I’ve been throwing z man “ The Deal” mostly.
Took my wife out yesterday and rigged her up with “Purple death”. She caught three flounder and one fish that looked like a whiting but it drummed and cut me with it’s gill plates because I was just dumb enough to grab it not knowing For sure what it was.
Anyway, after watching her get bit, I switched over to purple death and hooked up with a nice flounder only to get wrapped on some structure. Gave him some slack to get off the structure and he was gone.
I never boated a fish.
It was horrible having to listen to my wife gloat about her fish all evening.
I fish weedless (3/16 or 1/4 bullet weight with a #2 or so gap hook depending on my soft plastic) when around structure but I’ll throw a normal lead head in the summer when I’m tossing oyster beds.
Would add a pic of my rig but haven’t figured out how to post a pic yet.
I live right next to Lake Marion so fishing I’ve done recently has been there. I like the Trick Shotz, and Finesse Shadz, and the 3 1/2" grubs but use other brands of grubs most often. I bought a bunch of 4" grubs years ago when I could fish for SM bass more often, so don’t buy many of them. If I’m getting more interest than I want from Pickerel I’ll use the Zman grubs since they hold up a lot better.
I started using the elaztech type grubs years ago in the Chesapeake Bay as they held up best to Bluefish, when we were chasing Stripers. I still have some of the Terminator & Strike King versions too.
I pour the jigheads that I use, and have been using these most of the time.
Those are beautiful. Do they hold a Z Man on well. I’ve got some lead jig heads I use for crawpappy soft plastics but it’s hard to get a Z Man over the barn and once it punctures the soft plastic I either discard it or cut past the tear and re jig it.
Also, is it a good deal cheaper once you buy the molds, hooks and lead than simply buying the jig head.
I’m only asking because I often thought I’d enjoy doing it.
Thank you. I powder paint most jigs that I fish with, but this is the only photo I had handy of this style jig.
I’ve been pouring a long time, close to 48 years. If you use & lose a lot of jigs it can be worth doing, but pouring your own may not save much money compared to just buying what you need. I got into it because I was already tying flies and tying jigs that I bought or retying old jigs, and got the chance to get a mold cheap. I was about 17 , and saving money wasn’t even a thought. That first mold was for pouring round head jigs in assorted sizes, primarily sizes for panfish or bass. Now, I have over 340 molds, which I’ve added over many years. I can now pour jigs from 1/100 oz, up to 20 ounces. Plus, sinkers, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, jigging spoons and some other lead based lures.
I enjoy doing it, all of what I have acquired is paid for, so it’s been an investment for me. I can make many different lures or heads just as I want or need.
Those heads hold most plastic baits very well. I feel the Zman baits stay on most jigs pretty well. The hard part sometimes is getting them on the jig. I even made a mold for a special jig, with the idea to use them with some of the larger Zman baits. The mold only pours 3/8 & 1/2 oz size jigheads.
For me, making lures & tying flies have been a whole different world that’s added to my fishing enjoyment. I know a lot of others who make lures or tie flies, and not many say they’ve saved money doing it, but have also enjoyed it.
If I could only throw one bait for the rest of the season based on success this year. Trick Shotz in pumpkin green goby with a Ned lock 1/6 black or pumpkin green jig head.