Fishing Tackle

When it comes to fishing plastic worms, craws or

No series on classic fishing lures that have stood the test of time could be complete without including the plastic worm. Although a patent had actually been secured for a rubber artificial worm as early as 1877, that product was so stiff and unproductive that it never went anywhere.

Come fall, indigenous species of minnows trapped from local creeks, found within the same watershed being fished, are forage that gamefish are accustomed to feeding on. Being wild, when approached by a predator, they react as nature programmed them to do, not in the manner of a hatchery-produced fathead or shiner. The nervous behavior of a wild creek chub gives the angler a heads-up, while providing gamefish with a more natural predator/prey response.

Mention crankbaiting and most anglers picture hefty baitcast reels, heavy line, stout

One of the newest and deadliest spinnerbaits to "splash" the market recently for a wide range of freshwater species is Z-Man's ChatterBait lures.

Harold LeMaster was a high school student in Kankakee, Ill., during the Depression. While walking home after school one day he came upon a fallen walnut tree. Examining the wood, he was intrigued with the quality of the grain and went home to find a saw. Returning to the tree, he examined it carefully, found a branch with good grain, then cut out a piece to carve a fishing lure out of. Using pieces of glass and sandpaper, he carefully smoothed the wood to the shape of a baitfish. Then he added hooks and fashioned an eyelet to tie his line to.

Paddle-tail style soft-bodied

Catching fish is always fun, but fooling one with a bait you've created with your own hands heightens the thrill. The art of craftsmanship runs deep among fly fishermen, but there are lots of options for lure lovers. This blog highlights potential do-it-yourself (DIY) projects to consider.

Most anglers are tinkerers. In this blog I want to discuss one of the easiest ways to customize jerkbaits and spoons to tease-out more bites from fish. Truthfully the method is dead simple and will cost you around $2.50 per lure.