Finally pouring some octopus-jig heads

[Donnyboat]

Thanks Gary, nice pics, very interesting, please let us know how they go, cheers Don.

[gstours]

Here's finally a jig completed, and ready for a bait.  There's a lot of variables in these things it seems.
   Butt this on is made from some recycling of parts from my inventory.   It's going to be fun to test these soon.   I used to drift fish and jig for halibut quite a bit years ago and maybe it's just going back to my roots?  🎣🐙🚣🧜‍♂️

[Hardy Boy]

That looks good Gary with the skirt on the jig head. I just put one large 10/0 hook or 11/0 on my jigs and they hook and hold really well with the vast majority of fish being hooked in the top of the mouth and not in the corner. I loose very few fish with the one hook plus they are easy to release with the single if need be.................................... butt you have a different fishery .......just a comment and may be worth a try if you are looking at experimenting. Nice job on the paint.

Cheers:

Todd

[gstours]

Thanks,  you're single siwash is simple and easy to switch.  I liked the copper/ gold color paint.
   I am wondering if colors make a difference?  What is your favorite color for halibut jigs?
        Up here it's usually white or glow in the dark paint.   Just wondering?

[Hardy Boy]

I usually paint them glow but I have painted them white, silver and gold. I like the glow the best and its my go to (glow paint and glow skirt) but I have caught fish on all colours. I fish mostly over 250 feet so I think the glow helps down deep where there is no light. If you fish a rocky bottom, like I do, then the paint on the bottom half all gets chipped off in a hurry. I have had a few jigs with almost all of the paint gone and they still caught fish (butt what fun would fishing a plain jig head be ). Where I fish we get lings and rockfish along with the halibut and the single works well on those fish also; butt you are right its easy to swap hooks with the split ring. I love the bite you get when you are jigging and holding the rod...... tap tap and then ......... wham !!......................... nothing like it.


Cheers:

Todd

[gstours]

Thanks for the paint color info,  here's some more for next year.  These are 12 oz. and from Dave's Silicone mold,  the finish is very good on the lead surface.
   The brown mottled one is a 16 oz, and made from my plaster of Paris creation.  I'm not done trying to improve things, butt still learning every time some thing is done.
   This winter is the time I will try to buy the skirts, and supplies to complete my schemes.

[Hardy Boy]

Gary: This place has the best glow skirts I have found anywhere and their prices are good and in Canadian $$. Shipping is also very reasonable. The "nuke" glow are like nothing else I have seen. If need be I can reship to you or something. Have fun.

https://www.supertackle.info/


Cheers:


Todd

[gstours]

Thanks for the link to your glow skirts supplies.  Below is a couple I'm recycling onto a couple to get the things in the water.  These were installed facing forward and whipped on w thread, coated n pulled back to uncover the painted eyes 👀.  These are going to have tandem j hooks and fished w stripes of bait.

[gstours]

I,m back trying to complete a few more before winter 🥶 sets in,   Sure hoping to soak a few of these creations.   I hope others will gain some things from this... buttt,   Who knows.?

[Hardy Boy]

Gary: Those look great. The skirt looks way better mounted like that. I picked up a chicken 20 lber last Saturday on one of mine shown in my picture. last butt of the year.


Cheers:

Todd

[gstours]

Chicken is good,  glad you got out again.  Or weather is off and on.  Meaning off when you can go!
   But much is getting ready for next year.  Dave makes a great jig head mold, and the options are great 👍.  He likes a stinger hook outside of the skirts as maybe these are for mid water column fish?  The skirt can be wipped backwards easily with the way it's designed and should hold it on quite nicely.
   Butt here's my old way for big baits.

[jurelometer]

He likes a stinger hook outside of the skirts as maybe these are for mid water column fish? 

Rocks!

The middle eye that you are not using in your casts is intended for an assist hook.  Assist hooks don't snag the bottom much.   But if you want to run really large hooks, I could see why it might be better to rig trailing instead.



I personally like to keep the skirt on the medium to small side, and whip it to the the jig head to keep everything as streamlined as possible.  This  lets the jig drop faster and then fish at the designed  orientation.  But I also like the action of backward skirts ...

So that is just the original design. I am sure there are  better ways to rig it for various fisheries.  I did try to design the head to have lots of rigging options.   I am very interested in seeing what our resident halibut king  comes up with.  I am learning stuff already!

-J

[gstours]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and pictures.  Here is another way to attach the skirt.  If the skirt is too large trim it.  I snip the nose off and butterflie it. It now can be put on a jig with the hooks on it. 
  Below is my new favorite method.

[gstours]

Next whipping is fun and easy, I use polyester thread 🧵 in a fly tying bobbin.  Using a little tension and many wraps it seems to hold very well.   The skirt can be trimmed for length if desired.  Add some thread cement or epoxy to give it a long life if desired.
   Later a little heat from a butane or propane torch will soften the thread to make your change if desired.

[gstours]

Another skirt is wrapped on the lead.   The skirt is trimmed to fit a bit better.  If you wanted less material you could slice some off and save or discard.   The spool shape of the rear attachment area is well designed.  Thanks.