Most anglers have preferences to how they play this game of fishing, some are avid fly fishers who are aware of the local hatches and make their small flies into wonderful mimics of nature. They understand the art and grace of the fly rod and the delicate delivery it can present.
Others prefer to use the flash and dance of hardware. From the bright and flashy to small and subtle, blades, bodies, hooks and beads; spinners can be a wonderfully productive way of catching fish. I am one of those people that love spinner fishing. Trout, bass and even our local steelhead have taken my small metal creations, and with every successful hookup there is a tremendous rush of pride in the fact I created this lure.
My hobby started out as a way to stock our guide service boats with spinners for clients. We wanted to have a good selection of quality spinners and didn’t want to worry about the cost of losing these tools, because if you are using a spinner right you will lose some. The key to proper presentation is to get the lure close to the bottom and in some cases actually bumping along the rocks in the stream bed; snags and lost lures are inevitable.
Since starting my hobby I have built our own spinners, sold some to the local tackle shop and provided friends and family with spinners for their fishing needs.
After constructing thousands of lures, I still find it surprising how easy it is to turn parts and pieces into a finished product that can compete with any off the shelf lure. The wonderful part of making your own spinner is the cost, which is a mere fraction of the store bought item.
The fundamentals of spinner making are simple, try it and if it doesn’t work, change something.
If you are interested in making your own spinners - you can try it out by using the plier method. Use needle nosed pliers and bend your wire around something such as a nail or even another pair of pliers twisting to complete an eye. Add your components, make another eye then add a hook, give it another twist to secure things. With a little practice you can create decent stream side lures. Most sporting good stores have small packages of components; sometimes they even have the entire setup in the same package. This method works well if you want to try out the idea. If you plan on manufacturing a fairly large number of lures I recommend buying a tackle maker machine. There are several brands and models available, with pricing dependent on complexity, and quality.
After making the decision to build spinners, I ordered a number of catalogues that carry the necessary supplies. These catalogues are also a good source of reference, with information on the various tackle makers, as well as providing sizes and descriptions of the parts and pieces that you will need. These companies can provide everything you would ever want or need to construct very professional looking lures.
In the beginning you may have the urge to buy many different styles and sizes of bodies and blades. Control that impulse, you will find it is not necessary. A small selection of the various components is a good starting place. You can add variety as you develop skills and feel the need to experiment.
When I first started assembling these flashy little items, I compared my spinners with ones that I purchased. After making a good variety of sizes and colors I went down to the local trout pond and tried them out. I watched for good straight spinning, no wobble and an easy blade start. I was extremely pleased as my first attempt worked wonderfully.
I came home with a nice limit of trout and the knowledge that MY spinners WORKED!!!!!
This is a hobby that almost anyone can do; the things necessary are an interest, the ability to assemble small pieces, a small investment and a little time. The rewards of producing these popular little fishing lures are obvious. You save money but that is not all, there is that feeling of pride which is frosting on the cake!
