Jig Making Question...

[carolina-rig-01]

i am wondering where i can get the material for weedguards for some bass jigs i am making. any ideas?

[Dutch]

Jans Barlows Stamina Do-It Ztackle or the Fin and Feather shop on Campbell in Springfield

[Snow Fly]

Heavy Mono tied in at eye of hook and tied off on the bend of the hook shank, works great also...............

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, I have an aversion to fiber weedguards. They just look too bulky and ruin the profile of the jig, in my opinion. (Apparently the fish don't care much, but I still don't like them.) You can get some stainless wire and mold a piece, folded in two so you have two prongs, in place of the fiber guards. Make sure it's a light wire so it bends well enough to expose the hook on the bite.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I bought a plain mold and used a jig saw blade to make a groove for a wire guard. You can buy the blades in specific widths to fit a wire diameter. Stainless wire, meant for leaders, in .013 to .018 works well. I like the slimmer wire for smaller jigs. Put a dogleg on the end for safety.

[Dutch]

You guys who use wire might want to consider the coated stainless from Cabela's. I buy it in 90# and super glue it to small jig heads and tube inserts. However on bass jigs I still want my fiber guard weed guards.

[carolina-rig-01]

ok, thanks for the help. now once i get the fiber weedguards how do i go about putting it on the jig head? i know probably a dumb question but i am a newbie and the scary thing is i am pretty much self taught.

[Dutch]

ok, thanks for the help. now once i get the fiber weedguards how do i go about putting it on the jig head? i know probably a dumb question but i am a newbie and the scary thing is i am pretty much self taught.

That all depends on what type of mold you have. If your mold has a place for the weed guard to be inserted, you can pour the head with the weed guard in the mold with the hook. If it has pins, I'd suggest that you put them in the mold, pour the head then take the pins out. If you don't have a weed guard slot in the mold, you may have to drill the heads to make a hole for the weedguard.

Here is how I do it: I put pins and hooks in my mold, pour the heads, take the pins out and trim the heads.

I use powder paint so I reheat the heads then paint them. Some of the paint gets into the holes so I use a drill and clean out the holes.

Next I put on the skirting material. I do this because I tie my jigs and don't want the weed guard in the way. When the skirt is finished I move to the last step.

Put a drop of super glue gel into the hole and insert the weed guard. Press it into place, lay it down and do another one. In a very few minutes it is ready to go. You could use epoxy but it would take hours to dry.

Be sure you get the right size weed guard they come in fg9, fg12, fg30, fg40 and probably some others sizes I haven't used.

[Wayne SW/MO]

You have a choice of fiber weedguards when pouring you own. It gives you some control over the stiffness and you can match it to your fish and waters.

I don't powder coat many heads any more. I hang them on a metal coat hanger, spray them with primer, and then with a dull camo color. I've been using the rattle cans from Wal mart with good results. I like the looks of the browns.