So, I bit the bullet and did what I've been talking about for years...............ordered all the stuff I need to make jigs. The Arkie jig mold, the hooks, living rubber skirts, paint, a jig skirt tool, a lead melting pot, led, a pouring spoon.

Now.............I guess, here's reality..........I have NO idea what I'm doing. Yes, I've watched several youtube videos. I'm just wondering if any of you, that do this on your own, have any tips for me. I want to keep it simple and pretty well just make a couple/few different jigs that I can flip around docks and brush. If ya have any tips/tricks, please share. Or PM me if they're so super secret that by posting them publically, it may result in the changing of fishing regulations everywhere to save the species!!! (those are the tips I really want!!!)

Treat it as a hobby. Lots of information online and trial and error to get better.

That's the only reason I'm doing it. I'm WAYYY further North than most of you, so winter is NOT for fishing. Need to entertain myself for 4 months every year. Figure I can make up 20 or 30 jigs for me and my friends. Cannot WAIT!

I got in to it after talking about it for years.The best thing I can tell you is watch the videos like you have and then just start pouring and making them.You can't learn everything off the videos but they will give you a starting spot.The best way I learned is trial an error.One thing I will say is when you pour or if you use powder paint work in a well ventalated area.I have been at it for about 3 years now and it has worked into a small side business for me.Believe me I'm still working on improving the product and learning the little tricks that make things go easier.Good Luck and have fun!Nothing like that first fish you catch on YOUR JIG!

Calling Mark Perry, Calling Mark Perry.....

The main tip I can give is experiment with eyes. My Baby Doll Jig carries big eyes 1/2 inch in Diam. with a BB inside for the rattles.

I am a firm believer that the huge bass will look its pray in the eye and turn on her side to take the bait. I have seen this happen many times over the years with lures and dying bait fish on the surface.

A jig can carry all these parts to make it a fish catching machine.
It must look real, smell real, sound real, have some movement with the living rubber and vibration; all of which is what she is looking for to convince her to take the bait.

Ive have been making jigs for a couple years. I found that smoking your molds will help with flash. You can try powder painting and curing them in the oven but if you use your jigs you will just chew the paint off. I still paint my jigs to make them good but i catch plenty on the ones that I do paint. The next time you buy rubber just buy extra black and white, you will thank me later.

Also, it is very important to have a proper ventilation system. Lead fumes are dangerous. Buy a good respirator and have some time of fan/fans. Always wash your hands after and dont smoke eat or drink while pouring.

While your lead is melting, sit your mold over the pot so the heat goes into the holes. In other words, heat up your mold also. Pour a couple dry runs in your mold to make sure it is pooling completly.

Smoke your molds, vent the molds with a small file, preheat the hooks, and preheat the mold (or pour some blanks to start). Don't burn your house down.

preheat everything as stated above for solid consistent pours, pour without hooks to make sure mold is well heated and pour will come out well with hook in, preheat hooks, etc.

Man, thanks!! Great tips, keep em coming if anyone's got more..................REPEATING THE ABOVE.............CALLING MARK PACK!!!!

So, what do you guys mean by smoking them?? Is that a way to paint them? I saw these paint "baths" that you can build out of 4 inch pvc pipes and an old air filter from a fish aquarium. I was going to try that. Anyone done it? Easy as it looks on youtube or no?

Do you guys tie the skirts with wire or use the rubber bands? I HATE it when the rubber band allows any skirt to slip off the jig head or spinnerbait..........do they make good enough bands that they usually don't slip?

Just grab yourself a roll of stainless wire from home depot and wire tie, one roll for under 10 bucks will last years. Going through all that trouble to roll your own jigs might as well finish em right! Rubber really stinks compared to wire IMO and it's not hard to do...

Cut a length of wire and bend it into a "U" shape

lay your skirt material in the bottom of U leaving a bit more length of material towards the head of the jig as this will be the strands that fold back over the shank where you tie

place jig on top of skirt make a nice tight wrap (or two if you want) around the shank of the jig head with the wire

Spread the skirt strands where you want them then twist tag ends of wire togther several times

continue to twist the wire together with pliers until nice and tight, trim and fold excess wire down

Cut skirt to desired length

Go fishin!

Others may do it different but this works for me have yet to have skirt strands rain down on me on a cast like I did with rubber! I forget what gauge wire I use and I tossed the package but as long as it's not too thick to easily work with and too thin where it breaks when you tighten you'll be good to go!

Thanks, that's exactly what I was thinking!!! I just HATE rubber skirt bands! Question..........do you put the twist section of the wire at the top, the bottom, or does it not seem to matter? My gut tells me it should be on the top or bottom.

I do it on top if there's no molded in keeper bottom if there is no rhyme or reason just seems like a good spot.

I band the skirts first before I hand tie them on. This helps keep the rubber all nice and tight against the jig and frees up your hands to do the wire wraps. I use the copper wire in .020 making two wraps with one tag end of wire then one full wrap with the other crossing them over then start twisting. After I cut the access wire off and bend it over I use the needle nose to press the wire down into the wraps. Then I remove the rubber band from the skirt.

I store all my living rubber skirt spinners and jigs in the BPS page binder so they are away from all other materials that might cause a melt down. Use baby powder to preserve the skirts until you are ready to use the lure. I wash the powder off and apply scent to make the rubber come alive. After each use make sure the skirt is dry. Remove all trailers and apply baby powder then store them away in the page binder. They will last for years.

This same skirt care is also excellent for silicone skirts. Silicone and the rubber bands do not get along that is why you find your skirts laying in the bottom of the storage system you are using. Hand tie those also and use baby power to preserve them. The problem is silicone will not hold scent; but you can keep putting it on every hour or so to help attract the the bass and kill the human odor.