Just wanted to get an idea of what you all use for making/securing jig skirts [tab-formed skirts] to jig heads..

i have seen the "pen-type" tool and it looks like it would work o.k..but has anyone used the "bench-mount" tool? is it worth the extra money/ease of use?

i guess the only real difference is someone making a couple dozen jigs instead of cranking out a few thousand a year? its something i've wanted to do off season for years,and just acquired about 100-150 heads that need some skirts! thanks for your advice.

I have used the $5 tool for tabs for years and it has worked well for me. As far as securing the skirts onto the jigs, you can use thread or wire. If you are going to use bucktail with flat silicone you have to use thread. Otherwise wire will work well and faster for silicone tabs.

I have the plier type of tool and it was inexpensive and I'ver been using it for years without a problem. I've made so many skirts with that pliers that I can really do a lot fast, in fact putting the tabs together to make the skirt takes longer than making it. As my friend cadman has told you, you can tie the skirt to the jig with wire or thread unless you use bucktail or some other form of hait and then you need thread or you can use the skirt collar. I just finished baits for 2 different people, for one angler I wire tied the skirts to the spinnerbaits he wanted and the other guy wanted the skirt collar, and my personal preferance is the skirt collar, on jigs I'm going to lose them well before the skirt collar goes bad and spinnerbaits, well when I go out in the jon boat I don't have room for all my tackle so I take a small bag with a few boxes but my spinnerbait collection is only 4 baits with about a dozen different skirts, if I want to change patterns I simply slip off the skirt and replace it but that is just me.

I use the plier type. Simple to use.

Pliers with a small o ring to make the skirt and wire to tie it on.

As far as the collar goes, if the collar deteriorates won't the jig skirt have deteriorated by that point? And if I don't loose a jig I wear the paint off the jigs head or destroy the weed guard from catching fish before wearing out the collar.

BTW I have the $5 pen tool but I am brand new to jig building and haven't used it yet.

As far as the collar goes, if the collar deteriorates won't the jig skirt have deteriorated by that point? And if I don't loose a jig I wear the paint off the jigs head or destroy the weed guard from catching fish before wearing out the collar.

BTW I have the $5 pen tool but I am brand new to jig building and haven't used it yet.

When I first started making tackle over 15 years ago the rubber skirt collars didn't last, it was common to buy a jig or spinnerbait off the shelf somewhere that was maybe 1 year or 2 old and open the pack and the skirt would just fall off. I had it happen so I started out tying with thread which was good as I learned to make hair jigs but then I had friends requesting stuff and it became very time consuming and that is when I discovered wire, I didn't have internet until 2001 so everything I learned was from other guys I met at shows and through books. The wire was great with silicone and rubber, not hair but just the fact that all my silicone skirts could be wire tied was great. Well it was getting tough working and making lures so to save some time I began making skirts up ahead of time using the collars and then putting them on the jigs and *** with wire and cut the collar off but for my own stuff I figured I'll just use the collar and that is when I found that the collar I got weren't the same as the really bad one from years past, I did some research and I was right, it seems the industry was using better material with a thicker wall and it showed, I have jigs inmy box that I have used and put back that are 3 and 4 years old and the skirts are fine. I will say the natural skirt collars still seem to be bad but the rest are ok.