EironBreaker

Here's what I needed here in Missouri: Employer Identification Number, 637 exemption number - use this so you don't pay exise tax twice on materials you buy, State business license I'm registered with the State and IRS. The State sends me the tax form to submit sales taxes collected from in-state sales on a quarterly basis. If you sell more or less determines how often you need to submit your collected State taxes. They also tell me the tax rate and if any changes occur to the rate. The excise tax is paid quarterly. The IRS sends me Form 720 to submit 10% of my quarterly sales with. The 10% is part of the sale price, just have to figure it in your price and out of your pocket. Not on top as a State sales tax would be. Once you get set up, it is pretty easy. I had a local IRS representative come to my production facilities (garage, LOL) and see how my manufacturing process worked. If you have questions, someone will be able to help you out within the Department. I'd recommend getting set up the right way, having the IRS working you over because you sold some lures isn't worth it in my opinion. Plus the FET goes towards our resources (at least I hope it does). I don't like to write the tax checks every quarter but yet it does give me a little satisifaction knowing I'm doing my part.

yep

I second that. Their website is www.lurecomponents.com. They have other colors not on the site. Melon and I think red also. If it is a guard that you see in someones jigs, they make it except for I think the fluorocarbon ones. Don't know who makes those.

Here's how I pour and paint with the guards in. Get your mold hot before you start. I use one of the small top pour pots, have a bottom pour but don't like it as well. Learned to do this with the small pot and am too stuborn to change. Lay your mold on the pot while it heats up. The mold will be hot to the touch when hot enough. Get your work area ready while waiting for the mold/pot to heat. Lay out your hooks and guards, pliers, gate shears and powder paint. I would assume you have small jars of Pro-Tec, shake it up before opening. Fluffy paint is better. Load the mold with the hook and guard. I pour with my left hand and hold the mold shut with my right. Pour quickly to get a full pour and the very moment the spru hardens, open the mold, grab the spru with a needle nose pliers to remove from the mold. Grab the hook with your left hand, drop the pliers and clip the spru off with the gate shears. I collect the clippings on a paper plate to reload into the pot after 10-20 pours. Drop the shears and grab the powder paint cup (right hand), immediately swish the hot jig in the paint and tap on the edge of the cup to knock off any excess. Hang the jig on a cooling rack and repeat with the next million jigs you will be doing because you are hooked on making your own stuff. Time is the most important factor, the faster you do this the better. With 1/2 oz footballs, they retain their heat better than smaller jigs. I have to leave a 3/4 oz jig in the mold to cool for a 5 count otherwise the guard might melt and the paint bubbles. You shouldn't have any problem with painting immediately, no need to reheat them. I work in the garage and it is cold out there so sometimes I need to warm the lead on the hook shank because it cools quicker. I use a small butane torch but most of the time the process is fast enough. I clear the eyes with a jig eye-buster so they don't close up while baking. As far as what to do about the weedguards, get some wooden dowels from the hardware store. I think a 1/4 inch is what I used. Cut it down to lengths that are just a bit longer than a weedguard. Take a 1/8" drill bit and run a hole down the center. Take a big drill bit and make a funnel on one end. I have about 75 of these and they have been reused for about 3 years now. Slip them over the weedguards (use the funnel end to get the guard in the cover), hang them on a rack and into the oven. I bake at 285 degrees for 45 minutes. Heat over 300 will make the weedguards a little stiffer. The weedguards will come out better than glueing them in. Perfectly straight and you'll never get them out. Not all molds pour the same and not all paint colors are created equal. You get to know every mold you have and how to make things work out. Hope this helped and good luck. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Here's how I do it, I started out in Montana tying flies for trout so that's what I knew. I use a fly vise and hold the jig eye there. I use regular thread from a fly shop (not 6/0 thread, too fine) in a bobbin. Wrap a base on the jig with the thread. Use the fused end of the skirt to tie it to the jig. Flold the skirt end to end and cut the tab in the middle. My jigs are like a War Eagle spinnerbait, no material down the center - just on the outside. Don't need it because you add a trailer to fill that space and add bulk. Wrap the layer down with the thread. With a little practice, you can do two layers at once. Most jigs are full enough with 3 half pads, some 4. I am right handed so I hold the bobbin with that hand and use my left hand to hold back the guard if I need to but generally the bobbin fits just fine between the guard and the hook. You can direct the skirt with the thread with practice. Two half hitches to finish off the thread when you have the skirt in place. Then I use a forceps to grab the tag end of a spool of wire, make two wraps around the location of the thread, pull tight, twist and clip. Fold over the twist flat and you have a perfect jig every time that won't come apart and is balanced. I hate gluing in weed guards, much easier to pour them in and paint. Saves a lot of time. A little practice and you'll be good to go. If you want to have the full skirt down the center, band the skirt, slip it on and wire it down in front of the band. You can pull the band off or just wait for it to break. I don't know how people wire skirts down without fixing them first, I'm not that coordinated.

I've tried it but the open hook gets me every time. Guess I'm to slow on the draw, LOL.

VodkaMan, great idea but would you think with a lead pour the side bumps would wear off quickly? I've seen a football jig that had two wires to make it stand up. They V back under the jig. This might be an application for that but I don't know what the wires would do once in the mouth of a fish. The hidden eye in the head allows a different pull angle and nothing for the rocks to grab. I orginally used a banana head but the chest of the jig causes it to wedge more than this jig. I'm not saying it is perfect, just that it is much better. At least with what I have experienced. The rip rap in our lakes is about 8-12 inch broken limestone. There are some pretty big cracks to get hung in. I don't think there is any one system that can overcome cracks every time. As for how I work the jig, I typically work it just the same as any other rock. If I'm having one of "those days" where I'm losing more jigs than I should, I try to keep more tension on my line and keep moving it as it bumps the bottom. This is easier to do when the wind is not blowing and you have total control of what you are doing. Not swimming it but more of a glide along the rock surface. Seems to work when the water is hot just fine.

Sorry if I offended you Vodkaman, just wanting to help someone out. Not trying to make a big sale. If the board moderator wants to pull the website link off, he's welcome to. If I was just trying sell, I wouldn't give away something and I'd pimp the product more. Not what I was trying to do. I've gave some hooks to Cadman, he asked for help and I had some. No need to buy a pile just to try it. Isn't that what this forum is for, helping each other? In the future I'll just PM someone if I think I can help. I'm not trying to break the posting rules.

Hey Jig Man, I have a stretch of rip-rap here in Missouri that I like to fish also and had the same problem. I have a jig that is better than a banana in my opinion. Not going to save every jig but I loose fewer. The eye is part of the head. The jig is called the Hid-N-Eye and if you PM me with your address, I'll send you a couple to try out for free. Look at my website and let me know what color and weight. www.eironjig.com Matt Eisenbacher

I buy double rattles and bands from LivingRubber. The website doesn't show it but he has two sizes. WalMart carries the same big size of rattles but are more expense. I'd buy a pack from WalMart and see if you like them. I only use the clear bands, the black rabbit ear bands seem to break easier than the clear ones. The clear bands blend in with the color of the jig anyways.

I have a 2/0 in VMC that is the same as the Mustad. Mustad doesn't make a 2/0. I've asked them to make a 2/0 and 6/0 32798 through the reps but I guess Mustad can't justify it yet. PM and I'll send you what you need. Matt

What are your thoughts on a lower temp for a longer period of time? I pour my heads with the weed guard in and then bake at 285 degrees for 45 minutes. This seems to work pretty good. I put a wooden guard over the weed fibers. I've used a higher temp but seemed to stiffen up the bristles more. Anyone else use a lower temp/longer bake? I hate gluing in guards!

I'm pretty patient, I made the order in early March and was told 2-3 weeks on March 15th. I was again told the end of the week on May 12th. I have the emails. Three months is a little long in my opinion. I understand a month to do this kind of work but not 3 when you say it will be out the door. Again, no doubt about the quality. Just wanted an answer about the status and if I can't get it, I'd like to have my money back so I could go another direction.

Finally got an email from him this morning. Having him send me one of his standard molds ASAP and asked for money back on the custom mold. Hopefully all will go smooth from here on out. I've seen some of his molds and they are truely works of art but the customer service leaves much to be desired. If I receive and cash a customer's check, I'm surely going to get the product out that day.

Has anyone heard from Mr. Collins this week? I've been trying to contact him all week about two molds he is supposed to be making for me and his voice mail is full. Hasn't returned my emails either recently. Hope he's just on vaction.