walleye hunting

[white eagle]

Anyone cast their own jigs for fishing
wondering what alloy to use
probably just some range lead or something ehh

[richhodg66]

About 25 years ago, I was doing a lot of fishing with 1/16 and 1/8 ounce jigs and bought a mold, but never used it.I would think just about any alloy would work.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

yep just any lead that i have in the pot

[Tripplebeards]

I make spinnerbaits and buzz baits. Paint em by hand. I made the mistake of using stick on wheel weight lead a few years back and had a huge Northern Pike bend the lead and pull the hooks out of my lead baits. Now that I cast boolits and have now learned that lead varies in harness I now use COWW and quench. I caught a few 44” Northern pike that were the diameter of two 4x4 posts put together and never had an issue with harder lead...and I horse them in with 17 pound test every time.

These are some of my buzzer bodies before I dipped them in clear vinyl paint...







If your just molding lead over the shank of the hook it doesn’t matter. If your bending wire around the hook like my buzzers and spinners...and big fish are in future use harder lead like COWW.

[Minerat]

Only thing I use soft lead for are pinch on weights like splitshot.

[Norske]

I've long thought that a cast bullet would make an excellent head for a buck tail jig. Drill a lengthwise hole for the hook. The grease grooves would be excellent for tying the the hair to the lead head, but the bullet head may not be useful for catch and release. ;>)

[white eagle]

WOW that is some fancy good work there Trip
so far I used range lead and powder coated them
will see today if they work or not

[Traffer]

I make spinnerbaits and buzz baits. Paint em by hand. I made the mistake of using stick on wheel weight lead a few years back and had a huge Northern Pike bend the lead and pull the hooks out of my lead baits. Now that I cast boolits and have now learned that lead varies in harness I now use COWW and quench. I caught a few 44” Northern pike that were the diameter of two 4x4 posts put together and never had an issue with harder lead...and I horse them in with 17 pound test every time.

These are some of my buzzer bodies before I dipped them in clear vinyl paint...







If your just molding lead over the shank of the hook it doesn’t matter. If your bending wire around the hook like my buzzers and spinners...and big fish are in future use harder lead like COWW.

Nice stuff ...gotta love Northern Pike....MMMMMMM good eating too.

[Tripplebeards]

Thanks, the fish go nuts for the big eyes. I’ve been making them on and off since the late 70’s. I use the top of my paint brush and dip it in vinyl jig paint and then dab it on for eyes. I spray bomb over the vinyl paint and also use the opposite end of the paint brush for the black lines on the fire tiger heads. I just kinda scratch the paint on with the brush end. I finish them off with dipping the whole jig in clear vinyl paint. Then I scrape off the hook area with a knife. The vinyl paint normally needs a few weeks or more of sitting around to dry but it’s literally bullet proof and won’t chip off. It’s normally a winter project so by spring the rubbery vinyl paint is hard as a rock when I ready to fish. I want heat up my spinner bait heads and dip them in PC next time around to see how it coats.

[Norske]

What, a conversation about walleye fishing and bottom bouncers aren't mentioned??

[Rick Hodges]

I use plain range lead jigs, unpainted, unpowdercoated, tipped with minnows and or plastic twistertails for Walleye in the snag filled current of the lower Detroit River, and Western Basin of Lake Erie. Painting is a waste of time, as jig rarely makes one drifting pass, and the fish don't seem to know the difference.

[skeettx]

I am OLD so I just troll with Crank Baits for Walleye
Bill Dance Fat Free Shat and others like them.

And I pick up the occasional crappie





Went this morning near Amarillo, Texas, Lowe 14 foot Lake Jon, 9.5 Johnson outboard, 55 lbs thrust trolling motor.

Mike

[popper]

Only ever used a crappie rig & minnow for them. Waterdog rig for northern.

[Tripplebeards]

I catch most my walleye on Rapala crank baits.

[Traffer]

I use plain range lead jigs, unpainted, unpowdercoated, tipped with minnows and or plastic twistertails for Walleye in the snag filled current of the lower Detroit River, and Western Basin of Lake Erie. Painting is a waste of time, as jig rarely makes one drifting pass, and the fish don't seem to know the difference.

I have been fishing walleyes that same way on the Wisconsin River in Central Wisconsin for the past 50 years or longer. There just isn't a better way to get walleyes. Period.
That being said...I always painted mine. Like to see them purty. That's it. All those perty colors in the box.

[white eagle]

caught 3 yesterday my wife caught 2 /10" bluegills
we also landed a smallmouth as well
I wish I could find a mold with a single cavity and a sprue cutter would be nice

[swheeler]

I've got a couple old Herters jig head molds, plain old COWW worked fine. I haven't seen the molds in a few years though, better go through the shed for a look-see.

found them.............

[Tripplebeards]

I wish I could find a mold with a single cavity and a sprue cutter would be nice

Yeah it’s really a pain in the butt with my do it molds because once you break off the lead w/o a sprue plate it’s normally a big crater. I normally sand the crater to a completely smooth Surface before painting.

[quilbilly]

I have been casting jigs commercially for 42 years. If you plan to paint them, a harder alloy that remains shiny will take the paint better. Any lead will work but when I run across some good looking pure lead at the recyclers, I save that for muzzleloading boolits or for making my own alloy for modern boolits.

[Traffer]

I have been casting jigs commercially for 42 years. If you plan to paint them, a harder alloy that remains shiny will take the paint better. Any lead will work but when I run across some good looking pure lead at the recyclers, I save that for muzzleloading boolits or for making my own alloy for modern boolits.

That is a good tip...paint sticks better to harder lead. People around here would appreciate that since so many do cast their own jigs. I make my own "French spinners". Traditionally the bodies have been made with brass because of the density. I make bodies from lead...and paint them. It's been a while and haven't done any in Powder Coat yet. But will be giving that a try soon.