bug eyes

[bombora]

Hiya, said I'd put up some jigs which went well on the perch.

These are simple thread bodies, about 1/18th or 1/20th when the side of the round head is filed flat.
View attachment 1
Zap a Gap or epoxy keeps the goggle eyes in place pretty well. Painted with nail polish and at least four coats of Hard as Nails. As I jibbered in the new members forum, eye and head being the same colour is really buggy to me.
View attachment 2
Some bugeyes with chenile bodies. Camera didn't get the emerald and copper fleck in the chenile.
View attachment 3
They all have rabbit tails, except for the olive chenile body which is arctic fox and the brown threadbody which is marabou.
I've tied similar for a while in tan and white and they are fun over sandflats or a couple of local saltwater lagoons.
Kept reading about mudeyes and perving on fly fisho's patterns so tried some mudeyes. Rabbit on blacks and marabou on the brown one.
View attachment 4
Pretty well all have low flash for very clear water.
The eyes let em sit flat/tail up a bit, on the bottom without falling over on their sides too much. Some of the eyes have clear fleck nail polish over the top. The pics make the eye fleck look more prominent than it is.
Time difference is a bugger, better log off to wrap some prezzies.

 

[Jigging15]

They look like then will catch some fish. Nice ties.

 

[CrappieHappy]

nice jigs...

 

[Jig Man]

Very nice.... HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM I wonder what the logistics would be on a Jig Swap????????

 

[crappiecripplerjigs]

Really nice looking jigs. I like the heads too. I might have to look into tying with the arctic fox. Those will catch fish anywhere.

 

[LedHed]

Great tyes BB - what is the hook size?

 

[jschmidt]

those look really great! I know what I am going to tie tonight

 

[blt]

Very nice work!

 

[oldfox]

Something new! Great looking jigs !

 

[StumpHunter]

Nice looking jigs. I like them all and love seeing different tied jigs.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I like them all,especially the hardbodies or thread bodies as you call them. Awesome work !!!

 

[Fatman]

Nice jigs!!!!!!!! That's got to take some time making those

 

[Radtexan]

Awesome jigs Bombora...Love that head profile.

I wonder what the logistics would be on a Jig Swap????????

Great Idea Mel..Love to have you in one,Id bet we could get a package Down Under,,, ,,check out the swap boards if you havent seen them yet..
Jig Swap


.

 

[bombora]

Thanks guys. Only thing I think a bit different is the hollow goggle eyes being painted (I've almost convinced myself the loose pupil in them gives off a very subtle rattle, ha!) and the thread bodies have a sort of bulging belly shape, which, maybe, might give a sweet water flow through to the tail and give a bit of subtle movement even on slow straight retrieve. Oh I also paint the thread bodies with nail polish too.
I'll try to put up a pic which shows the shape better. I'd love to see some of Pup's jigs with his goggle eyes painted. Probably already does them. Only one thin coat of nail polish over eyes means they are just slightly see-thru, like an insect eye. Some of the goggle eyes have red pupils which look way cool just peeping thru the polish when held to the light.
Hey Ledhed, hook size is no4, saltwater proof and chem sharp.
Thread bodies take a bit of mundane tying, only secret to getting the slim neck, bulging belly and slim tail is to dab a bit of quick dry head cement as you go along, otherwise the thread can slip while making the bulging belly.
Hey crappiecrippler, Artic Fox is awesome!

 

[Lost Pole]

Wow. Way cool ties Bombora. Does the paint hold up well on the thread?
I love em.
A fella on here by name of hunter7711 pours a road runner with some bugged out eyes if you ever wanna go that route.
Welcome from LA.

 

[bombora]

Hiya Lostpole yeah they go OK. Did a little report in the new members forum and mentioned the olive painted bug eye thread body in the pics here took 24 perch to 2 pounds in one mad little bite. There's a few pics of the perch the jig took in that forum. Still looks good I think. Three or four coats of Hard As Nails on top helps!

 

[toadfrog]

bombora If you put a little holographic glitter .040 in the clear coat and just put a drop over the dark eyes when it is in the sun and water it produces a prismatic reflection just like a real bugs eyes .

 

[yellowjacket]

nice jigs

 

[Hawnjigs]

What brand of hook & model #? - doesn't look familiar to me.

Oz has a quality all custom jig head mfg:
http://www.ttlures.com.au/
Do you have access to a custom mold maker? Looks like a custom head with built in side and belly bulges could save you lots of time, and materials.

 

[bombora]

Hiya Hawnjigs yes its a pain in one bum cheek filing down the sides of the round heads. Yep they are a local brand, Squidgy. No collar but a wire hook to hold plastics is a pain in the other bum cheek to twist off:beat-up: Their own hook; light but strong. Nice small barb, nice length shank. TT jig heads are awesome. I do some light tackle squid-octopus styled jigs with them.
No custom mould makers I know of in Oz. Decent selection because of soft plastics boom but I don't have access to the many amazing styles you guys do, and make yourself. Small one bed apartment with tiny balcony not the place to melt lead.
I've also got heads from the US and Japan, importing lead by airfreight, hmmmmm did I really do that.
Hiya Toadfrog I like that idea. Been trying to get that effect.