Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Making Roadrunner Baitbugs
#1
[cool]Didn't get out to play this weekend. Besides finishing up with the details, after the loss in the family last week, I was not sure I would be able to find any gas. We had a pipeline break between Phoenix and Tucson early in the week and suddenly gas prices shot to to $2 a gallon. The "GOOD NEWS" is that you can't find any to buy. see the link.

[url "http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0818gasshortage18.html"]http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0818gasshortage18.html[/url]

So, I made a jillion jigs, getting ready for prime fishing just ahead. While I was putting one batch together, I decided to make a pic of the steps involved, and a written guideline to go along with it. see the two attachments below.

Also, several folks have wondered just how much money you can save by making your own. When I look around my "tackletorium", I am tempted to tell them to buy their jigs, if they REALLY want to save money.

But, once you are "tooled up" and have the basic supplies, you really can save money on a jig by jig basis. With too much time on my hands, I did a cost analysis of what it takes to turn out a finished jig. My guestimate is that it takes about 5-7 minutes total time, and material costs of just under 10 cents for a regular dressed and painted jig.

Roadrunners are more complex, with the spinner and split ring assembly...and more costly in materials. My estimate is about 10 minutes and 16-20 cents for a Roadrunner...depending on size and style of hooks, type of paint and number of steps (base color, main color, eyes, epoxy coat, etc), type and amount of body materials and tail, and the size and type of spinner blade. There is a wide range in costs on blades.

My feeling is that the cost savings are only a small part of the benefits of making your own stuff. Besides being a good therapy, to keep you from "jumping off your tackle box" when you are housebound, it is the best way to make sure you have the right balance of lure types, sizes, colors and actions when you hit the water.

If you buy commercially made jigs, you are limited to what they make and sell. If you buy a 1/6 oz. jig, it will come with a size six or four hook. A 1/4 oz. jig will have a size 1/0 hook...or whatever that manufacturer thinks is right. But, if you want to fish large plastics on light heads, you are out of luck if you try to find a large hook on a light head. Or, if you want to deep jig a small lure, you need a heavier head on a small hook. Good luck.

Many of my most effective jigs are based upon being able to present just the right combinations of sizes, weights and colors...for the prevailing conditions and the species targeted.

Not only that...it's funner than heck "smokin'' all the other yo yos fishing with "store bought" goodies.
[signature]
Reply
#2
Hey TubeDude I have been told that there is two different jig molds, one is called a horse head and the other a pony head. Which of these do you use or does it matter.
[signature]
Reply
#3
[cool]Hey, yper, good question. There are several places that sell the molds to make this kind of jigs. Because of the Blakemore patent on the name "Roadrunners", they cannot be sold as such. But, since the shape of the head is kinda like a horse head, they are called both pony and horse head. There is even a large size mold (two actually), that are called "sea horse".

There ARE two different styles of the heads, however. I make and use both of them. One has a barb molded into the lower part of the head, to hold plastics in place. The other does not have the barb, and is used for making "dressed" jigs...with marabou, chenille or the fancy new craft cords and synthetics I use in a lot of mine.

I have cut down the barbed heads to tie dressed jigs and I have fished plastics on the end of my bait bugs (see the pic previously posted on using little tube jigs for trailers...instead of bait).

If you think you might want to get into making those, shoot me a PM and I can return a couple of page writeup on making Roadrunners. They are only slightly more difficult and time consuming than making regular jigs, but they can really make a difference on some trips.
[signature]
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)