Pay No Attention……

[Micanopy]

That sounds like some good eats

It was very rich and while I wanted to eat two, it was tough getting that second one down. Basically crabmeat atop crappie filets sealed in parchment paper with seasonings. Very good. I highly recommend at least trying it. “Pompano en papelotte” which is french for pompano in paper. Substitute crappie for pompano. A recipe from the Old World and made famous in anrestaurant in New Orleans. Hollywood stars would fly there just to eat it. Mine lacked all that but for a first try not bad.

My buddy is going to take me on his boat tomorrow so I can learn how to catch fish. Both eyes wide open ears cocked and an open mind.

[Micanopy]

That sounds like some good eats

It was very rich and while I wanted to eat two, it was tough getting that second one down. Basically crabmeat atop crappie filets sealed in parchment paper with seasonings. Very good. I highly recommend at least trying it. “Pompano en papelotte” which is french for pompano in paper. Substitute crappie for pompano. A recipe from the Old World and made famous in anrestaurant in New Orleans. Hollywood stars would fly there just to eat it. Mine lacked all that but for a first try not bad.

My buddy is going to take me on his boat tomorrow so I can learn how to catch fish. Both eyes wide open ears cocked and an open mind.

[DockShootinJack]

Very interesting indeed

[Micanopy]

Well I climbed aboard my friend’s boat and off we went. I was paying very close attention to everything. He regularly catches large numbers of fish. Today was slow as we had a front move through and it was raining although not too windy. I saw that his jigs were nothing special in any way. In fact they looked like plain old store bought painted on eyeball type of stuff. He was using a few paddle tails and some curly tails. I saw no secrets or in fact anything that he was doing that I wasn’t already doing.

He used two colors- white and purple/chartreuse all attached to pink heads.

We trolled for several hours and I managed a dozen keepers, which is what I predicted for myself. He managed a few more than I and we each had plenty of throwbacks. He did not seem to be viewing his sonar or aiming the boat in a manner other than guiding us with the wind. I got a good look at his drop back lengths when fish hit his lures.

I lost a jig at one point and tied on one of my hand ties and caught several fish with it.

In conclusion I saw nothing new for me to start doing- save one. He stated that using 6 lb mono was very important and said that if I spooled up with that I would catch more fish. So I shall make this change and see if it does make a difference.



So I have been making jigs using the Eagle Claw 571 jig hook in size 1/0, a short shank hook. So I was reading some about the hook to see what others might have to say about it. Learned that there seemed to only be one mold that calls for this hook. It fits several of my molds, but this mold is actually designed to fit that hook. The Do-It Live Bait Jig- 1/16th - 1/2 ounce sizes. Six cavities with the three smallest taking size #1 and the three larger sizes 1/0.

I examined the mold and the pictures I could found very carefully. The shape is a wedge profile when viewed from above, and looks smooth and round with flat sides for eyes. Possibly a cavity for eyes although pictures are not very good in this regard. I saw something that I liked, that being the majority of the lead hangs below the hook’s shank. The hook is not in the center of the lead, rather rides in the top portion, with the lead dangling below. It looks like it would swim beautifully.

I could make a very small mod and add the wire for spinner blades easily and at a very nice angle. I will probably use a clamp to squeeze the mold and make a groove to accept the wire. While it is hard to know if the mold will be what I imagine it to be, or if the quality of the pours will please or upset me, at $36 I ordered the stupid thing and 500 hooks. The USPS takes it’s dear sweet time and there is a holiday so I will have to wait and be patient.

I viewed as many molds as I could see and searched this site extensively for information. The mold does not seem to be very popular. It has been out for at least seven years, too. It is designed to accept minnows, leeches and other living creatures for walleyes. I will use it for plastic baits and hand ties, and blades as well. I have really enjoyed using that 571 hook so far and this design of jig head should produce excellent results. When I get the mold in hand I will post some shots for your viewing pleasure. I suppose it will be an improvement for me in several ways.

[DockShootinJack]

I would think that the majority of the weight being below the hook it may tend to stay upright and not want to rotate at the slightest misalignment of the body

[DrNip]

You know I about got that mold at least 3-4 times but never said. I believe it comes in two styles. When I was searching for a better way to attach my spinners to my heads it was the one with the the stainless steel sinker eye that I got the idea to use the sinker eye to attach my spinner to my head.

[Micanopy]

Jack- I was thinking the exact same thing. That the extra lead dangling might help reduce the weird and unnatural cocked look I get when my bladed jigs swim. Swim on the horizontal. We shall see.

Dr- That is an interesting concept you have there. That sinker eye does make a nice connection for the blade. Well done. However, I swim my lures and the blades need to twirl as they go and without more extension away from the jig body, the blades would foul on the bait. By using a wire extension, I can extend downward as far as required to gain whatever clearance the bait needs. Once this distance is determined it will be easy to prefab the wires and pour if I wish.

I got the version that does NOT have that wire loop below.

*** This first picture shows a long shank hook ***







I intend to mod the mold by placing a piece of the wire onto the mold’s flat surface, align for angle and position, close the mold and use a C clamp to impart a groove sufficient to close the mold completely. If this fails me I can cut a thin groove for the wire using a hack saw blade or file. The key will be to keep this groove only as large as it needs to be so as to limit cleanup for when I wish to skip adding blades and make normals. As you can see this channel will only need to be about a 1/4” in length and there is plenty of room to sneak it in there.

I am thinking the wire placed at an angle from under the head at about 45 degrees will probably do fine. I want to avoid 90 degrees straight down as that would pivot the jig and force the hook tip high and produce that cocked appearance as it swims. Coming away at an acute angle tends to limit this issue. The best solution to this cocked effect is the Tail Gunner design where the blade extends off the rear in alignment with the shank, but that precludes the use of plastic baits with tails. I could still make those if I wish anyways, no harm no foul. Easy mod that does not change the mold into a one trick pony.

The shape of the head cannot be seen it in the pictures. On the Zeiner’s site it shows the head from a bird’s eye view. There is a tip that is wedge shape, to a flat side, to a taper to the collar. This was interesting to me. Zeiner’s also sells a round ball head that also allows the majority of the lead to dangle below the hook. To hang down, but I don’t wish to join the crowd squeezing their jigs in vices to get the 3D eyes to stick. LOL. This mold offers a nicely flattened side already. There is also what looks like a cavity to accept eyes which for me is worthless. I like big eyes and they never fit.

I think I will revisit hand ties a little more based on the performance of the jigs I recently made. The ones I made in the past just didn’t catch fish. Now I know why. Because I didn’t know what I was doing. Now that all of that is out of the way I can revisit and have some success.

My friend showed me that he can fish using just a few colors, and to be sure others here are also highly successful using just a few colors. Of course these colors may have a universal appeal to fish, but I am betting the water clarity has something to do with it. My friend likes pink heads, which make me puke, but I guess I could try to live with it. His plastic baits were interesting in he said white was always a good color. Makes sense to me. So I would also like to dial in some colors of my own. I am digging through my junk trying to locate materials I could knot up to form lures. I plan to steal his favorites.

[DockShootinJack]

I believe the color of the jighead is just another opportunity to add some color. Surely somedays it helps. And others maybe not so much

[DrNip]

Hard to say how much of a difference the spinner would be at an angle compared to under the hook eye. The difference between the two places mounted would be very small. Then you add the weight of the plastic which I believe would bring the hook down. I would think straight under the hook eye would help keep it away from the body you’re using whereas at an angle would put it closer to the body. I would also think the angle of the hook eye would make the most difference and a jig head with the hook of the eye more towards the front of the jig head would be best for trolling. Do take notes on your findings and share. I dip so straight under the hook eye is ideal for me.

[Micanopy]

Well my friend asked if we could go fishing on my boat. Sure I says. So I am getting ready to load some gear now and he likes Coke and them little orange crackers, so there will be plenty of that aboard.

He doesn’t like to clean fish, and the club is having that lunch/dinner meeting soon, so maybe that is why we will be in my boat. So he can drive off and I get to clean the fish. LOL

It will be interesting seeing what is subject to criticism and what will be compliments. I will ask him to be open and honest as my skin has thickened quite a bit over the years. Like an old hog, you can pound on me with sticks and clubs and I will keep eating the garden, but now poke me with the end of a stick and that is different. So hopefully he will offer something that will make life better.

I made some new lures based on what I saw the last trip out. The color schemes he seemed to prefer. I figure he would do best sitting up front, as he likes that seat in his boat. From up there he will need to steer the TM by hand controls, and operate six rods. Four way back there jigs and two right beside the boat behind sinkers. I will take the back of the boat and handle the fish while tending four rods. The plan is to see if we can get some meat for the club men to gnaw on with their gums. Man those dudes are ancient. I mean old. They wander up on walkers and expect the fish to be presented to them, nursing home style I imagine. But I am pleased to serve in the capacity my limited skill set provides- as one day I will wish some fine young man to feed me some fish.

Hope we catch some Slob Croppie today. I still have not adjusted to the new time clock. Ugggghhhhh….way too early to awaken.



I saw in another thread discussion about something called an A Rig. Shortened to just a simple letter because some fellers have issues spelling Alibama. Although I definitely do not because I be edumicated. Anyways this presents a school of jigs, all gathered next to one another, and I watched the video posted in that thread and got wild ideas. I fish two rods right next to the boat and these would be perfect for them. I can’t wait until I get my grubbies on them. Oooohhhhh…..cool.

They use these for deep sea fishing operations as well. Predators are used to seeing their prey in schools, not as singles. Makes sense to me. I troll so no issues with having to cast the stupid thing. I plan to store them in PVC tubes. I will make a 3/4” pipe for the arms, then add an adapter to jump up in diameter and widen out enough to accept the jigs, then an end cap and done. Put a simple clip on the end of the main line for quick on and off. Pretty simple I imagine.

Issues that would need be to be considered would be jig selection of course. Usually all the fish in a bait pod are similar in size and appearance. So……would all the jigs be best as being same, or would variety of color be a good approach ? Maybe some small some large.

In the video it was mentioned that the fish preferred the middle, or center jig. I wondered about why that would be so. The ones on the edges would be closer. Why swim past one to get at another ? Unless the approach is from behind, then charging into the middle of the school makes sense. I guess I will find out later once I start swimming it next to the boat.

Mine have willow leaves affixed about midway on the arms. Not sure if there is an adjustment for where along the length of the arm the blades ride. I plan to use a trolling rod due to the likelihood that this thing is going to have some serious resistance to contend with.

Two ounce Bell sinker attached to a three way swivel using a split ring, clip to attach the rig, clip to attach to main line, drop next to the hull and let her ride. Now that is going to be a serious parade right down Main Street.



So does anyone fish an Alibama rig on a regular basis ? Any advice as to what to expect ?

Maybe I could attach one of them goofy underwater cameras to it. LOL