How to Make Your Own Fishing Lures

Fishing can be an expensive hobby, and the cost of lures, especially, can add significantly to your ongoing costs. Making your own lures can help keep the costs down. More important, you can tweak the designs constantly to find one that works best for every situation. Here are a couple of good starter projects.

Paracord Fishing Lure

If you spend a lot of time in the outdoors, chances are you’ve got some parachute cord lying around. Paracord is perfect for making a quick fishing lure with minimal tools and materials, and is a cheap and useful addition to any tackle box. All you need is a fish hook, a few inches of 550 paracord, and a few inches of monofilament.

550 paracord is made up of a braided outer jacket with 7 to 9 inner strands of nylon. Start with a two-inch piece of paracord. Pull the inner strands out about an inch and cut off the remaining sleeve. Take each strand and twist it counterclockwise to fluff it up until the whole bunch of strands is soft and fuzzy.

Next, take your hook and stick it into the paracord at the halfway point. Angle it so that the point comes out among the fluffy strands of nylon. Be careful not to hook yourself. Once this is done, thread monofilament through the eye of the hook, wrap it around the paracord and hook shank several times and tie it off tight. (An Improved Cinch knot is a good choice.) Cut off the excess monofilament and you’re done!

Rubber Band Spinnerbait Lure

Spinnerbait lures create turbulence as they move through the water, to attract predatory fish such as bass, perch or pike. Most spinnerbaits have long trailing strands to increase drag and create turbulence.

To create your own spinnerbait lure, all you need are rubber bands, a hook, and monofilament. Thin, colorful rubber bands are recommended. The number of bands is up to you, but five or six is a good start.

Place the rubber bands over an object to stretch them out, and leave them for a day until they lose some elasticity. Cut each one and bundle them together, then add a hook, with the shank in the middle of the bundle. Wrap fishing line around the bundle and tie it off.

Fishing is a way of life for many Club Bennington members, and our Owner’s Forum has many fishing enthusiasts who love to share tips and experiences. Register for Club Bennington today to join the conversation.