Revisiting The Whirling Dervish

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Here they are in size 3/32nd, all with EC 571 Size 1/0 hooks and a Size 1 spinning blades. You can see how the various styles can be compared as far as stated sizings and such. Indiana, Colorado, Willow Leaf painted and then shiny, and a Dakota blade. If you have any Size 1 blades you could figure/guess at the sizes of the other styles as the sizes change. The Dakota looks cool. Basically an Indiana blade that has been cut away into that shape. They also make other types of cuts in Colorados to form new styles. Idea is to provide a different sound, vibration or flash to fish that may be heavily pressured already. Show them new shiny object.




Not sure any of my fish will be impressed but I feel as though these are my best under spins so far. Adds an extra consideration for any lure selection though. Experimenting should see me through though. I shall add my plastic baits to these using the same color combinations as my non spinners. Easy to then measure any differences in a fair fashion.

I pour heads. Then I clean them by clipping away and filing at any protrusions. Heat gun then dip into jar of powder paint. White-pink-pink again and hold in heat a few seconds to ensure the paint flows. Cool and hold horizontal in jig clip. Lay the cheap kind and totally non stick eyes in place. Then UV resin a little over the eye and a little over the paint. Hit with UV light a few seconds. Then go for a complete coat over entire head. This secures the eyes. UV resin can peel like a tangerine so covering the whole head is best. Leave shrink wrap until completely done and cured. Otherwise you have yo try to avoid coating the eye with resin, leaving you to under cover the head, where as the shrink wrap allows complete covering. Comes off later easily enough leaving perfectly clean eye.

I am still clipping my swivels to attach my blades. Easy, quick, clean and has more than enough endurance. Let me know if you are curious how I skip split rings, and the blades twirl just fine. Cannot tell difference in split ring and ballbearing swivel and these. Strong swimmers.

I like your work, the fish should too. :ThumbsUp

They look great. Looking forward to hearing how the fish react to them.

Love those Dakota blades. Just never fished them for crappie, let us know how they work.

Very interesting work. Never ceases to amaze

Great looking jigs. Ok I gotta know how you’re attaching the ball swivels and blade with out split rings.

Looking great! Do you foresee issues with blades trailing that far behind hook?

RJR- Cut as close as possible to where the straight portion starts to curve.

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Insert blade and use pliers to very very gently close loop. You want to just lightly squeeze enough to get the loop to close. Done correctly it will look as if nothing has occurred. The loop still twirls, as does the other end. There is very little pull on this connection so it lasts just fine. You would never do this if it was going to take a strain of some kind, like casting or landing a fish. Blades though are no issue.

I feel that the spin I get is equal to a ball bearing swivel. Some swivels are very well made. Lay one on hood of car, if it rolls right off it is going to spin just fine with a blade. Minus the split ring makes everything cleaner. Very easy to do.

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Originally Posted by DrNip

Looking great! Do you foresee issues with blades trailing that far behind hook?

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The picture tricks your eye because they are short shank hooks.

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Here you can see them with baits attached and the blades are back there where tail action would be expected. Very easy to shorten the length of wire and move blades closer to the front. Can simply bend the wire to move blade closer to bait or further away if clearance was needed.


The size #1 Colorado blade is too big for my liking, and the Dakota blades also seem large. The Indiana in size #1 seems a good fit, as does the Willow Leaf. I was using large blades in Summer and there were days they were tagging them, but it is Winter now and I didn’t want to be as bold.

The baits are close matches to or the same as what I am using in my non bladed lures. I have this many more poured and painted and waiting for blades to be added. I wanted to make these up and examine them before finishing those up.

I am liking the pink head with the white body and chartreuse tail and shiny Willow Leaf blade. ( left side second one down ) That is a Slabanator Hot Rod plastic. The Hot Rods have far less tail action as they just kind of trail behind. I have issues seeing them wiggling but certain that they do. I am able to move the blade in closer to the bait making everything more compact.

These are giving me the ideas I need to go forward. Bear in mind I am trying to limit the number of jigs I carry aboard. I got out my luggage the other day and looked through that and there were some beautiful jigs in there, but too many jigs is bad Ju-Ju for me. I only want to add just a few jigs with spinning blades to my lineup. I plan to test swim the Dakota blades to see what happens, but predict that the small chartreuse yellow Willow Leaf blades will rule the day in the end. My lakes are stained so flash is not really an advantage. They see whites and yellows pretty well.

I added some glue to the shank this time. Again I trim the tips off the plastics to get fresh material that has not been oiled up. This yields a pretty solid stick to the jig. Last trip out one of my plastics pulled away from the jig head. It was sliding back constantly. Upon examination there was glue still attached to the jig head, so the plastic was what pulled away. Sure enough forgot to trim that one to get clean material. The plastics really don’t stay stuck to the glue but trimming away the tips is a big help in this regard.

I haven’t been fishing much lately. Been helping a caterer cook meals for folks. Busy time of year for them. We set up on site and cook BBQ stuff. Mashed potatoes are probably our most popular item as far as feedback goes. Green beans, mac & cheese, stuff like that. If you ever want to feed people, mac & cheese gets eaten pretty well. We have large rotisserie type cookers that are propane fired and we add a few logs if we want smoke. Huge slabs of prime rib, turkey, chicken, ribs, pork butts, etc all come out beautifully cooked. Racks inside rotate in a circular fashion from the top to bottom and back again.

I thought the job was sit around and drink beer until the meat was done, but oh no. This is hard work. Controlled chaos mostly it seems. I am nervous the entire time until the meal has been served. The other day I had a few thousand dollars worth of meat going round and round. Big company Christmas party. Talk about pressure. I was doing prime rib and if you are not familiar, the temperature inside rises very slowly. Then as it starts to get close it suddenly shoots up. Overcook that stuff and disaster. Very easy to screw it all up.

Then there is the humping. Man we drag out pots and pans and chafers and tubs and spoons and all manner of stuff. All of which has to be washed when the people have finished eating. Of course they want dinner served around 800pm, so you can imagine what a long day this has no become. In fact I am going to stop to get dressed for today’s meals. Yesterday I had a small disaster with the turkey gravy. Had a tray slide and spew gravy all over me and some stuff. Can’t just grab a towel and clean that stuff up. It smears about is all it does. Burnt my forearm reaching into the rotating cooker. I tell you this business is hard and I have developed blisters on my left foot’s big toe and my right foot’s heel. My back is sore, but I am learning a ton of stuff.

Need some money as I lost my job last month. 24 years worth of faithful service, and the daughter has taken over the company and wants it to be hers and I was the only one left that her daddy had hired. He and I were great friends and that also kind of erked her. Mean woman, no severance, held my back wages for over three weeks to make sure I knew who was master. Laughed at me and said she was hiring some young people to replace me. Folks that know a few things all agree that she cut her nose of in spite of her face as I had my fingers in all the pies. Was manager for 23 years and kept things running smoothly. A manager has to be able to take a butt chewing. Has to be good at that too, as the boss wants some, the clients wants some and the staff all want some. Her business is going to suffer because she only thinks she was running it. Serving family run businesses can be like that when they transition over to the children. Sucks but then what in life isn’t a challenge ?

Had a few interviews with other companies but while I am waiting to hear back, picked up this catering gig for a chance to make some bills. Christmas is gonna be lean this year and everyone has told me that will be just fine by them. I love people that think about you and want what is best for you. That is a wonderful Christmas present if you ask me.

Man that sucks. I can relate. Lost my job of 12 years back in 2017. Company was sold and new company brought in their own set of supervisors. I was one of five managers that lost our jobs. Was given one month notice and three months severance. You’ll figure it out.

She may come to regret her shrewd restructuring. A lot of the time customers don't take to kindly to all the new and improved ideas that come from that type of changes. Wife got pushed out as a school teacher several years ago. Since then she has gotten a much better job than she had. Almost twice the compensation that she got as a teacher. Although it didn't seem like it at the time. They done her a huge favor. Several of them have tried to get her to find them jobs.

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Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

She may come to regret her shrewd restructuring. A lot of the time customers don't take to kindly to all the new and improved ideas that come from that type of changes. Wife got pushed out as a school teacher several years ago. Since then she has gotten a much better job than she had. Almost twice the compensation that she got as a teacher. Although it didn't seem like it at the time. They done her a huge favor. Several of them have tried to get her to find them jobs.

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Sometimes it works out that way, and glad it did for her. There is certainly no loyalty any more from many employers and has been decreasing every year, so if you can better yourself grab it and run with it.
Bob

Micanopy I have been down this road too. It does all work out but really sucks going through the transition. Hang in there my friend as we are all pulling for you.

After I lost my job my wife told me to take the summer off. Once I started looking for a job I quickly discovered it sucked. The amount of jobs that turned their nose at me due to being under or over qualified was crazy. Was like trying to get out and date again. I wasn’t trying to get back in the prison industry so changing profession was a challenge.

Well thank you for those kind words of encouragement. Helps especially since I have huge blisters on my feet. LOL. Also have a few burns on my arms. Hard work but I’m learning.

Yesterday we cooked tenderloin and chicken, potatoes and beans. I did the beans and taters by myself. I seasoned the chicken and cut the halves into three pieces. Of course I cleaned the pots pans and utensils as well. Served 85 at a millworks. I could see from watching the men that it was a tough place to work. Christmas Party was us cooking lunch and them getting a half hour to get in line, eat and get right back to work. Some party huh ?

So I am grateful that I am not working at the millworks. Worked in a stair factory, worked as a busboy, worked as a carpenter, now a caterer. My “job” is seasonal amd as soon as the parties are over so goes the job. Wife is supportive but concerned. I ieep telling her I am retired but she doesn’t get the joke. She worries.


Today it is fried fish and shrimp and hushpuppies. Oh and more pot scrubbing of course. LOL. Not sure what’s up but I have the cleanest hands you ever saw.

It sucks to be treated with such disrespect from the places one works. Not so much on the younger people as I don’t think they tend to stick with a job if they’re not progressing thru the ranks fast enough to suit them. I ended up going on disability for my back at age of 56. Went through the accumulated sick time and disability insurance before going on SSD and retiring at 60 with 41 years service. I’m a way I got lucky because the same tenured guys as I was got let go right after I went on disability. Living in a rural area it’s impossible to find a replacement job making anything close to what those guys were making. No one wants to hire people in their late fifties. Age discrimination at it’s finest. Lay off senior employees and replace them at half the salary with young people.

RJR, I think you said that well. I ended up retiring on my own terms but never had a day go by that somebody wouldn't say, "when you gonna retire". It's a different world than we grew up in.

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Originally Posted by RJR

It sucks to be treated with such disrespect from the places one works. Not so much on the younger people as I don’t think they tend to stick with a job if they’re not progressing thru the ranks fast enough to suit them. I ended up going on disability for my back at age of 56. Went through the accumulated sick time and disability insurance before going on SSD and retiring at 60 with 41 years service. I’m a way I got lucky because the same tenured guys as I was got let go right after I went on disability. Living in a rural area it’s impossible to find a replacement job making anything close to what those guys were making. No one wants to hire people in their late fifties. Age discrimination at it’s finest. Lay off senior employees and replace them at half the salary with young people.

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Unfortunately it happens far more often than it should

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Originally Posted by RJR

It sucks to be treated with such disrespect from the places one works. Not so much on the younger people as I don’t think they tend to stick with a job if they’re not progressing thru the ranks fast enough to suit them. I ended up going on disability for my back at age of 56. Went through the accumulated sick time and disability insurance before going on SSD and retiring at 60 with 41 years service. I’m a way I got lucky because the same tenured guys as I was got let go right after I went on disability. Living in a rural area it’s impossible to find a replacement job making anything close to what those guys were making. No one wants to hire people in their late fifties. Age discrimination at it’s finest. Lay off senior employees and replace them at half the salary with young people.

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you nailed it!

My dependents.


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Picture issues unresolvable




I think we four will do just fine. The Father has always provided me with what I needed. He obviously wants me to head over there and look about. To a different trail head. Waltz down that new one for a spell.

Did real well at the cook today. Did all the fish, all the shrimp, made the cole slaw, made the hushpuppies and the cheese grits. Cleaned everything. Helped to serve a little. Watched and learned how to make cocktail and tartar sauce. These folk been doing this for 30 years and believe me this stuff is remarkable in it’s flavor and appearance. Mostly these guys are great cooks and have learned to load the trucks with everything they need to cook at your choice of sites. Restaurant quality is surpassed. I am amazed at the attention to providing a best taste experience with everything. People call when they want it to be ready, fresh, and memorable.

I am learning and they gave me a hat today. :)

I took off my crappie.com hat straight away and struck a pose for those present. The men like me save one. I can tell he doesn’t. It’s OK because he doesn’t seem to have a stable grip on his job, which might have something to do with my sudden appearance.


I like smoozing the clientele the last couple of cooks. We get tips when people feel that they are important and appreciated. I know to service clients. The client is always right and should expect to pay a premium for that luxury……and they will.

Someone walked up while I was scrubbing dishes and slipped some money into my shirt pocket. Nice cash tip. Merry Christmas.

It is a good job, surely demanding at times. Lots of practice to bring things together on time, and have everything taste good. For certain those that produce exceptional results consistently demand a well deserved premium for their efforts. If it feels your needs and you enjoy it. Then it may just be the next chapter. Lord knows I have a diverse skillset learned on the job. Then one day the all came together into something much bigger than the individual parts

Micanopy- I'm Seasonally-saddened to learn of your situation during the many other challenges we all must find a way to cope with. Futuristically, I can hope/predict that with the creative genetics:check that you are fortunately blessed with, that your setback will be drastically shortened! Stay vigilant in your search and Strong:ThumbsUp in your TRUST!+Cross+ The Best of the HOLIDAYS! to you & yours:peacesmile

u2s

Bob’s Jigs newest concept bait came free shipping and also very fast. The colors are bright and I am very pleased with them. They match my Whirling Dervishes very well for length and profile. The tail complements the blade nicely as well. I like the look. So thanks Bob’s Jigs and Merry Christmas to you sir.



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Good looking combo

Morning of Christmas Eve. Visited local lake to fish as haven’t been fishing in a couple of weeks. Cold but very nice. Sunny day.

The Old Whirling Dervish nabbed a nice 14” fish for me today.

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Managed four other fish on various jigs and colors. Had to come home early….. of course…..but it was a very pleasant trip.

Did however experience engine issues. Was running like normal about 4,000 rpm and the engine bogged down. Then ran smooth, then bogged down. I was guessing a fuel issue but I don’t know squat.

Yamaha 115 SHO with about 40 hours. Broken in properly and serviced at 20 hours. Hadn’t been run in couple of weeks and ran for about twenty minutes before issue arose. I could run at 3,000 rpms and it was only a mild bog down every so often. There is a water/fuel separator on the boat.

Plan is to see what folks here might think before making any decisions.

Merry Christmas.

Nice catch!

Micanopy I am no mechanic but I suspect a fuel issue. Check for a bad bulb on fuel hose and check the line over. Also check the filter separator. remove it an dump contents into a clear jar and let it sit for a while. Then look for water or discoloration. Change that filter to a new one then go to the fuel filter and do the same thing and change that filter. If water or gunk shows in those checks change the fuel in you tank. From there you are in to having the carbs cleaned. Additive to fuel can help but have minimal solution for fouled fuel. Good luck my friend. Anyone who has been down this road has had an issue similar to yours.

I do not know if this has already been mentioned but I would assume you would only catch bigger crappie due to the width between the blade and hook.

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Kind of like this one.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

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Originally Posted by Micanopy

Morning of Christmas Eve. Visited local lake to fish as haven’t been fishing in a couple of weeks. Cold but very nice. Sunny day.

The Old Whirling Dervish nabbed a nice 14” fish for me today.

Managed four other fish on various jigs and colors. Had to come home early….. of course…..but it was a very pleasant trip.

Did however experience engine issues. Was running like normal about 4,000 rpm and the engine bogged down. Then ran smooth, then bogged down. I was guessing a fuel issue but I don’t know squat.

Yamaha 115 SHO with about 40 hours. Broken in properly and serviced at 20 hours. Hadn’t been run in couple of weeks and ran for about twenty minutes before issue arose. I could run at 3,000 rpms and it was only a mild bog down every so often. There is a water/fuel separator on the boat.

Plan is to see what folks here might think before making any decisions.

Merry Christmas.

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On my older Key West, which had visited salty waters on occasion with previous owner, the fitting at the top of the fuel tank corroded real bad and was sucking air. It ran similar to what you're describing, ran OK but bogged at higher speeds. So my suggestion would be to look for an air leak in the fuel line.

As a follow up to the engine problem, the mechanic discovered it had a bad spark plug. Happy Days I get my boat back tomorrow.