Jigs

I cast jigs and can offer them to everyone.  Currently I have 1 1/8oz bullet head jigs on 5/0 hooks, 3 and 4oz spearhead jigs on 5/0 and 7/0 hooks, and 6oz diamond jigs with treble hooks.

After I cut the sprues I blast them with silver rustoleum spraypaint, mainly to reduce contact with the lead in them.  I can leave them bare on request.  Silver painted diamond jigs work fine, though they get less shiny as they're beat up - but still catch fish.  Lings seem to be attracted to the banging noise they make against the rocks.  

I can also replicate most other jigs if I'm given a prototype and a couple weeks to acquire the right hooks and build the mold, ect.  

50c for jigheads < 2oz, 75c for > 2oz, $2.00 for diamond jigs (they're alot more work and hooks are expensive).
I also have 4oz pyramid sinkers @3/$1.  They're my favorite sinker.  


I have more time to work on these things during the winter here, so stock up for next season.  

Do you have a #9 shad head mold like this one?

http://www.do-itmolds.com/products/jigmolds.php?UID=&category=style_9_shad_head_jig

I've got a few of the 1.5oz version, but I haven't created a mold for them yet.  It takes a week or so for the mold to dry, but that's the limiting factor in my ability to make them, unless I have to order special hooks.  If you have a jig that you like, you can pass me one on a fishing outing, or direct me where to get one (if it's reasonably close to Fremont), and I'll clone it for you.

Cool since I won't really be using it until rockfish opens we have plenty of time.  

I like owner hooks is that "special order"  

Owner hooks cost 6x more than a normal eagle claw hook, looks like 7/0 are about 90c each shipped.  I'd just add in the extra cost of the hook, or of you supplied them I'd subtract hook costs.  The work involved is identical either way.  I'd probably prefer if you provided them.

I will look around and find the owners I want and pick them up. I am not sure they make hooks like I want. I want a smaller size with a longish shank. Any ideas?

Sometimes I use a stinger hook, and that will catch more fish, but they tend to be dinky rockfish that I'd rather not molest.  (I did this at the rockfish derby, where every fish counted)  A decent sized fish will generally inhale the entire jig with no problem.  

I presume you want a longer hook for the same reason, to catch the short biters?

There's not a whole lot of selection with jig hooks from what I've seen.  They're all pretty heavy at the 5/0-8/0 size we generally use.  There's alot of stuff in the smaller, bass fishing sizes.  I think they have to be heavy to have a big enough barb to prevent fish from throwing a hook attached to several ounces of lead.

I'm plotting to create some wild, new jigs, so if you'd like to participate you could arrange to stop by and we'll work with modeling clay, hooks and wire over a box of coronas one night.  First I'm doing an unholy crossbreed of a diamond jig with a swimbait.  

Yeah cool man, I have a gallon of plastic (calhoun's) so we can use that if you want. Maybe after the holidays sometime, I am working on a few "killer" designs as well.

What are you using for mold material? I have been using Durham's and I really like it.

Specifically this quick setting stuff called 'fix-it-all'.  It is super cheap and you can work it with a dremel when it's hard, or with a knife when it's set up but not dry.  The only bummer is that it chips fairly easilly, I have a chisel just for cutting the flashing this makes.  Oh, there's one more bummer, plaster is a dessicant, so it soaks water out of the air and produces steam when you pour into it, causing bubbles in the jig.  This can be avoided by storing the molds in tupperware with a better dessicant.  I don't have the tupperware+dessicant yet, but it's on my to-do-soon list.  My big diamond jig mold seems to dry out after a few bad casts, while my 1.125oz bullet jig mold never seems to stop steaming, guess it doesn't get hot enough.  The plaster actually produces nicer jigs than aluminum molds because it insulates the lead and prevents it from cooling on contact with the mold walls and developing ripples.  This happens in big molds no matter how hot your lead is.

I could use RTV silicone instead, it won't chip and can even flex around some stuff, but it's something like $40/gallon.  Of course that'd make 20 molds though...  No moisture problems either with that stuff.

I found out that I've already got 3 years worth of jigs in stock now, so to further hone my jig-making skills I need a bunch more people fishing with my jigs, which is why I'm offering them at less than half what shops want for them - might as well share the jig-wealth with my buddies.

What I do with the Durham's is put in the oven at 200 degrees for 4-8 hours (whatever I feel like. That dries it out real well.

I have some fix-it-all around I might try that, the nice thing about Durhams is that is does not shrink. Not sure about fix-it-all but when I applied it to my wall it seemed to shrink up a bit.

Fix-it-all doesn't shrink.  Mine says so right on the box, and I've never seen it shrink.  I don't put stuff in the oven after it's held lead...  I do dry them in the oven initially though.

I used to be able to get these lead heads that were on a heavy worm hook--  you know the one that the bass fisherman use?  
can you make some of those?- spearhead style 1/2 and 3/4 oz?  would love to get those suckers again...u

I would love to get some of your jigs on Owner hooks. I also have 30lbs of lead I could donate to the casue. Could you tell me what the # or style of owner hooks you will need and I will do some digging. I can get wholesale prices on hooks once in a while since I tie flies commercially from time to time. Let me know. Sounds like you have great fun doing what you do. I am up here in Petaluma but I am sure I can figure out something to get the lead and hooks to you.
 
Brent

that's my exit on the way to fort ross.  If all goes well I'll be going through there next weekend. PM me and we'll see what we can do.

If you can hook me up with a bunch of 6 OZ diamond bars, I'd definitely be interested...Let me know.
 Thanks,
 Andrew
 (415)425-5769