DIY Spinners to suit your tackle setup

Abu Reflex on the Left, DIY on Right

In actual fact, I can't really call this a DIY project as there are just too many items that are purchased in this project. Spinners are not really expensive to purchase from tackle shops, maybe because they are such low-tech items. But we are very limited by the choices available here, it might be because it is already out of fashion. So tackle shop does not really stock them up in variety.

Most off the shelf spinners are usually heavier then what I would like them to be, so a few years ago, I made an on-line purchase of some common spinner blades and clevises. But with my usual stroke of bad luck, only the blades arrives and the clevises are somehow not in the package. So these blades are sitting at my box of lures as I could not find the clevises in our tackle shops. I have sort of given up any hope of using these blades as the clevises are proving to damn elusive to be found here.

Spool Line Holder - DIY Style

Finished Product on Reel

I have always wanted to do this when I started freshwater luring. As usually the fishing starts at day break, thus the night before I will tied all the necessary terminal tackles and will be almost ready to go when I reached the fishing ground.

However, I didn't get to start doing it until recently where the past couple of trips, for various reason, I needed to setup fast and time is wasted for me to tied the terminal tackles.

Initially wanted to buy off the shelf, but when I see the stuff available and the price, I rather put my money to better use. Taking those commercially available as a reference, thought of a few design and finally decided to get it done once and for all.

Made to Measure, this one fits a 1000 sized reel

There is a couple of design swimming in my head when I am shopping for the stuff required, but decided on this for a few reason.
1. It is cheap
2. I have no idea how long can the elastic band last, so doesn't want to waste money on velco strips to make it adjustable.
3. As mentioned, as it is cheap, I can basically make one for every single reel that I have, so no need for it to be adjustable.
4. Purely for vanity reason, I can customized it with my nickname, instead of doing free advertisement for others.

The design and production is so simple that I am kind of embarrassed to put it up, had I managed to get the elastic bands in black or red, I believe it would look better. Anyway, the concept of this design is from the fingers guards that I used when I played basketball donkeys years ago.

Item Required
Elastic Band (I am using one with 15mm width for this, use one that fits your spool)
SuperGlue
Flat Pliers
Cig Ligther

Even the Super Glue I use is a cheap one.

Work out the circumference of your spool (if you have forgotten it is 2πr)
Cut elastic band to this length.
Use the lighter to burn off those frayed ends.
Apply Super Glue to one end of the elastic band at about 1cm width.
Put the 2 ends together, with the Super Glued side in contact with the other end. Overlap at appox 1cm.
Use a flat plier and apply pressure to the overlapped portion, avoid using fingers as the glue might get onto your fingers.
Viola, it is done and ready to use when it dries.


Now, based on how what it described above, and using a very complicated mathematics calculations, you will find that the finished elastic band about 1 cm smaller then the spool circumference. The smaller diameter of the elastic band is to keep the line in place and is not too difficult to put it on as well.


Of course if you are doing for a much bigger reel, you might want to get a thicker elastic band. But for Shimano 1000 to 2500 sized reels, I find that 1.5cm is just about right.

Fly Tying Bobbin - DIY Style

This version comes nothing close to those you buy from tackle shops, it fact it does not even look the same. It is because I come across Shout Bobbin knoter that inspire this simple and cheap design, totally different from those you get from fly tackles manufacturers.

In fact I am not keen to invest on a proper one is because I don't really need to tie beautiful flies, I make those easy to make flies for spin cast only. Because of the cheap cost of those DIY flies, I can afford to cast them to those high risk area, and the loss are pretty high. Furthermore, the last time I enquire, a Taiwan made reasonable good bobbin cost in excess of SGD30, too expensive for me to buy and experiment, I have better use for the money.

The items I used are whatever I have in my house, spend just some time to think thru the design and quickly assemble them, spend less then half an hour to make this, and a while later for the 5 minute epoxy to dry. Cost me close to nothing, if you are missing an item, just search around your house for something similar and use a bit of imagination.

Self Tied Flies and Jigheads

I first started out tying flies when I see the success rate catching PB on them. But I am not using a Fly rod, so I do the spin fly method instead. Later to eliminate the need of a sinker and leader, and also to ease the change of lures, I switch to dress up jig heads.

Hook up rate is high as with these, I dare to toss into those areas where I dare not toss into with lures.







While I am doing up these flies and jigheads, I gave the spinner bait I got from Daiso a make over. As the treble hook in the original design cannot be changed, I need to re-do the entire rig. Beads are added, treble changed to a dress up treble with split ring and the spoon is polished before assembly.

Now this look good and hook sharp enough, may it catch many fishes for me.