Lure-making Clubs?

[Bantrix]

Hello,

I'm new here, so forgive me if this has already been in topic and I missed it.

I'm trying to find out some information on behalf of my father. He has been a fisherman for many years, but during the winter season, he finds it long and boring. (He can't handle ice fishing anymore so he has to wait until the summer).

I'm wondering if anyone here has heard of a club or recreational centre in Ottawa where fellow fishermen get together to learn how to make their own lures or something similar. I recently bought my father an excellent and very thorough tackle and rod making book, however, it would be nice for him to get out of the house and make new friends with people who share his passion for fishing.

I've tried searching the internet with no success. If anyone has any ideas, suggestions, or locations, I would be very grateful.

Thanks,

Bantrix

[Walker]

Is your dad into fly-fishing if so there are classes held by the Ottawa Fly-fishing Club and by local stores dealing soully with fly-fishing.
If it is making crankbaits,spinners and such I would be interested in joining others to share ideas and getting together in general.

[slop]

Welcome to the site Bantrix.

Maybe Mr J or Smitty can help you on this one I've enjoyed their pics and creativity on this forum previously. Could you introduce your father to Fish-Hawk

[Bantrix]

Walker, Slop, thanks for your replies.

Walker, my dad has been fly fishing before, but I think he's more interested in jigs, spinners, and whatnot. I could have sworn that I saw an ad in the Sun last year about a lure-making course, but I haven't seen anything since.
However, I will share your idea with him, he may be interested.

To elaborate, I'm currently living in Dallas Texas right now, and my dad is a bit lonely, not to mention I miss him and feel bad that I'm not there to spend as much time with him as I used to. So I'm trying to find ways to get him out and doing something he really enjoys.

Which brings me to my response to slop. Unfortunately, my father doesn't have internet and isn't computer literate. My fiance and I set him up with a computer before we left, and I'm sure over time I may be able to teach him how to use the internet over the phone. But this may take a while. I basically have to relay the helpful ideas you guys share with me to him over the phone.

He would love this site. Maybe with encouragement I can get him to try getting internet access and join up. He used to be a game warden for many years up in Quebec around Laverendre Parc (spelling may be wrong, sorry). He knows the area like the back of his hand and I'm sure would enjoy sharing stories with you all.

Walker, if there are no groups or clubs or whatnot available.. maybe we can all start our own? I may not be able to attend personally, but my father would love it and I would be there in spirit!

Thanks for your replies and for reading through my long posts. (Bad habit hehe).

Bantrix

[Mr.J.]

Yes a lure making club would be great.

Up north here the best place I have found for my supplies is www.luremaking.com but their selection is very limited, I will find later on eof the best U.S. sites for all of your supplies. I would order from them more often but sometimes I get dinged for duty.

A lot of the site who sell supllies have links to clubs, do a serch for lure making and I'm sure you'll find a few.

Also stay tuned, I'm signed up for the Laurentian weekend and will be making some spinners special for this. I'll post pics in a few weeks.

[Bantrix]

Thanks for the tips MrJ! I look forward to seeing your pictures and I hope you have a great time.

I spoke to my dad last night on the phone and told him about this site and the kind replies I've received thus far, and he's very excited and interested to get signed up. I've suggested he use a local library or something where he can get internet access for free until he gets set up at home.

If he is able to sign up and get used to using this website/forum, I'll let you guys know what his nick name is and make the introductions. Until then, I'll continue to relay the info you guys give me.

What do you guys think about starting your own lure making club from people within the fish-hawk community? Everyone just brings their own supplies and books and stuff maybe and you guys can just sit around and drink coffee or beer and share stories while making lures or something. I dunno, just a suggestion.

Thanks again,

Caryn
aka Bantrix

[Bantrix]

BTW I'll start searching the site now as you suggested and if I come accross any local clubs, I'll let you know.

Bantrix

[Walker]

R.L.
I don't think it is too late to try to organize for this year. The ice will not be gone for a while and there is still time.

[Rideau_Lungehunter]

It's a little late now, but maybe you could start a club or workshop or something for next winter.

I've always been interested in creating my own lures. Getting some hands on experience with someone who has done this in the past would be fun.

We could work on spinners and crank baits, with the bass/walleye guys making small sizes and the muskie guys making versions big enough to eat them

Then they all get the personal touch when the paint is applied.

[Mr.J.]

I have one piece of advice for making your own lures....."do not expect to get it right the first time"

I have really been thru a lot learning to do spinners and I don't have my first 10 I ever made. I have used much paint, even nail polish and now use powder paint and believe me I waisted a lot of powder paint and I am still not an expert but I am 100 times better at it now because I never gave up and I learned each time I did a batch.

"Do not expect to get it perfect at first and never give up trying" there is no greater thrill than catching a fish on a lure you've made, plus you'll save bags of money.

[Bantrix]

I don't think it's too late, it's still winter and it could be a hobby even to do inbetween fishing trips in the summer once a week on week ends or something.

I called luremaking.com today and spoke to one of their reps to see if they happened to know of any clubs around Ottawa. Unfortunately they don't, however, I made the suggestion that maybe they could organize a club themselves, also selling their supplies as a promotional thing while teaching people how to make their own, etc. The lady thought it was a good idea and said she would forward the message.. now I know it's probably unlikely that anything will come of it.. but, we may be surprised.
Maybe next year.

If I still lived in Ottawa, I would host the get-together myself in my home. Unfortunately that's not possible and my father lives in an apartment so it's inconvenient depending on how successful it is. But maybe it's possible to reserve a community centre, a social lounge or something like that? Some community centres would maybe even do it for free?

I'll try making some calls tomorrow to see if this is possible and how much it would cost. I may even call some fishing stores in Ottawa to see if they'd be interested in hosting something like this.. I don't know. Worth a try!

If I can get this organized, hopefully some of you would be willing to attend.

Mr.J, that is sound advice and I know that lure making is an art, from what I've seen and read in this book I bought my father. Practice makes perfect in anything you do.

Rideau-Lungehunter, if we can't organize something for this year, then we'll definitely try for next year. It will give us a lot more time to plan.

BTW - if any of you have any helpful criticisms or advice for my ideas to try and organize this for my father and for those of you interested, please feel free to comment. I've never done any of this before and still rather young and naiive. hehe.

Thanks

Bantrix

[Smitty]

I think that is a great idea - I have been making lures for about 4 years - wood plastic and some jigs - it is a great hobby......I am not sure if I could give lessons or anything like that - my best advice is practice and patience - your lures are never going to look as good as Rapala's.

Start of with some plastic lure bodies from Luremaking.com - paint them up with some "rattle cans" - spray paint - I have caught more fish on these "homemade" lures.

Let me know what you think.

Smitty

[Seaweed]

It could prove to be a new fun part of Fish-Hawk.net outings also. Some play cards some sit and stew by the fire some make lures....

I know that a group I go to the West Arm with have talked about doing this and we would be designing Muskie lures....

This all started with the ladies of the group getting together and making jewelery and masks, and we felt kind of left out.

I think that a local lure making club would probably be very popular and would certainly help pass the winter.

Bantrix you tell your Dad to get hooked up and we will get him out fishing for sure.

[Bantrix]

Excellent! I'm glad I have some interest. I'll start making calls today to see where we can have this held for cheap or without costing any money.

I know that in Churches, they let us reserve rooms for recreational activities for free.. but sometimes religion can make some people uncomfortable. I mean, it's not that anyone has to go to mass or anything, it's just a room IN a Church.. but I don't know how people would feel about that. I'm just trying to think of ways to do this for free or for as little money as possible.

I'll keep you all updated after making some calls.

Seaweed, that's exactly what I was thinking. Not a course exactly, but everyone just getting together to share ideas and learn from each other or start from scratch together with books and stuff. Everyone brings their own Timmies and stuff! hehe. MMMmm. I miss Tim Hortons, I wish they had them in Texas. hehe anyway, I strayed off topic.
My dad is definitely excited about these ideas.. and of going fishing again this summer. Not having a vehicle can sometimes limit your ability to travel far for fishing. He usually enjoys going to the Quebec side where he taught me to fish. Places like Byrd Lake, Baskaton, Buckshot, and so on.
Thanks.

Smitty, I think your ideas are great.. and I read in the book I got my dad that you can also use empty perscription bottles or ice cube trays as molds and then shape them down, if you don't have the pre-shaped molds at all. I'll make sure the book is mailed to my dad in time so he can bring it with him once this is all ogranized.

Thanks for all your encouragements and advice. Hopefully I can make something solid by next week end. *fingers crossed*

Bantrix

[Smitty]

I know there are not many places that will have the power tools needed to make the wood lures...but plastic lure bodies would be easy to assemble and paint in a church hall or something. Let us know what you find out....I could always bring some already made wood lure bodies and we could paint them....just a thought.

Smitty