2.5" Willow Tail

Last week I requested from Rick a 2.5" in his willow tail. He agreed and as listed it on his website! Got my order in for one. :)


Willow Tail - 2 1/2" - 8 cavity mold - JACOBS BAITS LLC

Without further ado I present to you the 2.5" Jacobs Baits Willow Tail. For comparison I have the 3" on the left and the 2" on the right. The 2" is a great bait but at times I found it to be too little. The 3" is a monster bait and if you don't have monster crappie then it's too big. The 2.5" is just the right size for down here in the South.


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Looks great

Do-It's Mo's Magic in the 2.5" costs $30.00 less and has 12 cavities and has a body that's about 1/16" thinner. About the only difference is the body shape with Mo's being smooth, not segmented. Mo's is a little more bang for the buck.

By no means was this a Willow Tail is better than Mo Magic bait thread. I have all of the Mo's Magic from 4" and down. The 2" Willow Tail has been a very popular bait among the crappie community. Just sharing with others what just came out as well as giving my customers a better selection. Mo Magic and Willow Tails are pretty much my go to baits. :)

I agree. I also think the similarities make the Mo's a better value mold-wise.

I wish all molds were the price of Do-it's but then I also wish all molds were the quality of Jacob's. But then that's the best of both worlds and it just doesn't happen that way, lol.

Do-It has every bit of the quality you speak of. Jacobs needs to clean up his gates so baits can be snapped off and not have that little dimple of plastic sticking out. I don't find that with Do-It's molds. No biggie but the baits look more finished, cleaner without the dimples. All of Jacobs molds I have leave that dimple, Do-It molds...nada.

But on the same token the 3 mo magic molds I have I had to cut additional vent holes behind the tails to get them to shoot better. Not saying Do-it isn't quality either as it is. Definitely not trying to get into a this company is better than that company. Both have their pros and cons and both have baits I like. Was just simply showing off the my 2.5" Willow Tail!!! ROFL!!!

Nice baits.

I've learned a lot of what I know from your threads. Really do appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

Good lookin baits no matter who made the mold! Good job.
Unfortunately your always going to have ppl that go out of their way to push one brand over another.

:popcorn

Here are pics of the two baits side by side.

The 2.5" Willow Tail has an overall bigger body both in length and girth as well as it is ribbed. Having a longer body allows for a bigger hook like I like to use (Size 1, 0/1). The Willow Tail also has a thicker tail. The Willow Tail mold makes use of 2 screws to clamp instead of hand clamps. To date I have had no problems with Jacobs screw method and actually prefer it. I just have my portable drill on the bench with the clutch set to 3. Only an 8 cavity mold and priced higher. Out of the two baits, the Willow Tail shoots like a dream.

The 2.5" Mo Magic has a smaller body and can fit a size 1 hook but will be right where the body meets the tail. It is better with a Size 2 hook and down. The Mo Magic has the best tail action. It breaks off the sprue cleaner. It is a 12 cavity mold and priced less.

Out of the two the Mo Magic is still my favorite to fish with but both have their time and place and both will be in my tackle box and store. :)

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Very nice!

The cupped tail on the Jacobs bait probably stays rigid until you jig it. I have fished this style of bait before but I really prefer others for my panfishing.

I have about 19 different panfish molds, one of which is a Jacobs, two of which are new in Do-It's line-up. The Jacobs mold tossed baits similar to a Brewer bait with a more pronounced and bulkier tail button. Not a bad bait, but sunfish can struggle getting that heavy button in their chops. The new 1'5" Do-It paddletail bait is like a gift from heaven. The bodies on this bait are slightly segments like Jacobs, just not nearly so aggressive. The tail button and connecting web are where the real difference is apparent. The new paddletail has a smaller, thinner tail button and the web design is such that the tail action requires nothing to set it in motion and is of a size that makes it a sunfish friendly bait.

That new Essential Series plastic that Do-It has come along with is one that merits some trying if you are a panfish nut. In fishing with this plastic quite a bit on a trial basis this summer and fall I have not had a single welded tail nipped off by sunfish nor have I had a tail shortened by a sunfish. The baits are significantly tougher than those made using other plastics but still have all the action in the world. I soften the plastic for panfish baits as I don't care for medium plastic in small baits, but I haven't seen any ill effects from softening it. You should try this stuff.

I definitely wouldn't fish the Willow Tail 2.5" for sunfish, maybe the 2".

The Essential is on my X-Mas wish list!

I will be getting the new Thump Grub molds by Do-it in both the 1.5" and 2.5". I'd be using the 2.5" down here in the South though as 1.5" is too little or at least for me. Even the little fish down here like the bigger baits. This was a 3" Mo Magic. Almost bigger than the fish! lol

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Here is pic with the 2" Willow Tail I was speaking of. It is quite a bit smaller than both the 2.5" baits. I wonder if they will come out with a 1.5" or so Mo Magic?

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The Flapjack mold will kick out a bait very much like a smaller Mo's would so I doubt that a 1.5" Mo's is very high on the list. I haven't heard any rumblings about one anyway.

If they did come out with 1.5" mo's it would probably be used for blue gills the most popular sizes through the South are 2.5 and including the whole US a 1.5" mo's would be ideal for ice fishing I would think when I come out with this new plastic bait the crappie bug we had the 1.5 made for us which really works great but it is not a popular size with most of the crappie fishermen so we're getting the 2.5 and 3 inch made up which is somewhat similar to what you guys are talking about here.

Attachment 179382 This is a 1.5

Bait size vs geographic area is an interesting issue. Southern states typically see anglers using much larger baits than what us northern boys use. I think people up here like to use baits that have a broad range of use by being able to catch a broad variety of fish. Sunfish in this region will hit enormous baits but its the smaller plastics that actually put the fish on the plate. Maybe its the bug forage the sunfish up here eat all year long. Now crappies, they'll bang just about anything. I've caught them trolling #13 Rapala stick baits for walleyes. If I am fishing specifically for crappies, I tend to use the larger baits. If I am just fishing for the heck of it I tend to use baits that the other panfish can handle too....smaller profile baits.

Bob brings up ice fishing. Around these parts fishing under the ice for sunfish can mean using some unreal tiny jigs and plastics/live baits. Basically if you aren't showing them a super compact offering you won't see much action. I guess my approach to crappies under the ice is different than what most people do especially during the daytime hours. I refuse to fish near the bottom where everyone is marking fish on flashers. I fish in the middle of the water column and I use much larger baits than the bottom huggers use. Plastics from 1 1/2" to 2" are my preferred sizes and I do not use any bait whatever in conjunction with the plastic. Feeding crappies will be found well away from where the other fish are snoozing and the crappies will be on the go, moving in search of food. Seldom will a fish be "marked" on a flasher until it comes in for the hit and often this is just about one action.....fish mark, bang. That sudden. The fish come from outside of the cone angle so fast the flasher doesn't hardly have time to react and show the fish as a mark. Low light and night fishing for crappies can see them deep especially if the lake bed has a real aggressive blood [mud] worm showing when the lights go dim or out. Then smaller, more lithe baits will prevail.

Winter brings with a whole new arena of fishing techniques. Jacobs has a 1" ice stinger bait than is absolutely the most productive plastic I have ever put on an ice jig for sunfish. I have fished some of the 1 1/4" ice stingers a mold of his makes and those too are something else. Bears offers a 1" ice minnow, a shad bodied tiny, that has a tail similar to Jacobs Ice Stingers and when a slightly bigger profile is needed the Ice Minnow steps right up and hammers fish. I can pare down what I need to carry out on the ice with me if I am fishing sunfish and perch by bringing an assortment of colors in the 1" Ice Minnow and the 1" Ice Stinger. If I want keeper crappies, I need to bring larger baits for my mid water column tactics.

CTOM You are exactly right on the smaller sized Baits will produce more fish 99% of the time I use a 1/32oz. this is the size that I use most of the time when I'm fishing for panfish out West here it is up to the individual fisherman but most of my buddies use a smaller size jigs and plastic baits may be I should of research more of the northern states before I open my mouth but a course 99% of what I sell to the public is in the South course we get a few from up around you and also through Michigan in here and there but most of it is down south in that's where they used a bigger stuff down there they claim they have bigger fish but so far I haven't seen anything monster just those two and three pounders I'd throw them back little bit too small in those guys in Texas I think they only keep 4 pounders are better:Rofl

The above has been a great discussion & eye opener on some plastics, thanks Ctom for your in depth description on the do-it baits, I believe I need to get some of the smaller sizes for my gills and smaller crappie=9 to 11 inch. Thanks fishermen.

I'm sure the 1.5" crappie bug will kill them on the ice. We don't get frozen lakes down here do I wouldn't know 1st hand.

Living in Oklahoma I use baits 2"-3" for crappie.

Here is a plastic I have been working on the last several days trying to perfect for my new Gates Custom Jig's I had sent to me. Think I about got it. Thanks again for the jigs Russell. :)
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Looks like a match to me. Again, nice work.