Hazbin

Jerry, I can see why you like that head, you've got everything going for you 60 degree hook with a horrizonal eye. About as good as you can get. However you can make hang parallel by rigging with rubber the band method. I learned this Crappie fishing, at times they simply wouldn't hit it if wasn't hanging level. Since most all Crappie are 90 hooks, I noticed I was lip hooking and loosing a lot at the surface and boat. I started cocking them with a small rubber band and corrected a lot of that problem. So I carried over to my Bass jigs which I want hang level for suppended stuff. Just thought provacation, I thouth you might want to try sometime if things get boring out there.

My experience, and I pref-is my experience!, a 90 degree hook will rotate in reverse of the hook point for about 90 degrees before it start it's forward penetration. A 60 degree hook will start it's forward penetration in about 1/3 of that motion. Try this test for yourself and you'll see what I am talking about. Tie a piece of line onto a hook, place between you thumb and index fingers and pull (don't jerk) and you will see the reverse motion when pulled straight up. Hang both parallel in your fingers as they would be hanging in the water. That's why I cock a 60 degree with a rubber band to make it hang level and when I set the hook I get the advantages of the 60 degree pull. The 90 degree will lip hook a lot of fish in the outer lip and in that thin tissue and again in my experience you will loose your share of fish.

Tom has anybody torn into that lower unit before?, ie: changing the impeller or anything like that?, or has it been that way from day one or did it develop over time? From what I gather it's never been into other just gear lube changing. I know we have talked about this before, but I guess I have slept through some of the details. The man from LOZ sounds like he really knows his business on this as there are a lot of shims and tolerances in all those lower unit shafts and gears. How's the knee doing?

Well here's best way I have found if you want a jig to hang level, is cock the jig with a small rubber band(1/4"dia.)and when you set the hook the rubber band pops back onto the line. With this method you can use a regular jig with a 60degree hook and get all of the advantages of it's hooking capabilities. I note the shaky-head in this post has a EWG90degree hook. The big problem there is when you set the hook it has the tendency to rotate in reverse from the point of the hook and loose a lot of fish,especially when it's hanging sup pended in the water. Again just my opinion from what I've experienced.

Bo's got it right, those old Ambassadeurs (5-5500C) are pretty accurate. Keep a full spool and you can test it with the measurement of the bottom from the readings on your graph and you'll see it's very close to the exact dept. You can check it at various depths and you will find the dynamics of the spool measurement doesn't really change it that much even at 100'.

Good job Bo!!, I sure wish I could have gotten in on that. I was still stunned and demoralized from yesterday. I was really surprised you were even out there, wrist in cast and shoulder surgery not long ago. Keep up the assault on those rascals. PS: get me a seat on the next tour!!

We fished the Emerald Beach Big M area for about 4hrs. yesterday PM (17th) and managed only 2 lm's. up to the boat on Jerk and 2 bites on A Rig. Both Lm's were on bluff ends, over about 8' to 12', windy and sunny. The only shad we saw were on top in small balls,thin spikes and nothing to drop a spoon on. No gull activity at all, only a bewildered looking Blue Heron. The surface temp. was 47 and 44 at the troller and got even colder as we went upsteam from Big M. It appears as it does every year as the temp. drops the shad move downstream. It was as if we were fishing water completely void of fish!. Probably need to be around Mill Cr. Kimberling Bridge area. Any reports from down that way? Water got too cold too fast and no warming!

Hey Old Plug,,I really couldn't tell by you pictures all of the characteristics of your jig. But here is generally what happens when you spread the bristles, they loose so much tensile strength that they become almost useless.With the weight of the jig it is difficult to pull over a limb. I couldn't tell what the hook looked like, if is is a 90 degree and vertical tie them that's a big problem. When a fish bites down the hook lies flat and when you set the hook it will not rotate and tends to hook in the side of the mouth in the soft tissue or you will simply jerk it out of it's mouth on hook set. However, with a 60 degree hook with horizontal eye the hook will tend to rotate up, but without the aid of stiffness of strong weed guards the cutting of the hook will occur during landing of the fish and making it easier for it to throw the hook. About two of those bristles would be about suitable for a 1/16 oz crappie jig, so to me spreading the bristles bundle defeats the purpose of the design and you will no doubt loose a lot of jigs in a days fishing. I guess we could be in the law of Physics, mass of the jigs weight versus the force of the line pull. Therefore, lessing the tensile strength of the bristle bundle is obverse to the design. Again just my opinion Plug for what it is worth.

Your post was cut off and I just got the first name, Tony? who's the sister and brother-inlaw?, My name is Bud Welch.

Regarding Nutec Jig, I have been fishing that jig for a long time and had the pleasure to meet Bo and have been fishing with him for about 20 years. You need to give it a try and decide for yourself the advantages. One of the main things you will notice is not only roof of the mouth hooking, but the guide arms ( weed guards ) act as locking mechanisms and you have to physically release them from the fish's mouth, thus locking the jig in place and it really doesn't matter how much fighting and jumping the fish does, it's locked in!. In other words if you have a good hook set and your line and equipment holds up you confidently know you have that fish, regardless the size. I fish it on everything I can including all plastics and A rigs. 60 degree hook, parallel tie, pull through anything, seldom loosing a jig and those locking guide arms. Friends I guarantee you'll throw most of those other jigs away. Don' take my word for it, try them for yourselves.

I am glad to meet all of you, probably fished with some of you in the past. I fished tournaments at one time now I just do it for fun. I am originally from Joplin and lived in Carthage for many years. I now live on Table Rock. I am 82 and have been fishing since I was 6, starting on Shoal Creek. I was in clothing manufacturing and retired in 91 due to health problems. I owned and operated plants in Mo., Ar. and southern Miss. moving back here from Miss. in 93. I really enjoy reading about all of you and hope I can make a meager contribution to the forum. Thanks for allowing me!