The challenge posed to survival experts crafting WWII pilot kits was selecting the ideal crappie fishing lure for global use in fresh and saltwater. Their ultimate choice was the bucktail jig, a white hair jig resembling various bait fish in diverse waters. With a single hook, this versatile lure adapts to hand lines, green sticks, or poles, increasing the chance of catching various fish species. Jigs with simple lead heads and diverse bodies quickly store due to the single-hook feature, making them a quick and enjoyable choice for crappie fishing and outdoor activities. Creating and using jigs becomes a pleasant pursuit for family and friends, particularly during COVID-19 social distancing measures.
As we entered a creek, Edney inquired if I noticed an exposed tree root and a submerged tree trunk. “Examine the bank for trees of similar size. Envision where that treetop might fall in the creek during a strong wind,” he instructed. My usual crappie fishing involved live minnows near visible treetops, but Edney suggested targeting submerged, unseen treetops for a new approach. “Land your jig near where you estimate the end of that treetop could be,” Edney directed. “It might take several casts to pinpoint the exact location where the crappie are.”
I cast approximately 4 feet closer than Edney, targeting where I estimated the tree’s top to be. Line unraveled from my spinning reel, the knitting-yarn jig descended slowly, and my line twitched. Swiftly, I engaged the reel and set the hook. The rod’s tip plunged as the line went taut. Landing the fish, I discovered a large crappie with a knitting-yarn jig. Edney, now amused, explained his success in catching undiscovered crappie with unique jigs.
Remaining true to Edney’s assurance, we lost numerous jigs, broke off several fish, but experienced continuous crappie action. While discussing the morning’s crappie fishing, I asked Edney about how well his homemade jigs attract crappie. He responded, “When a crappie sees something resembling food falling in front of it, it seizes and consumes it. Due to my uncertainty about why crappie prefer various jig colors at specific times, I create different colors to understand their preferences each day.
Questioning Edney about the inception of his homemade crappie jigs, he responded, “I doubted crappie cared about painted jig heads.” I believed different shot lead sizes, varied knitting yarn sizes, and colors might work. They’re affordable, homemade, and enjoyable to create with any colors crappie might fancy. Since I often lose jigs in dense areas, I carry all three components in my tackle box. This allows me to swiftly craft multiple jigs while on the water if needed.”
On that day and subsequently, I observed that knitting-yarn jigs not only attracted crappie but also catfish and bass. Inspired, I decided to craft my own makeshift crappie fishing lures for amusement and to target various fish species.
Making Your Own Jigs Can Be Fun And Rewarding!
Since my preteen years, I’ve been crafting my own crappie jigs using a hot pot, scrap lead, and a jig mold. I produced hundreds of sixteenth- and thirty-second-ounce jig heads, finding joy in catching fish on my creations. Admittedly, my initial jigs were far from aesthetically pleasing as I was a novice at the time!
Soon after, I started testing feathers, chenille, and nail polish, creating unsightly jigs that appeared better suited for a museum than a crappie fishing trip.
The Expenses When Making Your Own Jig
Crafting your own jigs can result in significant savings throughout an extensive fishing career. Currently, in 2022, a ten-pack of high-quality painted jig heads typically costs between four and eight dollars.
Several factors impact the quality of a jig head, encompassing lead purity, mold quality, hook size, paint application, and added features.
To create a basic jig head, you’ll require liquid metal, a hook, and a mold cavity. Additional options include paint (powder/latex), eyes, and applicable weed guards.
Now, let’s delve a bit deeper into each component to gain a better understanding.
Liquid Metal
While jigs can theoretically be crafted from any metal, there are only a few viable options. Even if you were a millionaire desiring a gold jig, attempting to reach gold’s melting point would exceed your mold cavity’s melting point, resulting in the destruction of the jig and the creation of a “bad mold cast.”
Lead
Lead is presently the preferred metal for crafting homemade jigs, given its density, low melting point, and cost-effectiveness. It is advisable to avoid using junkyard lead, as it contains impurities leading to weight disparities, rendering much of the metal useless as it accumulates at the top of your heating pot. This can result in more miscasts with each pour.
Lead, the predominant material for jig heads, faces reevaluation due to toxicity concerns arising from numerous lead jigs in bodies of water. The extent of concern has led some states to ban small quantities of lead and restrict the mailing of lead in small jigs.
Tin/Bismuth
Utilizing an alloy, which is a combination of metals in specific proportions, leverages the unique properties of each metal, resulting in a more robust jig. This particular non-toxic metal combination is gradually gaining market share.
Yet, utilizing a tin and bismuth alloy comes with drawbacks, including the associated cost and lower density compared to lead. In an eighth-ounce cavity, the casted jig head will likely weigh just over a sixteenth of an ounce.
Heating Your Metal For Pouring Jigs
You can expand your fishing lure production to any desired scale. However, if you’re still in the initial phase, a HotPot is suitable. Employing electric current, these tools generate and store heat in a small cast iron ladle, surpassing lead’s 622-degree melting point. Despite the handle staying cool, exercise caution working with hot lead, as it can cause severe injuries or worse without careful handling.
Crappie Fishing: Choosing The Right Hooks For Jig Making
When surveying the extensive variety of fishing lures available, consider the multitude of hook styles and sizes! Thankfully, in the initial stages, simply select your mold, and it will guide you on the compatible hooks for each design. This aspect will be discussed next.
Choosing The Right Mold
Now that you’ve selected your metal, acquire a mold for casting. Learn to easily tie homemade crappie fishing hair jigs, feathers, or fur jigs, which can often prove to be the optimal choice for crappie fishing. Crafting your own jig isn’t challenging, providing limitless customization options unavailable in retail. Tailor materials to your fishing environment, creating the perfect jig for various crappie fishing scenarios.
In the winter downtime, Wired2fish Publisher Jason Sealock dedicates significant time to tying crappie jigs. In the instructional video, Sealock demonstrates the materials he uses to craft straightforward yet effective hair jigs for crappie.
A crucial starting point is a high-quality jighead. Jason particularly favors the VMC Moon Eye Jig, known for its premium painted head, large eyes, and a quality VMC hook with ample gap for incorporating materials along the shank. He assembles personalized jigs, combining hackle feathers, flashabou, and chenille for body mass. This can also be achieved with hair, fur, or other synthetic materials. Creating a diverse collection of these exceptional jigs in various colors for every crappie fishing scenario is a relatively straightforward process.
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In the pursuit of gamefish, adhering to the practice of matching the hatch is crucial. Bass angler Mark Daniels Jr. and Z-Man’s Ryan Harder found great success targeting Hybrid Stripers using the shad-mimicking Z-Man TRD Minnow. This versatile lure enabled them to catch fish on every cast, avoiding the need for frequent plastic re-rigging and prolonging the school’s activity.
Effective anglers recognize that maintaining baits in the water, without the inconvenience of re-rigging after every missed bite, boosts their success, especially when dealing with schooling fish.
Vinyl Paint Can Be Used As Well!
When utilizing Tin/Bismuth for jig pouring, achieving successful powder painting becomes nearly impossible. The alloy’s lower melting point creates obstacles, as insufficient heat may hinder paint bonding, while excessive heat risks melting the jig head. The solution lies in vinyl paint! Despite not being in our current lineup, it’s crucial to recognize that vinyl paint isn’t inferior, and many companies still achieve excellent results with it. As we don’t employ vinyl paint, I won’t delve into its specifics.
Curing Your Homemade Painted Jig Heads
At this point, you should have crafted a new fish-catching machine. Before putting it to the test, one vital step remains for optimizing your homemade jig head’s effectiveness—it requires another round of curing!
Curing powder paint jig heads by baking
Baking your painted jigs is a time-intensive step but results in the highest quality, chip-resistant jig. To grasp the importance of this step, drop two recently painted jigs—one may show paint chips on concrete. Yet, if you subject the other to a final cure, a metal file becomes necessary to reach the underlying lead! Here’s our approach…
Acquire an inexpensive toaster oven from a yard sale or one no longer used for food. Arrange your jigs on the rack, set the heat to around 420 degrees, and let them bake for approximately 20 minutes.
As mentioned before the jigs now have a rock-hard finish that will last you dozens of trips!
Adding The Finishing Touches To Your Homemade Crappie Jig Heads
Certainly, they are ready for fishing, and undoubtedly, you can land fish with them. However, it’s time for me to incorporate eyes into our homemade jigs! I genuinely believe that eyes on a jig contribute to enhanced fishing success in the long run.
In our one-eighth ounce series, we choose a “wiggle eye” or “googly eye,” offering a 3D profile and enhancing the jig’s dynamism as the eyes move during jigging motions. In our one-sixteenth ounce jig heads, we use a waterproof stick-on eye, introducing additional vitality to that series. Feel free to unleash your creativity!
TO SUM IT ALL
Becoming a master at crafting irresistible slab catchers on a budget is not just a skill; it’s an art that can transform your fishing experience without breaking the bank. By utilizing cost-effective materials, DIY ingenuity, and a dash of creativity, anglers can create lures that rival expensive alternatives in both effectiveness and allure. So, embrace the thrill of crafting your own slab catchers, experiment with different designs, and revel in the satisfaction of landing impressive catches without denting your wallet. After all, the joy of fishing is not just in the catch but in the journey of crafting your own success. Happy fishing on a budget!
