BuckMaxx Posted December 14, 2014 Report Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) I have been trolling around many of the forums and FB. I don't mean to sound disrespectful but It seems every where you go you couldn't throw a rock and not hit a "custom" jig maker in the back of the head. I question why this is? It seems that if you purchase premade heads and add the appropriate skirting materials you are quickly in the $2 range before the jig leaves the door. I have been pouring my own heads, on mostly Gamakatsu, adding weedgaurds paint and skirt. There is no way I could comepete when I factor in quality components and my time. I make a few here and there for buddies and bass club guys but by far don't make anything doing it. SO with that said...I wonder how these guys all get a piece of the proverbial pie, when it comes to jig sales? Edited December 14, 2014 by BuckMaxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaery Posted December 14, 2014 Report Share Posted December 14, 2014 Why would you spend so much money on a boat, fishing pole, tackle, gas, etc... to catch a fish when you can buy them a whole lot cheaper in the store already cleaned? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted December 14, 2014 Report Share Posted December 14, 2014 I'm a custom jig maker, and have been doing it for over 10 years. I can tell you that with the advent of the internet, there are more custom jig makers now then ever. I think because there is so much info available to people, and many of them think that it is cheaper to make them than to buy. However on a small scale it is not, if you are going to invest money into it and do this through the good times and the bad, then you will make some money. Let's face it we won't quit our full time job. I know guys that are selling custom jigs complete for $2.00 a jig. Lot of these guys are in the southern states, and I believe the labor wage is lower so they can sell it for less. Also there are a lot of jigs that are just plain crap. It all depends on what you want. If you want something special that you cannot find in a store, the custom guys are there to help. I make jigs because it is a passion for me more than a business. I love doing it and it challenges me to be really creative. Also all said and done, I can make some gas money for the boat, and most of all, I can get so much information from other guys that fish. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaspumper Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 I have been making jigs since 1980.Most of the jigs (75%)I make are 3/4 ounce for walleye,heavy current areas,I sell on average 8000 per year,it costs me $175.00 per 1000 to make,I sell them retail $2.50 per jig plus I wholesale to several tackle shops for $1.65 each.Wholesale I would make $1300.00 per 1000. Retail would be $2325.00 per 1000 jigs.I just retired 3 weeks ago I figure that's not to bad of an income for extra spending money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LedHed Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 In it for the passion not the money. I do primarily panfish jigs now - use to do saltwater also. Think there is a larger profit margin for the ultra light stuff.... A jigmaker can take a chunk of lead & hook, with a variety of materials, create a work of art that can fool a fish. It's a feeling that is hard to express. That "feeling" is magnified when your creations are responsible for catching targeted trophy fish....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Here is a question for you, and yes, I agree there are a lot but my question, How many jig makers do you know that is in a 10 mile radius of you? In my area it is 1 other besides me but I'm not a business, I make no money, I sell to local tournament anglers only and for no more than I have in the jig. I've been doing this since 1999 and I started with spinnerbaits because it is my favorite bait but I didn't do it to sell, I wanted to make a bait that I could not buy. And as Cadman said, with the internet, you no longer have to live near a place that sells all the stuff, you can simply order it from a number of places, it was a little harder to acquire a lot of the stuff before the internet and with the wealth of information it is now easier to get into. When me and Cadman and a lot of others started doing this, there was no TU for help, when you ran into a problem you figured it out and sometimes it took a few minutes and other problems took longer, it is why we share information so freely so that people wanting to do this don't have to pull their hair out like we did. I had people ask me as to why I am so free with information and the simple answer is that if I were in the same situation, I'd want help too, plus it advances our hobby, without the sharing we would not have a lot of the stuff available to us. Finally, with so many bass clubs and jackpot tournaments plus smaller team circuits, there is always anglers looking for an edge and whether it is a jig shape, size, and color that isn't available on shelves, or it is a certain kind of hook that some guy wants, a custom jig is going to be something not everyone in a tournament is going to be throwing, the best part of this hobby is I can give 10 people the exact same mold and tell them all to make me a jig and I'm going to get back 10 totally different jigs, and that right there is why there are so many jig makers, it is the reason there are so many chefs, and that is because some guys are going to make different stuff and you'll get guys liking one type of jig over another, it is like choosing which restaurant or fast food joint you are going to go to, trust me, there is room for even more custom jig makers because we, as anglers, are never satisfied with what we have, we always look to try something new and/or different. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 I have been making jigs since 1980.Most of the jigs (75%)I make are 3/4 ounce for walleye,heavy current areas,I sell on average 8000 per year,it costs me $175.00 per 1000 to make,I sell them retail $2.50 per jig plus I wholesale to several tackle shops for $1.65 each.Wholesale I would make $1300.00 per 1000. Retail would be $2325.00 per 1000 jigs.I just retired 3 weeks ago I figure that's not to bad of an income for extra spending money. Pardon me for raining on your parade but your cost quotes are a bit off- 3/4 oz jigs x 1000 = 750 pds of lead. @ the cost of $.25 a pound for lead ( which is ridiculously cheap) -your lead cost is $187.50. Now factor in the cost of 1000 hooks. You may wish to check your arithmetic. Don't forget the 10% excise tax due on gross sales before you raise the profit banner. I have not even mentioned/deducted the cost of molds,lead melting equipment and utility cost Back on topic- I manufacture custom jigs from custom CNC molds- w/ and w/out flexible wire guards- which are not available through local retailers.They are dedicated for specific,custom soft-baits that I make.One jig/weight/style does not fit all. Cadman hit the nail squarely on the head- Self satisfaction from making a custom product. Jig manufacturing for the smaller tackle maker is not the road towards early retirement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venutian_Lures Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 (edited) I tie jigs simply because they are one of my favorite baits to use personally, along with spinner-baits. I also get really excited about skirt color combinations that I think of randomly throughout the day. I do it more for the artistic freedom of creating your own product and making it look how YOU want it to look.Pretty much the same thing goes for the crankbaits. I love cranks, I love painting. I also hate spending $8+ on a store bought crankbait (or any lure) just to have it fall apart or fail in some way with less than a weeks worth of use on it. Making baits myself, I KNOW how it was made, what exact products and hardware was used, can test them myself and adjust/problem solve issues if need be.I've also had a TON of expensive jigs come apart literally after 2 days of fishing with them. I was sick of them falling apart before they had even caught a single fish. So I make my own now, and I haven't yet found a hand tied or quality banded jig in stores. Or perhaps I'm just not looking hard enough.My bait making is more of a hobby than anything else, and although I will and do sell things when people want them. The jigs I sell at cost plus shipping, because they were never intended to be a "star product", I just like showing them off when they're finished. If someone likes them and wants them, cool! If not, more for me Edited December 15, 2014 by Venutian_Lures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass100 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 It is like asking why so many people play baseball or football and the answer is because alot of people like doing it. If you have something that others want you can make money selling it. If you are not making money with your jigs it is because you don't want to, you don't have what others want, or people don't know about you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 3/4 oz. times 1000 equals 750 oz. divided by 16 oz per pound equals 47 lb of lead at $.25 per pound equals $11.25 for lead. Musky Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 I started making my own stuff because I couldn't find what I wanted readily available locally. I love fishing the Alaska saltwater and we use custom sized tackle. 24 oz jigs here are commonplace. You don't find a lot of jigs in the sizes and styles I am wanting/needing to fish where I do. There is only one other tackle maker in my area and perhaps in my entire state making and LEGALLY SELLING saltwater jigs on a regular basis. In a way I have a Niche market. I'm not competing with 5,000 other jig makers using do-it molds. Yes I still have a day job as I don't sell enough to support my family from jig sales. So at least in my case there aren't really very many jig makers the same stuff as I do. I have a lot of CNC molds so I am also not competing with guys using do-it molds either. Besides my custom sizes and styles I also have better paints and components than most store bought jigs. So you get a better quality better fishing jig when you buy a custom jig from a small custom shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 3/4 oz. times 1000 equals 750 oz. divided by 16 oz per pound equals 47 lb of lead at $.25 per pound equals $11.25 for lead. Musky Glenn My bad- thanks for the correction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Hahn Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 There are a bunch of custom jig makers in my area. But, only a couple sell their baits. Most make their ownbaits for themselves and their partners and close friends. I make a custom jig that has the characteristics that I want in the head, weedguard, and skirt colors and materials. No mass produced jig on the market has all of these characterics in one package, so I make my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 I make tackle because I like to, and it makes a few bucks to make up for Corp. greed at work with no raises and higher medical. I make non hair jigs, hair jigs, and plain rigs for flounder, sea trout, croaker, spot and perch at the beach. A lot of my stuff gets used for fresh water also. I am a small time maker compared to a lot of people here, and 95% of what I sell is to shops at the beach. I am also one of the cheaper provideers, and I am OK with that. After all the deductions unkle sam lets me make, I still turn a good profit. Instead of beaing a couch 'tator watching hockey or football, I make tackle in the garage and watch it. Someday, I will get a site going and make a higher profit, because you do make more selling retail, not wholsale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Maxwell Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Way to go Musky Glenn. I too did the math and came up with the same answers you do. Meanwhile having a blast making something out of nothing and going out and catching a fish on it keeps me going. My biggest high is figuring out how to make something work properly while looking good at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter1 Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 I have been making jigs since 1980.Most of the jigs (75%)I make are 3/4 ounce for walleye,heavy current areas,I sell on average 8000 per year,it costs me $175.00 per 1000 to make,I sell them retail $2.50 per jig plus I wholesale to several tackle shops for $1.65 each.Wholesale I would make $1300.00 per 1000. Retail would be $2325.00 per 1000 jigs.I just retired 3 weeks ago I figure that's not to bad of an income for extra spending money. Sir, Congratulations on your business prowess. Most jig makers, even buying bulk wholesale, have about $0.40 in direct cost. Indirect costs like energy and capital costs like molds, pouring equipment & shop space can be different for each individual but I'm guessing your CPA could justify adding 50% to that number in demonstration of actual expenses. Add excise tax and cost to package the product and it becomes difficult to see how someone can sell a 3/4 oz walleye jig for $0.51 each not to mention labor & transportation costs. But this guy and many more sell at these "everyday low prices" http://www.riverwalleyes.com/lead-head-jigs.html I applaud your ability to not only sell at 3 x to 5x your competitors rates - but to do it 8,000 times each year might make you eligible to be Donald Trumps Apprentice. Like some others here, my interest is not commercial so I wish you the best of luck. I remain ever grateful to the guys that freely share tips and advice on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 There are many ways to keep cost down. One is packaging. If you us a slip of card stock or paper in your poly bag, find a local sheetfed printing company around your area and ask for their off cuts, or extra stock. You can get GREAT prices, and may even find one place that the people fish, and just give it to you for a few jigs or sinkers. SOme of these places use 60# card stock that is perfect IMO for packaging. You just have to put a little time in printing/cutting to your size needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincyFisher Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 where can I find lead at $.25 per pound? I want some of that please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 where can I find lead at $.25 per pound? I want some of that please. Are you one to use wheelweights? I mix it with soft lead. I have a guy that works for Advance Auto that delivers to shops all over the place around here. He has dropped off a good 400#'s (at least) a year for the past 3 years.....free. He just asks all the shops if they will give it to him, and they do. I made some sinkers and jigs for some of the guys at the shops when they ask. So if you can buddy up with someone like that........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaspumper Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Sir, Congratulations on your business prowess. Most jig makers, even buying bulk wholesale, have about $0.40 in direct cost. Indirect costs like energy and capital costs like molds, pouring equipment & shop space can be different for each individual but I'm guessing your CPA could justify adding 50% to that number in demonstration of actual expenses. Add excise tax and cost to package the product and it becomes difficult to see how someone can sell a 3/4 oz walleye jig for $0.51 each not to mention labor & transportation costs. But this guy and many more sell at these "everyday low prices" http://www.riverwalleyes.com/lead-head-jigs.html I applaud your ability to not only sell at 3 x to 5x your competitors rates - but to do it 8,000 times each year might make you eligible to be Donald Trumps Apprentice. Like some others here, my interest is not commercial so I wish you the best of luck. I remain ever grateful to the guys that freely share tips and advice on this site. The jigs I sell are bucktail jigs not just the jig head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 (edited) where can I find lead at $.25 per pound? I want some of that please. You can't.It was meant to be a joke. I believe the price per pound for 200 pds of good lead from Roto Metals is $2.12 per pound. I think Cadman buys from them regularly and will correct me if I'm incorrect.I will not use wheel weights due to the contaminants and whatever else is in there. I use 99% pure soft lead for jigs and lead w/ antimony for spinner and buzz-baits. Edited December 31, 2014 by smallmouthaholic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 From Roto metals price sheet- http://www.rotometals.com/default.asp 100 pds pf 99.9% pure lead is $2.53 per pound 100 pds of lead w/ antimony and tin is $3.11 per pound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 I've been getting pure lead from the local scrap yard at $0.75 a pound. Just load up my smelting pot and melt it down outside. Most all of it is roof sheathing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 You can't.It was meant to be a joke. I believe the price per pound for 200 pds of good lead from Roto Metals is $2.12 per pound. I think Cadman buys from them regularly and will correct me if I'm incorrect.I will not use wheel weights due to the contaminants and whatever else is in there. I use 99% pure soft lead for jigs and lead w/ antimony for spinner and buzz-baits. Yes, I do buy exclusive from them. I buy the pure and also the lead with the antimony. I bought about 500# about 2 years ago and paid about $2.30/lb with free shipping. Lead prices do fluctuate. I used to buy lead from the scrap yard here, but he raised his price to $3.50/lb. So I buy it all from Roto-Metal, and anything else I can get free or cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 I've been getting pure lead from the local scrap yard at $0.75 a pound. Just load up my smelting pot and melt it down outside. Most all of it is roof sheathing. That is a great price. Get all you can, you can then sell it for more if you don't need it. Lead is almost like gold around here LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
