead bait so the smell of it alone will attract some pike which could be stationary nearby, since a pike has a well developed sense of smell.

Pike Spinners/ Spinnerbaits

Pike spinners come in many varieties and have been well-developed. Ordinary spinners consist of an oblong body, hooks and a rotating blade on the top. Spinners function well for small pike but pike spinners with some colorful feathers at the hooks that are retrieved slowly are more popular among pike. Mepps (black and yellow) or Abu reflex are extremely good pike spinners.

Spinnerbaits developed from ordinary spinners and are very effective in weedy waters or water that has a lot of snags. They consist of a 90 degree bent wire with rotating blades at one end and a big flashy and colorful skirt of hair or feathers with trebble hooks inside it on the other end. Llungen lures and Blue fox make very good spinnerbaits for pike and these are a good choice.

Spinners imitate prey fish and attract pike by sending visual impressions and vibrating signals to the pike since they are sensitive to all kind of vibrations in the water. These northern pike lures are often used by new and young sport fishermen and are a good choice because they usually attract several types of predator fish as perch, pike, bass and walleye.

Pike Ice Fishing

In the wintertime all fish eat very little and their metabolism is slow. They do not grow at all and therefore their appetite is very poor but they do eat sometimes and anglers usually catch them with dead bait or many kinds of pike jigs.

Ice fishing can be a test of patience and often you don't see many fish under the ice , but it can be very rewarding as well. I recall when we were kids we axed large holes in the ice in shallow areas and we laid on isolating plates with covers over the head. This way we could see everything down there, and it was amazing. We saw lots of different fish pass by, some sniffing the bait but moving on, while some took the bait. We often saw large pike sniffing and studying our pike fishing lures before they moved on, but we caught some of those too.

I highly recommend this as this is another exiting aspect to type of fishing. Pike ice fishing jigs are a good choice and swimming jigs are most effective in my opinion. I recommend jigging rapala or jigging shad rap. Jigging spoons are also good. Bomber or Dick Nite make great pike lures.








This was a quick description of the most common pike fishing methods and now it is your turn to find good pike lures and pike baits and land one of those "crocs" out there.

Harald Hoel, expert of pike fishing.


Saturday, 11 December 2010

Why All Fishing Lures Have An Expiry Date


Be honest, were you aware that fishing lures even have an expiry date?

You think I'm messing with you, right? No, I'm serious!

There may not be a little label on a lure body giving a discard date, but fishing lures most definitely have a limited lifetime. Or at least, they have a limited time during which they are really effective. Let me explain why.

Over the past few decades we've created a fantastic conservation culture among fishermen. Catch and release is now the accepted norm and there is no question that fish numbers and sizes have improved as a result. But here's the thing - catch and release makes fish smarter and harder to catch. That's not bad thing either, if you ask me! Take a look at this:

"Research indicates that the largemouth bass is also the most intelligent freshwater fish, able to distinguish and avoid a particular type of lure after only one encounter with it. In fact, some bass lakes believed to be "fished out" contain plenty of bass but the fish have learned to recognize virtually all the lures in common use on the lake. In such cases, a lure that is new to them will often work where others have failed."

(From the International Game Fish Association Website)

This is not news to anyone who fishes hard-fished waters regularly, we've all know this for years! But it does explain why new lures so often come on to the market with a huge splash success, but after a season or two are almost forgotten. And of course, catch and release means that the fish have a much greater chance to become educated.

If you want to vastly catch fish more consistently, especially if you want to catch BIG fish consistently, you need to keep presenting them with lures they haven't seen before.

But how do you do that?

Well, in my view there are four ways:


You can run out and buy every new lure as it comes onto the market and try to get the jump on other anglers. The problem with this is it's time consuming and expensive. There are a lot of companies making lures and not all of them are good. By the time you've found the good ones you can be sure that word is already getting around that they are good. And that means more and more people will be using them and more and more fish will be learning not to bite them.
You can get online and order some lure kits. There are various suppliers around who can help with this and it's a popular way to fill a tackle box. Unfortunately, it's the popularity of this approach that is it's downfall - you guessed it, fish see a lot of these lures and start getting smart. Nonetheless, this approach will generally land you more big fish than just buying lures off the shelf, if only because they have a custom paint job.
You can buy some quality lures from reputable custom lure makers. This a great way to do it because these lures will usually be top quality, made with the best components and immaculate attention to detail. They are usually superb to use and because these lures aren't mass produced the fish don't see a lot of them, so it means they are not only built to last for years, but they will continue to catch fish for years. The downside to custom lures is the cost. Expect to pay from $25 to $300 per lure. No, I'm not kidding, some custom lures run to $300 each! Even the ones at the bottom end of the price scale can make a massive difference to your fishing results though.
By far the best way to really improve the quantity and quality of fish you catch in the long term, there really is no better option than learning to make your own. It's really not a difficult thing to start making professional quality crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwater lures and other hardbaits from either wood or hard plastic. It doesn't require a lot of tools or equipment and it isn't an expensive pastime to get into. Best of all, you start to understand fish and lures a lot better, and as a result you'll become much more proficient. And because these lures are so unique, they don't have an expiry date and will continue to be BIG fish takers forever.

Of these four options, learning to make custom fishing lures is not only the most rewarding, it is also the most effective and economical. I guarantee it will make you a far better fisherman, too.

Give it a go, you'll be amazed at how much your fishing will improve!








Dr Greg Vinall is a professional aquatic scientist and has been a keen fisherman and luremaker for most of his life. Greg helps other fishermen learn to make lures through his eBook and websites.

You can get more information on making wooden lures at http://www.makebetterfishinglures.com/woodenlures.html
Or, get more information on making plastic lures at http://www.makebetterfishinglures.com/plasticlures.html


Thursday, 9 December 2010

The Best Fishing Lure


In this article I want to discuss some of the more popular fishing lures in the hopes that I can narrow the choices down to the best fishing lure. Actually, I believe that the term the best fishing lure is different for every angler, I mean come on is one fishing lure actually the best? Of course not, there are different fishing lures for different fishing situations, so what I'm going to discuss the most popular, and you can make your own decision as to which fishing lure is actually the best fishing lure...for you.

Obviously, when it comes to fishing lures, trying to figure out which is the best can be a tough decision. There are literally tens of thousands of choices available and navigating through those choices can be a tall order. With this article I hope to cut through some of the BS and give you some real world information, and even some suggestions as to the effectiveness of this or that fishing lure. Lets begin our search for the best fishing lure, shall we?



Top Water Fishing Lures - Top water fishing lures are just what the name suggests...fishing lures that are fished on the surface, or top, of the water. These fishing lures can imitate wounded bait fish, frogs, or even small mammals. I've always had success with frog imitation poppers and minnow imitation top water plugs such as the Zara Spook. A great tip for fishing top water lures is to do it when the water is as calm as possible, the more the surface of the water is like glass, the better top water fishing lures will work.


Spinners & Spoons - I'm grouping spinners and spoons together because I believe they are in the some family. The both imitate baitfish (for the most part) and can both be quite effective as fishing lures. The two most popular versions of spinner and spoons are probably Rooster Tails for spinners and Daredevils for spoons. A daredevil spoon in the colors red and white have long been known as a great pike bait. Rooster Tails are wonderful for trout and smallmouth bass fishing. Are spinners and spoons the best fishing lure? That's for you to decide...


Minnow Imitations - Minnow imitation fishing lures are more than likely the type of fishing lure that all of the world is the most familiar with. These are the fishing lures that look like bait fish and come in all of the sizes and colors that actual baitfish are available in. These types of fishing lures are also available in colors that only a 3-year old could love. There are minnow imitation fishing lures that dive a few feet deep to as many as thirty feet deep. You can cover the entire water table with minnow imitations. The most popular of these types of fishing lures has to be Rapala's. Rapala's are made from balsa wood and are a very lifelike, realistic, and effective fishing lure. Another lifelike and realistic fishing lure is the KickTail Minnow. The KickTail Minnow is fairly new to the fishing lure market and looks as much like a real bait fish as anything that I've ever seen. The bottom line is that minnow imitations are exactly what the name suggests: fishing lures that imitate minnows...


Rubber Worms & Grubs - These might not be considered 'fishing lures' to some anglers, but they are close enough to be added to the list in my mind. Rubber worms have been a favorite of bass fishermen for generations, and rubber grubs attached to a jig head can be an incredibly effective method for catching almost every species of fish. Rubber Worms are rigged in various ways and one of the most popular methods is called the 'Carolina rig'. Rigs such as the Carolina rig are used mainly for fishing for large mouth bass.



At the end of the day, the best fishing lure is the lure that's your favorite. It would be impossible to say that one type of fishing lure is truly better than another. Some work better than others, or dive deeper than others, but the bottom line is that your favorite, is your favorite, and your favorite fishing lure is, to you, the best fishing lure. No matter what type of fishing lure you consider to be the best, make sure that You're fishing when the fish are the most active. There is no substitute for the two factors of fishing when the fish are active and practice. The better that your angling skills become, the more fish you'll catch, no matter what type of fishing lure you use.








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!

Great Fishing Lures: http://www.jrwfishing.com/ktm.html


Tuesday, 7 December 2010

How Do You Make A Fishing Lure Look Alive


The entire point of a fishing lure is for said lure to look like some sort of bait that fish eat. In many cases fishing lures are designed to look like a wounded or injured fish so that predator fish are more likely to think they're getting an easy meal. This is all well and good and companies such as Rapala and Yo-Zuri have been making high quality fishing lures that work well for years. And these types of lures catch fish, there's no doubt about that, but at the end of the day how do you make a fishing lure look alive? Is it even possible to make a fishing lure look alive?

Many anglers twitch their rod tips while reeling in their lures and/or vary the speeds at which they retrieve their lures for a more realistic appearance. This seems to help a fishing lure look alive, heck I've been using these tactics for years. These types of tactics do work, there's no doubt about it, but there is also another option. That option is to get your hands on a fishing lure that looks alive because it was designing that way.

If you want to know how to make a fishing lure look alive, the easiest way is to get one that looks that way all the time. The fishing lure that I'm referring to is called the KickTail Minnow. This fishing lure was designed to look alive, and I have to admit, that's what it looks like. The KickTail minnow looks as much like a live minnow as any fishing lure that I've ever seen. I honesty mean no disrespect to Rapala or Yo-zuri lures, because they resemble live minnows very well. However, the KickTail minnow simply does a better job in my opinion.

The bottom line is that the answer to the question of how do you make a fishing lure look alive, is to use a fishing lure like the KickTail minnow. This way you don't have to do anything differently, all you have to do is reel it in. Marine biologists will tell you that fish attack live things, so the more alive your lure appears, the more likely a fish will be to bite it. That's precisely what I'm referring to, and the KickTail Minnow offers exactly that.

If you want to make a fishing lure look alive, the easiest way to accomplish this is to get a hold of a fishing lure that is designed to look alive. Otherwise we can all stick to "twitching" our rod tips and varying the speed of our retrieve, which as we all know is effective as well. The bottom line is that we all want our fishing lures to look as "alive" as is possible, right? There are different ways of accomplishing this task, which this article discussed, but I still think the most simple and easy way is to simply get your hands on a lure that does it better that the others.








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!

Fishing Lures That Look ALIVE: http://www.jrwfishing.com/ktm.html