Bass Fishing Forum

I have bought everything I need to make my own jigs (Football heads).   
Right now they are unpainted...  my question is have you ever used unpainted jig heads ?
Considering your past experiences, do you honestly think/know if a bass cares or know the difference between gray, black or green head jig ?

I've worn the paint off and continued catch fish. I don't think the head color is that noticeable to the fish.

I agree 100% with Princeton_Man.

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Jig head color is irrelevant id say 98% of the time. Im gonna say a dark color like black on the head might have a ever so slight effect. Just because it may be a little more visible. But even then I don't know how you could ever prove it. The action of the skirt and trailer are what I feel the bass focus on.

If you read any of my reports you probably been seeing the 1 oz. hunk of lead Ive been slinging. Almost no paint left on them. Yet I'm still dragging in fish.

All the pretty is to catch us the fisherman.

I've been making bass jigs for over 20 years and quit painting the heads after about 2. The bass haven't complained once. Do you use painted bullet weights on a Texas rig worm? Personally, I think painted heads are for anglers, not fish.


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I agree with these guys, I think the colors are more to attract us to it than the fish.

My favorite jig head color, and the only one I've used since about 1992-

(https://i.imgur.com/JxtLwIl.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/UmmbQed.jpg)

Dale

I use my wife's fingernail polish to touch them up. Color and clear coat. Suhhhhhhhh... dont tell her.

~Barry~

Quote from: D.W. Verts on July 20, 2019, 03:34:48 PM
My favorite jig head color, and the only one I've used since about 1992-


Dale

Dale is that those Arkie brand jig like they sell at Walmart? Those jigs for the money are hard to beat imho. The only thing I do is straighten the skirt up and hand tie with a piece of braid. Might add rattles if Im feeling it. But the bands are already there so that is awesome. As for the hook they are surprisingly sharp and stout as well. Wish they sold heavier weights than 3/8oz. Dang good deal for $1.50

Thanks guys..  I guess its time to assemble a few then   ;D

I paint mine, if for no other reason than I need to use up the powder paint I have. lo I color my weights with a marker mostly to dull them up.
Rodney

Quote from: SteveTX on July 20, 2019, 07:38:33 PM
Dale is that those Arkie brand jig like they sell at Walmart? Those jigs for the money are hard to beat imho. The only thing I do is straighten the skirt up and hand tie with a piece of braid. Might add rattles if Im feeling it. But the bands are already there so that is awesome. As for the hook they are surprisingly sharp and stout as well. Wish they sold heavier weights than 3/8oz. Dang good deal for $1.50

Steve, I believe you can buy the heads from Arkie or DO-IT, the last I saw they were very inexpensive.
Rodney

So I woke up this morning with the idea today would be a good day to make a few jigs..  I have to admit I like making my own after comparing a couple swim jigs that didn't have enough skirting to cover a hook ( I redid those too, but not pictured ).   Only 2 jigs are identical, the others have slight differences to see which gets better results. 

(https://i.postimg.cc/pTLqLgnH/2019-07-21-11-32-12.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Quote from: Flat Rock on July 21, 2019, 01:14:17 PM
So I woke up this morning with the idea today would be a good day to make a few jigs..  I have to admit I like making my own after comparing a couple swim jigs that didn't have enough skirting to cover a hook ( I redid those too, but not pictured ).   Only 2 jigs are identical, the others have slight differences to see which gets better results. 

(https://i.postimg.cc/pTLqLgnH/2019-07-21-11-32-12.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Those are looking good!

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Rodney thanks for the information. Ive pondered making my own but so far just haven't had the motivation. Besides I have enough jigs If I didn't buy or make another one Id be good for 10 years probably.  lo

Flat Rock those look nice. How many strands are you using per jig? Those look thick. Are you using bands or tying with wire or braid? The wire is nice but I usually use 50lb braid to hold my skirts on. I like the colors you are using well done.

Quote from: SteveTX on July 21, 2019, 01:46:30 PM
Rodney thanks for the information. Ive pondered making my own but so far just haven't had the motivation. Besides I have enough jigs If I didn't buy or make another one Id be good for 10 years probably.  lo

Flat Rock those look nice. How many strands are you using per jig? Those look thick. Are you using bands or tying with wire or braid? The wire is nice but I usually use 50lb braid to hold my skirts on. I like the colors you are using well done.

The first few I used 3 full tabs ( I think there are 10 strands per tab)  Then I split the tabs in half and went to 4 half tabs. I use skirt rubber band along with the skirt making tool. The hardest part is choosing the color combo and arranging them in a manner so it looks like how you want.

I can find swim jigs any where but trying to find a 3/8oz football jig and in a color pattern  you want is darn near impossible... That or they want $6 and up.   I think I have $2.50 in each and the skirts are much fuller than you buy premade.

Quote from: Princeton_Man on July 20, 2019, 01:26:59 PM
I've worn the paint off and continued catch fish. I don't think the head color is that noticeable to the fish.

agreed.  but I always like to start with black. 

Quote from: SteveTX on July 20, 2019, 07:38:33 PM
Dale is that those Arkie brand jig like they sell at Walmart? Those jigs for the money are hard to beat imho. The only thing I do is straighten the skirt up and hand tie with a piece of braid. Might add rattles if Im feeling it. But the bands are already there so that is awesome. As for the hook they are surprisingly sharp and stout as well. Wish they sold heavier weights than 3/8oz. Dang good deal for $1.50

They are Arkie-style heads, made from a customized DoIt mold. The Arkie style was the first live rubber jig I ever say, followed by the Stanley... I still love 'em, and except for football heads they're all I use.

I custom powder coat all my jig heads too match the silicone skirting material I'm tying up. I have custom silicone color pads I have made and different color patterns I use. I can add up too five colors per jig head with one heat application before I fire them. This application of powder coating when fired make a swril pattern and every jig head has a different pattern when they come of gas oven
It very simple way to powdercoat jig heads.

Quote from: Flat Rock on July 20, 2019, 12:38:32 PM
I have bought everything I need to make my own jigs (Football heads).   
Right now they are unpainted...  my question is have you ever used unpainted jig heads ?
Considering your past experiences, do you honestly think/know if a bass cares or know the difference between gray, black or green head jig ?

I've never found it to be critical if the jig head is painted for not, but I do paint all of the ones that I use. I've been powder coating them for many years now and if nothing else I feel that the powder coating seals the lead and slows down the oxidation process so that I don't have jigs with that nasty gray powder on them.

Oxidation is worse on lead that's used in saltwater, but any lead will start to oxidize the second it gets poured. So, I prefer to powder paint them, and have about 16 colors that I use.

I do feel that painting them can also make a jig look larger, especially those painted with dark colors. The fish still see bare lead, but I think it just looks different to them than if the head is painted a dark color.  Can't prove it, but just something I've noticed.  :)

IMO The only thing a painted head does is add to the profile of a lure - making it appear a bit larger to a fish. Looking up, a fish sees the entire shape of a lure, but looking sideways or down, it sees the material used (silicone, soft plastic, hair, etc.) minus an unpainted jig head. If the head is painted, whatever the color, it is included in overall profile and/or brightness of a lure.

A black jig head with a black skirt may or may not get more strikes, but when I fish for smallmouth, I want a black head when using black soft plastic lures or skirted jigs with trailers. A confidence thing I suppose after catching river fish on that combination. Same thing for LM - black head / black skirt and swimbaits - I prefer a head the same color as the lure - usually in a pearl color, if only to extend the perceived visual length and shape of the lure.

(Note: fluorescent jig head colors are IMO a distraction from the body of the lure unless the lure's color is also fluorescent.

As for small finesse soft plastics, hair or feather jigs, unpainted are preferred so as to keep the fish's focus on the lure's action which may be enhanced by it's color while at the same time making the lure appear as small as I want it to be.  Lure action when it comes to the three materials mentioned is crucial and far outweighs jig head color especially when using clear plastic grubs:
(https://i.imgur.com/UpJO7tE.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/KJchfFp.jpg?1)