Lure Making is Spendy!

[MMDON]

So I decided that I would get "into" this lure and dodger making thing. After purchasing a wide variety of blades in different sizes and types. Dodger Blanks in several styles. Clevises, Line, Hooks, Beads in a myriad of colors and types, Hoochies in every imaginable configuration, Tape for the Dodgers and some lures, Blade Dips and Paint, Sealers, UV, Soft Plastic Dips and such . . .

I'm now into it about $700.00 but Dave assures me it's like any other hobby!

Really!?!

[DLM]

Rule #1 with hobbies/obsessions. Never,Never, Never add up the costs.

The really sad thing is you probably think you have everything you need and are done spending.....have you got your airbrush painting equipment yet?

Be creative and have fun, nothing more satisfying then catching fish on something you designed yourself.

[MMDON]

It's a lot cheaper then fly tying! You don't need that Renzetti rotary vise to start out with!

[SuperD]

Don, your problem is you don't know how to stick your little toe in the water to start something, you just jump FULL in cannon ball style!

[kingsmules]

Don-
As my grandad used to say "If you are going to be a bear be a GRIZZLY"

My lure making supplies consist of a ball point pen and a check made out to kokaneemart.

[SilverBullets]

I try to buy my supplies in around $50-$80 increments. One thing about this hobby...you'll have more gear than you'll know what to do with when a quantity of 50 is the smallest amount you can purchase of some things.

[SuperD]

I try to buy my supplies in around $50-$80 increments. One thing about this hobby...you'll have more gear than you'll know what to do with when a quantity of 50 is the smallest amount you can purchase of some things.

I've given dozens of my lures and dodgers away to friends. I enjoy the idea of them catching fish on my stuff as much as I do the idea of me catching fish on my own stuff.

[RickM]

As I sit around on a rainy day, it is relaxing to make my own tackle. I give them away, try different things, make special tackle for special events, it is a real hoot. When they work, I'm proud, when they don't it's ok. This past week, with time to kill, I asked wife to pick out the material for me to make lure for her....she picked beads, and blades, and rings and things.... put it together in the order she wanted. The next evening we went Kokanee fishing she caught 5 and I caught 0, and I had a ball. I can bragged about my wifes fishing talents to all my friends. To me it was worth the cost of making my own, I could not have bought what she had me make at any store.

[MMDON]

KM, I think your Grandad and I would get along just fine!

Dave, sharing and having other people catch fish on your creations is a super reward!

Rick, having your wife out fish you on her lure is not only rewarding it's pure genius!

I'm all in as soon as the UPS and USPS guys get to my door!

[twisted lines]

I'm all in as soon as the UPS and USPS guys get to my door!

Yea right! youll be back

[MMDON]

Well Dave told me to bite the bullet and buy the best glow beads I could get my hands on. I figured I'd better get a couple of packs of each size 4, 5, 6 mm in each color and 2 packs of Hoochies 1 1/2" in each color plus some extras in white glow for dying on the fly. $220.00 later I have a nice stock of Radical Glow. I should have just bought stock! (Wink) They were great to work with and supplied some nice freebies with the orders!

[SuperD]

MMM, so far it sounds like you are all order and no action! Throw us a bone and post a picture for crying out loud. Even if it is all the packages of this stuff.

[MMDON]

OK, I don't have it all photo'd and more is on the way including the Kagan's shimpment but here goes:

Tying Hooks, I have three of these that are pretty much full.



As I add the colored egg bead I need I tie the second hook on and then package them in 2" x 3" bags but you get the idea of where to start.



Four bead selections in plastic, glo, glass, faceted and such besides the Rad Glo stuff:

Dyed Egg Beads:

[MMDON]

Large bags of craftstore plastic beads:



Hoochies, the big bags are 100 packs of miniatures and some dyed stuff.



Latest shipment of Radical Glow, beads have been repackaged:

[MMDON]

Some bags of blades:



Spike It and UV and the rolls of tape Dave was referring to:



Hope to have the rest by the end of the week and I can start production.

The finished stuff ends up stored by category or color like this.

[sawdustsavage]

I always said excess in all things. Moderation is for monks

[Petty4life]

All i can say is WOW

[Full_Monte]

I'm interested in this. May I ask, is the last photo of the lures in the bags the way you take them fishing? Can you tell us what size bags you are using and what size boxes? How do you keep the leaders in the bags from becoming tangled with themselves? Right now, I'm using foam insulation rollers to keep my lures and leaders. Your way looks good, too, maybe better.

[MMDON]

Sure, that is the way I catalog my lures to go fishing. I generally carry two bags of 8 of those trays each when I go Koke fishing. Since I have so much tackle, 500 + Kokanee rigs, I can't have it degrading due to exposure to the air, sunlight and the wear and tear of banging together. The tray is a standard size tackle tray 9" x 14" that fits in any of the large tackle bags. The plastic bags are 2" x 3" and are 4 mils thick ziplocks and can be purchased at Uline.com. To keep your lines from tangling you wrap the untied leaders around 2 fingers starting at the lure end until you have 3" of line left to wrap. Pull the line off of your two fingers and wrap the 3" of line 3 times around the loops and it won't come unwound. When you take it out of the package unwrap the tag end 3 times before undoing the roll of leader. I push the leaders and lures to the bottom half of the package and fold over for filing.

[SilverBullets]

I'm really looking forward to seeing some of the cabin fever creations you come up with Don!

[Full_Monte]

Thanks for your reply! I know that sunlight degrades line, but didn't know that air degrades it. Is there an article on this subject that we can read?

[SuperD]

I also found the 2" X 3" baggies on ebay and TAP Plastics without having to buy in quantity of 1,000 like Uline.

[MMDON]

I found I went through the small quantities much to fast. A thousand at a time and I don't have to worry for a year or two of tackle collecting.

[MMDON]

I sure hope my Kagan's shipment gets here today. I still can't build much without some of the basics they are supposed to be delivering! Gorge:30 or time to go is getting close and I still haven't twisted a spinner!

[SuperD]

Don, I have that same bead of sweat on the forehead. I have some stuff that has been back ordered for 2 weeks. I don't mind making stuff in the boat between fish but the stuff has to get here to at least pack it for the trip.