I made some up for ice fishing this winter. They seemed to work fine. I pulled in a few eyes and a ton of perch on them. They've got a very unique action and are tough as leather, so one skin will probably last you all day.
Here's how I made them:
Buy some chicken legs and peel the skins off them. Lay the skins flat and freeze them. (If you don't freeze them, you won't be able to cut them.) Once frozen, take them out of the freezer and slice them into thin strips. I found that about 1/4" wide seems to work the best. You can vary the lengths.
Boil a bunch of salt in water until no more salt will dissolve. There should be crystals still sitting in there. I used sea salts. Let it cool. Once it is cool, add the chicken skins to the brine and add a little more salt. Seal it, put it in the fridge, and let it sit for about a week.
I see no reason why you couldn't add food coloring. I haven't, but that doesn't mean I won't in the future.
