making my own jigs, trapping and keeping my own minnows

Lycanthrope

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 6, 2015
Posts
6,197
Likes
1,186
Points
503
Location
Bismarck
There's quite a few videos on YouTube for DIY fluid beds. Couple 2" connections and an aquarium aerator and you're in business! I'll be trying my hand at building one this evening


I made one of these, its pretty easy. I often dont bother with the air bed tho unless Im going to paint a LOT of jigs the same color. Usually I make 10 of this color, 10 of that and its a pain to keep switching paints around in the fluid bed. Instead of using white for a base coat, I use pearl, basically white with a shimmer. Its my most used color so I bought 1lb of it... Columbia coatings has a LOT of colors much cheaper than the special jig powders.

Also if you can find a toaster oven, they work great for heating jigs prior to dipping and also for curing after they are dipped. The jigs hang easily from the metal rack inside, just get a forceps long enough to reach all the way in to grab jigs and hang them back up and you are set.
 


arrowdem

Founding Member
Founding Member
Thread starter
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Posts
1,984
Likes
38
Points
221
Location
Minto, North Dakota, United States
before 1.jpg
this is gonna be my walleye getter! first jig its not too pretty but that hole on top is gonna be the next best thing when it comes to catching walleyes....?.....

before 2.jpg

before 2






so i decided to pick up some 2" pvc pieces and a valve and pump to make a air bed for powdercoating jigs and used a heat gun instead of a torch and got the whole thing put together over lunch break and even had time to try it out on a few jigs...


12833411_10101727018857455_1594127789_n.jpg


12032354_10101727018872425_556580222_n.jpg




and the final product.. certainly not store bought good, but im getting there and its a hell of a lot cheaper when its all said and done!

after 1.jpg


after 2.jpg
 

arrowdem

Founding Member
Founding Member
Thread starter
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Posts
1,984
Likes
38
Points
221
Location
Minto, North Dakota, United States
i definitely need to hone in my skills! just dont know when that will be... going to be too nice outside this weekend to be inside doing projects like this..
 


KDM

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Posts
9,650
Likes
1,582
Points
563
Location
Valley City
Looks like you're getting the hang of it. I'm fairly confident that BOTH of those jigs pictured will catch walleyes. Enjoy the ride!!!!!
 

Kentucky Windage

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2015
Posts
5,323
Likes
465
Points
368
Location
Wendy Peffercorn’s Bedroom
Looks like you're getting the hang of it. I'm fairly confident that BOTH of those jigs pictured will catch walleyes. Enjoy the ride!!!!!

When I first started making jigs, I would get upset when they didn't turn out perfect every time. Shortly after I discovered that pretty much any jig with paint sneezed on it will still catch fish.
 

Lycanthrope

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 6, 2015
Posts
6,197
Likes
1,186
Points
503
Location
Bismarck
Looks like the jigs might be too hot, you dont want a lot of paint, its just a waste and doesnt look as good. Fish dont care tho....
 


tikkalover

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 10, 2015
Posts
7,941
Likes
903
Points
473
Location
Minot
DM, DON,T use car weights to make jigs, go to the local salvage/scrap iron place and ask them for SOFT lead, as it is usually cheaper, and the softer lead holds the paint better. Many years ago I bought like 20lbs from the local one here and still have quite a bit left.
 

Fly Carpin

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2015
Posts
2,562
Likes
174
Points
293
DM, DON,T use car weights to make jigs, go to the local salvage/scrap iron place and ask them for SOFT lead, as it is usually cheaper, and the softer lead holds the paint better. Many years ago I bought like 20lbs from the local one here and still have quite a bit left.
Or if you have a garage loft full of old crappy floater dekes, cut the strap weights off and use those. The keel grabber weights work better anyway
 

fullrut

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Posts
436
Likes
6
Points
133
Location
This side of nowhere
well the warmth in the air has me wanting to chase walleyes on the river banks again, so this year i decided to make my own jigs since i go through so many in a spring trying to fish in the rocks.. and also ill be trapping and keeping my own minnows so you guys that have done all this what am i doing wrong or what will i be doing wrong, we have a lot of minnows in a creek up here so im gonna throw the minnow trap in there to catch them, just put bread in the trap and they will fill up? also i bought a bubbler for an old cooler we have. going to mount bubbler on lid and run hoses into it cooler for minnows http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QFY3AU/?tag=nodakangler10-20

this is the bubbler i bought, and also bought suction cups to hold plastic tubing in place, what do i need for water? pull it from creek? also do you need to feed the minnows or do they sustain by themselves, and how often to i need to change water?


now the jigs, not sure what to do on the hooks yet, picked up some gamakatsu 3-0 90 degree and some mustad 2-0 90 degree, bought lead and a do it molds hot pot 2 with a ladle and also a do its mold round ball jig head mold in a 1/2 and 3/8 ouce heads, then i bought a few different color of powder paint to put on the jigs once they are poured... from what i have heard heat the jig heads up put them in the powder paint and shake it off so you dont have a thick coating then bake them... from what i read to cure the paint 350 degrees for 45 minutes will do it for ya... this is what im planning on doing for this stuff if you guys have any pointers let me know, thanks!


If you plan on trapping no the FR, be careful. Lot's of golden shiners in the river by my place. They're not a legal baitfish. Best luck I've had is with hook and line. Ice fishing jig and a gulp maggot on a micro light rod. Drop the line in the upstream side of a bridge and let the hook float in the shady area under the bridge. Couple guys can fill a minnow buck in 15 minutes.
 

arrowdem

Founding Member
Founding Member
Thread starter
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Posts
1,984
Likes
38
Points
221
Location
Minto, North Dakota, United States
there are some fats heads up here jon, and yes ive went and caught those creep chubs in the FR too, that was always a blast, i should try that and get some big fat minnows to try on big fat walleyes this spring!
 


Lycanthrope

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 6, 2015
Posts
6,197
Likes
1,186
Points
503
Location
Bismarck
DM, DON,T use car weights to make jigs, go to the local salvage/scrap iron place and ask them for SOFT lead, as it is usually cheaper, and the softer lead holds the paint better. Many years ago I bought like 20lbs from the local one here and still have quite a bit left.

Most metal places wont sell recycle materials anymore. You used to be able to order soft lead off ebay, relatively cheap if shipped in a flat rate box. You can get soft lead mixed into wheel weights, they are the stick on type. I havent had any issues using hard lead for jigs, but it makes trimming the excess off a little more of a PITA.

- - - Updated - - -

so too hott= too much paint?

Yeah, either that or you kept the jig in the paint for too long. How are you heating the jigs before dipping? Ive found that an oven works best. I think 350 to 400f is what I usually do.
 

arrowdem

Founding Member
Founding Member
Thread starter
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Posts
1,984
Likes
38
Points
221
Location
Minto, North Dakota, United States
im using a heat gun until the lead starts to get a shine to it and then dipping in paint now. i'll send pics of the ones i did last night that seemed to have turned out better i thought..
 

Enslow

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 27, 2015
Posts
5,088
Likes
72
Points
298
The quality of the hook trumps the paint quality all day and all night babay! Bingo bango bongo!
 


Recent Posts

Friends of NDA

Top Posters of the Month

  • This month: 169
  • This month: 137
  • This month: 122
  • This month: 110
  • This month: 107
  • This month: 89
  • This month: 84
  • This month: 79
  • This month: 77
  • This month: 76
Top Bottom