Football Jigs

[Pop]

I'm getting a football jig mold and can't decide which one to get. I want to make Shaky Head jigs. The regular weedless mold or the mold that takes both the 570 hook and the flat eye hook. Any suggestions. Pop

[Old man in the boat]

For myself I went for the one that will do both regular and Flat eye hooks. Since most of the lakes that I'm fishing up here in Wisconsin are weed and rock instead of wood cover I just would rather not have the weedgaurd in the way.That mold will take a Gami 60414 4/0 hook which is a deadly weapon.

For My customers down south I use the do it mold with the 5/64 weedgaurd. That will take a Gami 60414 4/0 hook in a round bend and the small weedgaurd doesn't get in the way of a hookset even in deep water.

I tie them with a mix of rubber and silicon to get the best of both worlds. Color out of the silicon and action from the rubber.

[Tony Maxwell]

I use the weedless mold with modifications. Drill out the weedguard hole to 1/8". this will allow you to lay in a medium Hitch Hiker. Place a smaller drill bit inside the hitch hiker so that the lead doesn't fill up the center. Place a Skirt collar on the shank of the hook to block the lead from filling the barb & collar. This allows you to pour just the football head, with the hitch hiker molded in. Trim the sprue and paint. Ta Da. I use a Gamakatsu 3/0 hook with no problems. Good luck.

[Pop]

Old Man, that's a nice looking jig. Drilling to 1/8" for the medium hitch hiker made me go back to the Barlow catalog and look at the molds again. The mold that takes the 90 degree hook and the flat eye hook takes an F30 weed guard which is 1/8" diameter weed guard. Should beable to do what you suggest with that mold without any alterations. Do you agree. Pop

[CHUCKV309]

I got the one that takes both hook styles. Make sure if you want to use the flat eye hooks that you use the Mustad 32798 hooks it calls for. The heavier Mustad hooks don't fit without modifiying the mold. I don't know about the other brands. As far as pouring without the weedguard, you can take a weedguard and cut it to about 1/2" and stick in the mold till the end is just flush with the head. It will pour the head with no hole or weedguard. The weedguard will last for MANY pours. You can also do it with a base pin, but it is a little trickier to get the exact length and shape to match the head.

Chuck