Novice needing advice on flutter jig

[jsindorf]

This is my first post, I've been reading many of your past posts about jigs and I think I'm almost ready to attempt pouring my own. Thank you all so much for sharing your knowledge and experience.

I'll probably be getting the Do-it FRS-2-23 Flutter Jig mold. It looks much like the jigs I've been buying to fish incoming King Salmon in the rivers of Lake Michigan.

However, in researching this, I found several interesting molds on ebay that are made by cnc-works which I think is Shawn Collins. In addition to a Flutter Jig he also has a Saltwater Fish Jig mold and a Saltwater Vertical Jig mold for sale.

Can someone please tell me how these lures compare in the water? As I said above, I'm fishing these in freshwater. I'll be using 2 and 3 oz size jigging about 12-24 inches off the bottom. I want it to drop looking like a wounded baitfish.

I'm about to order the Do-it flutter mold, but before I do, I just wanted to get some input on how these lures differ.

Thanks in advance.

[ctom]

First off, welcome to the Do-It Custom Baits forums.

I took a little tour thru the cnc-works Ebay site and found the lures you've mentioned. Primarily the only real differences between those you've found elsewhere and the Do-It mold is that the Do-It mold casts from a sand cast mold and will have a "matte" finish while the cnc molds will yield a fairly smooth, glossy finish and the Do-It mold has some minor faceting which means zip as far as action or productivity on both accounts.

[bigjim5589]

Welcome to the group!

Collins makes a very nice mold. I have a few of them and agree with ctom.

I've looked at Collins molds so much I almost have them memorized!

I also have a lot of Do It molds, and unless the weight you want is not available from Do It, there's not much difference in how jigs from each mold brand will act in the water.

I have some jigs that were poured from Collins Molds and also pour my own from Do It Molds and they fish the same. You can do some tricks to change them some, such as using a soft lead and bending the jig, but that can be done with either, and is not going to be easily accomplished on the heavier weights anyway.

For the difference in the price tag of the mold, IMO, you're not gaining anything unless like ctom mentioned, you prefer one finish over the other for the raw lead. I powder coat all that I fish with and see no difference.

For my own pouring, the Collins molds that I have, are styles that Do It does not produce. If they did, I would just as soon have a Do It Mold.

[Les Young]

You're not gonna get advice from anybody with any  more experience than Tom & Jim. They know their stuff so you're in good hands there. 

[bigjim5589]

You're not gonna get advice from anybody with any  more experience than Tom & Jim. They know their stuff so you're in good hands there. 

Thank you Les for the compliment! I'm sure Tom appreciates it as much as I do! 

jsindrof, when you start pouring these molds, be sure to get them plenty hot enough, like close to the lead melting point hot (550 to 620 degrees F) and keep them hot. Different molds pour well at various temps, but generally you need them to be very hot. You don't need to check the mold temp, as it's only important that you get good pours, but some folks do check as a reference for where the mold temp needs to be.

Some folks will also tell you to crank up the temp on the lead, and I disagree. That's attempting to compensate for the mold not being hot enough, and as long as the lead is molten, it will pour. When you get lead hotter than it needs to be, you get more oxidation, and it takes more energy so costs you more. Plus, with cranking up the heat, your melting equipment has more wear & tear, so may need more maintenance or replacement sooner.

A lot of folks think they have a mold hot, when it's not as hot as it should be. Collins molds, since they have more mass to them take longer to heat up if you go that route. Having the mold very hot helps with most pouring problems. 

[ctom]

jsindorf.... just starting out with this adventure I'd suggest you run around to a few Goodwill stores or thrift stores and look for an electric skillet. It just has to work, not look pretty since all it'll be used for is preheating molds and possibly keeping them hot if you're switching off between a couple molds. A skillet is also pretty handy if you find yourself needing to heat large hooks or the wire mold inserts too.

[bigjim5589]

I can agree with Tom on that, as I use a cheap electric hot plate to preheat & keep molds hot, and often will pour two molds at once by switching back & forth. The hot plate I have has two burners and is 1800 watts. It's got 5 settings on the thermostat dials & usually I only need it at the #4 setting to be plenty hot, regardless of the mold. 

[jsindorf]

Tom & Jim,
Thank you both for your skill and advice.
I will post when I have poured my first jigs.
I appreciate it greatly.
Joe

[Bucho]

I am very happy with the flutter jig in smaller sizes but also hear from happy customers using medium sizes up in Norway. I find the small size Collins molds very difficult to work wiht. Maybe the larger ones work better.

I mainly use the flutter jigs with tin as casting spoons. They excell in every way I use them, "jig, cast or troll" is not just a sales phrase. I see no need to pair them with the collins molds which I bought out of curiosity and only keep because they do not have a market here in Germany. The flutter jig has a very nice, unpredictable fall but also a nice play on a straight retrieve. Most of my customers cast them at shallow water baltic sea run brown trout in heavy wind but I also sold a hundred or so to a customer in the U.S. and he did very well jigging them on lake Michigan catching lakers and kings.

I would rather pair the flutter jig with the shad spoon mold or get a second and mod it to fit a run-through wire than spend money on the collins. Its the best jigging and casting spoon mold there is i.m.o.

[jsindorf]

Thank you all for your input.
I just caught three kings (Chinook Salmon) this weekend ranging from 28-41 inches long near old Rt 31 on the Pere Marquette River... thanks to your suggestions.
Joe