Make Fishing Lures out of Bottle Caps
Aluminum bottle caps can make for excellent fishing lures, and fashioning them only takes a few minutes. You can customize their size, color and make them as complex or as simple as you like. Let’s take a look at how this simple trick can enhance your success at reeling in your next meal.
The first step is to think about what kind of fish you are trying to catch. Consider what lures have worked for you in the past as well. You want to choose caps that have similar colors or levels of reflectivity in order to maximize their usefulness. That being said, there are many different options to choose from since most bottling companies have colorful logos on the caps.
Preparing the Caps
Take a nail, poker or small drill bit and create two holes on either side of the cap. The best way is to make the hole along the side-wall of the cap, but this is also the most dangerous. Some people are able to hold the cap between the thumb and forefinger of one hand while drilling with the other.
However, it’s a lot safer to secure the cap with a clamp on a workbench or table. Just be careful that you don’t smash the wall of the cap as you clamp it in place. You can also cut two holes along the top and bottom of the face of the cap, but this will require you to make longer fittings for the assembly of the lure later on.
Installing the Rings
The next step is to attach a ring through each hole that will be used to connect other components of the lure. You can use small links of chain or purchase small packets of rings at most hardware stores. You can also use some wire or a paperclip as an alternative. It’s important to make sure that you are using material that is firm enough to retain its shape in order to avoid the lure falling apart as it is being pulled or snagged. Experiment with different items until you find the right material that will be durable enough for your particular needs. Ideally, the installation will resemble the double-rows of metal that you find on a key ring when you are done.
Putting Things Together
The next step is to decide how you want your lure to look. You can fold the cap in half vertically so one loop is on the top and the other on the bottom. You can also cut away at the sides of the cap into a variety of shapes and sizes according to your needs and preferences. Just make sure that you form the cap before attaching any of the rigging in order to avoid damaging the lure or hurting yourself in the process.
Finally, rig the cap according to your needs or preferences. You can feed the loop of a hook or weight through the bottom ring or simply attach some fishing line. You can add the fuzzy part of the lure on top or rig a couple of caps together as well. The choice is yours, but this is one of the easiest and surprisingly effective hacks that anyone can use to attract and hopefully catch fish all day long.
