Making Pike leaders (traces) with quick change weights

I am turning into a man of few words.

Fishing it aint Kyle Toth on the decks

Why is my workshop nothing like this?

Rigging Soft Plastic Lures, Making the shallow corkscrew rig

I spent Monday morning fishing out of town on one of my favourite lakes that I had largely to myself. The conditions were perfect with just a bit of breeze, warm but with cloud cover. Monday morning at the office I had some pike to catch and something for the end of this video.

I started the session by making an amature mistake; making the first cast without getting my camera out of the bag and setting it up. Predictably it was one of those firsts cast that result in a fish, oddly I was a little disappointed about no camera but happy in way because I had made a good start.

I came, I saw and I caught all on the shallow screw rig and a homemade shad which as I was fishing mostly shallow water was perfect. The price of a great monday on the water is two days of editing and filming the rig making when the sun is shining and you want to get back out there. Happy days. Thanks again guys

The Awesome Angler

I have been a big fan of the 'Totally Awesome Fishing Show' youtube channel for a long time. This father and son team have made a huge effort to share the joined up basics of fishing, which is often missing from the angling press that seems to be centred on selling things. They have covered everything from catching carp on baked beans to shark fishing and all with a not too serious but informative style.

As well as videos, Mike Pullen the son has started a  FREE Online magazine called, wait for it, ‘The Awesome Angler.’ I can only imagine this is a huge undertaking but again something special that can only encourage others to get out there and catch some fish and also fill up that time between trips.

The current third issue has a mix that covers amongst other things peacock bass fishing stateside, big uk catfish and bigger catfish from Thailand as well as trout on crank baits. These articles come from a range of fishermen and writers that I am not sure you would find in any other magazine out there.

I have posted a link where you can download the Magazine and catch up on the previous two issues. Link to The Awesome Angler Watch out Field and Stream, the Pullens are coming

Rigging Soft Plastics, The Through Wire

Through wiring soft plastic lures is something I first came across with savage gear lures. It is a great idea allowing the lure to move away from the hook which saves on baits and I am guessing it gives the fish less to pry the hook out with.

It took a few experiments to get the process down to tee but I think I have cracked it with this video, it would be great to see how other people get on with this method

Kuba

I know it is not lure making, or lure fishing but it is important, I will just leave it there.

To donate please follow the link https://www.gofundme.com/helpkuba

Painting with Mel Lures, Camo Pike

I have to admit with this video I have a vested interest as a good part of the camera work is mine. I filmed it last year in Ireland and it has been sat on my hard drive for a very long time so Maciej (of Mel Lures) who I was filming thought he would edit it together and put it on his channel and to be honest the editing is what makes it. The only problem is I had lost a some off the files, when I say lost maybe deleted would be more accurate , it is not something I remember doing but then remembering yesterday is often a challenge.

Anyway he has done a better job than I would've done (not sure I should tell him that ) and added  a voice-over which explains things very clearly, oh yeah and he went and caught some fish with it. Once again people go wear out his channel with likes and shares and if you have not subscribed to his channel I can only assume you're using a computer in prison.

While I am in the mood for self promotion here is a video I made about Maciej last year as a bonus.

Team Adarix makes, rigs and fishes soft plastic lures

I am not a big fan of Sweden after spending half my weekend inside one of the monsters they created that is Ikea. I was forced to answer questions on which particular piece of glassware was more suited to our household; which is really very difficult when no part of you cares in the slightest. I was not the only one to suffer this fate, I did bump into a Minotaur who was looking for some greek guy while Mrs Minotaur was asking him about soft furnishings.

Anyway, rant over. Despite Sweden's Crimes against humanity on the positive side they do have more than their fair share of lure makers as these soft plastic shad videos show. As my grasp of Swedish only extends to knowing the name of coffee tables I cannot tell you much about the guy or guys behind the vids only to say they look young which may tell you more about me than them.

I invite you to take a moment, maybe put some ABBA on the (whatever device is current) and see how lure making is done.  I have included three videos which are roughly translated as Making soft plastic shads, Rigging and Fishing and they do all three very well.

I know as older people there is a fashion for moaning about what young people do or don’t do, but I have got to be honest and say I should of been doing what these guys are doing when I was their age instead wearing out street corners. Let us send this guy or guys some encouragement on their channel and videos maybe, subscribe, like, share, leave a comment.

Viva la Sweden

Yamamoto's Dream

It Starts with a Dream from Heidi Roth on https://vimeo.com">Vimeo

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The Gary Yamamoto Bait Company has a name that sounds more Japanese than anything but the company and the guy behind it would probably give apple pie a run for its money. Gary Yamamoto is An American, an air force vet and a bass tournament fisherman, but he is probably best known for his soft plastic fishing lures. His baits are still made in his factory in the USA by a mostly Native American Workforce whose ancestors were catching fish in the local lakes  and rivers long before anybody decided to wrap an apple in some pastry.  

But I am not here to provide free adverts, I am here with you guys to give this film a once over and see if we cannot learn something from these glimpses into his factory. Eyes peeled everybody there will be a test later.  

Beautiful stingy, biting, crawling things from Ootani of Japan

This little collection of creatures that wouldn’t look out of place behind the glass cabinets of a natural history museum are as you have guessed; handmade fishing lures from Japan. Their creator  Yuusuke Ootani lives a little northwest of Tokyo and sells his lure under the name Ootanikontyuukan to those samurai who have given up the sword in favour of a rod and river or lake full of bass ( those lucky bass).

Ootani carves the originals from wood and then makes a mould which he uses to cast lightweight resin  copies. He then hand paints the tiny stripes and details before fitting handmade wings, legs and hooks.

At the moment he sells his creations only in Japan and I sense those words may result in a few groans in other parts of the globe but he has plans to spread his wings. (I could not avoid that pun)

In the meantime we shall just have to be content to stare in wonder while we ignore our wives who are shouting for us to ‘get off the internet and come and get our dinner’.

This is his facebook page when your allowed back on-line https://www.facebook.com/ootaniyuusuke.ootani

The art of lure making, a film from WR Baits

I have been a big fan of the WR Baits, Youtube channel for a long time, Willem is a young guy from the Netherlands with probably a more varied fishing career than many and a way of using the camera that is often pure magic. I knew this latest film from him was going to be a firm favourite before I had even watched and I was not disappointed.

If your appetite has been wetted I strongly recommend you check out his show-reel and as always, likes and shares are the currency of the tinternet.  

Soft plastic creature baits made easy with ComposiMold

I am guilty of wanting to endlessly experiment with new lure making methods and this is a great one from a small US company called ComposiMold. Using their, reusable mould compound and a quick set silicone the world of making soft plastics appears to be a little more accessible, there is no hot pvc and wearing breathing apparatus..

The first video is straight copy of cheap toy bug but in the second there is kit with interchangeable parts so you can come up with your own baits which I really like as an idea.

I think I may have to put this on my wish list and see if it lives up to the videos but the principles are pretty sound and they seem like a nice bunch people that is until I watched the video below. I think they may have made this with a little bit of tongue and cheek but still I feel like I have wandered into the strange bit of the internet. Go check them out and if you give it go, let me know about your bait making adventures.   

ComposiMold website LInk

JB-baits: Pikachu and other stories

Yes that is a Pikachu lure, made by Johannes Bang of Denmark. A lure builder with a drying rack to rival the work of Da vinci and for the video below he is making a spike to screw into his baits and hold them while they rotate on that rack as the epoxy cures.

 Johannes has been fly tying since he was a child, but he finally came to his senses and started making wooden lures and soft plastics about four years ago. He sells these through his facebook group JB-baits (https://www.facebook.com/groups/445035115692696/?fref=ts) or you can find pics of his work on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jbbaits/?hl=en).

And then there is his Youtube channel. I couldn’t resist this video below as there is never anything wrong with watching other people's lures underwater.

Lake Fork Guy: Making Fishing Lures From Dip Cans

Lake Fork Guy has all the kit, the bass boat, the engines, the fish finders, not to mention a collection of rods and reels that would put a tackle shop to shame, but maybe it all comes down to having the right dip can on the day and what lures you can make from them. For me these two videos share a little of that bonkers experience that comes from catching fish on lures you have a least partly made yourself.

Sping casting soft plastic lures from Bait mold

This is a really interesting idea using spin casting which is normally used for casting small metal items to make soft plastic lures. Check out Baitmold.com for some of there more standard molds and of course his other videos.

The Penceel - Making a sea trout fishing lure

I am not sure you can fault any lure making video which starts by showing a little of what the bait  can do with a bit of water added. I have really enjoyed this series of videos from Splish Splash for two reasons; it covers making a sea trout lure in depth from start to finish and the other is because sea trout are little bolt of lightening and I have fond memories of fishing for them amongst the Scottish Hebrides (typed with a small tear in the corner of eye, and a hand looking for glass of 10 year old single malt).

This is a lure made to imitate the local bait fish, sand eels and is really built from his experience of brackish water fishing, so you  know you're not getting just theory and fancy lure making skills. But there is lots of technical know how to take from these videos to your own projects like, making masters and moulds as well casting techniques.    

The quality of home brewed videos on lure making always seems to taking steps forward and then there are some channels like Splish Splash that are making leaps and really telling a story not just stitching things together. I suggest you subscribe and share or as Liam Neeson says in that film,  “I will find you and I will Blah, Blah Blahhh”.   

Making a Sea Trout Fishing Lure

Painting Soft Baits the down and dirty way

What to say beyond the title? This is the easy route to colouring soft plastics it is not perfect but so far the pike have been voting with their teeth.

Fishing In Paradise with Morning tide fishing

 Dam these guys, dam them, bastards, bloody bastards, Jealousy is an ugly thing and I have it bad. Great film making, great fishing, great wildlife, great everything, go look them them up ,subscribe and share the hell out of their work.

How To Pour Your Own Baits - 4K with Noobangler

 Making some soft plastic frogs with the Noobangler and friends using plaster moulds.

4s & PARABOLICS

It is not a build video it is not a fishing video but it is great to watch and I think he sells them but my Japanese is a little rusty. Here is a link to his blog, enjoy Link 

How to make spinner fishing lures for Big Pike with Popeyem

 

Let's give this guy some likes and subscribe to his youtube channel so we can get to see some more of his work.

lure making diaries: skinny smelt

Mikko (aka Solarfall Baits) is at it again carving up a storm and pouring a new slim shad lure while cracking a few jokes, all good stuff.

(fishing it aint) The Birth Of A Dugout Canoe by Northmen

Just all round brilliant form the first shaving to the first paddle stroke.

Making a soft plastic lure from start to fish

Well it has been a while and I have been off in search of myself and found a tall fat guy wearing a beard so decided to come back for bit. This is my latest video