bass100

Jaw, the lead head is way faster and easier. It is also a much, much smaller head. Where the lead meets the crimp is not a smooth transition but you can make it look good with the finish you put on it. You can even powder coat the heads if you want (I just airbrush them and epoxy).

Those are the crimps that I use Mags. Apdriver, if you hand tighten the crimps they will slide. I use heavy duty crimping pliers and I crimp by using a pair of channel locks on the back of the crimping pliers to get them real tight. Once you do that you cant move them at all. I use regualr black nickel swivels from walmart and they spin great. I use the shake-it jig mold from do-it. The mold will take 2/0 to 5/0. If you modify the mold to take a wire weedguard they are even better. I also use weighted swimbait hooks.

If you have been ordering your plastic from them they will send you a sample if you ask. I can not comment on their new formula as I have only tried it before they improved it.

I use Q-tip sticks to mix with. I just cut off the cotton on one end and stir. As far as airbubbles I never get them. When I put my baits on my turning wheel I have a heat gun pointed at them from about 1.5 feet away. It is just enough heat to pop all the bubbles and it levels out the epoxy perfectly.

Apdriver, I use #3.5 or #4 blades on my rigs.

Jaw, I am actually using the aluminum lead mold, it has 2 sizes 1/4 oz and 3/8 oz. I started with the silicone molds from fishingskirts but they are just too much work for me and the heads are to big for me. When I used the silicone molds I made them with fiberglass resin. As far as wire harnesses, I make all my own. I use .40 and .51 straight shaft wires from hagensfish.com. You can make 100 wire harnesses for less than $30. Although making the wire harnesses aren't hard they are definately time consuming.

I make umbrella rigs like Jaw does but I use crimps. All my rigs are made with fishingskirts.com's A-rig mold.

That is how I did it a few years back and at the time the only place you could get the screw lock nekos was from Japan ($5.99 per 5 weights). So I started making my own. I was the first to have a whole neko weight line in the US and it allowed me to pick up many new companies, here and abroad. It lasted for 2 years and then everyone caught on to how easy they were to make. In those 2 years I made more money on those weights than I did on all my other products put together. The key was the football neko weight because I was the only one in the world at the time that made them. So simple but no one was doing it. Yes the round shakey head and the football shakey head make great neko weights and it will save you alot of money.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=42549&catid=704

I am the same way. I don't thin anything. I use createx and wildlife colors.

For dipping go here and check the info out. http://dakotalakestackle.com/FAQ.html I myself like Solarez but it is not as glossy as others. How glossy a bait is only matters to sellers becaue in the water they all look the same. I dull my baits up because I don't want them glossy.

Years ago when I was playing with MCU I had the same problem. I discovered it was my base coat that was wrinkling. I then base coated with createx and I had no problems.

I have three different blanks and all the bills are split down the middle. The plastic is so brittle that the bills will break off, the line tie and hook hangers are not even close to being consistent from blank to blank, and there will be close to 20% broke during shipping. The blank shapes are great looking but the factory making them needs a bit more practice. My first order was great then I made an order for three more blank styles and they were all bad. I got to thinking maybe the factory was getting rid of its poor blanks to the little guys.

This is what I use http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/abs/abs51-i-3/8.htm I have been on one brush for 2 years now. Like most hair brushes you won't get brush strokes in your epoxy but you can get a loose hair or 2. Solve this problem by taking a pair of pliers and squeezing the metal that the hair is pinched in and then pull any loose hair out. I clean mine with acetone. After I clean mine with acetone I rack the brush over a 3/4" round copper pipe cleaner. It makes your brush fluffy again and it takes out any loose hair and any epoxy that I may have not got cleaned out.

Are you using a ladel or a bottom pour pot. If you are using a bottom pour pot, put the mold closer to the spout when pouring. It sounds like your lead is cooling before it gets to the bottom of the mold.

I was a member BASS since 1992 until last month. I got mad because all the articles in the mag, I read on their website but that didn't stop me from unsubscribing it was the fact that they doubled the price but didn't give anything extra for doing it. I love my Basstimes though. I just got my first issue of FLW Bass magazine 2 weeks ago and am very impressed. I was not impressed with the multi species magazine and didn't know they had a bass only magazine until recently.

I forgot to mention that I use the bent eye hooks. You can use a straight eye hook but it may limit the wire thickness that you can use. I don't wacky fish much at all but I do use these hooks with my neko rig alot. Without the weedguard you want your hook point to be pointing towards the bait but with the weedguard you can have the hook point facing away from the bait which will give you better hook-ups and still be weedless.

I was asked to post some pics of how I put my wire on the hook so here is a couple. 1) cut a piece of wire and bend in half 2) put the tag ends of the wire through the eye of the hook from the bottom of the hook 3) put the hook between the two wires and slip over the back of the hook. (use pliers to pull on the tag ends) 4) when the wire is pulled tight it is locked into place on the hook shaft. You can now tie off the wire and epoxy. When the cure is done bend the wires to the desired position. I have made a few of these for the guys and no one has had a problem yet.

Sorry Cadman we posted at the same time. I do the same thing that Cadman does except that I throw them in the shaker at the end.

I have a very effective way for polishing all lead. I use a 5lb shaker (not a tumbler). You can get them from harbor freight. I have tried all kinds of mediums in it but the one that does the trick is zinc coated BBs. You can get the BBs from Walmart. I run my lead jigs, weights, etc. in the shaker for 10 minutes.

If you dip you jigs in the powder and then pull out the voids will be very apparent but if you dip and then swirl your jig in a circle it will fill all minor voids. If the voids are bigger swirl your jig twice. Give it a try you will be surprised.

I make these also and they are quick and easy to make. Take the wire you have chosen and fold it in half. Then hold the V-bend of the wire you just bent against the hook shaft on the hook point side. Take one of the wires and bring it around the left side of the hook shaft and put it through the eye of the hook and take the other wire and bring it around the right side of the hook shaft and put it through the hook eye. Then pull both wires and it will lock the wire in place on the hook shaft. Then tie around the wire and the hook with braided line the same way you would tie a hair jig. I then take a black sharpie and color the braid. Epoxy and let cure. Then just bend the wires over to the desired position.

I don't pour Ika's so I can't tell you. I rarely make senkos but when I do I use M-F super soft sinking plastic and add 1/2 cup of salt per 2 cups of plastic. I don't use any softner with the super soft plastic but if you do make sure you use the softner sold for the sinking plastic or you wil turn your sinking plastic into neutral bouyant plastic. My 5.25" sticks weigh 180.8 grains and GY weighs 169.9 grains.

I use M-F sinking plastic. It is clear.

Jig man gave you good info. Flukes with a little bit of weight have far more action when used as a traditional fluke. Flukes with no weight added have a tendency to jump out of the water and not have a good side to side action. I choose to use sinking plastic versus salt but either way a little weight is needed for that side to side action and to keep the bait under the water.