Fatman

For the heavier powders try adding some clear to them just to level them out. I have problems with black, brown and white in my fluid beds and I have pretty good mesh material I got from a friend. Add a little at a time because if you add to much you'll get a transparent color on your jigs.

Round bend - helps the bait hang straighter. How much finesse are you talking?? Simmons Sporting Goods in Bessemer, AL phone 205-426-0490 has a custom Eagle Claw Classic SPECIAL Bronze 1350, and the last time I checked they were about $10 a hundred. Not sure if they have any besides size 2. They are not listed at Capt Hooks or Shorty's.

Thanks Very much!!! I've posted this for some buddies that do heavy wire bending. I've got a little hand held DuBro that's able to be used on light weight wire.

Any thing you can tie a fly or bass jig with you can tie on a hook for crappie. Any fly pattern you can also tie for them. There's a guy over on Fly Anglers On line http://flyanglersonline.com/ by the name of RickZ who ties a LOT of flys and bugs for crappie and bluegill - Do a search on "Rich Zeiger" he has lots of articles and shows lots of different patterns.

Bait Junkys is going to offer a Evo Magnum head shakey jig but that's all they're listing right now. http://www.shopbaitjunkys.com/Evo-Magnum-Shakey-Headz_c_188.html

He posted: EVO MAGNUM SHAKEY HEADZ not a lot of info yet and 4 sizes of MUSTAD EYE LIDZ, more info to come.

Got hold of Mark at Mustang wire as I didn't see WER-30 Wire forms for the old Do-It ED (Erie Dearie copy) and due to an over run he has the wires to fit. He has the following wire diameters and length per 1000. A great deal!!! He has 1000 less of the .030 as I placed an order. .030 X 6" 34.55 .032 X 6" 38.82 .032 X 8" 38.82 These are also subject to the usual terms and conditions ($6 handling for orders under $200, freight, 10% excise tax are additional, unless you have a tax ID#) .

Update on the site saying it's delayed being posted due to bad weather.

I've been using them for 30+ yrs. and yeah they'll leak. I've used hard/soft mix and while I've got it to stop for a while it starts up again. I'll say up front I'm the weird one on here that empty's and cleans the pot after every use as I don't have a workshop where I can leave it. When I'm pouring I have a long length of spinner making wire and an old bass jig with the tip cut off and bent into an L shape. I'll stick a small metal cup I have under the pour spout and then run the wire back and forth out the pour spout and then using heavy pliers and good gloves (which you should have anyway) I'll push that wire up into the spout to knock blocks out. I can deal with minor drips it just seems thats the way they are. Wish I could afford and RCBS pot everyone I know that's bought one has no leak problems. Just be safe!!!

first I've heard it. Any other info??

This is one i've never heard of!! I have Shimano's from the 1980"s and up. TX, AX, Symetre, SideStabs,syncopaths and on. And like you I go into beaver ponds and other hard to reach places here in Vermont, and originally in NY and no wear on the bails or the wires. Can I ask what type of line you use?? I've talked to several folks in the past who had problems due to using Braided line, spider wire etc. Go on ebay and type in shimano bail, reel name and model. Being an older reel you may find a part for cheap or a beater reel of the same kind for parts but on these ask for a picture.

Sent you 2 pm's!! Especially look at the second one!!!

I've seen it but I have better things to spend my money on!!

You could check with Mustang wire http://www.mustangwire.com/products.htm

Thanks - with all I've cut from the Hairline bags it looks like I haven't touched them. For $5 a bag and $8 for all the parts to make the two cutters I've saved a bunch of money.

see lots of references on a web search to "spinnerbaits" but not buzzbaits.

Thanks - I'm trying to figure out how to dye some big pieces of rabbit that I have but have to figure out how to do it and keep them soft. Talking to some people on a few taxidermy sites and haven't heard back yet.

Finally got all the stuff to put a Zonker cutter together today. Made it to better protect my fingers than the one on YouTube and also made this small one to use on the pieces from the Hairline rabbit pieces packs, you can get a whole lot of strips from these. I pick up a few packs at Cabela's every year when I go out for my grand daughters birthday. Panels from a Mink Fur Coat my daughter brought me Did regular and Cross-Cuts and had a gallon zip bag full of each. You don't see much waste from underfur as I cleaned out the tank on the vacume cleaner and after cutting the strips used just the hose attachment and sucked the strips in then any loose stuff on the floor and bagged that in a zip bag to use for dubbing. and because it was a waist length coat have plenty left to cut more. I finally cut the sable into cross-cuts and they are huge!! I'm probably going to have to brush out a little of the underfur on the top part when I use them. The mink and sable strips are probably the most expensive Zonker strips I have!! LOL

The white from Pro-Tec and Janns is a really heavy powder and I can never get it to work right, even thinned out - I've gone to white pearl that I got from Rosys. Like the little shaker idea!

I don't pour them myself but I traded for a bunch of them and this is how they came I bend the wire into an L shape and trim any flash I powder paint them and then stick the wires through the side of an aluminum bread pan to cure them. Haven't had any problems getting them off, when done I use .031 wire and make my spinners

I learned alot from folks that are much better at this than I am - and if I can pass along something to save someone some time and money then it's paying it forward for what I learned from them. Simple stuff: Never take the wifes stuff!! Buy your own strainers and measuring spoons (get metal). buy the the wife new baking sheets and take her old ones. Make sure to get the raised letter Ball or Mason jars they'll take the heat. and have fun with it! it definately beats buying small bags of dyed feathers when you can dye your own from somthing you hunt or if a hunting buddy gives you a bunch of feathers.

Some of the Kool-Aid colors work good others don't. but the Fly Dye from Anglers Workshop at $7.95 a jar works good - Yes it doesn't look like a lot of dye but when you're only using a 1/2 teaspoon it does leave a lot. And also consider that RIT liquid dye runs anywhere from $3.50 to $4, which will make 2 batchs of dye (each one takes 1/2 bottle). If doing a bucktail your probably looking at the whole bottle And neither Jacquards or RIT has Flourescent colors. On feathers you can trim the fluffy stuff off unless you use certain colors of it on other fly patterns. Unless you have a really good fly shop in your area you won't find the Veniards, and Fly Dye is a product of Anglers Workshop.

Tying your own is fun - Figure out what length you want your bucktail hair to be. Premium tails with long hair can be tough to find. There's been threads on here for guys looking for them with real long hair and having a tough time finding them. X2 on Cad - talk to him about what you're looking for in a head style and hook.

For years I resisted learning how to dye materials, but I finally took the plunge. Here's all the threads I did and all the different dye's I tried. I'm posting a link to it as there is a lot of stuff, from how to clean them correctly and the proper jars to use - TRUST ME ON THIS ONE!!!!!!!LOL Read through them and if you have any questions I'll try and help you out. I am by no mean an expert but I can try and steer you away from all the mistakes I made. Although I like some of the kool-aid and RIT colors, my favorite dyes have turned out to be Fly Dye from Anglers Workshop and Veniards Dye that I get from Stone River Outfitters in New Hampshire (they only order the Veniards twice a year, so at times they can be out of some colors) - but you can also get it from Trout Catchers in England. http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-tying-lure-making-forum/315010-chartruse-dye/

Capt Hooks lists the 32755BR as the old style 32756. http://www.captainhookswarehouse.com/index.cfm?page=products&manid=2&catid=5&sizeid=0&view=1&offset=1 I fish a lot of trout here in Vermont with jigs and I use black chrome sickles along with all the old regular aberdeens I have poured up. The aberdeens I use are old stock Mustads and EC's which IMO better than the newer ones