Super User Jig Man Posted January 11 Super User Posted January 11 If you are considering pouring your own jigs, here are some things to think about. Pot. $70-400 depending on quality Molds $50-70 each Hooks $.30-1.00 each Skirts $.30+ per tab Weed guard $.15-30 each Lead $2.00-4.00 per pound Paint from a rattle can to $200 Eye protection Gloves good to 500° So on the cheap lets say you get a $70 pot, $20 worth of lead (you will need a way to flux it before use), 2 $60 molds, $60 for hooks, $30 for weed guard, $60 for skirt tabs and a $4.00 can of paint. You will have $364 minimum invested and you won’t have a jig yet. My unsolicited advice is find you a bait maker and buy the type of jig heads that you want. Use his hooks or provide your own. Get a few dozen poured (painted or not), buy some skirt material and see if you like to assemble jigs before you dump a few hundred bucks. Getting into plastics is a whole other bigger can of worms. I will be happy to share some of the places where I get supplies for anyone interested. 5 1 Quote
MediumMouthBass Posted January 11 Author Posted January 11 @Jig Man Thank you for the detailed response about that! Definitely will be something to look into in the future, for now i think im just going to keep buying the heads and make my own skirts. And just try making some skirted Texas rigs for the places that i dont want to lose a jig. 3 hours ago, Jig Man said: Getting into plastics is a whole other bigger can of worms. I think you mean bag of worms? Sorry had to say it😂 With pouring jigs set aside for future thoughts on it, im currently 99% set on getting into pouring my own baits. 1 Quote
GetFishorDieTryin Posted January 11 Posted January 11 Just the price of jig heads has gone up to crazy levels. A decent jighead for crappie is running more than 1$ now. With the proliferation of FFS, strolling a finesse plastic in front of spotlighted fish has become the norm and the demand just drives the $ even more. Really the prices started to go up as soon as ned rigging really caught on and its never stopped. I can see paying decent $ for a skirted jig. You need a solid hook with good paint or finish, premium skirting with flashibou or tinsel is ideal and well installed effective brushguard. With typing cost it all adds up. Ill replace a few jigs for 6$ if I need too, but the bulk will be bought when they are discounted. Some good jigs around for good price still. Molix has some great jigs for 4$, everything is high quality on them. Quote
PourMyOwn Posted January 11 Posted January 11 23 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said: @Jig Man With pouring jigs set aside for future thoughts on it, im currently 99% set on getting into pouring my own baits. It's a money pit but I love it. If you need any advice ask away. I'm far from the only guy on here who pours baits, but I can help you avoid some common newbie pitfalls. 1 Quote
mcipinkie Posted January 11 Posted January 11 The reason they cost that much is simple: People buy them. I don't. I buy heads from Boss and add my own skirts. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 11 Super User Posted January 11 Just order jigs from Siebert Outdoors, and know you got a quality, hand tied piece of fishing art for half the price of what you're talking about. *Autocorrect tried to replace jigs with hugs. Mike probably has good hugs too. 😂 3 Quote
Super User Bankbeater Posted January 11 Super User Posted January 11 I don't think I have purchased a jig in 3 or 4 years. My daughters ask me what I want for my birthday and I text them manufacturer, color, quantity, and weight. 1 Quote
Super User Munkin Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 10 hours ago, Jig Man said: If you are considering pouring your own jigs, here are some things to think about. Pot. $70-400 depending on quality Molds $50-70 each Hooks $.30-1.00 each Skirts $.30+ per tab Weed guard $.15-30 each Lead $2.00-4.00 per pound Paint from a rattle can to $200 Eye protection Gloves good to 500° So on the cheap lets say you get a $70 pot, $20 worth of lead (you will need a way to flux it before use), 2 $60 molds, $60 for hooks, $30 for weed guard, $60 for skirt tabs and a $4.00 can of paint. You will have $364 minimum invested and you won’t have a jig yet. My unsolicited advice is find you a bait maker and buy the type of jig heads that you want. Use his hooks or provide your own. Get a few dozen poured (painted or not), buy some skirt material and see if you like to assemble jigs before you dump a few hundred bucks. Getting into plastics is a whole other bigger can of worms. I will be happy to share some of the places where I get supplies for anyone interested. I am afraid to add up all the baiting stuff I have. My insurance agent had to come by and do an inventory of the bigger items for my policy. Everyone saying a jig lasts multiple trips must not fish rock filled rivers. On average I lose one jig every 2 hours and my record is like 22 lost in one 8 hour tournament. I make 100 finesse jigs in January every year hoping they last a season. The only jigs that last several trips are swim jigs. Allen Allen 2 Quote
Super User Jig Man Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 I don’t even try to keep track but I am sure you have much more than I do. My wife keeps asking what she should do with my stuff if she out lives me. Before I switched to the Midwest Finesse weedless mold with the Victory hooks I lost 15 Ned rigs on one side of Piney Creek on Table Rock one morning. After I got the mold and poured some heads I went back and fished the same area loosing only 2 Neds. 2 Quote
rangerjockey Posted January 12 Posted January 12 19 hours ago, Jig Man said: I mostly fish TABLE ROCK or it smaller rockier cousin Stockton where jig life expectancy is very low plus I don’t like to go get a hung up bait when the boat might scare fish. 100%. You will never get back to the barn with as many as you left with around here. I bought some Beast Coast jigs that have no weed guard. My thinking is , Table Rock eats every kind of jig I've thrown in 40 years with a weed guard so may as well have a better hook up ratio, we will see, There was a guy who lived in Cassville that made a jig with a unique head design. I can't recall the name but I believe he passed away. Anyway , I hung it up on the first cast, but overall they did work. Quote
Pat Brown Posted January 12 Posted January 12 I fish some rocky Rivers in North Carolina and I catch good fish out of them - but I don't throw my jigs when I am at these spots. Rocky rivers I like plastics and topwater and sometimes a jerk/crank/glide. I definitely think you gotta pick the right bait for the right cover or it's gonna be a lot of frustration in bass fishing. @Jig Man - I like the Freedom Tackle bladed jig for the same reason as you like that boss weedless jig mold. Once I get done losing all my regular chatterbaits, the only ones I'll be sticking are the weedless Freedom tackle ones. 👍🏼 I don't snag regular weedless jigs enough to warrant the switch but those EWG jigs with no weed guard look sweet. 1 Quote
Super User Jig Man Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 1 hour ago, rangerjockey said: 100%. You will never get back to the barn with as many as you left with around here. I bought some Beast Coast jigs that have no weed guard. My thinking is , Table Rock eats every kind of jig I've thrown in 40 years with a weed guard so may as well have a better hook up ratio, we will see, There was a guy who lived in Cassville that made a jig with a unique head design. I can't recall the name but I believe he passed away. Anyway , I hung it up on the first cast, but overall they did work. The site won’t let me use the name of the jigs and were different with the weed guard. The guy’s name was Beau James. Covid got him. I’ve been hearing rumors that his wife is supposed to be getting them produced again but nothing concrete. 1 1 Quote
GoneFishingLTN Posted January 12 Posted January 12 On 1/11/2025 at 8:16 AM, Catt said: Y'all definitely don’t wanna fish with me! I'll spend a whole week on Toledo Bend or Rayburn with one jig. my issue is other peoples line how do you work a jig through a brush pile when others line is snagging your Jig? 1 Quote
Super User Catt Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 1 hour ago, GoneFishingLTN said: my issue is other peoples line how do you work a jig through a brush pile when others line is snagging your Jig? Not sure what you're asking? Quote
Super User the reel ess Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 Here's a hot take. T-rigged plastics do the same thing for way le$$ and are more weedless. And you need a soft plastic anyway with the jig. I don't normally fish a jig in the open as I would a T-rig, so there's no need to retie or have another combo rigged. Big bass will take the standard size plastic same as a jig if you pitch it in their face. 2 Quote
Super User Jig Man Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 1 hour ago, the reel ess said: Here's a hot take. T-rigged plastics do the same thing for way le$$ and are more weedless. And you need a soft plastic anyway with the jig. I don't normally fish a jig in the open as I would a T-rig, so there's no need to retie or have another combo rigged. Big bass will take the standard size plastic same as a jig if you pitch it in their face. That may be the case for your region but not necessarily everywhere. I catch so many more on jigs than Trigs that I have almost quit using them. 5 Quote
KP Duty Posted January 12 Posted January 12 Just buy heads and assemble your own. It is fun and addictive to create your own color combinations. 1 Quote
MediumMouthBass Posted January 12 Author Posted January 12 4 hours ago, the reel ess said: Here's a hot take. T-rigged plastics do the same thing for way le$$ and are more weedless. And you need a soft plastic anyway with the jig. I don't normally fish a jig in the open as I would a T-rig, so there's no need to retie or have another combo rigged. Big bass will take the standard size plastic same as a jig if you pitch it in their face. 3 hours ago, Jig Man said: That may be the case for your region but not necessarily everywhere. I catch so many more on jigs than Trigs that I have almost quit using them. Ive tried my best, i just cant get bass to bite a Texas rig. However something with a skirt dragged across the bottom they love. Im going to look into getting some stuff to make slither rigs and hope that will fix my T rig issue. Quote
Super User Catt Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 (edited) @the reel ess @Jig Man @MediumMouthBass That's way I keep both tied on 24/7/365 They gonna eat one of em 😉 Edited January 12 by Catt Fingers faster than the brain 4 Quote
Super User the reel ess Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 4 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said: Ive tried my best, i just cant get bass to bite a Texas rig. However something with a skirt dragged across the bottom they love. Im going to look into getting some stuff to make slither rigs and hope that will fix my T rig issue. It's just a confidence thing. Keep trying. The fish don't care. What is a jig supposed to represent? And crawfish don't wear skirts. But I like jigs and slither rigs as well. I just tend to lose more jigs. 5 hours ago, Jig Man said: That may be the case for your region but not necessarily everywhere. I catch so many more on jigs than Trigs that I have almost quit using them. Your name says it all. LOL. I think it's just a matter of confidence. The cool thing about the T rig is it can be any plastic. I caught my PB pitching a pegged T rigged Senko. They also love a lizard for a change of pace. The T rig is so much more versatile in that way. I'm a firm believer that placement is more important than the specific choice of lure. I do like the Trashmaster when I actually use a jig for its weedlessness. 3 Quote
Pat Brown Posted January 12 Posted January 12 4 hours ago, Catt said: @the reel ess @Jig Man @MediumMouthBass That's way I keep both tied on 24/7/365 They gonna eat one of em 😉 It almost feels like some *years* they want the worm and some *years* they want the jig more and then some years it has seemed like it's almost a trip by trip thing. You really do need to fish both if you are going to go after bottom oriented/heavy cover oriented largemouth! Some days you make the switch from the worm to the jig and it's like a light switch. I still think mostly it's a profile deal when that kinda stuff is happening - but it's hard to say - I just listen to the fish so I can catch em! 3 Quote
Super User Catt Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 1 hour ago, the reel ess said: What is a jig supposed to represent? And crawfish don't wear skirts A jig imitates a crawfish correct? Yes I believes they do A crawfish has a hard shell does it not? Yes they in fact have a hard shell When the bass "crushes" the jig to kill it; it feels the hardness of a shell, the softness of the skirt, & the firmness of the trailer just like a crawfish. A jig can also imatate baitfish Quote
Super User the reel ess Posted January 12 Super User Posted January 12 15 minutes ago, Catt said: A jig imitates a crawfish correct? Yes I believes they do A crawfish has a hard shell does it not? Yes they in fact have a hard shell When the bass "crushes" the jig to kill it; it feels the hardness of a shell, the softness of the skirt, & the firmness of the trailer just like a crawfish. A jig can also imatate baitfish Sure it imitates a craw. But a craw looks just like a craw. Hey, I admit fish bite jigs. I've used them with success. I just don't feel like I need them to catch bass when I have a T rig tied on. I did say it was my hot take. 😀 1 Quote
Super User WRB Posted January 13 Super User Posted January 13 11 hours ago, Jig Man said: The site won’t let me use the name of the jigs and were different with the weed guard. The guy’s name was Beau James. Covid got him. I’ve been hearing rumors that his wife is supposed to be getting them produced again but nothing concrete. Sorry to hear about Bo haven’t heard from him in awhile now know why😢. I started making my own design jig because football heads snagged rocky areas where I fished. Modified the head into a viper jig that goes through rocky areas and stands the hook up about 30 degrees for better strike to hook set ratio. I made this jig in 1971 and tied mostly buck tail hair for over 50 years and caught all my giant bass using this jig. Tom 2 Quote
Super User Munkin Posted January 13 Super User Posted January 13 4 hours ago, Pat Brown said: It almost feels like some *years* they want the worm and some *years* they want the jig more and then some years it has seemed like it's almost a trip by trip thing. That is the way it is on the river here. Last year they would not hit a creature bait and wanted the jig. The year before it was the exact opposite which is why I carry both. Allen 1 Quote
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