What is the easiest way to blend the 5 hooks into a single "head" without using a soldering iron or heat. I drilled a good hole in a egg sinker and run 5 wires through it but they don't stick solid. I have to start wraping them around each other to get them from pivoting freely. What are you guys using as a jig head and how to u get the wires to stay solid and not move???

Tom Reddington has a video on youtube you can look at.

For a cheap quick fix. It wont last long really bc the wire will rust. I take what is called jb weld steel. Go to hardware store look for marker flag like u mark off land with. Bundle of like 15 are a a couple bucks. Use needle nose to make some loops to entwine the ends together. The jb weld has to be mashed and mixed until color is consistent. Mix some up and wrap around all the end with the wires entwined. One of the wires needs to go through the rest of them to form ur line tie. Just mold the jb weld to shape let dry. If u want it weighted simple slide a slip sinker on the main wire(the one that forms the line tie) and mold the jb weld behind the weight. You probably could spray paint the jb weld just fine too. If you wanted this to last longer find an alternative for the wire part with a stainless wire. Your most expensive part will be swivels and baits.

also try tackleunderground.com it is a bait making forum and there is info there under wire baits.

Barlow's has unpainted ones for $4.99

Dang thats a good price, I have been making the ones like Tom posted, made 7 for under 20 bucks. But at 4 dollars thats worth not making my own.

Bogey has one that is terrific.

Wow, is the painting the costly part of these rigs? Painted over $20, but unpainted under $5?

I have two!




Spencer, don't use too heavy guage wire, it is a PITA

The video was removed for legal purposes, i've looked everywhere for a video

Thank you, I am on the right track from what you are posting. I will try jb weld! That sounds like my missing link. What kind of wire diameter are you buying? Lowes didn't have any marker wire but they had a bundle of wire that comes in a circle and it was 250yds for 4 bucks! Problem is...its very tough to sraighten out a thick wire. What exact stores are you guys buying this marker wire at? Does it come in different sizes? Thank you for the comments!

Not sure the diameter. The wire i used is real stiff. I dont think a coil wire would hold form good enough. The wire i used is probably 1/16th maybe a tiny hair thicker. I got it at lowes.

Try bicycle spokes.

Another place you might want to check out is Bass Team Tackle.com they have them finished or unfinished from $6.99 to $14.99. Can't really make your own for that.

I did all my totals of how much i've spent on trying to make these. Right at $21, not including baits. And I have made 6 a-rigs. So it can be done, yes it takes time, yes it takes skill but I love the facts that holy cow I might make something that I can catch a fish on...Next step is buying molds to make softbaits lol

I bought some .035 spinnerbait wire from janns netcraft. I don't use any jb weld or soldering iron, I just drill as small of a hole the wires will allow and make sure your wires aren't twisted when bending them out. I also cut down the length of each arm and it helps a lot from pivoting

If you want a strong wire that won't rust, you can get the AFW Toothproof stainless steel in the brown or bright color.
The 500# test is the same size as the marker flag wires and is $8.25 for 37 feet of it from Janns Netcraft---#311-666-050

The .035" is too weak to perform well, but makes a good mini-size rig like this:



Additionally for $.99 at Walmart you can get enough stainless steel wire to make two rigs by getting the 12" Whisks and taking them apart. Double two of the wires to make 4 of the arms and then make the line tie wire the 5th arm.

I just ordered 13 of Bogeys wicked sweet "screw you alabama Im from Texas" rigs. I cant wait to tie on a few swimbaits and get busy.

Based on the gauge wire he used, it looks as if I can tie on multiple huddlestons!

I have the .035 with 1/4 oz swimbaits on it and it works just fine. Once again though, I shortened the arms in order to make it more rigid.

This is a couple I made using the whisks. That wire is also the same diameter as the marker flag wires.
After putting it together, I added some epoxy putty to the head, and a rough paint job using paint pencils. I just have the swivel end of the arms tied together to they don't take up much room.
Haven't used these yet.



The longer one may be too long, but that is no big deal, I can cut the arms shorter and re-install the snapswivels.

Wayne, that's pretty smart. I may do that for mine instead of from scratch. Thanks.

Mine has six - Simple - bend three in half -
put large swivel on - insert through drilled out weight -
bend over end and install clips - takes at least 20 min.

Bassen, what are you using for wire in the pic shown?

Hey guys,




I don't know if this will help, but someone mentioned looking for a video on how to make your own umbrella Alabama rig. Here is a video I re-uploaded from my blog to YouTube, hope it might be somewhat
useful.




The wire is rated at 20lb+, probably not strong enough for some of the hogs you guys have in Texas-but it's more of a proof of concept video, and very, very cheap. Anyway, enjoy!

Here is one of my redneck style rigs...Not quite finished but close.

I believe the original has a wire diameter of .041. It provides just enough flex and rigidity to cast the 4-5" hollowbodies. You can use either American Fishing Wire Tooth Proof or Mason Stainless steel fishing wire.

I make mine by bending the wires around each other...no crimping, I just don't trust a crimp. I use 3 strands of wire to achieve my 5 "legs". I bend 1 main wire around the other 2 wires (which are bent in half) to create the head. For the head I use a 3.5" hollowbodied swimbait head that I glue & use silicon to secure. I can make mine for under $5 a piece. If anyone is interested, just hit me up!

Here is how to bend the wires before crimping...these aren't coming out. I would be more worried about the wire you twisted and got hot breaking. Of course with any size wire your line should break first.

JR, I like that approach for the wires at the head. I'll make a few that way IF I can find any more of the 3/16" ferrules in my area. They keep dissappearing from the Lowes stock, LOL

Yeah you need to get them online a lot cheaper. Also you can get just them and not the stops.

I've used this same wire for Musky leaders up north, when I have to bend the wire to make the leaders...and if they don't break there a bass won't break this either. See how I do mine below...everyone has their preference for how they make'em.

How the wire is wrapped...I used a small parasite weight in the front...a lot of people who I've made them for wanted some weight up from (1/4 or 3/16):


Finished Product with Head:


I've even added a bit of flash for dirtier water situations........before the ones on tacklewarehouse came out:

Those look nice xpress.