Author Topic: So many choices!  (Read 5763 times)

Offline b.eipert

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So many choices!
« on: 11/28/14 12:18 UTC »
I still cannot decide what mold to get. I want something that is and will catch fish year-round (don't we all though). I am looking at the ball head jigs to use with trailers and as hair jigs, the swing jig, ad possibly the wacky jig (If it can be used for stuff besides just wacky rigs) but I am open to any and all suggestions. I need an easy pourer as I am just starting out. Also how important is it to have a weedguard? I will be fishing mainly in clear water with rocks and brush piles, no grass though. I prefer lighter jigs from 1/16 to 7/16 and fish for mainly bass but like to catch anything, Thanks in advance!
Ben Eipert
« Last Edit: 11/28/14 12:21 UTC by b.eipert »
Puns are the most dignified type of humor
I have yet to see a bait that wouldn't look better in my tackle box

Offline smalljaw

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Re: So many choices!
« Reply #1 on: 11/28/14 15:51 UTC »
What you want is a lot of things but I believe I can get you started in the right direction. The poison tail would be good but it has sockets for 3D eyes and I think you need something that you can pour and paint and then put a skirt or hair on and fish. My recommendation would be the RWR-3-AYS, it is a weedless round head mold that uses a standard wire, 60 degree flat eye hook and has 3 cavities. It will make a 1/8oz, 3/16oz, and 1/4oz size jig and it uses a FG-30 weed guard. I make finesse jigs with it, if you Google Eakins Jig, you'll see this mold makes something close to it, and the best part is if you want larger weights you can get the RWR-3-AYM which is the same mold but makes 5/15oz, 3/8oz, and 7/16oz jigs. If you look at some of my posts here in this "bass jigs" section, you'll see I makes these exact jigs, I have a good number of molds but the mold I'm telling you about gets a lot of use. The finesse jigs I make are great for fishing boat docks in 3 seasons as well as rock flats and you can pitch it into moderate cover, I fish them on 15# copolymer line when throwing in moderate cover and I'll use it with 12# line and with the right trailer you can use these jigs until the water freezes. The last thing I can tell you is that these are easy to pour, I have the small one and the medium size mold and I never had any problems.

Offline patwr77

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Re: So many choices!
« Reply #2 on: 11/28/14 17:24 UTC »
I have the 2nd Roundhead mold mentioned... It pours very easily, plus I believe it uses one size hook for all 3 cavities... I think I prefer it to my football jig mold due to ease of pouring..

Offline efishnc

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Re: So many choices!
« Reply #3 on: 11/30/14 01:02 UTC »
If I were starting over due to some unfortunate event, the smaller Poison Tail (1/8 -3/8) would be my first mold, and the roundhead reverse barb (in assorted sizes) would be my second...  I can fish 3/4 of everything with these two molds.  But, there are always a few extra molds that can add to your ease of fishing... or maybe you will just want to trick out your box.  Whatever the reason, you're not going to stop at two.  (We all tried and failed.)

Offline b.eipert

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Re: So many choices!
« Reply #4 on: 11/30/14 15:33 UTC »
Thanks for the help every body. Can you use the wire guards used in wacky jigs in the ball head jig?
Puns are the most dignified type of humor
I have yet to see a bait that wouldn't look better in my tackle box

Offline smalljaw

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Re: So many choices!
« Reply #5 on: 12/01/14 07:51 UTC »
Thanks for the help every body. Can you use the wire guards used in wacky jigs in the ball head jig?

I'm not trying to discourage you in the least but you want to do things that are a little advanced right off the bat without ever pouring a bait with no modifications. The answer to you question is yes, you can pour a wire weed guard into any weedless jig mold but not the one used on the wacky head, that is way to thin, I normally make my own wire weed guard but you can buy them from Lure Parts Online, they are made of braided wire. The way you do it is by using a rubber skirt collar to hold the wire in place and you position the collar at the end of the cavity right where the weed guard enters and then you pour it, you'll get a little smoke but not much. What I just told you more than likely sounded like gibberish, don't feel bad if it did, that is what I'm talking about, find a mold that you want to make without changing anything and learn to pour that first. You do that because you'll understand how everything with a mold works, just telling you how to do something without you ever doing it is going to be extremely hard if not impossible. If you want a wacky jig then get the wacky jig, but please get something you don't need to change anything first, then you'll have a better understanding of what needs to be done and you'll understand what guys are telling you so we will be of more help. I'm not good with words and I don't want it to sound bad but I'm not trying to be condescending or a smart a$$, I'm just trying to save you some time and money, and with you having no experience at all pouring, all we end up doing is overwhelming you. So the first deal is to pick a mold that you need or want and go from there, but it has to be something you want with no changes, then when you have that mastered, we can move on to other things like adding wire weed guards in place of fiber guards.

Offline b.eipert

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Re: So many choices!
« Reply #6 on: 12/01/14 09:07 UTC »
Thanks. You were fine and I see what you mean. I am getting a bit ahead of myself.
Thanks again
Ben Eipert
Puns are the most dignified type of humor
I have yet to see a bait that wouldn't look better in my tackle box

Offline smalljaw

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Re: So many choices!
« Reply #7 on: 12/01/14 10:00 UTC »
Ben, if you find what mold you want, I'll be more than happy to walk you through your first pour step by step. It isn't hard but there is a learning curve, the biggest problem most encounter when they start out is lead problems, usually they have scrap lead that is in the form of wheel weights with a high percentage of antimony and it makes it a little more difficult to pour. If you get that kind of stuff we can get you through it but in any case, once you figure it out it becomes an awesome hobby. I'll post a link here and it is a video I made of how I tie a wacky jig into a finesse jig, they can be used for other things, you just got to have a little imagination.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mwQM1bGwJQ&list=UU0uuaARiHSow_5aDIhW8q-w

Offline Muskygary

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Re: So many choices!
« Reply #8 on: 12/01/14 12:50 UTC »
That is a good video. Love the trick on using the shoe lace. I've watched all your video's, keep them coming.

Offline smalljaw

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Re: So many choices!
« Reply #9 on: 12/01/14 16:47 UTC »
That is a good video. Love the trick on using the shoe lace. I've watched all your video's, keep them coming.

Thank you for the kind words, I try to make them easy to follow. If there is anything you'd like to see just let me know.