Northwest Fishing Reports

For those of you who like to "do it yourself", but are not ready to invest in pouring equipment or maybe just like tweaking things, here is something I figured out.
My problem is that I have not been able to find plain jig heads for tying Coho jigs locally that are greater than 1/4 oz. Now, 1/4 oz jig heads seem to work fine, but sometimes I find I'd like a little more weight either for casting distance or varying water conditions. I thought, can one solder lead? I had the supplies in the garage, so did a little experimenting and found out that it does work (pending you don't overheat it and melt the lead).
I tried making a rough tutorial for those that might be interested. On a side note, I've also found that even though I thought I wanted 3/8 oz jig heads, I'm actually quite happy with 5/16 oz jig heads as the 3/8 sometimes are a little more than the water calls for. I didn't know 1/16 of an ounce would make that much difference, but it does.
Note of caution: Fumes from melting lead are hazardous. Work outdoors and take appropriate safety precautions when working with lead.

More.

As the lead gets hot, try touching the tip of the solder wire to the gap between the two lead pieces. If hot enough, the solder should run into the joint. Do not overheat the lead or it will melt also, but the thinner diameter solder will melt first providing a short window to complete the job without melting the lead. Final

thats a damn good idea actually. Nice!

i agree, good idea.. not like they are looking for that deformed squid.. saving a buck is all better than spending a buck