I don't know if my friendly Texas competitor's have a more durable head than I do, never tested theirs as I'm sure they haven't tested mine.

I can assure you though I've heard nothing but good things about Black Angel and Talon from friends and fishing acquaintances.

I know however what I do, and that's to epoxy coat each head. The jigheads are powder painted and then a layer of epoxy is applied. It makes them chip resistant not chip 'proof'.

If you throw jigs in rocks they will chip over time. I fish my jigs until I lose them, no matter how many fish I've caught on em' or how many chips they've got in em or how many skirt strands have been torn in half. I fish them as long as they perform the job they are intended to do.... fool fish well enough for them to give me a chance to set my hook Seems to me a consensus is that the fish don't care.

If you're confidence is in something that is designed to not chip and is tested specifically for that. I'd suggest Talon as I have personally heard good things about the Intellicoat. No knock on other companies out there, just stating what 'I' have heard about them from people I trust. In the end it's about your CONFIDENCE more than anything.

Hope all this helped the joho5 and others. I'm glad we have so many representatives in the industry that can help on the forum. It's good when it's actual discussion as opposed to plugging.

I would have to agree with everyone about it is a confidence thing. I don't always have a painted weight when I fish a T-rig. so I think a jig would have the same affect. Remember lures are made to catch fishermen not fish

Joe has it. Sharpie for touch ups.
Wouldn't worry about unless lead gets a
sharp edge.

As soon as I buy a new jig/jigs i coat them with "harder than nails" (found at any beauty supply house) 2 maybe 3 coats. It doesn't make them chip proof but really makes them resistant for much longer. When they get too bad I usually just throw them in my on deck jar for stuff to do something with like melt down and cast some .38spl bullets or something.
The HTN coating really keeps them sweeter for a while longer and only takes moments to apply.

I was fishing with a friend and his jig head was plain lead colored and he caught more fish than myself or our friend that was also with us on Fork.

I like unpainted too but if it bothers you I saw one person that heats the lead with a torch, becareful not to met the lead, then dips it in powder coat paint. The powder coating is alot more resistant to chipping.

I've caught several "big fish" in tourneys on jigheads without any paint (I have them made for me that way). So, whatever you have confidence in.

But the real answer is - It just doesn't matter, because after you spend time and money on it to fix it up, it'll get caught in the rocks on your first cast and you'll break it off anyway - LOL. Always seems to happen to me it seems.

bassfishinglawyer covers it I think. I coat mine usually when I'm tying flies and am using the HTN to cover the whip finish and have it in front of me but I think really im just wasting time. I dont think it makes a hoot.

Lots of the crappie guys believe in unpainted lead jigs.

Try the Black Angel Jigs with the tentacles on them. Real life like for a crawfish.