February

[DockShootinJack]

Growing up in the 80's it was taught far and wide to children to not play in the road or you could be hurt by a car. I have taught my two dogs that as well. I tend to group playing in the road into the category of thought shalt not tempt the Lord.

[Micanopy]

I got a surprise in my mailbox yesterday. I wasn’t expecting delivery this month.


Attachment 419958

Minfishing size 8 pack of 50

Attachment 419959

These are small swivels that are made with a single wire on one side that is open.

Attachment 419960

These are the swivels with a size 00 willow leaf blade. Super easy super quick to secure. Simply slip the blade on and crimp with pliers. I use a small squeeze to get them to almost close completely and this prevents the blade from escaping. No…..I would never use these for connecting something that needed to be strong. Blades do not require much strength, even though they are surprisingly stiff once closed up.

This provides a very compact little swivel/blade combo. Takes about 15 seconds per copy and most of that is me fumbling around with tiny little pieces.

Here with a size 00 Indiana blade.

Attachment 419961

I had some of these swivels previously and have had a chance to swim lures with them and the swivels swivel very nicely. I feel they spin as well as ball bearing swivels. Ball bearing swivels are at their best when pressure is being applied. Rolling swivels spin freely with light loads, like little blades and such.

I have split rings but this is definitely a better deal as far as cost, ease of assembly and overall appearance. The performance is easily equal to ball bearing swivels with split rings. No hassles and they are as cheap as chips. I think I got 500 for $10 or something like that. Anyways I wanted to share this in case any of you are sick. I said sick and tired of fiddling split rings. I mean you have to do it once to get the blade attached. Then again to get the swivel attached. No matter how good you might be, I’ll beat you easily.

As Spring transitions into Summer, I will use these with larger and larger sized blades.

Attachment 419963




The new Do-It Worm Nose Jig mold has been great. I must mention though that the 1/16th ounce size is not an actual 1/16th. I was suspicious of the sizing as soon as I held the first poured. Looked too big. So I got out my scales and sure enough, with Screw Lock and my short shank hooks, they weigh 0.09 ounces.

This is roughly converted to 1/11 th ounce

So heavier than 1/16th. Pretty close to 1/10th ounce. Closer to 1/8th than 1/16th.

I can graph this conversion out for you if you need me to.



This is not due to the addition of the Screw lock insert as it weighs very little. It is due to the cavity being too large. Do-It just doesn’t seem to care much about such things. I have about 10 of their molds and it is rare when one actually weighs what it is labeled to weigh. They must just kind of eye these things. LOL

In all fairness though I cannot say that I actually require an exact weight for my jigs, but you might so I mentioned it.

The gateway is too large and this leaves me having to cut the sprue away. I do this by nipping at one side. Once I see the jig move, I can then twist it away. Cutting clean through leaves a burr on the face of the jig. It would have been better to make the gateway smaller so I could twist off. Doing so would make the mold harder to pour of course, but right now it is stupid easy to fill the cavities. I can botch the ladle and still get a complete fill.

The Screw Lock system was a quick learn for me. I approach it as I do my others and ease the bait onto the hook. Then I take a moment to look how the screw is oriented. Then I do a slight left hand screw motion, then start my right hand screw motion. Three turns seems to be just about perfect. However a fourth turn will squeeze the bait tight to the head. When I add a swivel/blade to the Screw Lock, I like to do three and leave that thing free to bend backwards slightly when being pulled through the water.

This has eliminated the need to secure my plastics to the hook using glues and thread wrappings and such. I make my jigs up at home and take fully assembled lures on the boat. So gluing has worked well for me in the past, but this seems to be a little bit better connection and is easy enough to fiddle up.

As stated previously I fond the Screw Lock insert easier to position within the mold than the wire type bait keeper inserts. If you are considering a new mold and are choosing between the two, go Screw Lock. The cost of the inserts is similar and there is no comparison in how each holds.

Of course the Screw Lock can be left off for hand ties. These are simple enough.

I did see something on the interwebs where a man was making his crappie jigs using the Worm Nose jig head. Nothing mentioned just a picture. So not too many folks are making these. Everyone wants that minnow shaped head with two big eyes. LOL

Like the rest of their jig looks so lifelike they have to have that to complete the effect. HAH



I went fishing without my suitcase of jigs and you know what ? Other than a little anxiety about that everything worked out fine. I used a pool noodle to hold some of my creations and I still had more jigs than I could have possibly swapped out. Even if I fished each for just a minute total. So I am wanting to get down to fewer and fewer being taken and that means I am going to have to get real picky. Selective if you will. Which is fine given that I don’t need my Summer time jigs in Spring.

This is my second Spring crappie fishing and while I have improved the fish still kind of have the upper hand on me here. I need to focus more on my presentation and the paths that I troll. Finding the stupid fish is still key.

One of the things that I have implemented is figuring out how to arrange my rods so that I can make a fairly tight turn without fouling. Ten lines. I have made some progress in this regard and can swing hard right or left, more than 90 degrees and come out of the turn no issues. Just took some thinking on how the lines react to turns.

I have some of those toss out buoy thingie things and will see if they are useful. Catch some fish, pitch buoy, circle back and see what happens on subsequent passes. Never know might be effective.

I have been researching electronics and almost none of them would be helpful to trolling. My 2D sonar sees a cone about 2 feet in diameter in the shallow waters of my lakes. Side scan might be useful in that it can show stuff pretty good. Death Scope could see out in front and maybe I could make a change in direction to drag jigs over top of them. I do have my concerns though as I don’t wish to add something that is gonna require all my attention. If I am fixated on the screen trying to see things, who is watching the rods ?

A new trolling motor would be nice. I have a hand steer MinnKota in 24v. It does OK but makes noise and the twist handle throttle control is having some issues. I really like the looks of the Garmin Force because it uses brushless motor technology. I could troll all day and never run shy on power. However for that same money I could buy a nice TM and add a lithium battery. I don’t need spot lock, but the cruise control feature would be great. Point it, select an exact speed and forget about it.

Hmmmmmmm……. maybe later this year I will be in a better position to make a buy on something nice.



Cooking for folks the next few days. I helped cook filet mignon and Chilean Seabass for a bar mitzvah the other day. Chilean seabass is actually Patagonia Tooth fish, renamed because the normals got frightened and refused to order it. I did not get a taste but they tell me it is the best fish ever. Tall order, but hey I am game.

Here he is.



Lives deep in the chilled waters associated with Antartica. Apparently there are folks willing to wipe them out to make some cash. The pieces of fish I saw were about 3” square, thick, and 24 of them cost almost $500. That was our cost. Too much money but the people paid after they wiped their faces. We grilled a sear on both sides, then baked in an oven to finish. I felt we baked too long as the meat began to crumble but when feeding people commercially you have to do such things.

We also served fresh green beans and mashed potatoes, rolls and cheesecake with strawberries and a chocolate swizzle. I just wish people would eat at a decent hour. Serving meals later means staying later and getting home later. I am usually whooped by the time I get home. I am an early riser, early to bed old dude in a young dude’s world. My wife says many people in food service use cocaine because of the work and the times involved. Thank God I didn’t start this until later in life. I avoided drugs because I tried beer and liked that. Tried girls and liked that. Tried whiskey liked that. Cigarettes and chocolate and liked them. Coffee…..well anyways you get the point. I would have ended up like those homeless fellers on 4th and Main. Sores all over my face from picking at invisible spiders and eating from garbage cans.

Can’t wait to see what I will be fixing the next few days. I mean fixing for someone else’s enjoyment that is.

[Micanopy]

The old no pictures trick again. Here they are in order.

[DrNip]

Interesting. Do you have a link to where you purchased the swivels? A standard s ize 8 to me is big but these look small.

[DockShootinJack]

If I had to choose between the electronics or the trolling motor on my boat it would hands down be the trolling motor. The ability for it to maintain a heading and a speed is a awesome feature. Also the ability to operate it from anywhere in the boat is also great.

That Chilean Tooth Fish is some expensive stuff from the sound of it. With that kind of cost I do not know if I could enjoy it. I would suspect if one was to buy Patagonian Tooth Fish the price would be a lot more reasonable

[Micanopy]

DrNip- Chinese suppliers only.

Search “open eye swivel”. This is going to be Chinese only product. I showed you name brand, quantity, and size. Once found, make a large order. Split ring….what split ring ?

Sizing is an old Chinese trick. Search this same size, too. Takes some time looking to find. Size 8 is the size being shown in my pictures. I think limitations exist with regards to sizing. I am happy with this size.

Besides ease of assembly, it also allows me to reduce the size of the under spin components, due to no split ring. I can go compact. You can go compact. The rolling swivel design is extremely sufficient for our spinning needs. No really.

Rolling Swivels usually feature a wire that extends away from the barrel, then loops around and reenters the barrel. I can cut this connection and insert a blade and squeeze closed and do fine with all my swiveling needs. There is however a remaining wire in the barrel when you finish the cut, and it can foul some. This new swivel eliminates the two wires inside the barrel thing. Instead it has one larger wire, whose loop is conveniently left open. Spins sweet at both ends of the barrel, too.

Other lure arrangements and designs might not work with this shorter overall length. A longer extension might be best, and a split ring utilized instead. For stupid simple this however is the way to go.

Trust me.

[DrNip]

Gotcha. Yes I’m familiar with Chinese sizing. Have ordered size 12 and they are like size 16 and had to go back and order size 8 to be size 12. Thank you.

[Micanopy]

Yes sir.


The size 8 is a good match for my small blades. They could be just a tad larger as well though. I can’t remember, but I think I found them on AliExpress. Took lots of searching to find them and the order was a sort of pay and pray operation. Which is why I think AliExpress. Been cheated on there several times in the past. I like it when the item costs a dollar and they offer returns if you pay for the shipping. LOL

These are the only open eye swivels I have seen so far. One might think such an idea would be more popular. Who wants to mess with split rings just to attach a blade ? Quick and easy and you end up with a nicely sized and profiled blade assembly.




FOOD- I am fast discovering that old knees don’t like climbing in and out of box trucks. That I am far too tall to be expected to be inside a box truck. That wearing a baseball hat while being too tall inside a box truck is a bad idea. That hot water and hot grease burns and that everyone has scars they like to show off. That people refuse to eat at decent hours and far prefer their cook teams to stay late and work in the dark.

I have however managed to get some of my ideas incorporated into the operations. I provide lots of ideas that do not get past the initial stage, but several have and are being mentioned by the other cooks. I feel that the biggest challenge we face is cleanliness. Keeping everything clean when we are outdoors in the yard, or on the parking lot. It all starts with the hot soapy water and the spray sanitizers. The food is packaged in plastic and is safely transported.

BTW- people like to rail against plastic, but when you think about plastic it actually saves lives. Look at how well plastics protect our food. Used to be you would get sick every so often. It was just the way things were. Now we use plastics for everything, including now canned items. My dog food comes in a plastic bowl, sealed with a plastic lid, and inside the food is perfectly safe and ready to serve. I have a crew of two that are demanding I assure, and it better be good or else. Oh yeah, your dog can get even.

Anyways the late hours are getting old and the days are getting warmer. We are having days in the mid 80’s now, and that old Florida Sun will be back with a vengeance soon. I do not believe that I will wish to stand on the asphalt, under the Sun, slaving over hot pots and cookers. That my days of being involved in that manner are numbered. I am trying to transition into the office and that may not happen. I shall see. Time is short.

This job stuff is already cutting into my fishing time. Got invited to go with my buddy this morning, and had to turn him down because I have to work. My wife should be more understanding about this stuff. Be more supportive of me as I transition into the life style I wish to become accustomed to living. Maybe if I added some patches to my shirts and stuff she could be tricked into thinking I was pursuing some sort of business adventure. One with that big pay off that I could mention whenever she began to wonder aloud. Yup, fishing.

I always figured the best way for me to learn to hate fishing would be to turn into some sort of job. Hmmmmm……




I made up some more of those new jig heads. They are easily made and now I have learned how best to paint them. I just dip the head into the paint to cover the part of the head the fish will see, and avoid the backside where the Screw Lock is. That backside of the head, like the under side of a mushroom, does not need painted anyways as the bait conceals it. I had been slopping paint there and that was interfering with the addition of the swivel/blade thingie. Wouldn’t insert due to gumming of the screw.

The chrome paint that was so impressive is no longer impressive now that the jig heads have been used. It is now a somewhat shiny dull gray. Shame actually. They warned me saying that the chrome requires a clear coat or it will fade, and they warned me that applying a clear coat would ruin the chrome effect. They were right on both accounts. Chrome powder paint stinks.

Now the gold…..well that is different. I really like the look the gold heads offer. Shad have a golden sheen to them when swimming. Shiners are golden as well. Gold fish….. well. Anyways I am experimenting with golden heads to see how they do. I predict their success will be based on what color plastic is attached. Finding a good match will be key. So far I am thinking purple body with a chartreuse tail, and monster slime green with a chartreuse tail. Adding those to a golden head might be the ticket that gets stamped.

Mostly I am going with pink head white body chartreuse tail. Maybe it has something to do with the water quality of my lakes, or maybe the fish think it will taste like cotton candy. Who knows, but it works. Last Summer I was killing them on the lemon/lime color combos and was certain I would want no other. Then they stopped wanting lemon/lime. Weird. Just like some days they want that tickler blade and other days they will refuse a bait with a blade. Fickle fish.



Here are those two colors. Hard to see but the under side of the mushroom is pretty much clear of any paint, and that has kept the Screw Lock clean and unfouled. I think I prefer this style of jig head over the other ones I make. I am adding a tickler to the belly of the plastic and not trying to overwhelm the profile with a large spinning object. Too early to tell if I am going in the right direction or whether I have gotten off the path to true success. Heading down a wrong path teaches lessons, whether or not they become painful depends on how far down the path one continues. Trying to dial in a fish that changes what it wants every so often is a challenge.

I mean I want one perfect jig that works every time. I understand that using Death Scope in deep water over top of brush piles can get me there but I troll. For that I need a selection to offer. Getting them down to just a few choices has proven to be very tricky. So much so I am using a clip on clip off type of connection…..again. This allows me to swap jigs a whole lot faster and easier. I like easier and seem to be more willing to actually make a swap when it is easy.

I want to be an “any jig will work” kind of dude but so far that has proven to be elusive. I troll- therefor I am.

[Micanopy]

Took wife fishing yesterday. We were only out there for a few hours and both of us got sunburnt. She asked me why I didn’t put on sunscreen and I said for the same reason you didn’t. It’s still Winter.

Anyways we managed five very nice fish. Lost the big one at the boat. We then explored the lake a little looking for alligators. I went back today and got two mediums and hooked something really big. I was thinking catfish as it struggled a little but mostly it stayed under and swam around under the boat in circles. The hook pulled free before i got a chance to see it. Seemed bigger than 10 pounds.

The winds were blowing today and I only stayed a few hours. It sprinkled rain a couple of times. Tonight I plan to deep fry the fish and make her some fish tacos.

The new jigs seemed to be working pretty well. My buddy said he has been having great success using the ones I gave him. So the times are a changing. Water was at 75 degrees. Fish seemed eager once again.

[DockShootinJack]

With those water temps great fishing is just around the corner.