Experimental and Opinions Acceptable

[S10CHEVY]

You sure they just want you to join, so they can get jigs from you, lol.

[Micanopy]

You sure they just want you to join, so they can get jigs from you, lol.

See.....that’s the kind of advice I come here for.


I’m just gonna sweeten the pie a little is all. Let them get to thinking about them jigs. Gonna lay out some nice stuff. I ran out of painted jig heads so had to make some more.


Prebake



Partway through the baking process. UV light shows reflectivity factor as fish would experience it.



....and post spawn.




These almost all have wire keepers for soft plastic baits. I am especially fond of the Bat Jigs. As you can see results do vary and it’s a crap shoot as to how they turn out. Always a few to fall in love with, and keep for myself.

So yeah I think I can pitch some jigs on the counter top, next to a note that says FREE JIGS, and get full consideration. Just the ones I no longer wish to fish with. Couple hundred.

[MCG1]

I grew up here in Michigan and was taught to call them specks or speckled bass. Wasn't until my hillbilly brother in law moved in until we started calling them crappies! Good luck with your membership, sounds like there is a treasure trove of knowledge to mine there and they might learn something too.

[skeetbum]

I like your generosity but we’re it me, I would put a few in little zip loc bags and hand them out to keep human nature in check. I’ve given many away, mostly to let folks try sickle hooks that either never heard of them or didn’t know where to get them. They were always appreciated

[BobC]

I like your generosity but we’re it me, I would put a few in little zip loc bags and hand them out to keep human nature in check. I’ve given many away, mostly to let folks try sickle hooks that either never heard of them or didn’t know where to get them. They were always appreciated

That might be a better plan. It can be like putting out Halloween candy on an honor basis If you don’t. My son tried that ONCE, and the experiment failed badly!
Bob

[Micanopy]

I added eyes by sticking them on, then rearranged until in correct position, then using small paint brush coated with UV resin, especially under edges of eyes that are not flat to surface. So over the eye and down onto the paint to encapsulate.

Skipped using the light and just placed onto styrofoam and outside into the Sun. Things went much faster and I suspect I will get good results as the eyes do not move once resin is on.

I tried using clear Gorilla glue, and applied with tooth pick. Even though I was just using a small amount the eyes moved due to gravity. This also left me with edges around the eyes that could catch line and weeds and such and maybe snag and tear free. Resin is faster better for me.

[Micanopy]

Here it is in a low light condition about Sun down. As you can see it is glowing from UV light reflection.






Read some on an unassociated forum website, dealing with tackle making, and they suggested their dummy ask the “really nice guys” over at Crappie.com’s Jig Section.




So I thought about that a little. Pondered about that.


There is an entire world of men that no longer wish to share. Natural enough. I am actually glad they aren’t ruining the fun.

So the reputation this site forged is definitely attractive to me.



The shortened shank- size #6 hook will allow the plastic more freedom than traditional hooks. Flappery Factor. Profile for Shad is perfect. Colors are good. Good thinnest/thickness when viewed from below and at an angle. Has UV reflective head and body components. I could easy swell the bait’s tail ball larger by using resin.

Thinking of how hard it would be, the time required, skillset needed learned…..to create a tied jig better than this plastic lure. This is the perfect baby shad bait. I am planning to add these little minnow baits into my spread going forward. Maybe a man can do better with plastics than with thread.

[DrNip]

Back when I started making my own plastics and jigheads somewhere around 2012-13 info was limited and lips were tight about the process. Definitely wasn’t all the Facebook pages that are around now geared towards bait making. I never understood those that wouldn’t share. I mean I get it some were selling their baits, like I was, but majority of them stopped and are no longer making anything at all let alone heard of anymore. Seen so many come and go, pushing this product over that product that it’s unreal. I’ve always been an open book even when I sold. Can’t even begin to tell you trial and error I’ve been through in years pasts just to hop on Facebook now a days and info is readily available about stuff took me years to fine tune!! And to date I’m still learning. Never stop that.

[DrNip]

Here is an example. I poured for a couple years before this and swore I’d never paint or use eyes as I was one dimensional thinking heads didn’t need painted. Russell Gates (Gates Custom Jigs) is The Godfather to me about painting, eyes and swivels as that’s who I looked up to then. He’d whip out them out like they were nothing. Well 2015 this was my 1st attempt at powder painting. Was no info on how to keep swivels or eyes clean. Heck wasn’t many using spinners for crappie jigs back the. You can find that info everywhere now a days. I was using pliers to hold eye after I heated and then eventually settled on dipping swivel in water quickly before I dipped in paint to cool it. Did it that way for years. Russell Gates is a great man and no longer sells but is to date my idle when it comes to jigheads.




I was also called a “copy cat” by Mike’s Custom Baits for using the Mo Magic bait when when this mold 1st came out. Was a huge blow up on Facebook and all his “groupies” attacked me and Frank Langston of g-daddy baits. Mike’s another one come and gone.

[Micanopy]

When I started surf fishing those same men were stingy with me. I asked one day, what good does it do you to take your secrets to the grave. Then I began sharing everything I could with whoever would listen and became very popular with lots of folks. There are plenty of fish for everyone. Everything has already been discovered anyways. Nothing new really.



If anyone can make a jig…..I intend to make really good jigs.



It is going to be difficult to fasten up a jig that rivals what a plastic bait can provide though. Of course how the jig is to be fished influences what might be nice and what might be a waste. We still do not understand the fish very well and are learning new things about them as time goes by. Look at what people are learning using LiveScope.

I ordered a powerful UV light for quick curing. The one you recommended looked nice but like you said watch that you don’t put your eye out kid. Mine is coming with safety glasses that I intend to wear when using it. I read about how these things go and saving you the chemistry lesson, almost all resins will cure when the light is intense enough. Once I have set the goo using the light, I will finish the cure off on the back porch anyways. The light boxes really wouldn’t serve a purpose.

The eyes that I stuck on using the adhesive that comes with them, and they overcoating with resin are perfect. Running thumbnail over the edges, trying to catch the edge of the eye, proved impossible as the resin built a dam and the nail simply slips right on past. Slick huh ?

I also ordered some stuff to try to form up a Shad profile onto a jig hook. I have been thinking about what might could be done and want to see if I can do it or not.

Ordered some other things, too. Neon UV reflective powder that is very fine and can be mixed into the resin to produce outlandish patterns and finishes. Ordered ten small bottles with micro tips on them. They are transparent so I am going to coat them with rubber paint to prevent light from entering. Then mix colors right in the bottle and cap off for future use. Yellow, green, pink and blue.

I am glad that I pour my own heads as I go through them so fast tying. I also really need to get organized now that I am accumulating materials. Been reading about feathers and looking at what is being offered. The furs do not excite me very much as I can use other things so easily. Looking at the jigs DrNip sent me it looks like itty bitty little teensie tiny feathers 🪶 are the way to go. So the devil must be in how they are prepared, trimmed, split and such. I will study that some more before I order expensive feathers. I am also going to look at plastic baits again, only this time with a discerning eye for more than just the colors.