PROJECT 2

BOTTLE CAP FISHING LURE

The Materials

Growing up, I used to like to go fishing. I was very bad at it, and since I always lost expensive fishing lures faster than I could earn enough money to replace them, my Dad rarely took me.

One day while scrolling through online videos in search of the end of the Internet, I found a really neat method of making fishing lures out of metal bottle tops. I was amazed at how neat the idea was, and immediately set about to make one for myself.

This is an easy project for a teenager or a skillful preteen. If strength is an issue with bending the bottle cap, the careful use of pliers can help. As I went about making this project the hardest part was drilling the holes. If needed, using a vice or a hammer to flatten the ends of the cap makes it much easier to drill, but be careful not to smash it too much or the split shot won’t rattle inside the cap.

Materials:

•   Beer/soda bottle top

•   Split rings

•   BBs or small split shot

•   Treble hook

•   Tools are simple also:

o   Hammer and small nail/Drill and small bit

o   Pliers

Procedure:

•   Using your fingers, press the sides of the cap until it buckles.

•   Before pushing the two ends together, place a couple BBs or shot into the cavity, so that they can rattle.

Smash Cap in half and drill hole in one end

1.     Carefully drill or punch a hole at either end of the folded cap. It may help to slightly flatten the ends with your pliers.

2.     Thread a split ring into each hole.

3.     Thread a Treble hook into one of the split rings.

4.     Go fishing.

Attach hook using split ring

Lessons Learned:

This project builds on the previous project, by showing how a flexible mind can see new uses for items that may be outside of their designated use.

It also helps develop the skills to recognize new uses for common materials—which is vital to growing a flexible mind.

It also shows how resourcefulness can save money—which can be reinforced with a trip to the sporting goods store and showing how much money was saved by building a lure rather than buying one.

Bonus Tip

I have a hard time keeping things organized in my tackle box. It is almost as big a problem as the lost lures I get stuck in logs, weeds, and tree branches.

I have found that by using small safety pins, I can keep my fish hooks together by size in my fishing tackle. This trick also helps me to avoid getting stuck as I try to get lures and other tackle out of the box.

Keep hooks together using safety pins