For those that know me, also know I have a hard time putting money out for the things I do myself. Making rods and tackle is a hobby I just can’t let go of. For me, its rewarding to to tweak things to accomplish the results I desire.
For anyone interested in making their own bass jigs, its pretty easy to accomplish the basics. There are a number of websites that offer reasonable deals on the tools and supplies.
During the winter, I cast jigs and paint them for later use. As time passes and I look over my inventory, I look at what is a priority to make. I also keep a log of what I have used, and what I want to change.
Swim jigs and flipping jigs a very similar. With flipping jigs, the more strands you add, the slower the fall. I usually target about 70 strands including any crystal flash or tinsle. With swim jigs, less is more desirable. I usually use about 45 to 55 strands. With silicone skirt material, there is about 20 strands per segment.
Lay the material flat and stack your strands. Load a collar on the collar pliers. I use a mono loop to pull the material through the opened collar. I usually set the collar at the aprox 1/3 mark of the strands. Trim the tabs off of the ends of the silicone. Align the hook to achieve the pattern your looking for. Run the hook through the center of the material and slide it into place. Inspect and done! These are very simplified instructions, but is is the basics of how they are made.
Fun to play with the color combinations also!
