Jig making supplies

Float Tube Fishing Float Tubing General
1

:sunglasses:**Oh good friend Jed-eye, I meant no disrespect when I referred to your growing collection as a “starter kit”. On the contrary, I think you have done extremely well at assembling the basics and even moving into some of the advanced stuff.

You have progressed far, in a relatively short period of time. Once you decided that you wanted to make your own stuff you jumped in with both feet (and hands). The same can be said for Petty-wan-kenobi in the north. You guys have really helped me make my point that jig making is not that hard and that there are lots of good reasons for making your own.

I’ve posted some of these pics before. They were taken in my place down in Arizona, where I had more space to properly arrange them. Right now, my tackletorium is a mite crowded. Oh yeah, I have added about 4 more jig molds since I took that pic of my molds…and several more colors of glitters. I keep thinking about organizing my paints into an arrangement that would make for a good picture. But, since they fill a whole set of shelves, it will be difficult.

This is not meant as bragging or show off. If nothing else, it should serve as a warning that jig making can become obsessive. And, since I do not have a pregnant wife…or kids left at home…or expensive drug or alcohol problems…I can keep adding and experimenting.

Truthfully, a lot of what I keep on my shelves are the results of former experiments that did not work out as well as I would have liked. Some were “underwhelming”. But, like Edison, I have learned lots of ways that the lightbulb WON’T work.

If nothing else, that has helped me to put together my writeups and pics to share with others, to help them avoid blowing their money in the wrong directions. I have recently thought about how I wish that I had access to more good assistance and information while I was going through the long self-education process in different forms of tacklecraft. Then again, I would have not had all that fun.

As many BFTers have discovered, my playpen is open to all who would like to see what is required to take on some new hobbies. I am kinda proud of what I have managed to put together, but I am always willing to share what I can for anyone else who can benefit from what I have taken so long to learn. Just be warned that it is easy to get in, but you have to go through a metal detector on the way out.
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2

Wow, that is one hell of a collection. It’s like a candy store to a school boy for me. I need to come over and drool over your collection. :wink:

So I went to MRS Hobbies in Sandy and purchased some Epoxy paints that are meant for model crafts. I will be doing some jig dipping in white so I can make some clean chartreuse jig heads for the weekend. Will let you know how they turn out. I used to be pretty big into model airplanes and I remember thhis epoxy paint standing up great on my planes even when the nitro filled fuels get on it. Which pretty much is paint remover if you don’t use one of these epoxy paints.

3

oh looking at it brings a tear to my eye. Hey while I was looking at that I was wondering, where do you pick up the candle making glitter. I haven’t been able to find any decent colors around here except in the large flake stuff which is a little hard to work with,
jed

4

:sunglasses:**After extensive net searching, I found Rustic Escentuals…at www.rusticescentuals.com (again, sorry I can’t post links).

You will go berserk when you see all the colors they have. But, as you will find, the candle glitters do not always produce true colors on jig heads, especially when used by themselves. They are much better when mixed with the “hard” colors of the glitters you get in craft shops or for worm making. However, they create some great highlights when used as a light mix topcoat in clear vinyl paint, over a base coat.

I love the yellows and chartreuses mixes with golds for making perch colors. I also mix some of the hot pink with silver glitter for highlighting hot pink heads. The glow blues and purples work great over plain purple paint to add sparkle and depth. You just have to play around with them a little.

This place is the only place I have been able to find any of the “hot” colors in glitter. I have been in and out of a hundred craft stores around the west and can never find much more than basic colors and silver and gold.

Once you have a look at that website, let me know if you want any input on any of the colors. I have tried most of the ones that have some potential as fishing glitters. Some are great. Others are somewhat disappointing.
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5

There is a craft store in Orem by Toys-r-Us (I forgot the name). I picked up some glitter there. Pink, Yellow-chartruese, bright green, and bright red. I can’t remember if it was in the paint section or candle section. It comes in a round container with 4 compartments.

6

how fine are the partacles

7

here’s my playpen
[inline 3jigs.jpg]
here’s some jigs ive painted
[inline 1jigs.jpg]
[inline 2jigs.jpg]
here’s some stingers ive been working on for mack fishing
[inline stinger2.jpg]

8

That double ended hook looks lethal. TubeDude showed us how he makes them when we were over at his place and it definately got my wheels turning on a modified version. Only problem is I need to buy some casts, my melting pot, some lead and a dremel to do some modifications. Let me know how that one works out for ya on the Mack hunt.

Can’t wait to get knee deep in jig making. I have asked Santy Clause to fill my stocking with supplies. :wink:

9

:sunglasses:So that’s what you’ve been up to this week during the crappy (but much needed) weather. I though you were gonna go fishin’ a bunch this week since you have it off, but you must have wimped out​:face_with_tongue:. Those jigheads look pretty good. I’m jealous. Do you have saturday the 30th off? I’m headed to Lincoln Beach in my tube to chase some walleyes if the weather cooperates. Just till 1:00 or so. Be back in plenty of time for halloween.

10

:sunglasses:**Hey Craig, if you are like most people you have had dreams in which you are trying to run, but getting nowhere. Sometimes that’s how it is with fishing stuff. You see so many things you would like to have, but it just seems like you can never get there.

On those stinger jig hooks, there are quite a few mackologists that swear by them. Seems that a lot of macks attack their prey headfirst and hit jigs the same way. With many species, sometimes including macks, it is more common for the fish to nip at the tail, and miss the main hook. So, lots of folks know about adding trailer hooks and stinger hooks for those situations. Not nearly as many people have seen or know about making jig heads with a “stinger” hook in front, to hang those fish that munch from the front.

I recently finished modifying some molds and experimenting with some “double hooker” designs, for a good friend and longtime BFT member, Kent Jasperson. I am attaching a pic I put together after coming up with models from 1/8 oz. to 1 oz.

The trick is to be able to find a stinger hook with a ringed eye, that will fit over the angled jig hook in the mold. If you cut a groove in the mold to accomodate the stinger hook, during the pouring process, the second hook is secured in place, within the lead head, and the result is a very strong double hook head. I am including another attached pic to illustrate how the ring eye “trailer hook” is attached to the main jig hook.

You can make a double hook jig head from many different kinds of molds. All it takes is some creativity and knowing how to modify the mold so that you do not ruin it for pouring regular heads.

By the way, the double hook heads are designed for vertical jigging. I doubt they would be much fun to cast and retrieve for other kinds of fishing. But, who knows? Maybe we can come up with a whole new kind of wacky rig.
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11

Thanks for the photos. I have archived them in my “TubeDudes Vault of Jig Making” directory on my computer for when I get the gear to rip into it.

I haven’t done much verticle jigging and could use a lesson one of these days.

12

oh come on GEOFF, you know me better then that. don’t you remember the snow storm we went ice fishing at Causey in. a couple of trips got cancel because of weather or other unforeseen circumstances. but hey thats how the cookie crumbles. i’ve been able to setup my jig making/pouring workbench. even got some of the garage cleaned up

13

:sunglasses:**Hey Craig, “flotation fishing” and the vertical presentation are natural go-togethers. There are not many species for which it is not a deadly fishing approach. And there are many times and conditions when a finesse vertical presentation is the best way to get finicky fishies to open their mouths.

Obviously, one of the greatest aids to vertical fishing is a good sonar, to find the fish. Then, you need to figure out the right size and color of lure, what kind of bait or sweetener to add, and what kind of action to impart to the offering once you get it down into the zone.

You need quality tackle, with a sensitive rod and line that has a minimum of stretch, so that you can feel any change in “the force”. Most anglers miss more hits than they feel when vertical jigging, because a lot of them come on the “drop”, or are simply “slurp and spit” rather than a major munch.

Vertical fishing is one of the big appeals of ice fishing for a lot of folks. You can do it all year round from a tube or toon. It is also something best done in deeper water. Utah Lake is not a good candidate for a vertical presentation.

Right now, deep fishing for perch on Jordanelle or Rockport is good practice. If you get good, and lucky, you can score some walleyes and smallies on Deer Creek. Although the smallies are about ready to go to bed for the winter, walleyes will hit all winter, soft water or ice covered. If you can find 'em, you can fish 'em.

One of the most common and well recognized situations for the vertical presentation is dunking big tubes for macks, on Bear Lake, Fish Lake and the Gorge. Trolling is the only way a lot of mackologists will ever fish for them, but the guys who know how to jig a tube will often score when the trollers are just out washing lures.

Let’s set up a couple of trips to go out and work on some vertical jigging techniques. It will add a lot, both to your enjoyment and your catch…especially on tough days.
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14

Sounds like a plan. I have verticle jigged tubes before and had success @ Jordanelle. And I did a bit @ Pineview the other day with success for perch. Lets plan on it. Let me know what your plans are and we can meet up for some lessons on vert jigging.

Cheers!

15

:sunglasses:**I’ll be out of town and off the water over the weekend. PM me Monday and we will hatch something out. The long range for the weather is iffy, but there’s gotta be a window or two we can shoot for.

If nothing else, we are still planning to do a flotilla off Cisco Beach, on Bear Lake, on November the 6th. Of course, weather is going to be a MAJOR factor on that one.

Otherwise, Jordanelle would probably be a good spot to find some deep perch and maybe a troutski or two. They like the old vertical jig thing too.
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16

Have a safe trip. Will be in touch next week.

17

“I recently finished modifying some molds and experimenting with some “double hooker” designs, for a good friend and longtime BFT member, Kent Jasperson.” I have been told that Kent is a fine fisherman and heck of a nice guy, but I’m not sure that I trust the source!

18

Those look like some great Mack killers, Pat! I appreciate your words on verticle jigging, 'cause I’m a rookie at that too. I don’t have much fishing time in the next month or so, but I’m hoping to make the Bear Lake Mack Attack trip on the 6th. If not, I look forward to learning more on verticle jigging for perch and smallies in more of a hands on envirement maybe next spring at Jordanell with ya. Have a safe trip this weekend, and may peace be with you.

19

:sunglasses:**If the source was a fellow fisherperson, you should be able to trust the info. After all, would a person of the piscatorial persuasion prevaricate? Nay.

Whoever said it, I will back them up.
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