Acuna

Well, I had been keeping the pot full of lead as recommended and it worked okay until this past Friday. Basically, the bottom heated up and the top didn't. The pot started leaking out of the bottom and because the top was not melted I could not move the plunger to stop it. Made a big mess after overflowing my ingot mold and was very dangerous. Good thing I had stuff in place in case this sort of thing happened, but still....

Which mold do you guys like for tying preacher/hair jigs in the 1/2 to 1 oz. size?

yep, I take it the 32796 hooks are a heavier wire hook. Per the specs they seem to be...

1. I don't normally tie hair on my jigs. 2. Little craw type trailers work great most of the time. Cadman is correct, both Netbait and SK make good products. I don't think it makes too much of a difference on brand. One day they may want a trailer that really moves, the next something more subtle like a double tail grub or pork trailer. As others have said, experiment on the water and find out what the fish want. The older I get the less I get caught up in the latest and greatest bait and the more focused I become on presentation. Tried and true baits presented correctly in the proper situation gets it done for me. Or don't. Remember we call it fishing and not catching. Enjoy the journey. 3. Tackle Warehouse is great for getting stuff.

Well I will be a monkey's uncle, it DOES say 32796 hooks on my mold.

Yes it is a finicky mold to get to pour right IMHO. I got pissed with my bottom pour pot, ordered a regular pot and ladle thinking that would solve my problems and I could NOT for the life of me cast clean heads when trying to fill the cavity with a ladle. Therefore I ordered a new bottom pour pot and also will be sending my old one that I was having issues with off to be refurbished. Thanks for the EC hook suggestion.

Light boxes work, but be sure to have a light set up that eliminates shadows. I just use my iPhone and take pictures on an interesting background. Sometimes I will use Instagram for effects. Here are some examples:

I am the one who is having issues with the bottom pour Lee pot and even I would say it is safer and easier than using the hot pot and ladle. I tried to use the ladle and hot pot and it was just too hard to get good pours for me. With the bottom pour pot it was almost automatic (when it would work correctly).

I personally don't think the fish care about the color of the jig head that much but I know a lot of fishermen do and if changing up the color of the heads gives you confidence then by all means go for it! Despite the fact that I don't think it makes that much of a difference, I always try to match the color of the jig skirts I tie and on my shakeyheads I am usually using a small straight tailed worm or craw worm. I just do it because I like it. My color choices, primarily, are watermelon with red flake and green pumpkin. Rarely do I vary from those two colors but if I do it is going to be a darker color.

LOL, I just saw this. I would cry if I had that many to pour. And once I can get these issues with melting the heads ironed out, I hope to be well on my way. I think I make a decent enough jig:

It is the flat eye stand up jig head mold, and I see where he has the hook listed as the 32796 hook on his current ebay auctions. I will have to double check the listing for the mold I purchased (if I still can) but I am 99% sure he listed the hook at the 32798 hook, and checking his actual website shows the hook for the mold as the 32798. I am still having issue with my melting pot so I am not pouring heads at this time, but did cut one of the hooks into a pin and it seems to fit appropriately in the eye of the hooks at issue and mold. Will keep you posted about whether I can substitute in the actual smaller pin without issue once pouring starts again.

I will take some pictures and post them. It will probably be tonight.... about to start getting ready for work. Man I am having some ISSUES lately! LOL, just making me appreciate the good times all the better.

On my Collins Mold that I am using, it has a pin you insert into the eye of the hook to keep lead out. I recently ordered three new boxes of 32798 BLN 4/0 hooks and all but like five of the hooks had the eye too small to fit the pin. I have never had this issue in the past and it does not seem to be present in the 5/0 hooks. Technically, there is nothing "wrong" with the hooks so I don't know if I can return them, and even if I do who knows if the replacements will have the same issue. Have you ever dealt with this issue? If so, what did you do?

I was looking around on the internet and the 20 pound pots have an adjustable flow. Do you find them to be more reliable than the 10 pound pots? It has been crazy difficult to work with my 10 pound pot due to clogging issues in the valve.

I am looking at giving up using my Lee bottom pour pot due to frustration with it clogging and switching to a regular Lee pot and ladle to pour jigs. Does anyone have any experience using a regular pot and ladle to pour the following molds: 1. Collins Custom Molds standup flipping jig with horizontal line tie. 2. Do It Arkie jig mold (1/4, 3/8, 1/2) 3. Do it Football Shakeyhead mold 4. Do It Football jig (1/2, 3/4) Thanks in advance.