Glider Jigs

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I posted this first on the Jig and Lure Making board, but thought maybe some of the other folks on the Utah general info board might like to see these. [/#0000ff]
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[size 1][#0000ff]I have been flattening jig heads for a long time. I use both a hammer and flat pliers to pound or squeeze rounded heads into a flattened shape. These flattened heads provide a bigger profile, more painted surface and an erratic wobble and flutter when retrieved or dropped to the bottom.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Over the years, I have tried different methods of flattening jig heads LATERALLY...from side to side...to give them a gliding action. Hilts molds makes a "slider" jig mold, with the bottom wider and flatter. I have used these and they are especially good for vertical jigging, as in ice fishing or fishing suspended fish from a boat or float tube.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Since I do not have one of the Hilts molds, and since a couple of BFTers have asked about how to create such heads recently, I went out into my garage with a collection of different types of jig heads and started pounding them flat...laterally. After a few bad ideas, I finally began having some success using a heavy pair of square nosed side-cutting pliers left over from my dad's toolbox. He was an electrician, who died a couple of years ago, and I ended up with most of his tools.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In the attached pic, you can see that I grip the eye of the jig hook between the two sides of the end of the heavy pliers. The surface of the pliers is smooth, so I can simply lay the pliers on a sturdy surface and gently pound the head into the shape I want, on the pliers themselves. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That works okay, especially for smaller models. For the bigger heads, however, I found it better to turn the pliers (with jig head gripped firmly) and place the jig head onto a smooth metal surface...then pounding on the hammer to flatten the jighead. I have several pieces of heavy smooth metal, including the end of a set of chrome free weights. A bench vice or anvil would work even better, but I do not have mine mounted yet, from moving.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Once I got the feel, I could pound out fairly uniform glider heads, with decent uniformity of shape. A slight change in the hammering stroke, or tilt of the pliers, can affect the final shape.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]As you can see in the pic, I experimented with several different jig heads. Strangely, the one that seems to be best for these glider heads is the "dart" style, with the wide angular face and the cone taper. I did get some good heads out both round and spear point heads. They take some practice, but you can create some special effects.[/#0000ff][/size]
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[#0000ff][size 1]The special appeal of the gliders is that they do not plummet down like round or bullet shaped heads. They either flutter or else "glide" off to the side when lifted and dropped during a vertical presentation. Some fishies respond better to an erratic motion...generating a "reaction" bite when the fish are being finicky.[/size][/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][size 1]Whatcha think Coldfooter?[/size][/#0000ff]

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[maniac]

Good idea Tube Dude! I didn't read your book on this subject. But it looks as if those jigs would give you an almost spoon type action, or gliding action to the lure depending on how you fish it. some times its something different that puts you in the fish.
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[fish4fish]

those look great, i bet that they would give the different actions needed to land those hard jawed closed mouth fish
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[Out4Trout]

[cool]Those look pretty cool, TubeDude! What a neat idea! You also pound them flat the other way too, don't you? At least with the roundheaded ones? This glider idea is a cool thing though! I'll bet they look pretty good in the water "gliding" down to their intended targets.
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[Coldfooter]

Pat those should produce a fairly good reaction strike if proper balance can be maintained. But any horizonal movement is certainly and improvement over and above mere vertical drop, lifting and drop. The combining of both should and will create a decent death fall when combined with proper timing as well as plastic's, feathers, meat, or any combonation. However, as I stated above, it will become a fine balance between forward weighting, flattened under surfice/wing and tail drag, much in the same manner as an aircraft. Whats more in this situation we have a little more to work with than mere air so the task at hand should prove somewhat simpler, we hope, lol.
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[BearLakeMack]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]A cheap, smooth jaw vise would do the trick with more control maybe? Just a thought...[/size][/black][/font]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I have used the vice for flattening the heads parallel with the hook. However, when you squash them down around the hook, it becomes a different set of problems.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I partially solve this with a piece of smooth steel bar, with a small hole running through it. I put the eye of the hook in the hole, and it does flatten the lead. But, it leaves a round cylinder, the size of the hole, up along the hook shank.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I found, by experimentation, that you DO have to flatten the whole head together. You can't get a good even form if you squeeze first the top and then the bottom. And, depending on the size of the hook and head, some of them cannot fit in even a small vice...except for the vertical squeeze.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yep, it's easy to get the "aspirin" shaped jigs, but it is tough to get the glider shapes. Takes some concentrated pounding, using the right tools and techniques. Even then, I ruined quite a few heads in the process. Of course, I just trim or melt off the lead and repour the hooks later.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of the biggest messups was pounding the heads down TOO FLAT. If the lead was too thin to support the bend in the hook, the hook would rotate from side to side. I suspect that some of the ones I "passed" and painted will break if I grab the head while landing or unhooking a fish. My future models will be not quite so thin. The thinner and flatter the head, the better the gliding action but the weaker the hold on the angled jig hook.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am looking forward to trying some of the bigger models, made from 1 oz. spearhead jigs, to tantalize some cutts and macks. The balance is good, for a horizontal presentation. I am betting the controlled fall, with a slide and flutter, will show them something different.[/#0000ff]
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[petty4life]

those look good pat.
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[Coldfooter]

Wish I could make to the pouring party Pat but ly I cant. However, I came up with a rather interesting piece of heavy aluminum plate today. I have an ideaeeer I can custom mill something more suited to our needs to avoid the hammer and pinch scenario witch causes the possible head spin situation when the heads are pounded to flat. If nothing else it worth and effort..
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I have played around with "flutter spoons" before. They can work very well. However, aluminum is a bit lighter than copper or steel, and unless you can add lead, it is almost too light.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You might PM Kent. He has some samples he might be willing to coop/share with you.[/#0000ff]
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[Coldfooter]

No you mis understood Pat. I plan to mill the aluminum to be able to simply pour the gliders..
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I always suspected you were moldy.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Let's get our heads together. There's gotta be some super new designs we can come up with.[/#0000ff]
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[tightline]

You are definitely moving to a direction I love to play with. Fish that are more nuetral love things that glide instead of just bouncing up and down. I have proven this time and time again with friends when fishing "educated or lock jaw fish".
The other bonus is suddenly you don't need nearly as much gap on the hook. when the head goes the other way it many times interferes with the hookset. The lead head gets in the way unless you use a very large hook gap. With the glider style you suddenly gain a dramatically larger amount of the hook gap that is effective.
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