Painter1 Posted March 8, 2015 Report Share Posted March 8, 2015 I am curious about how these jigs differ in use and presentation. I haven't really used either one and welcome your thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted March 8, 2015 Report Share Posted March 8, 2015 Both are very versatile but if heavy cover is the deal then the Snootie wins hands down. I use a 5/8oz Snootie with a 5/0 Owner 5304 deep throat hook for my flipping jig. It is a big jig but it is remarkably compact and it comes through the nastiest cover. My friends look at it and ask me how I use it because it doesn't have a flat bottom to stand up on but that is the thing,, when I flip I'm not letting the jig sit, I make a flip and let it hit bottom and then I give it a shake, a lift and drop and back out to the next spot and when you fish it like that it doesn't have the time to fall over. I also use it for hollow belly swim baits and it was a friend that showed me that, he said that it looked like it would be good for that so I tried it and it is good for those. In all honesty, the thing I like most about the Snootie is the way it comes through cover, and not just brush, it is the only jig I use when I fish a lot of grass, it comes through grass like a bullet head but with the 60 degree hook it is more versatile. The poison tail is the king of versatility, what make it good isn't only the 28 and 30 degree hooks it uses but the head shape, it is more of a rocker head as the bottom has a rocking chair type curve so it is at home as a bottom probing jig but is set up more like a swim jig. I like more of a cone shape for my swim jigs but if I'm fishing an area with grass and some isolated stumps and/or laydowns I'll often use a 1/4oz or 3/8oz poison tail with a rage craw trailer, the trailer is as important as the jig because it has a lot of action on the move but nothing is chasing it so rather than pick up another rod I simply make another cast and swim it right up to the stump or laydown and then kill it. Now I have a bottom contact jig that is upright and the rage craw has the craw profile so it is more than just a lot of action, and believe me, I've caught a lot of fish by doing that and it still amazes me that they wouldn't hit it while it was swimming but working the exact same bait in a different manner made the fish eat it, and that right there sums up why the poison tail is so good. If the cover I was fishing had a lot of vegetation then I'd use the Snootie but if the cover is brush with sparse grass and you have multiple targets for bottom contact then the poison tail will be your friend but both are very versatile. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter1 Posted March 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2015 Thanks you, Sir. I have been using FB heads in these clear Ozark impoundments. We have no grass; just several kinds of rock, brush piles and old cedar trees. It sounds like the PT is my best bet. I want to try some tied with a sparse mix of hair and silicone and use a few different trailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted March 9, 2015 Report Share Posted March 9, 2015 That kind of situation I'd go for the PT myself, good call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted March 9, 2015 Report Share Posted March 9, 2015 Painter where in MO are you? Do you have the PT molds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micro Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 I have never poured a weedless mold yet, and these are the two molds that I was torn between. After doing some research I finally decided on the Snootie mold in the smaller size. I chose it bc I am a fan of the SK bitsy bug. I do have a few questions that have probably been asked several hundred times, but I am having difficulty locating the answer. 1. Are weedguards that fit this mold (1/8") diameter available that are similar to the bitsy bug. The bitsy bug has a pretty flimsy weedguard that has about 8 strands. Can i modify a weedguard and glue it into my jig without modifying my mold? 2. Is there a way to cast my weedless jigs and make them "not weedless" (no weedguard OR hole?) once again I am not comfortable with permanently modifying my mold yet. 3. Teflon pins. I already ordered everything before I learned about the advantages of teflon pins. Is there a retailer or a source that sells them without paying ~$6 shipping. I hate paying as much shipping as the product costs! 4. What EC hooks fit best in this mold? I purchased a bunch of the recommended Mustad hook, but I wanted to get a cheaper alternative hook also. Thank you for your time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) I have never poured a weedless mold yet, and these are the two molds that I was torn between. After doing some research I finally decided on the Snootie mold in the smaller size. I chose it bc I am a fan of the SK bitsy bug. I do have a few questions that have probably been asked several hundred times, but I am having difficulty locating the answer. 1. Are weedguards that fit this mold (1/8") diameter available that are similar to the bitsy bug. The bitsy bug has a pretty flimsy weedguard that has about 8 strands. Can i modify a weedguard and glue it into my jig without modifying my mold? 2. Is there a way to cast my weedless jigs and make them "not weedless" (no weedguard OR hole?) once again I am not comfortable with permanently modifying my mold yet. 3. Teflon pins. I already ordered everything before I learned about the advantages of teflon pins. Is there a retailer or a source that sells them without paying ~$6 shipping. I hate paying as much shipping as the product costs! 4. What EC hooks fit best in this mold? I purchased a bunch of the recommended Mustad hook, but I wanted to get a cheaper alternative hook also. Thank you for your time! My go to jig is the Snootie, and I too bought this mold several years ago, because of the very close resemblance to the Bitsy bug, and also the Bitsy bug was made very poorly. So I decided to make my own, and I use it to this day for that purpose. Here are some answers to your questions. #1. What I do is take a full strand weedguard, and break off 8 strands. Then I epoxy it in. Been doing it this way for 10 years now. There is a tutorial I made on how to hold the weedguard in place, for just that purpose. #2 Yes take a teflon pin, and don't shove it all the way into the hole. Again lot of guys doing this and there is a tutorial here on that as well. What you will get is a jig without a weedguard hole. No mold mod needed. #3 Yes I have quite a few, PM me and we can discuss. Shipping is about $2.50 #4 I would stay with the Mustad Black Nickle hooks #32786, or the less expensive Eagle Claw (730BP) Black Platinum. Do not use any bronze hooks, as they rust very quickly. You can also use Owner 5304 hooks and EC L111BP EWG hooks. BTW Welcome to TU. If you need more help, I can look for these tutorials and e-maIl them to you. Edited March 10, 2015 by cadman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micro Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 Thank you for the great info cadman. I will PM you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Cadman, For us hobby makers, is there any difference in performance if you just leave the weed guard out, and fish the jig with a hole in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 (edited) Cadman, For us hobby makers, is there any difference in performance if you just leave the weed guard out, and fish the jig with a hole in it? This is just my opinion for what it's worth. I fish all of my jigs whether snootie or poison tail or any other jig with weedguard capabilities three ways. #1. Like a Bitsy Bug with 8 strands of .018 weedguard. #2. With 15 strands of .018 weedguard #3 With no weedguard. Now I'll give you my logic whether you agree with me or not that is fine. Since I always wanted to make a better Bitsy Bug jig, I felt their jig was what I wanted in a lightweight jig. Except their banded skirt was poor along with their weedguard falling out and also a poor hook, which at the time was a bronze hook and it would rust. So the snootie jig fit the bill to a tee. I do believe that with me not using a full weedguard or a heavy weedguard, I catch more fish because the weedguard does not block the hook point from penetrating. So you may ask, then why use any weedguard at all? Here is my other theory. I do use a jig with out a weedguard, whether the weedguard hole is in there or not is irrelevant in my opinion. With no weedguard, you must keep the fish on a tight line, if you do not, the jig may fall out. This brings me to then why I use a jig with 7 or 15 strand weedguard? The reason for this approach is twofold. First by using 7 or 15 strands instead of 31 strands(full), I do believe that the hook point has less resistance, to penetrate, when the fish clamps down, and I can set the hook with no problem meaning mor hook-ups. Secondly, by using some weedguard whether 7 or 15 strands, the little bit of plastic strands, pushes against the inside mouth of the fish, keeping the hook embedded. The reason I know this works, is that when I fish with no weedguard, and I am trying to take a hook out of a fish, many times the hook will fall out. When the weedguard is there, it digs into the side of the mouth holding the hook in place. Since I only fish weeds, weed edges and open water I never ever use a full weedguard. This is just me and my theory. It works for me is all I can say. Edited March 11, 2015 by cadman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter1 Posted March 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 One option is to cast with the weedguard hole, about half depth, and fill with smelly jelly or that kvd chapstick-like attractant. I haven't tried it yet but I plan to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter1 Posted March 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Painter where in MO are you? Do you have the PT molds? I live in St. Louis and have a place on Table Rock, where I fish almost exclusively. I have the Snootie mold but not the Poison Tail (yet). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Both are very versatile but if heavy cover is the deal then the Snootie wins hands down. I use a 5/8oz Snootie with a 5/0 Owner 5304 deep throat hook for my flipping jig. It is a big jig but it is remarkably compact and it comes through the nastiest cover. My friends look at it and ask me how I use it because it doesn't have a flat bottom to stand up on but that is the thing,, A wide body,crayfish/beaver style trailer will give the jig balance and upright hook stability maintaining what I call central balance. A simple bath tub test w/ 1 foot of water will prove this.Too many anglers assume their plastic trailer will do this as some trailer will cause the jig to lay on it's side BTW- kids play w/ plastic toys in the bathtub- men play w/ jigs and trailers 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 A wide body,crayfish/beaver style trailer will give the jig balance and upright hook stability maintaining what I call central balance. A simple bath tub test w/ 1 foot of water will prove this.Too many anglers assume their plastic trailer will do this as some trailer will cause the jig to lay on it's side BTW- kids play w/ plastic toys in the bathtub- men play w/ jigs and trailers This is very true and one of the reasons I like a beaver style trailer on that type of jig. A trailer rigged off to one side or not on straight will affect the balance and cause the jig to not only lay on its side but fall in a different manner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) This is very true and one of the reasons I like a beaver style trailer on that type of jig. A trailer rigged off to one side or not on straight will affect the balance and cause the jig to not only lay on its side but fall in a different manner. Sometimes the length of the trailer needs to be trimmed. Once you have the correct trailer in length and width selected, slide it 3/4 of the way up onto the hook and apply a small dab of Locktite gel onto the bend of the hook shank. Complete installation and this will hold your trailer in the correct position cast after cast and working through structure w/out offsetting the jig balance by spinning around. I also place plastic structure on the bottom of the bathtub filled w/ water to see exactly how the jig and trailer reacts and corrects itself to central balance. Attention to detail is paramount to your success on today's pressured waters. edited for spelling Edited March 12, 2015 by smallmouthaholic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 A wide body,crayfish/beaver style trailer will give the jig balance and upright hook stability maintaining what I call central balance. A simple bath tub test w/ 1 foot of water will prove this.Too many anglers assume their plastic trailer will do this as some trailer will cause the jig to lay on it's side BTW- kids play w/ plastic toys in the bathtub- men play w/ jigs and trailers I got in trouble with the wife when I tried to play with beavers in the bathtub. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painter1 Posted March 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 What are your preferred hooks for the 3/8 oz Poison Tail Jig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micro Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 If I made a mold with a dremel tool in order to make my snootie mold accept a screw loc can that modified mold still accept a pin so I can add a fiber weedguard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 If you go to Barlows tackle and buy the medium size hitch hiker screw locks, you can insert the smooth back end of a 1/16" drill bit inside the screw lock. Then place it the weed guard slot with the back end of the screw lock in the head cavity and the drill bit stopping right at the entrance to the cavity. The drill bit keeps the lead from filling the center of the screw lock and even though it is only 1/16", with the screw lock around it the whole thing will fill the weed guard slot with vey little, if any flash. No modification needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 If you go to Barlows tackle and buy the medium size hitch hiker screw locks, you can insert the smooth back end of a 1/16" drill bit inside the screw lock. Then place it the weed guard slot with the back end of the screw lock in the head cavity and the drill bit stopping right at the entrance to the cavity. The drill bit keeps the lead from filling the center of the screw lock and even though it is only 1/16", with the screw lock around it the whole thing will fill the weed guard slot with vey little, if any flash. No modification needed.That is brilliant!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 If I made a mold with a dremel tool in order to make my snootie mold accept a screw loc can that modified mold still accept a pin so I can add a fiber weedguard? If you are looking to do something like the pics below, we've been doing this for years before many of the molds with the screwlocks came out. Smalljaws' instructions are correct. No need to modify any mold that will accept a .125 weedguard and has accommodations for a .125 base hole pin. The screwlocks in the pic are copper,however now they make stainless steel ones and these don't break as fast. Also if you are looking for bulk screwlocks, Shorty's and Captain hooks sells them for a reasonable price. Finally to avoid taping the drill bit in place to keep it from falling out, use a drill bit that fits snug in the screwlock. The correct drill size should be around .081 +.002, -.000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micro Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 If you go to Barlows tackle and buy the medium size hitch hiker screw locks, you can insert the smooth back end of a 1/16" drill bit inside the screw lock. Then place it the weed guard slot with the back end of the screw lock in the head cavity and the drill bit stopping right at the entrance to the cavity. The drill bit keeps the lead from filling the center of the screw lock and even though it is only 1/16", with the screw lock around it the whole thing will fill the weed guard slot with vey little, if any flash. No modification needed. Thanks! Im going to try this! I really like this mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micro Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 Do I have to avoid heating the coil in order to avoid it being powder coated? The powder paint that I have been using seems to coat pretty thick. It seems like it sould be a major pita to remove it from the coil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 (edited) Do I have to avoid heating the coil in order to avoid it being powder coated? The powder paint that I have been using seems to coat pretty thick. It seems like it sould be a major pita to remove it from the coil. That is the drawback with coil keepers. If you apply the powder too thick, then the paint will fill the coil wraps in certain areas and it is a PITA to get off the coils. It is also almost impossible to not heat the screwlok if you are heating the jig. I would suggest using a fluid bed, as the powder will go on thinner. The other thing you can do, and I do this although it is very time consuming, is to wrap the coils with alum. foil. Then once the jig cool, take the foil off before you bake. Edited March 20, 2015 by cadman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 In the past, I've taken some jigs with single wire (twisted cable) weed guards, shortened the wire, and used it to hold soft plastics. Has anyone tried that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
