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" BUT, there is a sense of satisfaction and it's priceless!!!! " Thanks Crappiedoc that's is where I am coming from. The amount of jigs I cast are small compared to some but I did them myself. They were there when I needed them.
I guess to put it another way its self reliance. Doing what you need to do. Yes I have spent some money. But having that fish on a jig that I poured and tied is worth every penny I have spent.
Redman
When I started tying I thought about it and just decided I didn't want to buy all the molds I would use and take the extra time to not only pour/clean etc., nut chase the lead and all the added time to make them and I didn't see me enjoying that part. So I buy my heads and still glad I didn't as I have had enough trouble keeping up with tying for the last 3 1/2 years. I enjoy tying and don't think I would enjoy the jig head making part so I don't. I also enjoy tying flies and can use a bead on a jig head if I want to make my own and do that some using a slotted tungsten bead on a Sickle hook. I can even get them in several colors including Brass, Silver, Chart, Orange, etc. Only think about the tungsten beads they are not cheap.
So I am the different one here as lots of guys here pour their own.
Skip
I grew up a carpenter, went to college to be a Chemical Eng, and went back to being a carpenter. It's that satisfaction thing, you know seeing a house that you built everyday when you drive by. After all I'm not Breaking Bad and what kind of satisfaction is that knowing half of what you do is poisoning something or covering up another mess. Sure there's some good comes out of it, but not really. Most of it is figuring out what to do with petroleum by-products, imagine that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Redman
For those of you that buy the jig head but then do your own tying, where do you get your heads from??
The reason I started pouring leadhead jigs was that I was tired of paying about $10.00 for hooks everytime I went fishing. Fishing around trash piles, I was losing lots of hooks. I even reverted to heating the hook and bending the hook one time so mabee I would not lose so many. One I started pouring litewirehooks, I very seldom lose hooks. Make enough to pay for fishing and the satisfaction of catching fish with hooks I poured.
lightwirehooker
I bought the bulk of my molds back in the 80's when they were $20-$25. I sold to a few tackle shops and I finally got to the point where I had recouped the cost of my equipment. One thing that I've been VERY lucky with is that I've NEVER had to buy lead, I've always gotten it for free.
Brons I hope that was a misprint on the cost of bottom pour melting pots, Lee pots are $50-$80 dollars depending on where you get them and I pour lots of
1/32oz jigs in many styles.
Gee whiz, you guys make me feel like I'm preaching to the choir. I mainly use 570's for hooks, tried some VMC's- All I can say is those blue chrome hooks won't rust, wasn't real happy with them. I've had awls that were sharper, couldn't draw blood pushing on the points. I do use some Gammy's, esp with the bucktails, those are sweet hooks, just have to get a mortgage to load the mold.
Fatman, I wish it was a misprint but I'm afraid it's not. I started off with the cheapest one they had and didn't have much luck. I finally bought the RCBS Pro-Melt Lead Melter - 120V which Do It has priced right now at $384.00. When I first started pouring, I'm sure I was making some mistakes because I hadn't found this site and didn't know who to ask when I had questions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fatman
I was determined to make my own jigs and went ahead and bought the best they had. Again, no regrets because its been a good one for me. These days I try to make more than enough to last me the rest of my life and I'm hoping to make enough that my sons and grandsons will have them long after I'm gone. I hope that's one way they can still feel connected when they tie on a jig (be it crappie or bass) that I made for them years ago. I'm hoping it would tug on their heart strings a little, I know it would have mine.
Curious, I've been able to get some lead from dentists but what are other good sources to find plumbing grade lead?
Crappiedoc, I still fish primarily with the 570 for tightlining and casting. The sickle hooks have been coming on strong in my tacklebox the last couple of years. I use #2 Gamakatzu hooks on some of my favorite jigs but usually don't dig them out unless I start losing some fish. You're right, they are expensive and once you hang them up, you don't get many back.Quote:
Originally Posted by crappiedoc
I use a #6 (570 Eagle Claw) on an 1/8 oz. jig the majority of the time when tightlining but believe it or not, I will sometimes use a #6 (570 Eagle Claw) on a 1/4oz. jig and open the hook when it's real windy.
Bronson : Check with the scrap metal dealers in your area. I have been able to do a couple of trades with plumbers in my area jigs for lead. It might be the only way to go with the cost of every thing now days. Barter for what you need. You have a good skill in jig tying.
As to what to use for hooks I vote for the Matzuo's Sickles. I used Mustad hooks for years and years. Then I went to the VMC's and now I am sold on the Matzuo's. Buy them by the 1,000's and that's a lot of jig heads. Right now I have about 400 poured and painted ready to tie. I will have them done in about two weeks that way they will be done for Fall fishing season. Not to say that I will not tie during the fall just that I will have my fall favorites out of the way.
Redman