Making your own bladed swim jig

[Bandersnatch]

I understand that zman has the patent and that the jack hammer is a fantastic bait. My question is do any of you add a blade to say your favorite swim jig? I feel like my lethal weapon iv swim jigs would come through the grass better than the jack hammer head shape. I wonder if I can make one a bladed version? 

[galyonj]

I don't see why not. You can buy Phenix and FMTC blades from Tackle Warehouse. I believe the various lure building sites have stuff like that available, too. Give it a shot.

[Jig Man]

You have to be careful how you make them so you don’t run into patent infringement issues.  Check out Barlows tackle.  They have blades snaps split rings etc.

[jimmyjoe]

   I thought patent infringement was for sales, not for personal use. Am I wrong?    jj

[onthewater102]

Technically no (i.e. you're not wrong), but there's only any real risk of getting caught if you're selling them. Plus, there's potential for worthwhile damages to be recovered by pursuing you if you're selling, all they stand to gain by asserting their patent against your personal  use is the lost sales for whatever they can somehow prove you made and used personally - hardly worth calling in the bloodsuckers on.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, jimmyjoe said:

   I thought patent infringement was for sales, not for personal use. Am I wrong?    jj

From 'Findlaw' - https://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/intellectual-property/patent-infringement-and-litigation.html

"Patent infringement occurs when another party makes, uses, or sells a patented item without the permission of the patent holder."

" Direct Infringement: This occurs when a product covered by a patent is manufactured without permission. "

So making something that duplicates a patented item, even for personal use, is illegal.

[jimmyjoe]

25 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

From 'Findlaw' - https://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/intellectual-property/patent-infringement-and-litigation.html

"Patent infringement occurs when another party makes, uses, or sells a patented item without the permission of the patent holder."

" Direct Infringement: This occurs when a product covered by a patent is manufactured without permission. "

So making something that duplicates a patented item, even for personal use, is illegal.

   Wow.   jj

[Jig Man]

Yes wow.  Many of these companies are serious about their patents.  First thing you would get is a cease and desist letter.  Bait makers have to be careful with what they make.  

[Bandersnatch]

So yes 

[Bluebasser86]

Didn't the patent run out? I see direct connect bladed jigs for sale from independent builders on Facebook all the time.

 

I make my own, not with a swim jig though. I pour my own with the blade directly connected to the head.

[smalljaw67]

2 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Didn't the patent run out? I see direct connect bladed jigs for sale from independent builders on Facebook all the time.

 

I make my own, not with a swim jig though. I pour my own with the blade directly connected to the head.

 

 

Patent will run 20 years and the chatterbait patent was issued in 2009 so another 10 years. BTW, there are some guys that were contacted by Daniel Nussbaum, the president of Z-Man just for having pictures of bladed jigs with directly attached blades posted on the internet. I know there are a ton of them on Instagram but the lure making sites are always looked at by these guys, I know the Do-it message board and *** were both sites that Z-Man had guys take down pictures.

[Bluebasser86]

4 minutes ago, smalljaw67 said:

 

 

Patent will run 20 years and the chatterbait patent was issued in 2009 so another 10 years. BTW, there are some guys that were contacted by Daniel Nussbaum, the president of Z-Man just for having pictures of bladed jigs with directly attached blades posted on the internet. I know there are a ton of them on Instagram but the lure making sites are always looked at by these guys, I know the Do-it message board and *** were both sites that Z-Man had guys take down pictures.

That's crazy. There isn't a day that goes by that the bait sales pages aren't flooded with direct connect bladed jigs. They must not be patrolling too hard or haven't found all the pages. 

[detroit1]

They're commin' after ya bb86....

[Bluebasser86]

13 hours ago, detroit1 said:

They're commin' after ya bb86....

[onthewater102]

On 12/17/2019 at 3:48 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Didn't the patent run out? I see direct connect bladed jigs for sale from independent builders on Facebook all the time.

 

I make my own, not with a swim jig though. I pour my own with the blade directly connected to the head.

The z-man chatterbait is probably one of the more litigated patents out there, there's a lot of case law on it where they've been very aggressive going after lure makers, to the point they've overstepped their own bounds and ebay caves on it.

In one of the biggest cases to date it was noted in the judgement favoring z-man that the hexagonal blade and the direct attachment to the lure body were the key features in identifying their intellectual property - however they recently went after everything on ebay that was a bladed jig, regardless of whether or not they used split ring attachments between the blade and body or if they used a different shaped blade.

I'm all for company's owning the rights to their own design, but when they start using their shield as a sword and bully other makers they should lose their patent protection.

Your design in the picture above definitely runs afoul of their patent.

 

Here's the link to the bassresource article on the case:

https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/z-man-lawsuit-11.html

[BassNJake]

It's funny because I just watched a youtube video where That Guy Skimpy(sponsored by do it molds)

Shows how to make chatterbaits using do it molds.

He begins by showing you how to open the eye of the hook using a punch so you can direct connect your blade.

 

Guess you cant stop everybody?‍♂️

[detroit1]

Who is this guy "skimpy" of which you speak.... 

[Hook2Jaw]

Is it possible to punch the eye wider on a regular jig head to enable a blade to slip in?

 

I've also complicated cutting spinnerbait wires to get blades on.

[onthewater102]

Dip the eye of the hook in the molten lead and get it hot before you pour the jig. It'll anneal the steel wire enough for you to reform the eye as needed to get the blade on.

[Bluebasser86]

FWIW, I modified a mold so I can pour my bait with the blade already on the eye.

[Bandersnatch]

On 12/20/2019 at 2:51 PM, Hook2Jaw said:

Is it possible to punch the eye wider on a regular jig head to enable a blade to slip in?

 

I've also complicated cutting spinnerbait wires to get blades on.

Yes, i punched open a swim jig that I like. I'm currently waiting on blades