Why do you Do It?

[ctom]

So why do you make your own jigs or plastics?

I started out making jigs in a home-made mold about 59 years ago for no real reason other than having something to do as a kid. Then it was because I could make what I needed and in colors I wanted.

I began making plastic baits because a major company that I was a product specialist for dropped their entire line of crappie plastics. I got tired of playing this same game with other companies and decided that I'll make my own. Whie I am a real color fanatic and love working with colors and pigments and glitters in the baits, I'll fess up to the biggest reason I roll my own is because I absolutely love catching fish on a bait or a color scheme that nobody within a hundred miles of me has.

95% of my crappie fishing is done with three baits: the 1-1/2" Thump-It, the 2.25" Fry or a copy of the 2-1/2" Kietech Swing Impact, all with chartreuse tails regardless of the body color. I've never met another soul fishing any of these baits. Ever. I have, however, been fishing next to people with similar baits and had the immense pleasure of watching them watch my catch fish after fish while they frumped and caught few. The difference has always been related to that chartreuse tail and perhaps the action of the bait that sets the three listed apart from similar baits. My crappie fishing confidence lies strongly in these three baits and I won't make any unless I can put that tail on them. I won't even fish one of these baits without the chartreuse tail. The problem with other baits similar to these and having the chartreuse tail is that the tail color is so weak that its just doesn't trip the fishes trigger that well.

The slider grub is perhaps the closest thing to a Do-It Thump-It and some even have the tail color, while most are set apart with laminated colors and I won't put a laminated anything on my jigs for crappies. I make these baits in colors and with the chartreuse tails the way I know they'll catch fish and almost without fail NOBODY around me, other than those fishing with me, will have anything remotely close to what I make. That's why I make my own baits.

Now, why do you?

[efishnc]

In a word: efficiency 
(e-fish-nc)

When all factors (availability, function, price, pleasure) are considered, why would I want to buy my baits?

[Les Young]

Yep i really enjoy making my own & do make some colors that i'm pretty sure nobody else has. I make a lot of baby shad style baits for my crappie fishing. I also make the do-it flapjack, crappie fluke, mo magic & a jacobs crappie slasher & all have chartreuse tails.   As far as chartreuse goes  i  absolutely do not like mine transparent so i add enough colorant that i don't have to worry about that. I do make some laminates though & lots of times they are the best crappie catchers. If i could figure it  out i'd like to make   some  good proven work anywhere clear water colors for both bright skys & dark skys & then something for heavily stained  water  for bright sun & also dark skys. Would sure make things simpler & be easy to make a bunch of each at a time. Does anybody else do this?

[Les Young]

In a word: efficiency 
(e-fish-nc)

When all factors (availability, function, price, pleasure) are considered, why would I want to buy my baits?

Agreed. I don't buy much for sure unless it's a totally new color to try which doesn't happen often. I think i'm  going  to start making my own jig heads too.

[anyfish]

When I started making jig heads a long time ago, it was a way to save money.  Since then it has become so much more.  It is a way to have fun, fish with baits that most don't have, and ultimately spend time with my family and friends.   Maybe not part of the original question,  but I started out with Do It Molds because they were who I found, I have stayed with Do It over the years because they have quality products at a reasonable price, the custom service is top notch, and I have always been treated very well. 

[Lamar]

 Go to the store and look at the price of a Jack Hammer ( chatter bait ) at 17 bucks each and then go look at Ned Heads at 5 to 8 dollars for three. Now that I'm retired I'm glad I have most all of the molds I need. Five gallons of plastic will last me four to five years and make me more baits then I'll ever need. The only reason I even go to bait stores is to give me some ideas on colors. You know you're not buying many baits when Bass Pro doesn't even send you a catalog anymore.

[basscatlildave]

Because I work so much and love to fish sooo much. I build rods and baits to keep doing something fishing related when I can.    Also running my business and dealing with employees and customers on and off the clock it clears my mind.

[ctom]

The only reason I even go to bait stores is to give me some ideas on colors.

LOL The only reason I check on tackle is to see if any new color combos have been introduced.

[olsarge]

I remember the incident that forced me to start making my own baits.  My children got in the habit of giving me gift cards for Christmas gifts so I would usually spend my January stocking my tackle boxes.  One year I started my January routine and they were out of stock on every color I wanted.  So I went from candles to BPS and they too were out of stock..  I spent the rest of the day searching for bait making sites.  I now have 68 molds with I am sure more to come.

    As far as lamination goes I really like laminating certain crappie baits.  Stingers are a prime example.  I catch a lot of fish on laminated stinger type baits.  Curly tails on the other hand work best (for me) with a solid color body and a contrasting color.  Chartreuse is the obvious choice but I like to mix it up too.  I shot a 2.5 inch curly tail in a watermelon seed color with a dark black tail and was really pleased with the results.

     I have spent a ton of money since I started this venture and I haven't regretted any of it.

[bigjim5589]

Tom, like you I started young and had an interest in tying flies & fly fishing. I was 11 then and after a few years, began re-painting & re-dressing old bucktail jigs that my father and a friend of his gave me. Around the time I was 17, I bought my first jig mold, a Hilts that poured panfish size round head jigs with a collar, in multiple sizes, and I used them for both tying & plastic baits. I still have that mold.

Over the years, I just added more & more molds, because I enjoyed making them all and was always expanding on the type of fishing I might do. I also saw situations where I didn't have sizes or weights to fit the fishing, so I sought molds that allowed me to set that straight. I've got over 400 now of various types & brands, but the majority are Do It Molds.

Getting into making jigs also went perfectly with my fly tying since I could use many of the same materials.

I never got into pouring soft plastics, and only painting I've done has been for fly rod poppers. As I got older, got married and we started having kids there was a lot less time for me to do things I wanted to be doing, and had to spend the time on responsibilities. So, I just stayed with pouring lead & fly tying.

I've enjoyed it all and feel making my own has improved my fishing & understanding of when & how to use flies & lures. I could also fix them as needed when some didn't work well, and make more of what did work, so always had plenty. That was all a life long learning process too. 

[Fatman]

Started out making my own sinkers and made a few bucks selling to my Uncles friends. 

Then started making jigs cause they were too much and then I learned how to tie buck tail jigs.  Years later read the book "Fishing with worms and other Live bait" and I bought the Netcraft wire former and started making my own spinners and other wire frames.  Back then the former, instruction book and a roll of wire was only $5!!!   Learned to powder paint and then mix colors and as Tom said I've got colors that others haven't even seen before!! 

After a few years I had kids and then it was to save money and nice not to have to worry about them losing anything!  Years later I learned to dye feathers and saved so much money by dyeing my own!!  I cut my own zonker strips to save money and I've traded for different furs and materials and can make hair or other jigs that you just can't find in a store!!   

I now have more jigs and jig hooks and  materials and parts and beads to never have to buy any again!!  I have fought hard to NOT to get into plastics and luckily have been given some, had some custom color matched to jig head paints I've done and some were sent to me to try.  THANK YOU to all who've saved me from it!!  LOL 

Always great to catch fish on something you make!! 

[efishnc]

I have fought hard to NOT to get into plastics...  THANK YOU to all who've saved me from it!!

I was the same way when Do-it got into the soft plastics game (holding out for about a year before I stepped into it), but with ten plus years of making plastics now under my belt, I don't want to ever buy factory plastics again. 

I'm not saying you should take up soft plastics any more than I should start cutting and dying my own zonkers... if it isn't in the core of our passions, we probably should avoid it.  However, in my case, I was already fishing plastics in about 75% of my outings, so this was more of a mental threshold for me to cross than anything else.

[Lamar]

Because I work so much and love to fish sooo much. I build rods and baits to keep doing something fishing related when I can.    Also running my business and dealing with employees and customers on and off the clock it clears my mind.

 Do like I did and retire. Not dealing with all that anymore is real easy to take.

[basscatlildave]

Don't temp me. 

Do like I did and retire. Not dealing with all that anymore is real easy to take.

[bigjim5589]

I retired from truck driving and dealing with all those fun people on the roads, to start a tackle business doing something I enjoy and still dealing with people. The stress levels are a lot less now, that's for sure!