bass fishing tips

Bass fishing can cause you to lose a lot of lures if done incorrectly. Most fish will be close to cover such as logs, seaweed, fallen branches and rocks. Many bass fishing bait and lures will get hung up in or near the places where bass hide. If you make your own inexpensive bass fishing bait and lures, you are less likely to shy away from these places because you don't have to worry about losing expensive store-bought lures.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

Corks or cork bodies

Small knife

Sandpaper

Hammer

Lead weights, sheet metal or split shot

Fly-tying string or lead wire

Airplane glue or waterproof glue

Airplane paint or enamel in different colors

Small paintbrush

Hooks

Feathers (if desired)

Suggest Edits

1)Prepare corks by carving into insect bodies or small bait fish shapes with small knife. Carve a concave mouth for better popping action (bigger corks work the best for top-water plugs or spin bugs and are easier to carve).

2)Hammer the lead weights or split shot flat to add weight for casting to the cork bodies and use glue to stick the flattened lead plate into the cork.

3)Sand the cork bodies smooth to shape.

4)Insert a single hook through the "mouth" of the cork body so the hook end protrudes from the bottom of the cork body and the tie-on metal loop protrudes from the mouth of the bass fishing bait. Use glue to reinforce the hook position.

5)Paint the cork bodies different colors using airplane paint or enamel with a small paintbrush. Or you can dip them in the paint for quicker coverage by tying a lead line or fly-tying string to the tie-on portion of the hook if painting a solid color. Use small brush and accent colors to paint more realistic-looking lures.

6)Add details such as eyes by painting them on. Decorate with feathers tied to the tail to resemble insect wings. Cut spinner blades from the sheet metal to add extra flash.

Tips & Warnings

For quicker assembly, purchase pre-shaped and pre-weighted corks from a mail-order fly-tying or lure-making supply house.

Lure weights should be at least 1/4 ounce to cast correctly. Don't make them too heavy, because you can always add weight to your line to make them sink more, but you can also use them as top-water bass fishing baits or lures.

Paint the cork bodies to resemble the actual bait fish in the lakes or streams where you will be fishing. The more realistic the bass fishing bait looks, the more strikes you will get. You can add embellishments such as skirts and more realistic eyes, which you can get from lure-making supply houses.

Use caution with airplane glue and paint fumes around open flames. Work in a well-ventilated area.