Ben Lipiec

lol im not sure what 10% difference is but i think im ok. i dont have any pictures yet, but i basically just dremmeled out the mold for the hook to sit in and filled the shank and weedguard of the jig with putty. you have to use a single piece of wire or it wont fit well and it isnt nearly strong enough.

anybody know where i can find the skirt layers used in the shooter crawdad color? http://www.shooterlures.com/Shooter%20Elite%208-10%20LABELED@.jpg thanks, Ben

thanks guys, i hope you are right lol. ya i definately wont use the hardhead name but i havent thought about a good name yet. i just modified a football jig mold, and bend up a solid piece of stainless wire for the eyes.

the ones im talking about are like the biffle hardheads http://www.***.com/Gene_Larew_Biffle_Hardhead_2pk/descpage-Ganother siteHRD.html

i started making my own hard head rigs and have been using them since august. i have thought about starting to sell them, but im not sure if its legal or not. i remember seeing all of the press about reaction innovations legal issues with other people selling too similar of beavers. can anybody help clear this up? thanks, Ben

what is the best way to glue your weedguards without making a mess. and what type of finish knot do you use when you tie your skirts thanks, Ben

whenever you want eric, my boat is open. i will be out all day tomorrow and friday- LOOKING FOR BASS. the weather has been warmer the last few days and the water is starting to clear up from all the run off.

anywhere off shades beach is a good general area to start. from there i like to work east. off of any creek can be good, especially if your here in the spring. again any depth changes and if you can find rocks on your sonar is great. i live in Erie but i just started fishing lake erie hard last year if you can believe it. i fish mostly the bay and other surrounding lakes. erie is actually very easy to fish. just figure out how deep the fish are and they get real predictable from there. if your here in the spring dont over look shallow water (10-12 ft or less) with jerkbaits, rattle traps and spinnerbaits.

lagoons are mostly open, same with misery but the wind has the remaining ice pushed up against the bridge so you need to break ice to get out there. the main bay is open almost to chestnut. the pike are biting but the water is muddy with pretty strong current in the lagoons keeping the bass negative.

does anyone know of a good matte finish powder paint for paiting jigs? i have a black but i need green pumpkin and possibly a brown. thank you, Ben

i live in erie, pa and chautauqua is my favorite lake in the universe. as stated before, you can fish docks all day and have a great time. its been called a "dock fishermans paradise". that is one of my favorite ways to fish, and its not uncommon to catch 4 and 5 lbers with 2 and 3's being the norm. if your looking for the real hogs youre going to have to probe the 10 million acres of weeds. basically, dont count anything out. fish everywhere. outside weedlines, inside weedlines, and right in the middle. some of the biggest fish in the lake are hanging right in the middle of those weedbeds.

what do you guys use to glue your weedgaurds in? im not molding them into the jig because im changing the angle of them. am i better off glueing them in before i paint or after? i have been trying the zap a gap super glue and its leaving a white mark on the weedgaurd and the jig, even when i am very careful and dont get it on the jig. could it be the vapers? thanks, Ben

they are closing.

if you have a gander mountain near by, a9' light action advantage steelhead rod is only like $30.

thanks for the help cadman. what if i dont move the hole, but i just change the angle of the weed guard so it sits right on the hook point? could i just dremmel out the top groove where the base pin is to get a sharper angle? thank you!

i have a couple jig molds comming from barlows. the do-it weedless sparkie head and weedless banana head jig. i want to move the weedguard up a little on the head to get a better angle on the hook. has anyone done this? can i do it on the mold so i dont have to do it to the jigs individually? i have heard about using a dremmel tool but have no experience doing it. i also wanted to ask what everyones favorite light wire jig hook is? im looking for a 60 degree bend and in line hook eye. something like what is on the tabu open water series jig. any help is appreciated. Ben

throw jigs ANYWHERE. rocks, weeds, open water, deep water, shallow water, stumps, laydowns, a hump, a depression... basically anything that will hold fish. in florida its tough to beat swimming a 5/16 sparkie head with a twin tail grub through that kissimmee grass you have down there. one thing that i have learned is to match the jig to the water color. a little orange once in a while can be great, but i really like a green pumpkin/green in clear water and more of a green pumpkin in dirtier water. the idea is to blend into the surroundings so when that jig goes by the fish all it sees is a blur of something and that causes a reaction bite.

I have been using Kistler rods for 5 years. I can honestly say that i have never noticed a difference between any of their telescopic and non-telescopic rods as far as sensativity. i do think the non-telescopic rods are just a hair lighter power though. Also, possibly slightly lighter in weight. When it comes down to it, if the rod is available in a one piece version, thats what i'll buy. If not, then Kistler's telescopic rods are still the best rod for the job Ben

The smallies are in!!! fish deep ledges and points with jigging spoons and blade baits.nothing special unless your going out into the main lake, then you have to have flares. just get the lake erie combo license. Ben

for frog fishing i really like the kistler he76hc. it's absolutely perfect for skipping a frog or toad under a dock or bombing it a mile. great tip for making it walk in open water and plenty of backbone. its not your typical heavy power rod. its slightly lighter with a fast action perfect for frog fishing with braid. its also my favorite carolina rig rod. ben

i see you live in oh. im not sure if your smallmouth fishing out on lake erie or inland creeks, rivers, or lakes? for fishing out on the lake i like the kistler he76ms. its a perfest action and power to throw anything and has the right length for a good hookup in deep water. plus the extra length really absorbs the fast lunges of big smallies. if your looking for a smaller rod for fishing light lures, i like the mgdsfwml69s. its perfect for any soft plastic and it also throws small jerkbaits and minnow baits really well. ben

Yeah Eric, from what i can see the lagoons are totally open. a good part of misery is also open, and the east end of the bay is mostly open! im hoping i can get the boat out saturday!

I plan on having my boat in the lagoons this upcoming Saturday! Last year March 25 was the first day i got out and i caught 9 in 2 hours then i had to go to work at 1 o'clock. The next day we came out and caught about 25 fish in misery bay. The following friday we whacked 'em in the lagoons and horshoe pond. Between the 2 of us, we boated well over 75 bass and had several slappers. all between 1 and 4 1/2 lbs. just bring pointers and rat-l-traps. leave the jigs and spinnerbaits at home til the waters almost 50. hope this helps, Ben

Erie!!! all day!!

yep Eric, your right! good catch!! i meant mid june. they are usually there through the end of june, but that is about when the big largemouths pull out on the weedlines. lol i do fish for smallies every year for the good friday tournament. If you dont weigh in smallmouths your really missing the boat. big largemouths are too hard to find a good concentration of and the average smallmouth out weighs the average largemouth anyway! Ben