In my thirty years of pouring jigs, weights, and lures I have accumulated quite a few molds. Some I use quite often and some I only use from time to time. But there is one mold that I have used probably more than any other I own. I consider it the "McGiver" of tackle making tools. Without it I'd be like Batman without his gadget belt. it's beauty is it's versatility. Let me go through some of my favorite uses and I think you'll see why you shouldn't be without Do-It's SLIP-6-A mold if you love lure making.
The Slip Jig
Let's start out with it's intended use and go from there. The slip jig mold makes six different slip jigs ranging from one-eighth to nine-sixteenth of an ounce. It's basically a sliding bullet sinker with a lead collar molded into the rear end. Used as a true slip jig, this collar can serve several purposes.
First, it can be buried into the head of the worm when fishing a Texas rig to prevent the weight from sliding away from the worm. This is beneficial in heavy cover to prevent snags. Many anglers "Peg" their weights in an attempt to secure the weight. The collar eliminates the need for the peg.
This collar can also be used to tie materials like sparse round rubber or bucktail. This combined with a Texas rigged worm or 4" curly tail grub and you have a more weedless and snag proof version of the standard weedless jig. Because the line goes directly through the nose of the weight, it's even better than most flippin' jigs in really heavy weeds, pads, and trees. I even tie a full skirt or bucktail version where I use a weedless hook and a #11 pork frog. I'll put this combo up against any jig and pig combo.
That's what the slip jig is all about. But now let's look at how you can really get your money's worth out of this handy little lure makers friend.
Slip-Sinker
OK, this one is a no-brainer. I mentioned that it's basically a bullet sinker with a collar on it. After molding, it's real simple to clip off the collar and you have a great selection of bullet sinkers for almost all types of fishing.
The slip sinker rig is one of the most basic and effective ways to present a variety of live and natural baits. The bigger sizes can also be used for Carolina rigging deep water bass.
Spinner Body
The slip jig mold makes a great in-line spinner body. Paint them, tie some bucktail, squirrel tail, or round rubber on the collar and you have a great spinner body for bass, trout, pike, or even panfish. You can even paint an eye on the head and the body takes on a baitfish illusion.
One of my deadliest spinners of all time is a lure I call my "candy-corn" spinner. It's legendary in my tackle box and in many of the people that I have shared them with.
This is an undressed spinner so start out by pouring the one-quarter ounce body and clipping off the collar.
Paint the bodies (I prefer powder paint for "candy-corns") with a base coat and then a coat of bright yellow. When the yellow is dry, paint the top half of the body in a bright orange, hence the "candy-corn" look.
Using .031 wire, I create a loop and attach a #8 short shank round bend treble hook. With the wire up through the body, add two one-eighth diameter hollow beads. After that, add a size #3 in-line blade. Finish it off with a twisted loop and you are done. This little gem has taken large and small mouth bass, panfish, pike, walleyes, trout, salmon, steelhead, and even a small musky or two. It has saved many an outing that was slow due to clear water or cold fronts. And they are so simple and economical to make, you will find yourself casting into some pretty intimidating looking places that hold big fish because you aren't worried about loosing a three dollar spinner.
Musky Bucktail Weight
I also use this mold to make a great early season musky bucktail. Here, the slip jig is used to make a hidden weight inside the bucktail.
I pour the one-quarter ounce slip jig and slide it over a piece of .051 wire that I have hooked one end and clipped off about two inches longer than the body. This piece of wire serves to hold the body in a fly vise for tying.
With the body in a vise, I tie the bucktail back over the bullet head. Finish off the ends and coat with a topcoat like Devcon or Sally Hansen's Hard-as-Nails clear coat.
You can use a turned brass Abu style body ahead of this bucktail or as I prefer, the one-quarter ounce lure body made with Do-Its LB-5-A mold. This lure is topped off perfectly with a couple one-eight inch beads and either a #6 in-line blade or a #5 French blade on a #3 clevis. I like .041 wire for this bait.
Over the years, this compact little bucktail has become my #1 choice for early season muskies or all summer long when times get tough due to cold fronts or heavy fishing pressure.
Odds and Ends
Their squatty shape makes these weights perfect for belly-weighting crank baits or musky jerk baits.
I have also molded them into the ends of homemade slip floats and cast them directly onto wire for light weight bottom bouncers.
If you are a tackle-tinkered, the Do-It SLIP-6-A is a "must have" in your workshop.
Because as always, it's always more fun to catch a fish on a lure you made yourself.