Is it worth it to make your own jigs for custom colors or skirts?

Catching a fish on something that you made is a great feeling. Give it a shot.

If you are talking about cost...NO.

When I looked into it, it seemed cheaper to by them at a store. 

You can even save a few bucks by buying jig heads and skirts to put together on your own. Either way it is totally worth it!

Roadwarrior is right, you can't make jigs with premium hooks and materials for less money than you can buy them from Siebert for example. Cheap plain jig heads with poor quality hooks are a waste of your time.

Go to Barlows and check out the cost of jig making molds, lead, melting pot, hooks, paint and skirt materials....it adds up fast!

I make my own jigs because of very specific jig head shape and hook types, otherwise I buy them.

Tom

I pour my jigheads, that way I have the components I want in the combination of hook size, hook quality and weight. Cost effective is not.

Is it worth it to make your own jigs for custom colors or skirts?

Not when you have Mike Seibert and his prices.

Or Northstar

Unless you get your lead for free like I do  

I pour my own heads and paint and tie the skirts and I also pour spinnerbait heads as well as bend the wire, paint and tie on a skirt and I can tell you that unless you lose 100 jigs a season, it will take years to get back the initial investment. You can save money by using a small cast iron pot on a coleman camp stove to melt the lead but it isn't the best way and it causes frustration when things don't go right. To buy a good lead pot, a mold, good hooks and skirt material, not counting lead, it will run around $200 or so depending on the hooks and skirt material you use, I have a bunch of molds and with my pouring equipment, paint and skirt material along with hook inventory, wire, clevis', beads and tolls not to mention buck tails and thread and all that stuff, I'm in about $9,000 or so. If you wanted to make a jig with a good hook in a few colors you could put in the initial investment and if you stick to making a few for you and some friends, you can save money after 5 to 7 years, it depends on how many jigs you go through in a season. If you want a hobby, I say go for it, very rewarding hobby and fun, especially if you live in an area that has winter with hard water, it really helps with cabin fever!! For pure cost, stick with buying them.

You can even save a few bucks by buying jig heads and skirts to put together on your own. Either way it is totally worth it!

 

In all honesty if your looking to build your own I would go this way.  Buy the finished head and then some skirt material.