Using wire keeper in jig mold

[jl3140]

I'm looking at getting my first jig mold (I'm thinking the weedless poison tail jig mold) but I'd like to somehow make the mold work with wire keepers for plastics instead of the disk and holder style collar. Is there any way I can modify the mold to work with wire keepers?

[andrewlamberson]

I wrap the wire keepers onto the hook shank with heavy fly tiring thread, then a few  a coar of Sally Hanson Hard As Nails.

There is a thread on this on the Forum with pics from about a year ago. I'll try to find it for you when I get home.

Here's the link
http://custombaits.com/index.php?topic=3977.msg27684#msg27684

[smalljaw]

I'm looking at getting my first jig mold (I'm thinking the weedless poison tail jig mold) but I'd like to somehow make the mold work with wire keepers for plastics instead of the disk and holder style collar. Is there any way I can modify the mold to work with wire keepers?

It isn't hard to modify the mold to take the wire keeper and I can see having it on the ball collars but the poison tail??? No. In my opinion the holder on the poison tail is very good and it helps to balance it so you can use it as a good swim jig as it will run true and level because of the balance. Yo put a wire keeper on there you would have to fill in the holder because it is pretty far down the shank, if you leave the holder on and just add a wire keeper well you will only be able to thread a plastic trailer on the jig about an inch or so, not very far.

[jl3140]

Thanks for the link Andy, I'll have to try that in the future.

Smalljaw, I really like the wire keeper on jigs for northern pike, I have yet to lose a bait with the wire keeper but I always have trouble keeping the plastic up on the lead when using the typical lead barb and similar styles. I was unaware that the collar on that jig helps in balance though. I might have to look at getting a different one to do what I want to do. Thanks for the information.

[smalljaw]

Thanks for the link Andy, I'll have to try that in the future.

Smalljaw, I really like the wire keeper on jigs for northern pike, I have yet to lose a bait with the wire keeper but I always have trouble keeping the plastic up on the lead when using the typical lead barb and similar styles. I was unaware that the collar on that jig helps in balance though. I might have to look at getting a different one to do what I want to do. Thanks for the information.

Certain jig styles will be affected by altering the collar, the poison tail is one of them. The collar design on the head of the poison tail jig is long and it is almost a "hidden weight" deal as the head is a nice size, that design is what makes it so versatile. As I said once before, I found that while you can swim any jig, ones that are made specifically for swimming track true and don't list to any side but the poison tail is a special jig, it is one of the few jigs I found that can swim with the best swim jigs and then can be bounced on the bottom or flipped into cover and it remains effective. For that reason the poison tail is one jig I would not modify in anyway and if you want to know how effective it is, take a look at some of the jigs sold at Tackle Warehouse and look how many that are very similar to the poison tail, one of the most versatile designs I ever used.

[jl3140]

Certain jig styles will be affected by altering the collar, the poison tail is one of them. The collar design on the head of the poison tail jig is long and it is almost a "hidden weight" deal as the head is a nice size, that design is what makes it so versatile. As I said once before, I found that while you can swim any jig, ones that are made specifically for swimming track true and don't list to any side but the poison tail is a special jig, it is one of the few jigs I found that can swim with the best swim jigs and then can be bounced on the bottom or flipped into cover and it remains effective. For that reason the poison tail is one jig I would not modify in anyway and if you want to know how effective it is, take a look at some of the jigs sold at Tackle Warehouse and look how many that are very similar to the poison tail, one of the most versatile designs I ever used.

Thanks for the insight, I hadn't thought of that. I'm glad I asked this on the forum before just assuming it would work really well for the poison tail

[efishnc]

Sorry for the late reply, but I just wanted to say I use a wire keeper in my poison tail mold with no ill effects.  The main reason I use an additional keeper on the this is so I can have one notch for the skirt, one for a set of mouse ear rattles, and the wire to hold my plastic.  Having the rubber bands recessed in the lead keeps them from easily getting cut by the pike I deal with - if they don't rob me outright - when I'm chasing the greenies.

Note: this is not the Do-it wire keeper, rather it is a 1.5" piece of 22ga wire that I lay behind the hook when molding, and I kink it after everything else is done. (I removed the slightest bit of material from the mold just behind the hook, and when I don't use the keeper wire, there is no lead leakage because the gap is so small.)

[chase102798]

Do this...

http://custombaits.com/index.php?topic=3766.0

[andrewlamberson]

I've been tieing on the wire keepers for about a year now and haven't had any failure's..
Here's a link to a previous post and pics

http:custombaits.com/index.php?topic=3977.msg27676#msg27676

[efishnc]

I loaded a string of step by step pics (more than what is tied to this thread) to show how I modified my PT mold, and how I make my PT jigs...  I'm not trying to bash anyone else's ingenuity, but I think my method may get the most return for the time invested.  Everybody will have different opinions on what they think is better, so choose what is right for you... more than anything, this is just to show another idea and attempt at a better mouse trap (or lip ripper, as the case may be).

[Muskygary]

Looks good, maybe I could even do that! Going to try!

[ctom]

With that very short stub of hook channel after the ring and collar you have cleaned out you'd be able to lay one of the pre-formed wires in there as long as the short 90 degree bend laid in that funnel shaped portion of the cavity.

I have the Snootie and did the filler thing on the whole collar and stem, then made the wire fit. Works like a charm.

[efishnc]

Looks good, maybe I could even do that! Going to try!

I've done it to multiple molds because it is super easy and very effective.  I have done some modifications to other molds with power tools (i.e. Dremel), but this is one instance I would not use them (because it requires so little material to be removed, and one slip could really make you cuss).

[efishnc]

With that very short stub of hook channel after the ring and collar you have cleaned out you'd be able to lay one of the pre-formed wires in there as long as the short 90 degree bend laid in that funnel shaped portion of the cavity.

I have the Snootie and did the filler thing on the whole collar and stem, then made the wire fit. Works like a charm.

The first mold I did this to was the Erie (stand up) Jig mold my brother got back in the 80s, and the only version available at that time was the smooth collar one.  It was just so frustrating to continually push the plastic back up; an older river rat showed me how to fix it with this trick, and then I did it to a couple of my other molds.  Obviously, Do-it didn't have the pre-made keepers years back, but without having some on hand to try, I'm not sure the they would fit the PT without further modifications... (maybe they would)... I just know I wouldn't want to modify the mold from what it is right now because the tight tolerance allows me to pour perfect jigs both with or without the extra keeper... plus, I got enough of the wire I use for this to last me for some time.

[ctom]

E... the straight wire trick works great really and I use it in a couple older molds too. Both are not Do-It molds and are not made any longer so I never really wanted to chance messing things up.

Little story about the wire....Several years ago I was cutting some 4" lengths of .025 stainless wire off a quarter pound roll for a project. I had them all stacked up nice and went to put them in a plastic box when the pile slipped. My natural reaction was to grab the wires. Not a good idea I found out. That stainless wire was like hypodermic needles and went thru my hand every which way and many of those 4" pieces were all the way in. After a nerve block in the er and an hour and a half of those wires playing hide and seek with the doctor I was able to go home. What a fiasco that was. Four or five of those suckers went in my palm and were easily pulled out thru the back of my hand. A few others were not as easily extracted. Not fun.