The Shakey Craze Is Killing my Wallet!

[Gone_Phishin]

As we all know, shakey head jigs have been hot the past few years.  Heck, G. Loomis even came up with a tech specific 'shakey head' series of rods.  As most know, jig-worms have been around for a long time.  What's killing me, and my pocketbook, is the outrageous prices of jigs since this craze started a few seasons ago.

I can understand for paying a few bucks more for jigs like the Spot Remover Pro, because these jigs are truly technique specific: flat head; screw worm keeper.  My complaint is paying over $1 a piece for the same old round ball jigheads that have been around for a long time.  The only difference that a lot of these expensive jigheads have now, as opposed to a few years ago when they were sensibly priced, is the eye is bent at a 60* angle and turned flat.  This is ridiculous!  A buck a pop for a hook, and ball of lead....oh, that's right, the eye is bent.  >

Because of the 'shakey' craze, so many companies have recycled their old jigs models, given them a MINOR tweak, jacked up the price, and now resell them as 'shakey jigs.'  >

[burleytog]

Tell me about it.  $5.50 for 3 bare jigs (Spot Remover's)?  I've paid it, but I've held my nose while doing so.

[bassgeneral]

It's called market saturation. As long as there are people willing to pay the higher price that is where it stays. When sales start to dip so do the prices.

[Shadcranker]

Best round ball jig head I've found by far is the Davis LS (Long Shank) in bulk pack. You can buy them on-line (Coosa tackle in AL). They come in a bulk pack for around $10 for 25 jigs. Great quality lead pour and nickel coated Mustad Ultra Ponits.

Great quality and value.

SC

[islandbass]

I hear you.  It sounds more and more like investing in making my own jig heads might actually be more economical in the long run.  Perhaps making my own drop shot weights too.

[Raul]

What's killing me, and my pocketbook, is the outrageous prices of jigs since this craze started a few seasons ago.

Pour your own, all you need is:

Melting pot

Jighead mold

Lead

Hooks

And if you want to make them look nicer: Tru Turn Hitchiker Trails

I 'm a pretty old fart when it comes to this hobby, been doing it for over 3 decades, back then at my early stages as fisherman I fished a lot with grubs rigged on a jighead, which meant that I lost a great deal of jigheads since I fished with exposed hooks, there had to be a way to make the bait weedless but unfortunately nowhere I could find small weight jigheads with large hooks so I could T-rig the bait, the only jigheads that came with larger hooks were exactly those that I didn 't want.

So one day, a couple of decades ago, looking at hooks I saw that several companies sold jighead hooks by the pack, that gave me the  idea to pour the jigeads in the weights I wanted with those larger hooks. Went ahead and purchase a jighead mold, a melting pot and a bunch of 3/0 and 4/0 hooks and began to pour my own "shakeyheads".

They may not be the fanciest and best looking but they work no better and no worse than those rather expensive in the long run commercially available shakey heads.

The only place where I don 't try to "save" is in the hook quality, only the best and sharpest.

[grimlin]

What's killing me, and my pocketbook, is the outrageous prices of jigs since this craze started a few seasons ago.

Pour your own, all you need is:

Melting pot

Jighead mold

Lead

Hooks

And if you want to make them look nicer: Tru Turn Hitchiker Trails

I 'm a pretty old fart when it comes to this hobby, been doing it for over 3 decades, back then at my early stages as fisherman I fished a lot with grubs rigged on a jighead, which meant that I lost a great deal of jigheads since I fished with exposed hooks, there had to be a way to make the bait weedless but unfortunately nowhere I could find small weight jigheads with large hooks so I could T-rig the bait, the only jigheads that came with larger hooks were exactly those that I didn 't want.

So one day, a couple of decades ago, looking at hooks I saw that several companies sold jighead hooks by the pack, that gave me the  idea to pour the jigeads in the weights I wanted with those larger hooks. Went ahead and purchase a jighead mold, a melting pot and a bunch of 3/0 and 4/0 hooks and began to pour my own "shakeyheads".

They may not be the fanciest and best looking but they work no better and no worse than those rather expensive in the long run commercially available shakey heads.

The only place where I don 't try to "save" is in the hook quality, only the best and sharpest.

Where do you find the lead? I can't seem to find them. :-[

[Raul]

In the junkyard, old plumbing is made from lead and sold by weight, I just go and purchase a couple of pounds and melt it. BPS also sells lead ingots. You can also find lots of balancing lead weights where tires are sold.

[Cory20]

Go to your local tire center/auto repair place and ask about used wheel weights.

[RoLo]

In my opinion, way too much emphasis is placed on the jig, when in fact, the shaky worm itself is the main man.

Place a sinking worm on the best shaky jig and the jig falls over during the pause and your shaky presentation will be mediocre at best.

Place a high-floating worm on "any" jig and you're in business.

Roger

[Del from philly]

I AGREE WITH THE ORIGINAL POSTER, THESE THINGS ARE EXPENSIVE!

this is one of the new techniques im gonna learn this year...

i just cant beleive how much some companies want for basicly a tweeked ballhead....its rediculous

[Gone_Phishin]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

I think I see a melting pot in my future Raul.  That way I can use the hooks of my choice and really customize my jigs as far as color is concerned.  I almost bought a mold years back for catfish sinkers....looks like I have that itch again.  

I remember seeing a Do-It ad that had a guy holding a huge walleye, all smiles, the caption read something like 'Pride is something you get from catching a 30" walleye on a jig you made yourself.'  So very true.

[kbkindle]

In the junkyard, old plumbing is made from lead and sold by weight, I just go and purchase a couple of pounds and melt it. BPS also sells lead ingots. You can also find lots of balancing lead weights where tires are sold.

raul   how old did you say you were.  some thing about a old fart

[Georgia Jeff]

Couldn't you just peg a worm on a standard worm weight an be the same thing?  Then you wouldn't have to spend any extra money!

[burleytog]

Couldn't you just peg a worm on a standard worm weight an be the same thing?  Then you wouldn't have to spend any extra money!

Nope, not the same thing.  Have you ever fished a shakey head?

[dworshakbass]

thats the reason I started making my own its alot cheaper and its kinda fun

[DancesWithSquirrels]

It is possible that the rise in cost is due to the increase in the price of various metals over the last year rather than the shakey craze.  Lead in particular has gone up a lot.  I know that from the price of the lead bullets I buy.  They have really skyrocketed.  You can still savve a lot by molding your own.  But in some places it is hard to get scrap lead now.  Some garages are saving their wheel weights because they can get good money for them.  You used to be able to scrounge wheel weight lead for free.

DWS

[DancesWithSquirrels]

The lead bullets I am referring to were for reloading ammunition for my pistols.  Only a year ago I could by .45 ACP lead bullets for around $30 - $35 dollars for 500.  Now the same bullets are over $55 for 500.

DWS

[DancesWithSquirrels]

Like you said, no difference.  Lead is lead.  I was just trying to be clear on my point of reference because I didn't do a good job of that in my first post.

DWS

[Gone_Phishin]

just wait till they talk us all into tungsten rounds too! LOL

b

I get ticked when I lose a buck-a-pop jighead...the waterworks are really gonna flow when I start losing $2.50 a pop jigheads in brushpiles. ;D

[Sam]

And add to the equation Tungston.

Tungston jig heads, like the ones Ike is pushing.

The Bait Monkey strikes again.