Why do you Tye Make your own Baits?

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Originally Posted by Gigmaster

I've been tying flies since I was 5 years-old. I learned from my Dad. I have always tied my own flies, jigs and made my own lures, mostly because I enjoy it, and for me, it's part of the fishing experience. I do it also because I live in a remote area, and there are few tackle stores around, and none carry the colors and patterns I like to use.

I guess the main reason is that I am just addicted to flies and lure-making. I love pouring plastic worms and jig bodies, tying flies and jigs, and even pouring jigs. I like making spoons and spinners, and whittling wood poppers and such. Catching fish on something you made yourself enhances the experience exponentially, for me, anyway. I like to be as independent as possible.

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Welcome to the site and board! Hope to see you post some of your ties. Lots of good people here so enjoy!

Skip

I will post some pics soon. I am still learning how to post pictures online.

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Originally Posted by Gigmaster

I will post some pics soon. I am still learning how to post pictures online.

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You can upload pictures to this site as well. Click on GO Advanced, then Manage Attachments and a window will pop up. Then you can click add a picture and upload it and have it put in your post. Just click in your post first to see where your placing it?

Skip

I have been making some type of fishing lure since I was about ten. Jack Manda of Manda's baits at Portage Lakes in Akron Ohio first taught me how to solder pinmin ice lures for Bluegill. I refined my fly tying with the help of Skiptomylu when I joined crappie.com over a decade ago. Snake River got me interested in injection molding soft plastics. When you cannot find what you want at the big box stores or bait shops you just have to find a way to make it for yourself. That is how I started to invent stuff and make lures. At the age of almost 73 I am still enjoying my hobby.

Here are some that I tie for crappie. They work well for me.

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I like that Puglis Shad. Good work.

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Good looking flies you have here, thanks for showing us some!

Skip

Man what a great topic. These people responding to the question are all passionate about the hobby. I personaly tie because it it gives personal satisfaction. there is no way I would buy a store bought hair jig after doing this for years. Oh, and catching a fish on something you created yourself can not be measured in words. Thanks for making me ask why do I do this. And thanks to crappie.com and all my friends here for making this conversation possible. Tie on my friends

Because my father inspired and taught me to. I come from an artistic family and I enjoy the relaxation it provides.

Plus, I'd been tested analytically, during my developmental years, as one possessing a high degree of creativity.

I'm not sure how I got the bug but I know I had the itch and decided that winter was not going to be wasted but invested by doing something I really enjoyed doing. So I started reading and studying and watching and buying and come December, I believe, I tied my first Marabou jig. Yes, it was relaxing, creative, rewarding and productive. I actually started looking forward to getting up on those cold northeastern mornings because I knew I was going to tie another jig and be happy doing it. Maybe it's the right side of my brain or some such thing, but my love for color kept fueling me on to be more creative with my "next" jig. And since there is always a "next" jig, the sky really was the limit. Then I started buying rabbit hair, then fox hair, then bucktail, then ... well, even started to use some of my cat's combed out cat hair. I am truly looking forward to trying those out. Months later, the passion hasn't subsided which is a solid indicator that the interest is real. At 63 years of age it kind of lets me be a kid again and bring some childhood memories to mind of summers with my dad, fishing the St. Lawrence near Alexandria Bay, fighting the pike at Eel Bay, watching the huge ships pass by our cottage at night and loving every minute of it. That was many moons ago but that's what fishing (and lure making) can do to a person ... it brings smiles and creates memories that last a lifetime.