A Project for a Breezy Day

[Mark]

Another thread today noted how windy it was.

The wind kept me off the water but I still accomplished something related to fishing.

As I opened my garage doors this afternoon I felt the strong breeze outside. The wind provided fan-free ventilation in my garage. So, I decided to pour some lead jigs, a task I hadn't done for a while. Ventilation is important to avoid inhaling lead fumes when making jigs. I never pour lead in a confined space without adequate airflow. The fall is a good time to make them -- not too hot in the garage and not too cold.

During my last outing I was a little short on the lightweight jigs that I use for striper fishing. I decided to remedy that.

I made twenty-five 1/8 and 1/4 oz. jig heads. I use them mostly on 3 inch paddletails in shallow water. I like lightweight jigs for casting near riprap because they're less likely to hang up in the rocks, yet heavy enough to cast far. I was using 3/8 oz. jigs the other day. Although I caught fish, I also hung up on structure more than usual.

I used two Do-It molds, each with a different head shape:

Jigs2.jpg

A few of the ones I made are below. The red hooks are size 2/0 and the nickel hooks are 1/0. I made some 1/8 oz. jigs with the 2/0 hooks but mostly I use 1/0 hooks for the smaller jigs. I cut and filed the excess lead from them so they are ready for painting.

Jigs8.jpg

I use powder paint. To make the paint adhere, I warm the jig with a heat gun. That's what I'm doing here:

Jigs6.jpg

When the jig head is warm, I dip it into the powder paint. This is the outcome:

Jigs5.jpg

I dipped a few different colors -- no rhyme or reason for the colors, just those I like:

Jigs4.jpg

I added stick-on eyes to some of the heads. I used to paint eyes on the round-headed jigs but they usually rubbed off in short order. I've never noticed the fish to care. In any case, after I added the eyes on some, I coated all the jigs with Sally Hansen Hard As Nails nail polish. Here are few ready to catch fish:

Jigs3.jpg

Now, I go to all that trouble and this is what the jigs look like after an outing of casting them near structure:

Jigs1.jpg

Of course, they still work with their unsightly dents and dings in the paint. But there's something uplifting and confidence-enhancing when I tie on a new one.

I recycle the lead. I re-melt my old beat-up jigs plus any abandoned sinkers and jigs I find during outings. I find a lot of them too. I never have to buy lead.

So, no fishing story but an "outing" in my garage this afternoon provided me with enough jig heads for this fall's striper shallow water fishing and probably next fall's too.

[elkfish2]

Nice ,always more satisfaction when you make your own .
It only takes one fish to hit it to make you smile .

[Mark]

Nice ,always more satisfaction when you make your own .
It only takes one fish to hit it to make you smile .

Thank you.

Very true.

[Slackdaddy]

It looks like your molds have a slot to add a attachment point for a spinner blade?

Does it matter to the fish?? probably not, BUT I can never find the "Just Perfect" jig head

EDIT: Looks like that is where you pour them, not a place for spinners

[elkfish2]

That's an easy mod with a dremel tool .
I've modified 1/2 oz heads for 7o hooks

[bignose]

The fishermen always bite on the prettiest jigs.
The fish don't really care. Scratches, nicks, chipped paint, all add to the character of the lure.

I've been cranking out next year's spinner jigs in a production run. I should have about 300 done in the next couple of days.
Then painting, skirting, and adding the hardware between now and winter. Gotta have something to do when there is snow on the ground.

I don't know what the long term forecast is, but the squirrels around here have been extra busy.

[Mark]

It looks like your molds have a slot to add a attachment point for a spinner blade?

Does it matter to the fish?? probably not, BUT I can never find the "Just Perfect" jig head

No...Some jig molds do have an arm attached hot from the jig for the blades to be added. The ones I showed do not.

I make my jig spinners with a clip on arm, like the ones on Beetlespins. I buy the arms, blades and split rings separately and assemble the spinners after the heads are painted.

Here's one I used successfully to today:

D.jpg

I add blades of various colors to the arms to coordinate or contrast with the color of the jig head and dressing, which is usually bucktail or an artificial material or combination thereof. By the way, I've yet to find a color or color combination that does not work -- and I've made them in blues, pinks and purples, even black. The one above is pleasing to my eye. That's why I use it.

As to a perfect jig head, I think it's largely personal preference. I believe if you're confident in a lure you'll do better with it than if you're undecided and keep searching for perfection.

What I care about is hookups. As long as a jig is not missing hits, in other words, if there is a fish on the line after a strike, I'm happy. I miss very few strikes with with the dressed spinners or the plain jigs and paddletails I make. If I do miss, I immediately re-sharpen the hook. But that advice stands for any lure or fly, not just jigs.

For commercial jigs, I would look for a sufficiently wide hook gap with the wire gauge of the hook appropriately sturdy for the species you are fishing for. Some say eyes on the jig head are important because they replicate fleeing prey. I'm not sold on that theory. I believe many attacking fish approach the lure from behind and may not even see the jig head. Also, many very successful fly patterns have no eyes. Finally, a spinner looks like absolutely nothing that lives in the water that fish should eat. But if it gives you confidence by all means buy jig heads with eyes. I put eyes on some jigs because I think it makes them look nice, look complete. But no fish I've caught has ever complimented me on the eyes.

[ronaultmtd]

I have gone exclusively to using un-painted Deathgrip jigheads I get by ordering online out of Marrero, LA. Love the serrations on the shank of the hook that securely hold soft plastic... and a word of caution- you cannot get Gulp off...you must use a knife to cut the Gulp to remove it from this jighead...only problem is right now he is out of jig hooks (Backordered) And cannot fulfill some sizes of jigheads.

[summersoff]

Nice job on making your own jigs, especially from lead, that's an extra mile and a half. I guess with people wearing respirators 247, why not . They look great, and saved yourself tons of money. My jigheads are going $8 for 3!!
I usually tie my own bucktails and paint. The powder paint can be tricky, too hot it clumps, too cold - its powdery. I tried to set up a paint bubbler/fluffer container with a fish tank bubbler but it never worked

I have been using Z-man Trout Eye, Redfish jigheads exclusively, with Owner Twistlocks for grass and oyster beds. Although the DOA's look good. Dark/Red heads for clear water, Chartruese for muddy/rain days, white whenever

[Mark]

Nice job on making your own jigs, especially from lead, that's an extra mile and a half. I guess with people wearing respirators 247, why not . They look great, and saved yourself tons of money. My jigheads are going $8 for 3!!
I usually tie my own bucktails and paint. The powder paint can be tricky, too hot it clumps, too cold - its powdery. I tried to set up a paint bubbler/fluffer container with a fish tank bubbler but it never worked

I have been using Z-man Trout Eye, Redfish jigheads exclusively, with Owner Twistlocks for grass and oyster beds. Although the DOA's look good. Dark/Red heads for clear water, Chartruese for muddy/rain days, white whenever

Thank you.

I've never tried a bubbler for the powder paint. I don't do production runs...just one at time. I never felt the need to have a bubbler. I stir the powder in the bottle with a toothpick prior to dipping. That loosens the powder and results in better coverage.

I make my own bucktails too. I make little ones for perch spinners and bigger ones for stripers. Bucktails are indeed expensive retail. I assume by now after years of making them I have recouped my investment in molds and supplies. But that's not the point with me. It's the fun of catching fish with my own your creations that motivates me.

I've not gotten into soft plastics. Some pour them at home too. So when I fish paddletails and twister tails, I'm not using a completely 100% homemade lure. But then I didn't shoot the deer that donated the bucktail trailers either. And unless your surname is Owner or Mustad I suspect you are not making your own hooks.
In truth, those of us who make our own lures are primarily assembling components that others produce.