Weed guards....length?

[ctom]

I'm doing some Arky heads. Nice mold and pours really sweet. I have the weed guards glued in now after painting. Do you guys leave the guards full length or do you trim them back a little?

[efishnc]

I leave mine at full length now, but there was a time that I trimmed them just shy of the hook point... I've seen no difference in hook up ratios between long and short weed guards.

(You know as well as any that personal preference is the deciding factor on most baits, so go with what you feel.)

[21xdc]

I trim mine down to where they sweep at the hook "Barb"  Perfect length.

[ctom]

Thanks guys.

I have to admit that I have never used a "bass" jig in my life. All of my bass fishing has been top-water, but this year I plan to try the jigs since our water levels go up and down like a yo-yo and the only stability that I can see for bass for the immediate future is deep. My usual crappie lake went up over 6 feet, no typo here, in a day and a half and the dam that controls the lake's level has a generator shut down so HIGH is the rule there for a while me thinks.

The Arky head is a smooth head to cast. Fills sweet and the Teflon pins work wonders. I cut the pins in half to double the number, leave them in place while trimming sprues and painting and they pop right out. The fiber guards slip right in the hole for gluing. I just have zero experience in how long or not the guards should be. I think I'll try full length and trimmed as per 21xdc.

I have some skirts with the o-ring in place already and a ton of the stripped skirt material so I got some O-rings to help me play with things. I found a couple #13 aluminum knitting needles that I will cut off at about tree inches, then nip the pointed end off, so I can make a tool for making the skirts from the strips, but I'll also try the wire wrap too.

With all the rain and now the high heat and humidity I plan to camp in the shop with a fan on my bulk and this new to me mold and components will keep me well occupied.

Thanks for the suggestions again guys.

[ctom]

Here's the tool I made from a #13 aluminum knitting needle for pulling strips of rubber inside to slip a rubber band around the skirt. The rubber band slips over the narrow end after slipping the rubber onto the wire. The rubber runs right up the tube. Hook your skirt material, pull it into the tube, run the rubber onto the skirt and then lift the skirt off the small hooked end and wallah.

It took 5 minutes to make this and the knitting needle cost .25 cent. The cap has a #13 stamped into it but doesn't show in the pic. The wire inside is a simple 5" spinner form. The tapered end was drilled with a 1/32 bit. The wire was fed in and the short hook bent onto it.

[21xdc]

Looks good... I use this one for $4

https://fishingskirts.com/product/skirt-making-tool-192/

[efishnc]

I'm with ya 21... it's my skirt maker of choice for simplicity and effectiveness.

Tom, if you want some bass jig lessons and are willing to fish down this way (maybe on a camping trip with your bride), I'd be happy to show you how addicting it is... top-water used to be my favorite method before I learned to jig fish, but has taken a back seat because it is way more intense... lots more big fish potential too.

[ctom]

I was going to get a pm to you about camping sometime yet this summer. Right now is hectic, but in three weeks or so things will mellow out for us.

[21xdc]

I learned how to add a blade to my jigs and pretty much threw away all my jigs and spinnerbaits... 

[Lamar]

  I fish a jig a lot for bass because in Ohio it's a bait that catches big bass. I've always cut the weed guard so the tip was just over the point and then spread it out so it's wider. But I truly don't think it matters. Fishing a jig is a learning curve. It's not like a worm. A worm you have to let them run with it and then set the hook. A jig you need to set the hook hard right away. You set it hard because you have to blow through the weed guard to get a good hook up. That's why I use 20 pound test fluorocarbon line and a heavy rod. I can feel every bite and there's no stretch in the line.

[efishnc]

I primarily fish heavy cover and spreading the weed guards makes a huge difference on coming through snag free, so it's a must on all my jigs.