Making it lighter, need advice

[fish_4_all]

Many of you have seen my crocheted jigs but I have a problem. I need to make them lighter.

I know how I am gonna do this with straight shank hooks but I am not sure how to do it with sickle hooks or curved hooks. Of course I tie most of them on these.

What I need is a material that I can shape or already has the shape I need. I try to make a half rounded body with a flat side. This gives the body the right shape and should give it good wobble action on the drop. I use lead wire now for it but that makes it heavier and takes away from the action.

Does anyone have any suggestion as to what to use to make such a shape and keep them lighter? I am gonna use spaghetti beads to make the straight shank ones so that might be a starting point for the sickle hook ones.

[Buckeye Mike]

What about some heavy mono, maybe off a weed wacker, it does come in different sizes, and would be light.

You try them floats yet ?

[flatfish46]

How much does it need to be built up. I believe you could use standard nylon trot line then brush it with mixable acrylic resin or epoxy then trim your tie-off and sand it to altar the shape or what ever.

[fish_4_all]

I need width more than anything. Anything to give it some real body instead of just flat to the hook shank. If I can get 3/8 wide on a #6 sickle it would be plenty, that is with the lace or other material on top of it. A little build up top to bottom doesn't hurt but the width is more important.

I have had the floats on the water testing them out for weight I need and such. I think they will work really well once I get them tuned in. Didn't get a bite but I did figure out that I need about 3/4-1 inch of the top out of the water to compensate for any waves any day. I can't cast them very far, not as far as I would like but farther than most others can cast bigger ones with more weight. Just have to get used to them.

[PawPaw Gene]

How about some gorilla glue. Spread a line on some waxpaper put the hook in it and let it set. It will grow. Then you can trim it to size and cover it with epoxy, then finish. It might be too buoyant but you could wrap a little lead wire on the hook first. Just thoughts.

"gene"

[AtticaFish]

Well, here may be one not thought of... I have tried balsa wood under my thread before to cast with a heavier jig for more distance but slower fall. It did work, sorta, but took some time to carve and taper a piece of wood that small. Was also somewhat soft, and thread would cut in if ya wraped too tight. Not sure how much tension is needed to do what ya do. You can put enough on to make a 1/32 jig sink very slow, but takes up too much room and you are pretty much left with a big thread body and tail.

Mylar tubing?? Never tried the stuf so just a thought.

[fish_4_all]

The balsa would work but too much time for. They take too much time already. I wish I could figure out how to use the spaghetti beads on the sickle hooks. I have tried a couple and although I can get them to join right the tie is almost impossible. It bunches up way too much at the bend.

The gorilla glue is an option but again, a lot of work to get the right shape and size.

Another way to think of this would be to take a large straw and push it down on a flat surface. The bottom will be pretty much flat with sharp curves to the bottom and a soft curve on top.

[flatfish46]

I got it what you need is a 2 piece rubber mold your hook's will fit in with injection holes so you can inject a base material in to form around the hook and not gain weight.

[fish_4_all]

Mono would work. I still need the shape and not sure how I would do it with mono.

I like the idea of pouring them using a 2 piece mold with some really stiff rubber or plastic type material. Hopefully the rubber would be stiff enough to hold the shape of the crochet. Plastic would be but have never poured that.

[skiptomylu]

Half round rib, but not sure it is big enough for you that it will help enough. It does have a flat side and a round side though?

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