ButchA

Anyone do this as a hobby and then decide to perhaps try and get a little side-business going out of your house or garage? I have been messing around with fishing lures since the 1970's, taking them apart, studying them, fiddling around with them, reworking them, and finally reassembling them --- and they still work and they still catch fish!

Should I? Should I not? Is there really a market for this? I mean, how could I compete with Bass Pro or Cabela's... selling top name brand lures? I'm just "me".

Champlain Islander

The prices on hard lures are really high these days especially some of the Japanese lures. I have migrated towards soft plastics and buy a lot of them through a local source who like you started to make some of his own lures. He started to pour his own lead jigs and bought a soft plastic injection setup and learned how to put out a nice product. Good luck moving forward I hope it works out.

ButchA

Thanks... I make "swimbaits" as well within a weighted jig assembly, and that works too. There are a zillion ways to create/re-create fishing lures that actually work AND catch fish!

Bocajnala

Sounds like it's a hobby you enjoy... and can maybe make a few bucks after retirement. That's a win/ win in my opinion.

Phil from Maine

It can be a great hobby and profitable under certain conditions. Here in Maine I would shy away from lead if you wanted any sales here. This September the sale of lead jigs and sinkers under 2.5 inches in length or 1 ounce or less are being banned.. As well illegal to use them starting September 2026. Now what being pushed is tungsten for weights as steel sinkers is really not a very good option. Yes they are pushing to try and ban rubber worms and the like because it’s causing deaths and ect. On to many fish because they can’t dissolve them after they have been swallowed. So if I was to get started in a lure making business I would keep those issues in mind. While I can’t speak for other states rules and regulations. My guess they will be eventually following this stuff..

Champlain Islander

We have some restrictions on lead here but mostly for small split shot. Painted jigs are ok right now. Nothing on soft plastics though but they don't disolve very quickly so I imagine down the road some regulations will drop down.

ButchA

Thanks everyone...

I don't use lead (that I know of!) on some of my lures. Mostly, it's brass or stainless steel. I am also very careful with rubber products and don't make rubber worms and things like that. I just use simple grubs and swimbaits, that are seriously attached to a 3/0 gauge hook.