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For anyone who may be following this thread, I found unpainted jigheads (like the ones pictured above) and craft hair at: http://www.punisherjigs.com/default.asp

I think I will tie my own. Anyone know where I can get the painted jigheads?

Anyone know who makes this Float N Fly? I'm looking for the one on the bottom, Black and Grey. I've already contacted Punisher Jigs - they say it's not theirs, but they can make it (24 minimum order :-/)

I have some poly bags for sale if anyone is interested. 6x4 4 MIL CLEAR RECLOSEABLE POLY BAG About 975 bags left in the case. I bought these at Papermart http://www.papermart.com/templates/15-0-30.htm#GO_15030. They are great little bags, just haven't been pouring as much as I've wanted to. :'( These were $22.82+$11 for shipping and $3 for handling. I'll take $30 shipped.

Triton9, were you at the one in Hampton earlier this year? Ike, Houston, VanDam, and others... You look familiar from the picture in the avatar.

I would take a look at the plaster mold making articles posted. Pick up some POP from Lowe's or Home Deport, and make a simple mold of one of your favorite baits. Then send an email to M-F Manufacturing (http://www.fishingworld.com/M-F-Manufacturing/). They should send you a free sample of their plastic...IMO I think it is the best out there. Go ahead and pick out some colors and glitter and combine the shipping with your free plastic... That should get you started pouring your own stuff for $20. Once you get addicted, and trust me you will, ;D you can buy more molds, plastic, etc.

Weighed the Ikas tonight and they were a little on the light side :-/ I'm pouring some more in the morning with a little added salt. Hopefully I will be able to test them out tomorrow after work. flechero, I can pour just about any color...the only problem is finding a skirt to match it. I don't think Yamamoto makes a bright blue skirt. If you can find some custom skirts, let me know, there is alot of colors Yamamoto doesn't offer that I'd like to be able to get skirts in.

Thanks everyone for the compliments...still a work in progress. I'm not sure of the weight of each bait...don't have accurate enough scales to weigh them. I've been planning on picking one up to compare the formula I've been using for these compared to the Yamamoto density. I'll pick up a scale and try posting a weight for those interested tomorrow. Just curious what is everyone's favorite color in the Ika. I've had good success with the Green Pumpkin w/ Black and the Cinnamon w/ purple and black (the two posted above), but wanted to try giving a few more colors a shot. I've also thought about making some ikas with a different color body and skirt. IE making a chocolate body with a red skirt or a green pumpkin body with an avacodo skirt. These would be close to the 520, 521, 544, and 545 color craws yamamoto makes.

Here's some pictures of my first handpoured fat ikas. I made these from a custom mold I made myself, so hopefully it will have the same great action as the original. Going to give them a try in my next tourney. Let me know what you think.

Check out Jann's NetCraft: http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/scale-masking-vinyl/ They have the scale masking in the picture. Also, alot of the guys that airbrush crankbaits make they're own patterns and stencils....hopefully one of them will chime in.

www.littlelures.com That's Crawchuck's website. Are you wanting a hardbait mold or a mold for plastics?

Del-Mart http://www.del-mart.com/shop/home.php?cat=248 LureCraft http://www.lurecraft.com/catalog.htm Barlow's Tackle http://www.barlowstackle.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=1963&CATID=112 M-F Manufacturing http://www.fishingworld.com/M-F-Manufacturing/ Zeiner's http://zeiners.safeshopper.com/387/cat387.htm?755 If only one place had everything you need

I think these are the same guides used on the GLoomis GLXs ?? If so, the line does make noise going through the guides...it's actually a pretty cool sound. Kind of like blowing over the top of a pop bottle or jug.

Thanks everyone. I've learned alot from this thread. You've done your job - I'm spooked! Anyone have any links to good fishing hats w/ UV protection for fishermen?

Thanks Raul for the quick reply. I've been searching VA regs but can't find anything as far as snagging... The tournaments I fish are quite small. The rules/regs don't cover any snagging issues. I found this under Rule 7 for B.A.S.S. tournaments: "...Anyone guilty of snatching or snagging visible fish will have their catch disqualified. When visually fishing for bedding bass, to be counted as a legal fish all bass must be hooked inside the mouth and must be verified by your partner before being unhooked."

I was wondering what determines a legal hookup? For instance, if your bed fishing and flip a jig in there. The bass is facing away from you swims up to the bait nose down and flares it's gills. You set the hook and reel the fish in only to find the fish is hooked outside the mouth...legal? Or what if your crankin' or jerkbaitin'. You catch a fish but all the trebles are outside the mouth? Typically I've always thrown bedfish that were "snagged" back when I'm in a tournament, but was just wondering if there was an official rule on the subject. Thanks.

Thomas I would recommend heating very slowly to start out. Maybe heat for 15 seconds, stir, 15 seconds, stir, etc. until the plastic has fully melted. I tried to use old plastics to pour some baits once, but the quality just wasn't there. Also if you are pouring thing such as curly tail worms or lizards with small apendages, old plastic will be difficult if not impossible to use because it is so thick. If you want contact M-F Manufacturing, they sent me a free bottle of their plastic...just had to pay S&H.

I am definitely an overwhelming finesse fisherman - about 90% finesse, 10% power. However, I think it also depends on the body of water you are fishing. For instance, one lake up in West Virginia is a very shallow lake that is loaded with big stumps. All my fishing buddies like to finesse fish each log... Even though I'm a finesse fisherman at heart, I fish this lake 90% of the time burning a spinnerbait around the stumps. I out fish them 5:1 most days. However, on my home lakes I've never caught a bass on a spinnerbait, go figure. Like alot of other answers here...it all depends. :