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TIER

A lot is planned for me fishing, fly tying and selling-wise

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Guys (and girls, but I have yet to come across a girl on this website, which is sad ;) ), There is some crazy stuff going on next weekend. I'm going to valdez to fish, get more popularity, and sell. High tide, I fish saltwater or sell, at low tide go everywhere possible to find lures to clean up and sell. I am making jigs, and saltwater flies. Trying to find or make lures and dry flies. Going to the ferry terminal to attempt to catch flounder, but catch 20 cod by accident ( is it cod or cods?). fishing at the pond and having all my lures stolen by fish. I hope to do all of that, and more. Now for the questions. How do I make lures? How much should I sell my size 3/8 jigs ( shank as long as a size six fly tying hook.) for? Most people there fly fish for salmon, dolly varden, trout, and grayling. Please tell me which flies I should sell. I need answers fast on that one, and the lure making ones. Now for the poll-like questions. Do you think I should get up and 5:30 to sell to the people going on the charters, or after their charters? Should I sell where most people hang, take pictures, and flay their fish when they get of the boat, at the pond, at the dock at the ferry terminal, or just set up a sign. Doing all of it is a lot of work. I need all these questions answered as fast as possible, and if you know about any of the things I asked, please feel free to answer. I am not good at all at this stuff.

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Sadly I've never been to Valdez, so, I have no answers for you. Good luck

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Now for the questions. How do I make lures? A lot of hard work ... making lures to sell isn't a "quick" thing. They have to look and work better than those at the stores.

 

How much should I sell my size 3/8 jigs ( shank as long as a size six fly tying hook.) for? To make money? More than the local stores if they are superior in quality. Or to "get popular? About 10% more than you've spent on them.

 

Please tell me which flies I should sell. I need answers fast on that one, and the lure making ones. Find out what patterns are working, and tie those up.

 

Do you think I should get up and 5:30 to sell to the people going on the charters, or after their charters? Go early. People might buy your offerings if they think they might catch fish on them. AFTER the trip, they'll only be interested in buying exactly what caught fish ON the trip. If that. At the end of the day, few people are in the buying mood ... especially if they didn't catch much.

 

Should I sell where most people hang, take pictures, and flay their fish when they get of the boat, at the pond, at the dock at the ferry terminal, or just set up a sign. See the above answer.

 

a lot of work. I'm unsure of how you're going to "run a business" without a plan. And reading your post, it doesn't sound like you have ANY plan.

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That's great what you're planning to do. Go for it. You'll learn from what doesn't work more than from what does.

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TIER Asked: (Now for the questions):

 

1.How do I make lures?

 

I think if you have this question that you are not ready to go into business making lures. I think you could possibly make more money selling cold soft drinks (by the can) if it is possible for you to do so--but depending on where you go, it may not be possible for you to just "set up shop" wherever you want. Maybe just keep your eyes open on this trip, and see if you see any "opportunity" while you are there, and most important, enjoy your trip!

 

I suspect you wouldn't have to look hard to find books on lure-making. Probably that will lead you in some way back to working with wood (as I mentioned in a thread on rod-building). I think it's not easy to make much money on "craft". I admire your enthusiasm, but you should be informed about that in advance. I knew a young person in Alaska that helped train racing dogs. Speaking from experience, it is easier to get someone to pay you to paint things (walls inside, sheds outside), or do yard work like raking.
Each of these require a certain set of skills that have to be learned too. One fun part of painting, for instance, is learning to fix holes and cracks in walls. On the last shed I painted, I learned how to use caulk to fill up some big gaps in some wood that had split. I also had to learn how to cover up a big stain that had been created by mildew. My project came out well and I felt good about it after it was done. The part that you definitely have right is that you have to keep learning! Keep it up!

 

You write well for 13 years old, but if you are going to frequent this forum, I feel compelled to point out that flay is usually spelled fillet. Enjoy your trip!

 

Cheers,

Bill_729

 

P.S. When I was 12, I delivered papers every morning for money. But that doesn't seem to be as popular these days as it once was. But I also mowed lawns for some of my newspaper customers. I hope my message may help to give you some ideas!

 

P.S.S. Get more books on things you are interested in (to complement some of the ones they give you in school). Being able to understand what books say is a challenge, and it gets easier the more that you try to do it. There is a lot of "knowledge" out there available to anyone who is willing to dig for it. Digging gets easier that more that you do it too. If you need ideas about things to dig for just let me know--probably better if you choose your own though.

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1. 3/8 jig with bucktail or feathers or both $2.00.

2. Try teasers or dressed hooks: Hook with bucktail or feathers or both.

Stuff I found online including a site selling a variety of dressed hooks to give you some ideas including prices.

https://village-tackle.com/collections/saltwater-teaser-fly?page=2

 

Disclamer: I am not affliated in any way with the attached links.

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I could recommend "Modern Tackle Craft" by C. Boyd Pfeiffer

He has about 2-300 pages of the 500+ pages dedicated to lure manufacture: jigs, plugs, spoons and spinners.

And he covers rod building also. <$10 used Amazon or ebay mine has $39.95 marked as the price @1993

Your local library might have or get you a copy.

and Jann's is a one stop shop for parts and paint (there might be better , but I don't know of them) https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/lure-making-parts/

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Personally, I think most folks going on a charter will be depending on their outfitter to provide tackle and lures,so, not sure what kind of response you would get selling. Some folks might buy because you seem to be an industrious young man. I applaude that.

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You do understand that most online services sell jigs from 1/100 oz to 3 ounce or more by the packs for less than you can buy the hooks, lead, melting pots for. Keep in mind pouring hot lead is an inherently dangerous undertaking and any contact with hot lead is totally unforgiving. I sold jigs of various sizes and types up north through my bait shop and to shops on the north shore of MN. Painting is another thing altogether. The companies doing painted jigs have the system down pat. You're best best for painting is a small bunsen burner and dipping jigs in paint powder. I never found a spray or hand paint that could stay on the lead as well as powder coating.

 

Good luck but as for meeting the guys going out, you might have a problem with boat captains who almost always have the "right" fly or lure to sell their customers and don't need someone on the dock trying to undercut them. You are ambitious and behind every major sports outlet was a go getter who usually started in the garage. Check the history of Johnny Morris in Bass Pro to see an amazing tail of luck and perseverance and he started out buying bulk lures and driving to docks and tournaments and selling out of his truck. Maybe we'll read your story someday.

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Reminds me of that photo flytire posted a while back, the guy sitting on the dock in a sea of lures...

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You do understand that most online services sell jigs from 1/100 oz to 3 ounce or more by the packs for less than you can buy the hooks, lead, melting pots for.

Not true. Been pouring my own for over 40 years. I wouldn't do it if it didn't save me lots of money. For years I poured from a plumbers pot and a ladle and only upgraded to a lee bottom pour pot ten or so years ago. I think the lee pot cost me around 50 bucks and the ladle and plumbers pots were just kind of acquired somewhere. One could find whats needed to melt and pour lead for around five bucks minus the cost of a mold which are about 40 bucks. I've never bought lead. I find it or it finds me for free. I have quite the stock pile of it but will readily admit that lead is becoming harder and harder to find simply because it's not used much anymore. It cost me about 17 cents, the price of the hook, to pour an 1/8th ounce tube jig head. The tackle shop wants 4 bucks for five. I can easily lose 20 jigs a day. The minimum investment in tools is quickly made up and with every jig lost the price of the start p equipment gets further watered down.

 

It is true there is no money to be made by pouring jigs from a ladle or even a lee pot for that matter. I would reccomend to the poster that he enjoy fishing but there's a great big beautiful world out there with bigger, better and more enjoyable ways to make money from then fishing.

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Poopdeck, if you pour for your own use and go through that amount of jigs a day then you can make it pay for you. Unless you're doing it commercially you cannot pour for what you can buy though after checking I found out a there are a lot of specialized type of jigs that do cost in that 5 for $4 area. There are still a package in Cabela's of 64 heads from 1/32 to 1/4 for $14.99. This is about .24 cents per jig painted. Getting the initial investment can add up. I know since I have about a half dozen molds out for everything from crappie to bass jigs and spinnerbait molds. Add to that the costs of several powder coat bottles and since I don't do it commercially anymore and have a few hundred various sized heads stored in shed now I really should start selling my stuff off. Don't plan on using it anymore. The years I spent pouring lead without paying attention to good ventilation might well be part of the COPD I suffer with now.

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I hear you. I only pour a few times a year as I can produce years worth of personal/friend use of jigs and weights in one morning. I usually paint jigs in small batches of 50 or so over the winter. I don't pour anything less then 1/8th and usually nothing bigger then 4 once jigs. Ive always poured outdoors on a stump and a pile of cinder blocks in the back yard. there is no way I would even think about pouring or tackle crafting for profit since I could work far less, timewise, at Macdonalds, earn more money and have more free time and capitol to fish.

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