One way to get through the winter is to try making your own tackle or wrapping your own rod. If you need any help as to techniques or where to get the stuff, then The Complete Book of Tackle Making by C. Boyd Pfeiffer is for you. The word “complete” is an understatement because this is a large (8 ½ x 10” folio format) 550-page book with a lot of information. A partial list of contents will give you some ideas:

Tools and materials
Substitute tools and tools to make
Spinners, bucktails, jigs, and tin squids (4 chapters)
Soft Plastic lures
Wood Plugs
Off shore lures
Painting and finishing
Making molds for lead and soft plastic lures
Rod building (10 chapters)

Plus there are Appendices of size charts for hooks and accessories of all sorts. There is also a long list of manufacturers of all the parts listed in the book.

It is available through The Surfcaster 2000 catalogue (page 43) and only $19.95….no I am not kidding that is the price for a big hunk of book. If you don’t have the Surfcaster catalogue, you should order it just to have the cover picture. Each year it is an eye catcher.

Call them at 1-(800) 551-7873

They are really quick on delivery usually 2 days and sometimes-just one. If you get the catalogue and the book and you don’t make or repair a thing, just browsing through should get you through the next few weeks and into the new year’s fishing season. -- Jerry van de Sande