Eyeballs on jigs

we would like to know what you guys think about eyeballs on jigs . Do you put them on your jigs for looks . Or do you put them on there to catch fish . And do you think paining eyeballs on jigs have a effect on catching fish . After 40 years of experience on fishing with jigs for crappie I found out the following . Eyeballs on jigs do not have the effect on catching fish . It is the action that catches the fish I only put eyeballs on jigs to make them look good nothing else . And I take great pride in doing this you might say it is the trademark of all my jigs that I make .

I put eyes on all my jigs strictly for looks...When I first started using jigs, many years ago , all the jigs were plain leadheads .. I caught just as many fish on those as I do now , maybe more as I was younger and quicker on the hookset...::p Norm

The eyes just look cool

I believe the jigs look better and in some situations may catch more fish,like a glow eye in deep water has caught more fish than a jig without the glow eye.Fish need to see it before they eat it.

Eyes catch way more then without eyes.. But that is people they catch. LOL

I buy what I can find that appeals to me, and the eyes look better. Once I order jigheads by the hundred you can bet they won't have eyes unless I'm going stir crazy this winter. I tie a lot of lead heads plain, gonna loose em probably anyway.

I think that eyes catch more fishermen then fish,lol.

This comes up every few months. I've never found eyes to make that much of a difference but others will tell you they do better with. Carry a sharpie marker with you and if you want eyes use the sharpie

Fatman

Glad you brought this up. Mr. Melvin the best crappie fisherman on our lake and one of the oldest and most respected, had a conversation about this on Friday. He claims that painted heads are ok but he has caught just as many crappie with out painted heads as with. When I ask him about the eyes he told me they are for catching fisherman not fish. Have to believe him he catches more fish than anyone and does it day after day all year round.

Redman

I think eyes create jig head appeal!!

Before jigs will catch fish they have to catch a fisherman. And the eyes help!;):)

I think this was posted before!

TackleMaking.com - Lure Making & Design - Eye Spots on Fishing Lures

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Originally Posted by gabowman

Before jigs will catch fish they have to catch a fisherman. And the eyes help!;):)

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The eyes have it. Minnows have eyes. You want a jig to represent a minnow....done deal!

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Originally Posted by azslabber

I think that eyes catch more fishermen then fish,lol.

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THIS IS CORRECT

JJ

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Originally Posted by snake River

we would like to know what you guys think about eyeballs on jigs . Do you put them on your jigs for looks . Or do you put them on there to catch fish . And do you think paining eyeballs on jigs have a effect on catching fish . After 40 years of experience on fishing with jigs for crappie I found out the following . Eyeballs on jigs do not have the effect on catching fish . It is the action that catches the fish I only put eyeballs on jigs to make them look good nothing else . And I take great pride in doing this you might say it is the trademark of all my jigs that I make .

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:cool:That's bright red,I'll give ya dat!"The eyes have it"!And they catch a lot of fisherman and their walets thats for sure!It takes more time to install them thats true,and no ones time is free...
Its the sensory that the majority of Predatory game fish rely on the most to survive,Though they may sense disturbance in the water from a far w/their lateral line,they then use smell.Al Linder is a good one for quoting a lot of scientific Freckle Facts.If I had to rely on one biologist for all the need to knows,w/the exceptions of a few of us here,it be that Canadian Baconator:D

Thank you guys very interesting on your thoughts. Question when did the first painted eyeballs on jigs come out .

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Originally Posted by snake River

Thank you guys very interesting on your thoughts. Question when did the first painted eyeballs on jigs come out .

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The fishing lure has been around since the time of cavemen.They were first made out of bone and bronze. The Chinese ,and Egyptian used fishing rods, hooks, and lines as early as 2,000B.C. The first hooks were made out bronze which was strong but still very thin and less visible to the fish. The Chinese were the first to make fishing line, spun from fine silk. The modern fishing lure was made commercially in the United States in the early 1900's by the firm of Heddon and Pflueger in Michigan. Before this time most fishing lures were made by individual craftsman. Commercial-made lures were based on the same ideas that the individual craftsmen were making but on a larger scale.I'm sure there is a factotum amongst us who has the answer to the jigs originator,and time of its arrival...just don't have it at this time ,"let alone the eyes being painted on them.If I had to guess id proly say the Chinese w/ stickers in the 60's...Maybe Creme has the answer?Them boys got the plastic worm together in the late 40's... :rolleyes:49 to be exact.Good luck Snake.
grubfarmer

Grub nice bit of history. I can tell you from what I know that this part of jig fishing history is some what a mystery. I have a lot of oral history about the ledhead. Its modern origin is in the Shannon Twin spin out of Chicago. A fellow in Iowa claimed to have a jig in 1947 first true lead head. Mold were built by Geo. F. Myer, and James Stone. James Stone was from Effingham, Ill. Myer was based in Spirit Lake, Iowa working for Berkley and Company. First Hooks were hand bent. By 1949 Mustad was making a 90 degree jig hook and they were starting to be produced all over the U.S.

Companies like Hilt,Do-it, and Ament started to pop up and produce jig mold in the 1950's and 60's. The first jig that we knew in Iowa was the Cap's Rock-a-Roo out of Arnolds Park, Ia. Lace Ghee of Wapsi promoted these jigs and others followed. One of the resons that Do-it is located in Iowa originally they cast parts for John Deere. It is my understanding that Lacy got them to start building jig molds. At that time they were located in Waterloo and later moved to Denver,Iowa. I have a Mold from them that is marked Waterloo so know I am right about this.

I knew a lot of these old boys and Charaters they wher. Lacy use to like to fish yellow perch on the Iowa Great lakes and I would have to help clean his catch. I live not far from Cap Kennedy, James Stone and Geo. F. Myer. I have hunted pheasants with Geo. Myer. I fished with Cap and James many times. James Stone move to Arnolds Park in the Early 1960's.

Some time I would like to write a piece on the evolution of the lead head from 1947 to present. That would be a fun project for a old gezzer like me.

Redman

it would be a great read that would be appreciated also.

redman I also would like to read about the past Pertaining to jig mold history.

Redman that would be cool. If you want someone to proofread it, let me know

Looking forward to it Red.hook us up bud?Thank you"

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Originally Posted by Redman

Glad you brought this up. Mr. Melvin the best crappie fisherman on our lake and one of the oldest and most respected, had a conversation about this on Friday. He claims that painted heads are ok but he has caught just as many crappie with out painted heads as with. When I ask him about the eyes he told me they are for catching fisherman not fish. Have to believe him he catches more fish than anyone and does it day after day all year round.

Redman

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I have always agreed on this point",BUT"...I think its important for the fisherman who thinks as much like a fish as he possibly can fathom to be confident w/ the bait he's fishing.The water conditions have it hands down for me whether its going to be a contrary day for the trout,crappie,smallies,etc...In other words"if its Clear" water conditions,I'm going to try to match the hatch to the best of my abilities.Stained" waters,or Muddy waters,here for me ,will get the painless jig heads ,"if I have any.And colors like Flo.Chart's,Pinks,Org.Wht's. Blk's. ,Copper,Gold etc...
"For the last 15 yrs.,this has greatly increased my success rates by 100% given the more challenging days of old w/ the idea that "fish are not as intelligent as I. "Most certainly out of complacency then,as opposed to now.
my $.02;)

Grub: You and I are on the same page. I try all the time to match the hatch. I have a young neighbor boy who is always trapping minnows. I have taught him how to tie jigs and have him bring his minnow catch in for me and him to inspect. We have to try to tie our jig patterns to match the minnows that he catches. The hard ones are the crawfish that he catches I still don't have that one down pat as they change with the season down here.

If you ever get the chance to read a book call " Explosive Fishing Techniques " by Jim Mc Donelle that is the exact thing that he talks about is that you must have confidence in both your fishing technique and the bait that you are using. This book is a must read for any one who fishes.

Redman

That's a very interesting story Redman. I remember fishing with the Shannon Twin Spin, caught a lot of fish with it. I'd forgotten about Ament molds.
Years a go I had one of them. I'm a reel collector and have the first four models Zebco made. Do ya know why they're named Zebco? I do. Very interesting story, if ya want I'll tell ya about it.

crappiekille3 I would love to hear about zebco . Do you know anything about tip pen I don't think I said that write but I will try to explain it was a little mental shape fish with the little redhead and I believe it had a feathered tail?. I would truly love to get a bunch of these they were a big hit when I was a kid.

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Originally Posted by Crappiekiller3

That's a very interesting story Redman. I remember fishing with the Shannon Twin Spin, caught a lot of fish with it. I'd forgotten about Ament molds.
Years a go I had one of them. I'm a reel collector and have the first four models Zebco made. Do ya know why they're named Zebco? I do. Very interesting story, if ya want I'll tell ya about it.

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CK ... The very first bass I saw caught on an artificial was with a Solid Black Shannon and a white strip of pork rind .. that was back in the days I remember best now at my age ... I was a "youngun" then .. it was one of the 1st days of spring and they were lined up with cane poles below the dam at Youngblood Mill Pond in Pike County Alabama ... Red bellies were being caught by all and this one fellow found a place to cast a lure in little hole that was connected to the creek and that is where that pounder hit the shannon ... really miss those get togetheres that they had back in those days .... Zebco ... Zero Bomb Site Company .. quite a story and I have sold more of them than any other reel possiblty more than all of the others put together .... Ament Molds ... Paul Ament was a real gentelman .. I did a lot of business with him and have many molds that he custom made for me .. he did far most custom work for a lot of lure makers back in those days .. every year he and his wife would take some time off and he would try to go by and see a coustomer or more in a different area each year .. he came by and left a note in the mail box as I was gone that day and he had not let me know he was going to come by ..... You pressed my memory button ... I am sure people would like to know more about Zebco so please continue

JSC
:)

P.S. Eyes are more for fishermen ... a confidence thing my 2 cents