Thread: ice spoons, teardrops and pinmins for Bluegill, Shellcracker, and Crappie

Plug in your soldering iron and let it heat up while prepping your materials. First things first, the tip of the soldering gets hot - up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit, so don't touch it. If you're using a new soldering iron you will want to put a small amount of solder on the tip of the hot iron before you start working. This is called tinning the iron and you only have to do it with a new iron. Once you start using it will usually have some solder on it already and be ready to go.


Ice blades are usually soldered to Mustad (gold) hooks.They will NOT SOLDER to a bronze hook!

You only need a little flux when soldering the hook to the shell. Flux both the hook as well as the shell. Solder the hook to a shell. (Get them at Jann's Netcraft or similar company) The process should take less than 3 seconds. You will have a shiny mirror like finish. Let the lure cool for about 25 seconds until it gets a dull like appearance. It is safe to move it then. After you have soldered the ice jig, remove all the left over flux with a rag. Use powder coat paint coat the lure while it is still warm. You can use a baby spoon to do this. Bake the ice jig in a toaster oven at 300 degrees for about 8-10 minutes to set the powder paint. An alternative method is to use vinyl lure paint on the jigs. Use drill bits and dip in vinyl paint to do the eyes or just get the stick on eyes. Seal the paint and eyes with epoxy to prevent chipping. I only paint mine on one side, leaving the back with a nickel finish for flash as an added attractant.

People who fish for Crappies, Perch, Bluegill as well as Shellcrackers use ice spoons, teardrop jigs, or pinmins year round. They are as effective ice fishing as they are in fresh water. They are everything you want in a jig! People fish them year round under a slip bobber. The nickle finish acts like a flash under water. The small weight of the pinmin gives stability to the hook yet it is easy for the fish to inhale. Tip with maggots, mealworms, or wax worms.

How are those little tails working out for you? I have a purple ball that I had been cutting off the tails and hoped to try them out last weekend, but ended up having to work. Mine are almost the exact size of a micro noodel Finesse Plastic Micro Noodel, Ice Fishing Lures, Ice Fishing, Ice Fishing Tackle, Ice Fishing Jigs, Ice Fishing Spins at Custom Jigs and Spins

Originally Posted by Fisherman123

How are those little tails working out for you? I have a purple ball that I had been cutting off the tails and hoped to try them out last weekend, but ended up having to work. Mine are almost the exact size of a micro noodel Finesse Plastic Micro Noodel, Ice Fishing Lures, Ice Fishing, Ice Fishing Tackle, Ice Fishing Jigs, Ice Fishing Spins at Custom Jigs and Spins

I just sent you a pm on how to make the horizontal ones. The little tails are very durable and made of that soft stretch soft plastic. I buy the ball or pencil tops at Dollar Tree and snip off a tail as needed. Mostly I get the Flo Orange or Flo Chartreuse ones. Sometimes I even get a fine tipped sharpie and segment them too. It is very hard for the fish to steal them without getting a hook in their mouth.

Does anyone sale these? Also what does it take to make them? I know its listed somewhere just not sure where......I would like to try some before I go buy the stuff to make them.

AC

Originally Posted by ACSooner80

Does anyone sale these? Also what does it take to make them? I know its listed somewhere just not sure where......I would like to try some before I go buy the stuff to make them.

AC

Look on the first page of this thread. I posted a link there. How to solder.

Originally Posted by shipahoy41

Look on the first page of this thread. I posted a link there. How to solder.

These are ice spoons, teardrops and pinmins ready for Bluegill and Crappie. I created these this morning. If you take a tin shell, solder, gold hook, flux and powder paint you just might be able to fool Bluegill, Shellcrackers and some Crappie whether you are fishing hard water (ice) or freshwater. When you are looking for something to do, you just might try to make some of these. Just add a waxworm and go fishing. Here is how to make them.

These ice spoons or pinminnows are being used year round by panfishermen. They are as effective in "hard" water as in "soft" water. They are everything you want in a jig.

Getting ready

Once I get my tools rounded up I like to plug in my soldering iron and let it heat up while prepping my materials. First things first, the tip of the soldering gets hot - up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit, so don't touch it. If you're using a new soldering iron you will want to put a small amount of solder on the tip of the hot iron before you start working. This is called tinning the iron and you only have to do it with a new iron. Once you start using it will usually have some solder on it already and be ready to go.

HOW TO SOLDER

Soldering is defined as "the joining of metals by a fusion of alloys which have relatively low melting points". In other words, you use a metal that has a low melting point to adhere the surfaces to be soldered together. Soldering is more like gluing with molten metal than anything else. Soldering is also a must have skill for all sorts of electrical and electronics work. It is also a skill that must be taught correctly and developed with practice.

Ice blades are usually soldered to Mustad 3260B (gold) hooks. Bronze hooks will NOT solder unless you scrape the finish off.

Soldering is nearly instantaneous, if the solder doesn't flow around the work in 1/4 of a second then something is wrong and you need to start over again.


Don't let the lure move until it has cooled enough to set, it should look mirror shiny all around. After you have made the ice jig, you may wish to clean with steel wool or solvent to remove all the left over rosin.

Remember, This is what people in Ohio called a pinmin. (Pin Minnow) It is deadly on 'Gills and Crappie when tipped with a wax worm

Solder the hook to a shell (Get them at Jann's) and powder coat the lure while it is still warm.

they look nice ship! i finaly made some of my own,but have not got a chance to really try em out yet.i made some with spinner blades i have for making inline spinner lures in a few sizes,and i got some t2 shell sizes with #10 and #12 hooks

Originally Posted by bxn

they look nice ship! i finaly made some of my own,but have not got a chance to really try em out yet.i made some with spinner blades i have for making inline spinner lures in a few sizes,and i got some t2 shell sizes with #10 and #12 hooks

Great

well i guess you can surely call me a believer in using ice jigs now!tryed em out wed on crappies and bluegills and the tiny t2 shell ones i painted and ones with holographic tape i put on em the fish couldn't leave alone!didn't "tip" any pieces of bait or nuthin either,the fish just inhaled em!i tryed some of the bigger sized ones without paint but the fish didn't touch those at all.so i've started coloring the bigger ones with paint and some with that tape.should be ready for next time out testing on them.i also nailed some bluegills on the flyrod wed as well.i so need to get back out there some how some way!

Originally Posted by bxn

well i guess you can surely call me a believer in using ice jigs now!tryed em out wed on crappies and bluegills and the tiny t2 shell ones i painted and ones with holographic tape i put on em the fish couldn't leave alone!didn't "tip" any pieces of bait or nuthin either,the fish just inhaled em!i tryed some of the bigger sized ones without paint but the fish didn't touch those at all.so i've started coloring the bigger ones with paint and some with that tape.should be ready for next time out testing on them.i also nailed some bluegills on the flyrod wed as well.i so need to get back out there some how some way!

Great Job.