"perfect tobis" sandeel jig

[Bucho]

Hi!

some of you might remember my obsession with free swinging hooks placed on the rear end of long saltwater jigs. After the sandeel slip jig proved to be very productive, I wanted an eyed version and remembered that topic. Once again, I used the articulated fly shank, but this time without a propeller or a dressed hook but simply as a rear eye to let the customer fix his own pick of hook. I just kinked it a bit to fit in the bucktail-collar banana mold. Had to make a little space for the 90° traversed hook end hough, but that was rough & quick work since it is in the mold´s blank space.

 

[Barefoot]

I like that a lot, especially that gold grizzly. I use swing jigs quite a bit for many applications and they do increase the landing percentage.

 

[duffy]

Very good idea! Always thought that the hook should be further back on some jigs. I too like the looks of that gold griz and am dreaming up ideas for it when I find some.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Looks rather labor intensive - you gonna sell them ?

In my experience, a swinging single hook misses more hooksets. I wonder if a custom run of extra long shank jig hooks might offer a fixed hook option ?

 

[Fatman]

Nice tie - if you get break offs on that heavy mono you could also use twist weld fishing wire its really tough stuff.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Love the concept and tie.

 

[Barefoot]

Hawnjigs, I would agree that you may miss more hook sets with a free swinging jig that is not being actively worked or trolled. In my experience, the opposite is true when the jig is moving and that the landing percentage is increased since the fish cannot leverage itself off the hook as easily.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Good point Barefoot, I do lose a noticeable # of jumping trout and smallies that throw traditional fixed hook jigs.

 

[Bucho]

Looks rather labor intensive - you gonna sell them ?

In my experience, a swinging single hook misses more hooksets. I wonder if a custom run of extra long shank jig hooks might offer a fixed hook option ?

It is not that much work as it looks. The wire pours and paints like a hook, the bend is quick work. Once the shank is palmered sparsely with soft long tinsel chenille, the rest is just a two colored bucktail with flash and 4 additional feathers. I compete with handcrafted pike streamers and danish inline casting spoons both pricing around 8-9$. So asking the same for a unique lure with replaceable hook which is less prone to snag sea weed than anything else on the marked is reosonable. Its one of my prieciest jigs though, mainly due to the costly feathers and the wire. 20ct for a feather like that is fine when you get a dozen drys out of it but spending 4-5 of them on a single lure its a different calculation.

The hook loop is labor intensive indeed, I only offer the small parts for them. You only need one or two for your fishing session, I just thread them through the solid ring on the lure, one solid ring holding back the other. No hook mess in the box. The inline version armed with a #2-4 matzuo octopus hook loop scored an unpresedented 9 out of 10 landing quote. Seatrout grab after when they miss a large streamer wing, given you keep calm and carry on the retrieve. The sandeel however they just hammer, its unreal.

 

[Bucho]

This lure has proven itself as an absolute killer pattern for seatrout. Folks buy it, then they give it to somebody else because it casts less than 50yrds, then they carry it around some more, then once in a blue moon for one reason or another they give it a serious shot and then they FREAK.

Got some nice ones today from my new boat, using my I-pilot trolling motor to keep me of the bank in onshore wind, in very shallow water. 68cm, 50cm and a few smaller ones lost. We hardly fish anything else anymore.

 

[Jig Man]

good looking jig for sure...

 

[CrappieHappy]

Nice work!