Creating a teardrop jig

[Baxter1]

hays47,I used to order them from Comet Tackle Co.I probably have an old catalog stashed somewhere.

[shipahoy41]

Anyone that has hard water fished knows them be " pinmins " :D

That generic term stands for almost anything thats between a bare hook and a sonar or Vibe lure.

Ship : you remember the " Comet " lure company. They used to make these by the jillions. Even the wholesale bait trucks used to carry their cards of ice lures. When we couldn't make them fast enough we used to buy them off the " Akron Wholesale " bait company. They were located right off of Rt 224.

I remember every fall . Partner and I used to get the silver solder out and the netcraft blades and do them up. Normally did them on Sundays. So we could watch the football games and make pinmins.

oh yeah I remember those days. (Thank God for the seventies) Carl "Big Daddy" used to talk about how they were great at Wingfoot, Portage, Berlin and at Mogadore. We called them Pinmins, Teardrops, ice flies and just plain great fish catchers. Jack Manda was a great teacher up at his bait shop on Portage Lakes.

[snake River]

The bread and butter lure for panfish is undoubtedly the teardrop. These inexpensive little jigs have been responsible for more limit catches than all the other lures combined. If you’re fishing for bluegill, crappie or perch you better carry a few teardrops. To get maximum action out of your teardrop, you must choose the correct line and use a loop knot for connecting your jigs. Bluegills, especially the large ones, are very line shy. Always use the smallest diameter line you can, no more than 2lb test. For more aggressive fish like crappie and perch you can use a heavier line such as 4lb test.




The best baits for teardrops are small perch minnows, wax worms and spikes. Here's a tip to increase your catch - you should always bury the hook point in your bait. Having the bare hook point sticking out of your bait will turn off wary fish. Under certain conditions, other colors can work as well or even slightly better depending on the fish’s mood. If you’re into a school of fish that suddenly stop biting, changing to a different color may turn them on again, so you should always have at least two or three other colors besides glow in the dark. A general rule for choosing the right color is - bright for bright days and dark for cloudy days or night fishing. Chartreuse and fluorescent orange are good choices as well as dark reds and any shade of green.

Vertical to Horizontal. The style of one's jig is just as important as its color. Most anglers are accustomed to using a tear-dropped shaped jig that hangs vertically in the water, such as Shipahoy 41's Teardrop jig. I have found that crappies and perch generally bite better on a horizontal jig.

ship do you use these in open water or are they used in ice fishing only.

[shipahoy41]

ship do you use these in open water or are they used in ice fishing only.

Hey Snake,

Many people use them year round with great results.

[Baxter1]

Ship,I was planning onu using some teardrops today.When I got up the lake to my spot I couldn't find them in my stuff,oh well they must be in the truck.I found them tonite buried on the front seat,at least I didn't leave them on the roof and drive off like I did to some of my jigss a couple weeks ago.

How do you paint yours? I used powder paint on some of my first ones but didn't like painting both sides covering up the silver backs.I recently bought some nail polish and painted a bunch with it.

My Dad likes to use a teardrop type jig called a coaxer.We used to get them from a guy in Michigan.I'll post some pics maybe tomorow if i can find some of mine.

We tip ours with a couple maggots using the smallest bobber and just keep twitching them.

[shipahoy41]

Ship,I was planning onu using some teardrops today.When I got up the lake to my spot I couldn't find them in my stuff,oh well they must be in the truck.I found them tonite buried on the front seat,at least I didn't leave them on the roof and drive off like I did to some of my jigss a couple weeks ago.

How do you paint yours? I used powder paint on some of my first ones but didn't like painting both sides covering up the silver backs.I recently bought some nail polish and painted a bunch with it.

My Dad likes to use a teardrop type jig called a coaxer.We used to get them from a guy in Michigan.I'll post some pics maybe tomorow if i can find some of mine.

We tip ours with a couple maggots using the smallest bobber and just keep twitching them.

Hey Baxter; Back when I first started I would sprinkle powder paint on one side only immediately after soldering. Then I would bake them in a toaster oven. I too like the flash the nickle finish gave me so I do not paint both sides.

Having said that, the last three years I have been using WAPSI lacquer jig paint from Janns Netcraft. It gives you a much better looking pinmin or teardrop. Remember to use a lacquer remover and get all the flux off before painting it. I usually use two coats of white as a base and then add a glow or flourescent second color for attraction purposes.

I found this article from the Jamison Lure Company: W.J. "Smilin Bill" Jamison was an innovative early tackle inventor and manufacturer whose earliest bait, the Coaxer, is among the most famous lures of all time. Jamison created his little company in 1904 and rapidly expanded his line of effective bass lures throughout the teens. In July of 1910 Jamison challenged Decker to a fishing contest to see who's lure would catch more fish. This event was highly published in the trade rags of the day such as Field and Stream. The outcome was 28 to 16 with the Coaxer being the winner. That same year a few months later, Jamison managed to out fish Heddon.

I wonder if the teardrop coaxer your dad used can trace its origin to this company?

[Baxter1]

Ship,here is a pic of the Coaxer we used to buy.They came from a guy in Michigan,he had a catalog of a few lures-Teardrops,Coaxers and Perchee.His mail order business was Action Tackle Company.I got a catalog from him in the early to mid 80's and we did businees with him til the early 90's.I'd like to get the addy from Dad and send a note to him to see if he is still around and in business.I'm not even sure if he is still around,he was an old timer back then.

["G"]

I buy my teardrops from Grandpa Bob Grandpa Bob's Custom Jigs

[PBUG2009]

are these tear drop jigs a lead mold, or are they a solder together jig? dont quite understand

[hays47]

They are a small spoon blade soldered to a hook then painted. They are known by many names but most common up north the are referred to as pin mins.

When I make my own I will use straight abeerdeen hooks and jig hooks. The jig hook gives the finished lure a horizontal presentation. The straight hook a vertical one.

The can be tiped with pieces of worm , wax warms , maggot or articial stuff like plastic tails , or crappie nibbles. They do produce year round not just thru ice.