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  • Upsizing is good too

    I’ve been unable to get on tidal waters for over a week due to family obligations.

    However, when I’m compelled to stay home I satisfy my urge to go fishing by working on tackle projects as time allows. I do a little bit at time, depending on what I am making. Flies I tie quickly, and I can usually make enough for a particular outing in one setting. But jigs take longer. It’s a sequential process -- melting, pouring, painting, drying, and tying if I make bucktails. When the weather is nice like it has been for most of the week, I pour an inventory of jigs because I can open my garage for needed ventilation when working with lead.

    Most of my jig molds allow me to make various sizes of the same jig, from 1/8 oz. to ¾ oz. Size does indeed matter and not just what your initial thought on that statement might be! A fishing rule of thumb is to downsize when strikes are hard to come by. I abide by that rule most of the time. However, sometimes it’s better to upsize. And I think we are entering a period to do that if you want to cast to skinny water for stripers.

    Right now, white perch still inhabit the shallows and soon they will be joined by larger stripers as they both fatten up for the winter. I cast 1/8 oz. jig spinners to white perch throughout the summer. They work well and indeed the small spinners will catch stripers. In fact, stripers love a vibrating bait like their smaller white perch cousins. But if you want to deter hooking perch after perch and possibly attract larger stripers, I believe it’s good to upsize. I do that by pouring and tying larger jigs. This week I’ve been working on 1/4 oz. jigs.

    The photo below shows the slightly larger profile of the ¼ oz. jig over the 1/8 oz. jig. The smaller perch jig is the blue and white lure to the left of the quarter in the photo. The two bucktail jig spinners at the top of the photo are ¼ oz. The size difference is slight yet significant. The ¼ oz. jigs are a little longer, have a wider profile and this is important, they cast farther. Each factor can have a positive impact on catching a larger striper. Note the green jig to the right of the quarter. That’s reserved for a paddletail trailer, in lieu of bucktail. A soft plastic trailer under a spinner is very effective. It’s nothing more than a big Beetle Spin.

    IMG_0365.jpg

    Lastly, even those of you who do not pour or tie can make your own jig spinners. Notice the components in the lower left of the photo. Plain jigs like the red and green jigs in the photo, bucktails, wire arms, split rings, and spinner blades are readily available through on-line sources and local tackle shops. A pair of split ring pliers is all you need to assemble the components into a completed lure. It’s not hard to do and they work just as well as their commercially produced counterparts.

    I encourage you to give it a try. It's fun and you'll have the satisfaction of catching fish on something you've made.
    Mark
    Pasadena, MD


    Slate Hobie Revolution 13
    Hidden Oak Native Ultimate 12
    Lizard Lick Native Ultimate FX Pro

  • #2
    Originally posted by Mark View Post
    I encourage you to give it a try. It's fun and you'll have the satisfaction of catching fish on something you've made.
    Good timing, I was just looking at videos on tying and Bass Pro's inventory of feather and bucktail tying products. I've got some dressed spinners that the white perch have left undressed. It is cheaper to get into this than I was thinking. I can certainly see the attraction to producing your own. Off to Bass Pro in an hour. Thanks for the nudge.

    have a great weekend.

    Comment


    • #3
      I make my own "Redfish Magic" lures exactly as you make the jigs, Mark- I use 1/8 and 1/4 oz jigheads with various sizes of Arkie Jig Spinners...and Bass Assassin Sea Shad swim bodies in various colors and shades of colors...
      "Lady Luck" 2016 Red Hibiscus Hobie Outback, Lowrance Hook2-7TS
      2018 Seagrass Green Hobie Compass, Humminbird 798 ci HD SI
      "Wet Dream" 2011 yellow Ocean Prowler 13
      Charter member of Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by azmdted View Post
        Good timing, I was just looking at videos on tying and Bass Pro's inventory of feather and bucktail tying products. I've got some dressed spinners that the white perch have left undressed. It is cheaper to get into this than I was thinking. I can certainly see the attraction to producing your own. Off to Bass Pro in an hour. Thanks for the nudge.

        have a great weekend.
        Thank you.

        I would never argue that that creating your own lures is cost effective considering the cost of materials and my time. Frankly, the entire concept of recreational fishing is not cost effective either. A fish market is a cheaper alternative for those anglers who keep their catches for the table, when you factor in the time and equipment most of us use.

        Lure making and fishing for me are hobbies. I do both for the enjoyment and satisfaction they provide.

        And, yes, it’s good to rehab old jigs. I do it often. The jig itself is sturdy unlike a fly and it can usually be repainted and retied. It’s rewarding to bring an old lure back to life. If the hook is damaged, the lead head may go into the melting pot to come back to life in another form altogether.

        Sometimes I just retire them. I have a few stored in my garage that treated me so well with memorable catches, I thought they deserved a rest. I spared them from re-melting.
        Mark
        Pasadena, MD


        Slate Hobie Revolution 13
        Hidden Oak Native Ultimate 12
        Lizard Lick Native Ultimate FX Pro

        Comment


        • #5
          I haven't done this, but did you every think of buying (or pouring if you can find a mold) some of these puppies?

          minnowhead-1-12oz.jpg

          They probably would be miserable to cast, but trolling on medium heavy spinning tackle should doable.
          Use a big willow leaf blade and dress them out with half a chicken. LOL

          I agree with you about retiring lures that have earned it. It's just that most of them never make it to the "hero" status.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by bignose View Post
            I haven't done this, but did you every think of buying (or pouring if you can find a mold) some of these puppies?
            Ha ha, Stu. They might work better as an anchor for me.

            Seriously, I have trolled a 1/2 oz. version of my jig spinner without much success. I'm not a dedicated troller so I haven't given it a good chance.

            Speaking of retired lures, here's one of my heroes:

            IMG_0367.jpg

            I caught over 150 Severn white perch and baby stripers with it in July over several trips. It never left my rod during that run. I finally looked closely at it after an outing and decided I should be embarrassed to throw such a nasty looking lure. However, as we both know it would still catch fish even in its present condition.
            Mark
            Pasadena, MD


            Slate Hobie Revolution 13
            Hidden Oak Native Ultimate 12
            Lizard Lick Native Ultimate FX Pro

            Comment


            • #7
              And I absolutley agree Mark with the original premise of upsizing fall baits...I am using a larger top water popper and it is just about the time of year I switch from XR8 and XR10 XRaps to the XR12 and XR14s...
              "Lady Luck" 2016 Red Hibiscus Hobie Outback, Lowrance Hook2-7TS
              2018 Seagrass Green Hobie Compass, Humminbird 798 ci HD SI
              "Wet Dream" 2011 yellow Ocean Prowler 13
              Charter member of Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club

              Comment

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