Lure Eyes
The eyes of a lure give the fish something to focus on as well as adding a natural appearance to the lure. Use a hole punch to make lure eyes from various colors of lure tape and be sure to use a smaller-diameter punch for the black tape, which makes the pupils of the eye.
Dying Feathers
Many trout anglers buy plain-white feathers from a craft store and dye them to the preferred color. Once the feathers are dry, make sure to store like colors together so they darker colors do not bleed into lighter shades.
Beads
Plastic beads serve many purposes for lure building, from acting as a bearing on spinning lures to mimicking a free-drifting salmon egg. Customize your beads by coating them with pearl nail polish to enhance their fish attracting ability.
Spinner Blades
Spinner blades are used to make walleye rigs and trout spinners and can be easily customized. Cut a small position of brightly colored lure tape and affix it to the back and front of the spinner. Use contrasting colors on the front and back for a lure that will appeal to large, predatory fish.
Rubber Legs
Many lures and flies incorporate strands of living rubber to enhance their fish catching ability. Cut the strands of rubber to the desired length and store the same lengths together so they are readily available to add to a waiting lure.
