smalljaw

I wrote about this a very long time ago and I don't think it has changed yet. I'm a spinnerbait junkie, it is my favorite lure and it was the one that got me started in making my own tackle. Anyway, after I figured out the spinnerbait and how to adjust it and changing wire diameters and blade spacings, I decided to look into titanium wire forms and I learned a lot. The first thing is titanium is very brittle in raw form, to make wire forms it is cut to length and then bent and then it is put through the tempering process. After that the body is poured and then the top loop on a titanium wire form is then bent enough to get the clevis on, then the beads and then the swivel and blade. I'm telling you this because anyone that has used a Terminator long enough has either found one with a top loop with a big gap or they didn't notice it and reeled in a bait the lost the swivel and blade. That happens because the loop wasn't bent all the way during the tempering process and once it was tempered it can't be closed because it retains its shape which is why it was used for wire forms to begin with. With that said, it likely means you will have to buy titanium wire forms already made and bent, and then go through the hassle of trying to get the blades and spacers on. Cadman told you how the wire would have to be tempered but you would need to heat up the entire wire to an exact degree and then have it cooled down at a certain rate or it would be junk. This is the reason you don't see many titanium baits on the market because it costs a lot to make them and for the small manufacturer and home hobbyist it just can't be done unless you find the wire forms already made and I don't remember ever finding any when I looked for them. You aren't the first to want to make them in titanium but look around and see how many there are on the market, you'll be shocked to know that there isn't many around because it isn't easy and it is costly to do. I don't mean to try to dissuade you from looking into it but I think this is feasible just yet but if you can find a way to do that would be awesome.

For regular hair jigs it depends on where I'm using them and whether it is largemouth or smallmouth. A 1/4oz hair jig for largemouth may has a 2/0 or even a 3/0 heavy wire hook. The same type of jig in a 1/4oz foe smallmouth will probably have a light or standard wire hook in a 1/0 and the main reasons are do to the places I'm fishing for each one. For largemouth I know I'll be around brush so my tackle will be heavier with a 1/4oz jig. I will probably be using a medium power rod with 10# or 12# line. For smallmouth I'll be fishing rocks mostly and I'll be using lighter line, probably 6# with a medium power spinning rod. For me a 1/4oz hair jig for smallmouth is big, and that is because when I'm targeting smallmouth I'm usually fishing a river environment so the water will probably be high if I'm using that weight. The lakes I fish for smallmouth have a dominate largemouth population and most areas you will catch both so I lean toward heavier jigs in those lakes. So you can probably tell by now that I get a little too specific but it works for me and gives me reason to make more jigs...LOL!! If you let me know how you intend to use the hair jigs you are going to make I can tell you what hook sizes I'd go with.

I do the same as Jig Man, 1/16oz size #2 hook but for 1/8oz I go to a #1 hook, I don't go over 1/8oz for that technique.

Safety pin spinnerbait is what is typically used for bass fishing, just google "Tandem spinnerbait" and you'll see what I'm referring too. It is different that the in-line spinner you are making, that is why you have to look at everything from the wire diameter to the clevis size and the weight of the body. Have you tried giving the bait a sharp twitch or jerk to try to get the blade started? I know that there are a lot of commercially made spinners than need to be ripped once or twice to get them started.

RH means "round head" , the 38 is "3/8", and the 2 is "2 cavity", that is how the mold is identified. There are 2 types of weed guard usually used, a wire weed guard and a fiber weed guard, the mold is specifying it was designed to be poured with the fiber guard inserted. Just like Cadman told you, measure the opening, there are 4 standard size fiber weed guards, an FG-9 which is 1/16" diameter, FG-12 which is 5/64" diameter, then the FG-30 which is 1/8" in diameter, and the FG-40 which is 5/32" in diameter. So measure the slot for the weed guard and that will tell you which weed guard you need and the size pin you will need. I'm guessing it is 1/8" as that is the most common size for a 3/8oz jig head but it is just a guess.

I think the head would be fine but I too would prefer a ring collar to get some flair out of the skirt. I've made them a lot of different ways and I actually prefer using the flat eye hook and single split ring blade attachment. I get a lot more erratic action that way and I found a head style that I like so much I stopped using other head styles. It is the Trokar Pro Swim Jig, I like the 3/8oz and 1/2oz the best, it swims erratic at higher speeds without blowing out compared to round and football shaped heads. I know you don't want to get a new mold but I'm sure a lot of guys here can pour you some at a reasonable price.

The ghost blades seem to be ok on a safety pin type spinnerbait. I never tried them on an in-line but I have some things you may try that could help. The first is clevis type, I'm assuming you are using like .024" - .028" diameter so your clevis size should be fine but if you are using a folded clevis try a stirrup or easy spin. Most inline spinner guys prefer the folded clevis but the stirrup clevis spins easier, so if you are using a #1 folded clevis try the same size stirrup clevis unless you are using .030" or larger wire. You may also want to try using a heavier body, the extra weight will allow you to give a little more speed to your retrieve which should help. As I said, I have used those blade on safety pin spinnerbaits and I used a #3 Colorado on a size #2 clevis on .031" diameter wire on a 3/8oz bait but that set up is much different than what you are doing.

If it follows the timeline of other Owner releases it will be February or March before you see them. It may also be one of those hooks that you have to get direct from Owner, vendors don't carry a lot of inventory of Owner because the profit margins are really low.

Go with 5/32", I say that because that size will work with size #3 spinner as well as a #5 or #6.

I'll echo the others, it seems to go on heavier than Columbia coatings or Protec. I was using the flat black and it was ok if I sprayed it but in a fluid bed it wasn't working. The temp is really touchy with it, I tried using real low temps in order for it to just adhere to the heads I was painting but that didn't work. Then 1 more second of heat and it seemed to be ok but it produced a real heavy coat.

I really like VMC hooks that I've been getting. I'm really a fan of the 60 degree 7161 heavy wire in the smaller size 2 and 1. I've been using the 7250 black nickel spinnerbait for a long time now, well over 6 years and I'm going to try a few more models before the spring.

It depends on what you mean by "strong". The 7147 is a light wire hook similar to a Mustad 32746.

What did you use? You stuck toothpicks into lead???? Sorry but it is hard for me to understand exactly what you did.

From what you described it sounds to me like you aren't pushing forward while twisting, a very common mistake when first using a bender like this. I have a different one but the same principle applies, you have to have forward pressure to keep the wire wraps nice and tight otherwise you get the "bread tie" effect.

The sparkie head is basically the same head as the style "s" with the difference being the sparkie has a longer collar area. The Style "s" and the sparkie are more rounded and have the majority of the weight forward vs the arky which is more flat due to the weight being more evenly distributed. For what it is worth, both jigs work well for me but if I want a more stand up type presentation I use an arky jig and if I'm going to drag more or fish around grass and brush then the sparkie is my choice but they all can be used as all purpose heads.

Congrats, you got a fresh batch!!!!! Seriously, they will have that smell when first made and it will wear off like others have said. If you want rid of the smell faster, like a day or 2 then spread the material out on a small plastic sheet and cover with baking soda and let it sit for a full 24 to 48 hours. The only thing is you will need to rinse the material off under warm water to get the baking soda off all the way but it doesn't take long to dry. For me, if I didn't need to use them right away I'd just take them out of the bag and let them air out for a few days, it doesn't take long once they are out of the bag.

I think you are fine and I too would go with the #2 clevis since you are only using .030" wire. The only change I'd make is going solid beads over the hollow, and the reason is the brass body you are using is light so there isn't any need to save weight so just go all solid beads including the beads that the clevis will be spinning on.

Are you talking about a reducer pin to turn the FG-30 size into an FG-12 or do you want a pin for a mold that uses the FG-12 size weedguard? I'm asking because the pins that are turned down are made so you can use the smaller size weedguard in a jig mold made for the larger weedguard. I know there are some that are looking for pins for the 1/8oz poison tail or the football jig that uses the FG-12 weedguard and the turned down pins won't work for that application.

I make a heavy wire hook version of the Eakins jig. I use the mold in the link Munkin posted and I use the 3/8oz cavity with an Eagle Claw 2706 in a 3/0 but you can use the Mustad 32796 as well. I like the 3/0 because it is a respectable size hook but it still allows me to make a jig with a smaller profile because to me a finesse jig is 1/4oz and under. I only use that heavy hook version for fishing heavier cover, most of my Eakins style jigs I make are 1/4oz or 5/16oz with a 3/0 or 4/0 Eagle Claw 2798BP because I'm using them on rock flats with sparse cover. What got me is the jig in that picture looks like an Arky head with square rubber that is cut shorter than normal. Not a bad jig but different from what is described in the article.

Go to speedy metals and get a piece of round stock in the 304 stainless rod, they have the 5/64" diameter you want. http://www.speedymetals.com/pc-1838-8270-564-rd-304-stainless-steel-cold-finished-annealed.aspx

Where?? The 5/64" is an FG-12.

Clevis size is dictated more on wire diameter than blade size. That said, you really need a lot more specifics when it comes to your questions. What kind of blade and size? As for the beads, you don't want glass and you don't want the clevis spinning on plastic beads in larger sizes. Bucktails? Are you talking bucktail spinners used for Pike and Musky? It makes a difference because most Bass stuff it tied with flat waxed nylon thread in a 210 denier but if I was tying bucktail for a musky spinner I'd use 280 denier gel spun thread which by brand it will be Ultra Thread 280 GSP. I can give you better answers but I need to know what wire diameter you are using for your spinners, what size blades and what weights you intend on using, and by weight you just need to give me the weight of the brass body you are going to use or the weight of whatever type of body material it is.

I don't paint many chatterbait blades but I have done a few. I have only used candy colors but I use my hobby sandblaster to spray the powder on for a nice thin coat. I hold the blade just like I do a spinner blade, I use a small wood food skewer that I shaved the end a little thinner with a utility knife. The skewer goes into the bottom hole tight enough to keep it wedged and then I hit the blade with a little heat and spray the powder on. I cure them by hanging on a rack in my toaster oven, I made blade hangers out of Christmas ornament hangers I got at the dollar store, just bend one end to go on the rack and the other end in a "V" shape that holds the blade without touching the painted surface.

I ordered a lot of stuff from them. Call them and a person answers the phone and they are very nice, the name is real pro sport fishing. I'll leave a link to the hook so you can get the catalog number. http://luremaking.com/catalogue/catalogue-index/catalogue-items/hooks/l2381_needle.htm

I'll try to help but knowing what size jig you plan on making and types of areas you intend to fish them in will help. Since you are targeting largemouth I'm going to assume you are looking at tying jigs in the 1/4oz to 3/8oz range. If that is the case I'll also assume you are fishing brush, rock, docks and sparse weeds and I assume that because you are looking at an arky style head. The arky head works really well, I've been using the Trokar Arky style jig because it uses a heavy hook and it has a ring collar, it also has a flat bottom which makes it great for craw style jigs. I've been tying some hair jigs with that head in a 1/4oz with a 2/0 VMC 7161 hook, the smaller hook works great with small chunk trailers to give the jig a small profile. Since you said you are looking to make baitfish imitators as well I'd look into a mold like the poison tail jig mold, the 28-30 degree hook it uses makes it ideal for a swimming presentation but it still has a wide bottom so you can drag, crawl, and hop it very effectively as well but you aren't going to use heavy tackle as the hooks that are used for it are mostly standard wire but hair jigs are typically finesse baits but there are a lot of anglers that want to use finesse presentations with power fishing tackle, that doesn't work too well in most cases. So if you can give some more details as to where, when, and how you plan to use the hair jigs you intend to make, I think we all may be able to help you a little more.