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

Originally Posted by Baxter1

I made up a bunch more yesterday now I have to rinse them and paint .I've been using nail polish for painting.Check out Reinke Brothers,they have molds to put the blades and hooks in so you han do a bunch at one time.ice fishing

I have seen those molds but I just handicrafts them for myself and a few friends now. I stopped the lure making business website 3 years ago.

I did some more today. Going to paint eyes on some and do 3 D eyes on others. I use mine year round.

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.