Catch Big Rainbows Using Paracord Fishing Lures

Trout seem to prefer jet black 550 paracord. It has a shiny finish they seem to find attractive.

I've been having fun making lures from paracord and using them to catch fish. The fish shown here was caught on April 19, 2019, from Deer Creek Reservoir in Utah. It measured 16 inches, was fat and heavy. From its strong fight, I thought it was bigger. I harvested it, put it into the smoker, and the family raved.

It is quite easy to make jigs using paracord. My photos below show the steps:

1. For this one I used a 1/4 oz jig head, so it would be heavy enough to drop deep quickly.
2. Cut a length of paracord about twice as long as the jig head/hook. Remove the inner strands.
3. Use the hook point to "pick out" the cord on one end, unraveling the braid to create a skirt. Pick out half of the cord. Measure it against the jig head/hook and trim any extra.
4. Insert the hook into the paracord's unraveled end, push it down the length and then out at the top of the skirt.
5. Melt the top of the paracord and push it tight against the jig head and jig shaft. Be careful because the melted paracord is very hot. If you work at it you can make the cord adhere, so it is held fast. Alternately, I sometimes wrap the top part of the lure with nano cord, in the same or a contrasting color. By wrapping it I can secure the 550 cord to the jig head and also thicken the top part of the lure.

I get my paracord from https://paracordgalaxy.com. They have high-quality US-made cord for a great price.

I fish it like I would a marabou jig, or plastic jig, casting toward shore and hopping it near the bottom. In Utah it works for trout, bass, perch and an occasional walleye.