Okay so I have been wanting to expand my inline selection, but the price and limited choices of colors have me pondering what is best.

So recently I went online to a lure making site that sells parts, and I went through all that I would need to make a mid sized inline (Not musky size but just a hair under). The price I keep coming up with is roughly $20 a lure..

So I was thinking that i must be adding something wrong, because to only save a couple of dollars whats the big savings of making your own? Yeah I know there is a pride thing in it of making and catching something with it. Has anyone else had experiance in crunching these numbers?

What was on the list was:

Magnum blades

Clevices

Metal Beads

Brass Body

Sinker

Hooks

Flashabou

And I didnt even include the split rings, heat shink if I wanted to go that route, coils, and line wire itself.

I know there was a guy here in MN that I use to buy his lures for $!0 a pop! It was a great deal, and I still cant figure out how he was able to make them and still turn a profit. I know there are some prices that are minimized the more that are made, such as buying beads in bulk and clevices, and bodies,

Buying in bulk and getting discounted or free supplies is how most of the guys I know do it. 

You shop around and get prices but don't forget to include shipping and always look to see if free shipping is available. I use 7 or 8 different vendors for my lure making and as Bluebasser86 has already said, buying in bulk is how you save but it takes time to recoup your initial investment so I warn those looking to save money about doing it yourself. Yes, you will save money but unless you really go through a lot of lures in a year, it will take 3 to 5 years to get to a point where you begin to really save, also look to do more by scratch, what I mean is instead of buying wire shafts, buy the wire in coils and invest in a wire former if you can and make your own wire, more cost up front but it will really cut down on final cost.

Making a few lures isn't going to save you money. You may have the pride that you caught fish on your own creations, but unless you do what was stated above and buy in bulk and make a ton of baits the start up cost of supplies is going to run you more.  If you do the numbers with say the amount of material you need to make say a 100 of those, then the cost should come down.  But to make a few lures well the pride of catching fish on something you made is  your pay off.

I make my own spinnerbaits and the cost has gone up considerably in the past 3-4 years. About 6 years ago I could buy enough bodies, blades, skirt material, clevices, swivels, and surgical hose for about ten baits for around $2.00 each. Nowadays, the price has doubled and then some.

I started going to different wholesalers but then the shipping cost gets prohibitive. You have to decide if you are better off buying retail or you really want to invest the $$$$ in making your own.

 

ANYONE WANT TO BUY SOME SPINNERBAITS?

Making a few lures isn't going to save you money. You may have the pride that you caught fish on your own creations, but unless you do what was stated above and buy in bulk and make a ton of baits the start up cost of supplies is going to run you more.  If you do the numbers with say the amount of material you need to make say a 100 of those, then the cost should come down.  But to make a few lures well the pride of catching fish on something you made is  your pay off.

There is a pride thing, but mostly I am looking for color combinations that your local GM and BPS wont carry.. I have been looking at Ebay and seeing if I can find some lots of items, but I think I might find some off CL or something and modify if I can... Or find someone again who makes them.

I make my own spinnerbaits and the cost has gone up considerably in the past 3-4 years. About 6 years ago I could buy enough bodies, blades, skirt material, clevices, swivels, and surgical hose for about ten baits for around $2.00 each. Nowadays, the price has doubled and then some.

I started going to different wholesalers but then the shipping cost gets prohibitive. You have to decide if you are better off buying retail or you really want to invest the $$$$ in making your own.

 

ANYONE WANT TO BUY SOME SPINNERBAITS?

Lol if you have them in Orange, Yellow, and Red color sets we might need to talk. Lol

Yours save a ton of money making your own tackle, if you pick the right tackle.

When I make my own stuff its for the satisfaction of catching a fish on something I made. The savings is just a small bonus regardless off how small it is.

Flash and blades seem to put me back the most. So I am shipping around to try to find some cheap.

Or find someone again who makes them.[/quote

Serbert will make you any color you want

Siebert makes a really great jig!!! I bought some from him last year and although I'm not much of a jig fisherman, they work well.

Everything in your list should not cost more than $100. And you could prob make at least 20 baits. You dont have to get everything from a tackle store either

I got enough to make roughly 10 for about that $50 Mark, and the next set I don't need as much so the savings will continue.

I made one the other night to treat it out and love it. I know come Monday on my day off I will be making more.

 I did not know any better. I would paint those round ended clothes pins. Caught fish. 65 years ago