What is free and can also serve as an effective fishing lure? Simple; compact discs (CD's). Whether from AOL, or any other source, a CD comes with at least one highly mirrored surface that easily attracts fish eyes. If you haven't noticed already, a CD is flexible, plastic and can easily be cut with a pair of scissors. You can create a shape like a fish, long diamond, triangle,"V”, or any shape you'd like with relative ease.

Next, drill a hole at opposite ends of your shape of choice. Use a small file or knife point to smooth any sharp edges around the holes. One hole will be used to attach the leader, the second will be used to tie on either a small treble or single hook.

To cast the lure any distance you are going to need to add a quarter to half ounce of weight. The simplest way to do this is to tie a combined swivel and weight to the leader about 18” from the lure. Another option is to just add a small slip sinker to the reel side of the line before tieing on a swivel. The weight will rest against the swivel when the lure is cast or reeled in.

Substitute a "CD Flash" on one leg of a double jig and you won't need to worry about adding weight for casting.

Or, just slip one of your special designs onto a single lead head, replacing one plastic bait for another. Just make the hole small enough so that the lure is kept from slipping off by the hook barb.

CD's are also not only "writeable” by computer hard drives but also by felt tip pens of all colors. Draw in eyes, scales, colorful stripes, or just leave it natural flash.

Many shape variations and rigging techniques are possible. Glue two CD's together and you'll have a double sided mirror lure. You might need a pair of heavy duty scissors or tin cutters to do the trimming on the thicker lure. Just experiment until you find what works best for you.

No longer will you look at a CD the same way - and neither will the fish!

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