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[cool][blue][size 1]I just got through making up some new jigs on some of my favorite jig heads...shad darts. I have had my jig mold for these heads for over 20 years, and have used them all over the country...fresh water and salt...for lots of species. [/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]Shad darts were originally designed for making jigs for the American shad, found off both coasts. They run up rivers in the spring, and can reach several pounds. They are like salmon, in that they do not eat while in fresh water, but they will strike flies and small lures for whatever reason. The design of the darts makes them zip and flutter, which is stimulating to shad...and other fishies.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]I have included three pics. One is of the 7 cavity mold...which makes darts from 1/32 oz up to 3/4 oz. I use mostly 1/16 to 1/4, with the 1/8 oz on a size 2 or 4 hook being the one I use most. I either wrap it with feathers, hair or synthetics...or fish it with small plastics. However, if I am going to fish plastics, I prewrap the bare shank of the hook with something to help provide friction and hold the plastic in place. You can see a couple of heads thus doctored in the one picture with bare hooks.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The third pic is "dressed darts". These include everything from crappie jigs to ice darts...on the 1/32 oz heads and size 8 hooks.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Darts are great for casting or trolling. The flat face makes them zig and zag...DART. They also move around on the drop, when you are either casting or vertical jigging. Once you get a feel for how they work, you can make them talk to the fishies.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Probably the single greatest benefit to using these heads for vertical jigging...and ice fishing...is that they postion themselves almost exactly horizontally when at rest. You do not have to mess with cinching the knot forward on the eye. Even if you tie your line right in the middle of the hook eye, it will hang horizontally.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]For finicky fish that want to ease up to a jig and look it over carefully before sampling it, the horizontal look works better than dangling at an angle...or straight up and down. On those days when you need to leave the rod alone, or scare the fish, the flat presentation gets bites.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]This makes it an ideal head for fishing below a bobber too. Crappies, bluegills and whites just love a horizontal riding jig with a little wiggle from the bobber riding on light ripples. Big cats and walleyes have been known to vote for this approach too.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]By the way, these heads are ideal for fishing with small baits...without any "dressing" on the hooks. Bare jig heads and a piece of bait are very effective on many occasions.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Anybody else ever used these rascals?[/size][/#0000ff]
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You had me worried there for a minute...I thought deadly darts might be a kin to "blue flames"! Ha, ha! In all seriousness those are cool looking little jig heads TubeDude. I personally have never seen any like it, but they look like they produce some nice movement.
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Hey, my post didn't work!!
Anyway, Ive tried those jigs. A guy in Arizona sent me some about a year or so ago.
They work well with plastics and for dragging also. As long as it's not too snaggy, you can drag them along and when they hang up, they roll further forward than a ball head jig. Then you give em a pop and they jump forward wth the hook straight up. Sticks the offering right in a hungry fishies face. Walleye can't resist.
walleyebob
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Thats a funny thing, cause some guy in AZ. also sent me some of them jigs heads. Nice guy I'll tell ya. I like using them heads for sassy shads. seems to gluide thru the water smoother then round heads. later chuck[  ]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]As usual, 'dude, killer looking jigs![/size][/font]
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[cool][blue][size 1]Hey Beeman, whattayamean "blue flames". I been knowed to experience those behind my float tube after fueling up on burritos before a trip, but they got nothin' to do with jigs.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]Hey, all you nother guys, thanks for the positive input. I do enjoy "tackle tinkerin'" and every once in awhile I come up with something I deem worthy of sharing. Hope I sometimes put up stuff that others can take and run with.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]I have been working on putting together some more pics on jig making. Here's one I will post up, to show how this stuff can creep up on ya. It is a shot of over 20 different jig molds I have accumulated over the years, and does not include a couple I have "lent out". Of course, each and every one is vital and was badly needed at the time of purchase...just like each new rod, reel, spool of line, lures. etc. We fishin' types are good at rationalizing NEED.[/size][/#0000ff]
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dude i have not seen them for a long time.. i got a lot of them from when i lived in mass and fished the shad run in the Connecticut river..
from the fuzzyfisher----------------------------------fish on dudes
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Hey TD those are awesome looking jigs! I've never tried any with that type of jighead, but it looks like they'd work well. Obviously if you've used them that much yourself they must be quite productive. We love to hear about all your recent endeavors. Keep them coming!
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[cool][blue][size 1]Yo, cat_man. The wind don't blow, in Arizona. It sucks. Weather has been lousy...lots of fronts but little rain. That has helped keep me from getting started this year. Hope by the first of February I can start floatin' and flingin'. [/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]In the meantime, I gotta have something to mess with to keep me piscatorially occupied (whew!). By the time I get to go fishing I will have enough new jigs made to last at least a month or so.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Did you get your younger brother's new tube yet?[/size][/#0000ff]
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Interesting jig heads. It would be nice to see them hanging horizontally in the water under an ice hole. I have tried some of your ideas for hanging a jig horizontally and appreciate the advice. It would be interesting to see these jig heads in a tube jig, a 1 inch nymph, or a paddle bug. A little variety for the fish. Let me know if you've ever tried this and how it works. Where do you get the molds so I can try this jig out?? And how expensive are they to make??
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Hey Tubedude, my son was just looking at molds in a new catalog he got. He showed some interest in them. What would be a good one for him to start off with for this area?
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Hey Tube, if you're using gas powered propulsion in that float tube you'll have to put numbers on the side and register it. LMAO
Good Tubing, Kayote
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I called him before work this morning to make sure he got it. Sure enough, it was delivered yesterday! What service! I ordered it late Monday night online, and it was delivered to his house Thursday morning by UPS! Thats barely more than 2 days! I'm going over there on Sunday for my birthday party, so I'll be able to check it out and hopefully deliver to him the rod holders I've been working on for him. Also, then he can pay me back for buying the tube! [cool]
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[cool][blue][size 1]Hey, fishluvr, glad you see the potential. YES, they do hang "on the level" with almost any kind of plastic or bait. The proportion of lead in the top part of the head counterbalances all but the heaviest bait you might want to hang on the hook. [/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]I have fished them with little tubes and small twisters with good results. As I mentioned in the original post, however, the hook shaft is bare, with no barb to hold the plastic in place. If you do not wrap it with a few wraps of thread or braid, the plastic will slip off or get out of position easily. If you have a fly tying setup...like I do...it is quick and easy to make up a batch of heads for plastics.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]If you wanna get a jig mold...or other jig making supplies...go to either Jann's Netcraft or Barlows. The latter is less expensive on their molds and hooks. Here's a link [url "http://barlowstackle.com/"][#800080]http://barlowstackle.com/[/#800080][/url][/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Once you have your basic supplies, the cost per jig is small. However, buying a melter and some molds will have you over a hundred dollars into your "savings" very fast. After that, hooks are about 5 - 10 cents apiece for the regular stuff...much more for Gamakatsu and the more exotic hooks. Lead is 40 cents a pound. Figure the cost of a 1/4 oz jig is almost nothing in lead. Paint isn't much, but your time is... if you do the fancy stuff, like I do. Add in a couple of cents worth of feathers and you can usually make a dressed jig for less than 20 cents in direct costs.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]More importantly than the actual "hard dollar" costs of the lures you make is the ability to make special lures for special situations. As you learn more about the waters you fish and the fish you pursue, you get a pretty good idea of what they eat and how they like it served. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The problem is that most lures come from manufacturers that make lures for the masses...around the country. They don't know diddly about the white bass in Utah Lake...or the walleyes in Deer Creek...or the perch in Rockport. But, if you have the ability to make lures with the special sizes, colors and actions to fit the requirements of any given trip, you are more likely to be successful on more trips. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Just like fishing with a rod you have made yourself, fishing with your own designs in flies and lures gives you a real rush. This is especially true when you are scoring big time, while all the folks with "store bought" stuff are blanking...or not doing nearly as well.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]That's my excuse for the ongoing therapy treatments I go through in tackle tinkerin'.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Feel free to PM me if you need assistance in getting set up or trying something new. [/size][/#0000ff]
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[cool][blue][size 1]Hey, lady, howya doin'? You guys getting ready for "soft water" fishing already?[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]If you would like to send me a PM, let me know what kind of fishing you do most, and whether you will be adding plastics (what kind) or making up decorated jigs with them. That's the first step. [/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Jig heads for plastics will have a small barb built into the head, upon which to push the plastic so it will not slide down the hook. Jig heads for tying feathers and other decorations will not have the barbs.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Then, there are the shapes. You can get everything from plain round heads to "minnow" and "shad" shaped heads...to flats, triangles, etc. Probably the best place to start is with a mold that can turn out several different size heads...from 1/32 to 3/8 oz. The good old round heads are probably the best all around, but that will depend on the type of fishing you will be doing most.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]By the way, what catalog did you get? As I mentioned in another post, be sure to get the one from Barlows and compare prices before you send any money.[/size][/#0000ff]
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Just tatoo the numbers across his backside
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[cool][blue][size 1]Hey Hey, Special K. Doncha know there are allowances and considerations for "self-contained" power sources. No unburned hydrocarbon pollutants from non-renewable resources. [/size][/blue]
[blue][size 1]No two stroke or four stroke controversies here. Most good days on the water, in my donut dinghy, I get in maybe a couple of thousand strokes (kicks). If pollution is proportional to the number of strokes of the "engine", then I am the epitome of environmentally friendly. I might still suggest all other craft remain "upwind" and maintain a safe distance.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]NUMBERS? I DON' NEED NO STEENKING NUMBERS.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]And as for you, FFM, I can only say that you may want to rethink that tattooing on the backside thing. First of all, I don't know you that well. Secondly, I don't do needles. Third, you wouldn't wanna risk a spark from the tattooing equipment too near the "energy" source.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1](MAN, THIS THREAD HAS REALLY GONE DOWNHILL)[/size][/#0000ff]
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I'm with you on the non polluting fishing craft. Tubes, yaks and canoes are environmentally friendly. You'd think there would be some special consideration for the low impact vessels. NOT. We just need to make sure we don't get run over. While we're on the subject, you mentioned that you were a bay tuber at one time if I'm not mistaken. Got any halibut secrets for me?. Later
Good Low Impact Angling, Kayote
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[cool][blue][size 1]That has the ring of a "loaded" question. Are you going on a trip or do you have something more long term in the offing.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]Tubing for 'buts is about my favorite kind of fishing in the whole world. It's right up there with fishing for walleyes. Same thing. A whole lot of fishing and a whole lot of humiliation between brief moments of elation. And, both species can assist you in a sudden "weight loss" program if you get your anatomy too close to their teeth.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Seriously, anybody who claims to be able to catch those finicky flatties with consistency will lie about other things too. But, there are some constants that you can start with and work from there. I suspect that we should take this to the PM stage and we can do the back and forth.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Are you going to be 'tooning the bays and the coastline in SoCal? Dropping in to the Baytubers site on a regular basis will keep you current on where they are hitting and on what.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]While I love tossing different kinds of plastics for them...swimbaits, twisters, etc...I find that the bigger fish usually fall for live bait. You can catch your own off the piers, or buy it when available. You also catch more of the other species while soaking bait...like sharks, bass, tomcod and less desirable species. It can be a drag blowing ten bucks worth of prime live bait on non-halibuts.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Shoot me a PM and I can suggest different rigs, presentations, lures, lines, etc.[/size][/#0000ff]
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i used to use some thing similar for barries off the S. CA. coast same cut on the front but they tapered back further and we tied on longer blue and white feathers
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