MidMO

I've been making my own jigs a few at a time for the past couple of years or so. Nothing fancy - one color powder paint, rubber banded skirts (tan/brown jig in picture). I've also been buying a lot of different jigs and trying to take what I like best from each. One of those things is the copper hand tied skirt (like War Eagle and Jewel use on some of their skirts). What I really like about the War Eagle jig is how they attach the skirt (black and blue jig in picture). It is similar to a Terminator Spinnerbait Skirt in that all the strands are actually tied on the head side of the jig - there aren't any strands on the hookside (until you pull it through the water and the strands fold back over the hook). Been messing with trying to tie a skirt like that. It isn't very easy to do with the weedguard in place. Without a weedguard it is much easier to tie. It is a little clumsy trying to wrap the non cut section of the skirt end around the collar (especially when using multiple skirt strands) but it can be done. Just curious if anyone else ties like this and if there are any hints for doing so? I'm not entirely sure that I like it like this in the water (haven't made up my mind yet). If a jig tied in this manner lays still in the water the skirt tends to float away from the hook - leaving the hook pretty much naked. But tying it in this manner makes the skirt really flare and is also much fuller than when it is tied normally (with strands on each side of the collar). Picture of all 3 jigs in water: My version of the War Eagle type skirt tie is on the left. All the strands have floated forward off the hook. The War Eagle jig on the right doesn't do it as bad. The jig in the middle is tied normally and the hook is covered by the skirt. Any thoughts?

Just curious if anyone puts a topcoat (either epoxy or clear nail polish) over the powder paint on a jighead. I fish a lot of rocks and the powder paint eventually comes off (on jigs I buy or make). Just looking for something to make it stay a little longer. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Thanks to both of you - exactly the type of information I was looking for. One other question - I've been using balsa, can I pour hot lead into a drilled hole in that or does it need to be a specific type of wood? Thanks again!

Is galvanized wire ok to use make the hook hanger?

I just recently have started messing around with carving my own crankbaits. A couple have worked pretty well and a couple others haven't. I can already tell that how and where a bait is weighted makes a big difference. I've done some searches and found some stuff - but not everything all in one thread. So I'm looking for any advice/info that anyone wants to offer. What shape of lead? Do you pour your own or buy it? Do you drill a hole for it or split the lure and put it completely inside. How do you balance your crankbait? Anything I'm not thinking about that is important? Thanks!

I figured it out. There is supposed to be a hole drilled in the fitting on one end. This hose apparently didn't get drilled.

When I started I had a regular hose fed into a moisture filter that then went into the Paasche braided hose. I got nothing out of the gun. I took the moisture trap out and connected regular hose to braided hose and still had nothing. I then plugged the braided hose straight into the compressor and got nothing. I took my 1/4" threaded fitting I put on the braided hose off and then hand tightened. It would leak air then. The problem is clearly at that 1/4" coupling on the braided hose. The braided hose coupling has a disc that fits inside the coupling. When it was only hand tightened - it leaked out the bottom of that disc. There has to be something at that coupling on the braided hose that I'm missing/not seeing/not getting - just don't know what it is. Directions don't have anything on it. Thanks

I just bought my first airbrush and hooked it up to a regular compressor. I'm using the braided airhose that was included but I'm not getting any pressure through this hose. I bought a 1/4 inch fitting that threads into the supplied hose coupling. What am I missing?? Thanks!