Not interested in setting up to pour my own lead jigheads, but I am setting up oven, heatgun, powder paint and flow beds to start custom painting my own jigheads for Crappie fishing. My question is about which weedless head to choose? i understand the heat of powder coating and oven curing will damage a fiber weed guard so is it worth the trouble to drill and epoxy fiber guard at the end or just go with a jighead with a wire guard instead. Since weedless Crappie jigs in the size and color I want are hard to find, I would be interested in know what some of you more experienced jigmakers find what works best?

Forget the weed guard! Just carry plenty of jigs with you and a bag of these!

I've hung up in brush-piles and retrieved my jig HUNDREDS of times with these! The $13 for a bag of 36 actually pays for itself after maybe the 10th or 15th jig retrieved! Be sure you get the Size 5 - 3/4oz.

I would suggest not going with powder paint and just use the Vinyl paint. I know a guy that only uses Vinyl and charges less than any powder paint guy to paint heads. The down side is you have to use an White undercoat and you need the Clear top coat to make it glossy. However it will hold up better than Powder paint. Also if your stuck on powder paint then check with CSI and ask them what temps and how long to not melt your weed guards. If my memory serves me correct you have to put them in the over for like 25 minutes, but also know the longer in the oven the darker the paint will be and especially the Flame Red will turn a pretty ugly color if too long!

At least ask someone that knows about how much heat that weed guard can handle.

You can just paint heads with vinyl using an artist brush and can put anything in it that you can in powder paint like some glitter in that clear top coat.

Skip

I have both the fiber weedguard mold and "customized" wire weedguard molds.

The wire heads are WAY easier to paint!!!!

These were painted with standard powder paint, then cured in an oven.

Right now, I am only using Redgun's jigs with the wire keepers & wire weed guards. Hands down, my favorite jighead. The paint jobs are excellent and the wire keepers don't split the plastics. I bet you could get some unpainted from him if you asked nice.

Do you trim your weedguard shorter? I use the fiber weedguard and always trim mine.

Those weed guards are limber enough that I don't think that you would ever have to. I just adjust them down to where they are just above the barb tips and fish em. Have not lost one yet.....

Plus 1 on just getting them from REDGUN. He puts out a quality jig.

REDGUN's are top notch!!

I also like Timmy Toms

http://timmytoms.com/shop/lead-weedless-jigs/

Another vote for Redgun's weedless jigheads! Makes a big difference when fishing heavy brush like I do at times.