I wanted to start pouring jigs this winter as something to do. what is the start up price and running price of this craft?

Thanks,

Matt

I am in the beginning stages of jig building. I bought pretty much everything needed to build them except the lead pot, borrowed from a buddy, which will run you $50 - $100. I only got one powder paint color, 100 hooks, one mold and enough skirts to make more than 100 jigs, wanted to play around with some different color schemes.

I already had a toaster oven for curing paint and I built a fluid bed too.

All totaled I now have about $250.00 wrapped up in it. IMO, You can do it a bit cheaper by finding one of the regular jig makers here and buy the jig heads already poured and or painted then do your own skirts. For me though, I wouldn't be happy until I tried the whole process for myself and I am now glad I jumped into it!

Good luck if you decide to try it! Lots of knowledgeable folks here to help you along the way!

BTW...nothing quite like landing a lunker on your own jig!

Here is a guestimate.

Mold $30-50 each

Lead pot $50-100

Lead $2/pound

Hooks $.50-.75 each unless you purchase 1000 at a time

Skirts $.50 each unless you purchase 100 at a time

Paint $ 3.50 per ounce unless you buy in bulk

Decide how much of what you want and do the math. I'm guessing it would be over $300 for a good setup without a fluid bed.

+2 on what the others have said. you will have to make 2-3 hundred jigs before you'll start saving any money, and then another couple of hundred before it gets really cheap on you. It's more a a fullfillment hobby. Not necessarily how much you can save, but how much fullfillment you get out of catching fish on your own baits. If your only buying 20-30 jigs a year, it'll take a LONG time to get ahead, and if you are like anyone else, once you get the hang of it, you go to expanding on it, and you never get ahead.

I've been doing it for over 15 years, if you cut cornors like using a propane stove and cast iron pot to melt the lead then you can figure it is still going to be around $150 to $200 to start and that is only going to get you enough to pour about 50 jigs with maybe 2 different colors of paint. The good thing is you want to do this as a hobby, that is great because often people want to save money and it takes so long to recoup just the start up costs that it just isn't worth it but as a hobby it is great. If you can save up enough you can get a nice bottom pour pot, 2 molds, 250 to 500 hooks 5 or 6 colors of paint and skirt material and a tool to make the skirts for about $350 to $500 depending on where you get the molds and the price of those and what kind of hooks you choose. Be warned, it gets addicting and before you know it you end up like myself with dozens of molds, 86 different colors of paint, 12 pounds of skirt material, thousands of hooks and spinnerblades and weedguards and you'll still be looking for more! Truthfully it is very fun and rewarding as you think about color patterns, different head styles and different hook types and then when you think it is really cool you go out and catch a fish off of the bait you made from scratch, and when that happens not only the cool factor goes through the roof but the feeling of acomplishment, pride, and satisfaction will kick into high gear and from that point on you'll be hooked!! It cost a good bit but you may like it!

Hey alot of times you can get tire weights for nothing but you have to melt it down and skim the top to get the impurities out of the lead.Well if you want to save the money and you fish a good bit its worth it to go all the way are you may want to go a cheaper way thats up to you.Good Luck.