Beautiful Days On The Way

Howdy Y'all; Ya know I really like this time of the year! Kids are all back in school, The days are usually getting cooler, the nights are definitely getting cooler, and that makes sleeping a bit more comfortable, and if you are like me you like to sit out on the porch to enjoy the night sounds and sights. Of course the real wonderful thing about cooler nights is that it means that sitting out on the bank of some river or lake or taking the boat out is a LOT more comfortable. All species of fish are usually getting ready for the "winter" months and feeding is a bit more active and Bass and Crappie are usually moving in to shallower water at night, and are a bit more active too. ALL of this makes fishing a bit more enjoyable. I have been sitting out at night and "whittling" on more lures. I have been making a wide variety of lures lately. I have about forty lure blanks ready for primer and painting. The styles I have ready are: Torpedo shaped, large "Poppers", Crank Baits, some diving baits and quite a few that will need hooks with streamers. I usually save making the streamer hooks until all of my lures are painted and ready for the hardware. I love to do it because I also tie my own flies and I tie up a bunch of "Woolly Buggers", "Hendricks", and "Coachman" after I tie up a bunch of streamer hooks for my wooden lures. If you have never tied your own flies you might want to give it a try. There are "Fly-tying Starter Kits" available from a wide range of  Outdoor Stores and places on the internet. Pick up a beginners kit. Try not to spend more than 30 or 40 dollars unless you are pretty sure you are going to continue tying. One of the advantages for me in my wooden lure making is that by tying my own streamers I save a bunch of money! Check it out. Most ready made streamer hooks will cost about $2.50 to $8.00 or more, depending on size and quality. By tying my own I can cut the cost down to pennies per hook! Big difference! I also buy my hooks in large bulk packages from  http://www.JannsNetCraft.com at a real savings. There are many more out there of course, but I found that their prices are about the best. Making your own Lures, Flies and other fishing supplies can really save you money. It is, at least for me, a whole lot of fun! Developing any kind of skill is always worth the time and effort. But if you like to fish, making your own lures has a lot of advantages. Not to mention the thrill of hooking a really great trophy fish on something you created yourself. Check out my previous entry for a good Catfish "Stink Bait" recipe I inherited from my Grandpa. Another advantage I just thought of is that now that the economy looks like it is tanking, making your own fishing stuff makes even more sense.  Well anyway, God bless you, and keep you tip up.