i've seen a little tool that is used for cleaning out painted over hook eyes, but can't find it. anyone know what i'm talking about?

use another hook

Yes but I can't find one either!!

Lay out your jigs that need the eye punched out. Light a medium sized candle then take a small nail that will fit in jig eye. Using pliers to hold nail just heat till it is almost orange in candle then push through hook eye. Repeat till all the jigs are done.

I think this is what you are looking for.



www.tackle-craft.com/product/97/Eye-Buster/

It's called an eye buster

http://www.fishusa.com/Northland-Jig-EyeBuster_p.html

+1, I didn't know there was another way

One more thing to catch fishermen...

I lay the eye against a piece of wood and push an ice pick through it.

that little two dollar eye cleaner was the best thing I got about 10 years ago. Mainly for all the heads I dip for crappie jigs, but works great on bass jigs too.

Buy quality jigs and you don't have that issue, ever.

Pouring/painting your own it's something you have to deal with

I always wondered about this. If you use a tool to clear the eye, it leaves paint chips that can cut the line. Any jig I use I make sure the line tie is clear of paint and smooth. Even if you clear the paint you can nick the lead of the eye and cause a mark that can damage the line over time.

But I have only caught a couple fish on jigs.

thats what I always do....works fine for me too

I used the tip of a knife on my leatherman.

If you powderpaint jigs you will eventually fill up the eye. Well if you are coating the jig correctly with right thickness of paint you will. I know guys that are a LOT better at me than building jigs still do it occasionally.

I keep a hook handy while I'm powdercoating, and clear the eye while the paint is still soft. You have to be carful not to mar the finish, but with practice it gets easier.

Always worked for me. And the very few times it doesn't. . .pocket knife.

Keep a box of round, wooden toothpicks handy when you're powder painting. Clean the eye out with a toothpick after you dip and before you cure, sometimes takes more than one toothpick but hey, they're cheap.

Hey guys i make and powder paint my own jigs. I have found that if you take a little peice of tinfoil and wrap it around the eye before you dip it,then you wont have to worry about cleaning it out.

Mark, I agree with everything you said. What I meant to communicate and should have just simply said so was that I never send out a jig with this issue. Doesn't mean I don't have to deal with it from time to time, I just don't send em out that way.

Just carry a lighter and a paper clip. Heat up the excess paint when it is hot use the paper clip to clean it out. The tools are not very good for the finishes on the jigs today.