# mini foo steelheader



## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Ive read a lot about mini foo jigs and seems a lot of people like them. Anybody know of a store that carries mini foo steelheader jigs ?


On a related note , Ive noticed Lindy little nippers are available at Meijer and they are just about exactly the same as a mini foo , but I am concerned about the hook strength since its a general purpose jig. The mini foo steelheader has a stronger hook than the standard version.


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

Those hooks have bent on me. I will not buy again.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Lundfish said:


> Those hooks have bent on me. I will not buy again.


The mini foo steelheader series ?


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## jhiggy11 (Jul 14, 2010)

I am not trying to be a "know all" about this but I will tell you what I do and I have not lost a fish from hooks straightening out yet. I buy the cheap $1 1/32 ounce jigs at walmart by vicious tackle and take wire cutters to the collar and cut it off. I then tie up my own jigs. It is all in the rod and how you play the fish. Of course if you hook up on an underwater log...you may break off, but that is to be expected. Make sure you set your drag to allow for the runs that steelhead WILL make.


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

I personally don't like any lindy line of tackle. It Is all cheaply made and doesn't hold up to the fish. I don't like shopping at Dicks sporting goods but the one in north canton had a pretty good selection of steelhead foos $2.49 for a 2 pack . I bought 6 2 packs lasts time I was in


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## Osmerus (Dec 5, 2012)

When it comes to jigs anymore I tie most of them myself. Its much easier than you think, after a couple of them you got the hang of it. There are a few small companies out there that make ones that are way better than mini foo and Little nipper but they still don't last all that long. The biggest thing if you making your own is buying good maribou. Spend the money on good materials it will catch you more fish and its way easier to tie with. A simple and cheap fly tying vise works fine. Only thing else you really need is a small sharp precise pair of scissors.

Erie Outfitters, D&W Bait shop, and Rod Makers Shoppe carry better selections of tied ones than the chain stores do. Shop your local bait/ tackle shops they usually always have locally produced jigs.


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

yonderfishin said:


> The mini foo steelheader series ?


Yes.

I just bought some jigs from a guy this in Fremont on eBay. Didn't realize he was so close until after the sale. They look like a much more high quality hook. I'd tell ya how they work but I have yet to catch a fish on one. Slow weekend for me.


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## whitefishbay43 (Jul 16, 2011)

Lund i hope you catch some fish on them jig.. Id fill bad if you didnt.. you no fish they got there up and downs.. 
The best hook you can buy least for steelhead are daiichi which i think stop making there jig hooks.. i got a hand full left i keep for myself also the mustad 2X but they seem to be between a 6 and a 4 . Ive caught a lot of crappie this year on my jigs steelhead been slow cuss of low water.. but got a few mostly i fish the SR ive been busy so dont get to travel far from home any more.


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## flyphisherman (Jul 7, 2009)

If you're making your own jigs look no further than the mustad ultra point jig hook. That hook is amazing. Mini foos are garbage in my opinion. Use them for a year and you'll feel the same way. They bend out and they break. I don't want either of those things to happen when I'm fighting a fish. If you're lucky those foos are good for one fish. Mustad ultra points just keep on going like the energizer bunny.


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

jhiggy11 said:


> I am not trying to be a "know all" about this but I will tell you what I do and I have not lost a fish from hooks straightening out yet. I buy the cheap $1 1/32 ounce jigs at walmart by vicious tackle and take wire cutters to the collar and cut it off. I then tie up my own jigs. It is all in the rod and how you play the fish. Of course if you hook up on an underwater log...you may break off, but that is to be expected. Make sure you set your drag to allow for the runs that steelhead WILL make.


sometimes you have to stop a steelhead from making a run....what then? 

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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Ive been tying some of my own jigs on cheap jig heads bought from bass pro just to see how well they come out and they arent bad. Once I realized i didnt need a vise to make them it then became a challenge I had to try. I know the hook is probably soft but until I can get some decent hooks they will do. The mini foo seems to have its own look , very minimal amount of anything on it , kinda just enough to barely cover the shank of the hook , compared to most steelhead jigs they look quite different. Yet if you search a lot of steelhead forums and articles , there seems to be an large amount of approval of the mini foo by people who have been doing this for a long time , a few negative comments but not much compared to the positive. I kinda just want to get my hands on a couple and try em , maybe copy its minimal construction with something I make myself.


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## Lundfish (Apr 7, 2010)

whitefishbay43 said:


> Lund i hope you catch some fish on them jig.. Id fill bad if you didnt.. you no fish they got there up and downs..
> The best hook you can buy least for steelhead are daiichi which i think stop making there jig hooks.. i got a hand full left i keep for myself also the mustad 2X but they seem to be between a 6 and a 4 . Ive caught a lot of crappie this year on my jigs steelhead been slow cuss of low water.. but got a few mostly i fish the SR ive been busy so dont get to travel far from home any more.


Those jigs look good that I got from ya. I like the hooks...super sharp.


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

Me and my buddy make jigs out of raccoon tail: I dont use a vice either








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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

I have been making jigs for years with just my hands colored jigs from Wally World maribu(sp), sewing string and hard as nails. Got pretty good at it too, and they catch fish. The most effective jigs are the most simplest IMO 


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

For sure....thread and loctite super glue (dries clear)

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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

I have also spent my fair share of Fort Knox on jigs, the ones with crystal meth, beads, blah blah..... Bet I made somebody's day when they found them on the rock or V washed up cause I snagged a 2$+ on the bottom and broke it off. Winter time go white jigs fall go with purple or pink or black. Awesome feeling catching a fish off of home maid jig


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Not sure anyone answered where to get minifoos. Dick's Sporting Goods has the best selection But some local bait shops have them also. Some of the ones Dicks has look to be made with stronger hooks so look them over closely. Don't buy the ones that look like they're made with "Aberdeen" crappie jig hooks (you can pretty much tell!) since steelhead will definitely straighten these!


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

I did an experiment today with a 1/8 general purpose generic jig head with 1/0 hook bought at bass pro. I tied about 24 inches of 6 lb. mono to it , hooked it onto my front porch and pulled on it until the line broke. The hook barely flexed at all. This confirmed my suspicion that the larger wire jigs like those using a 1/0 hook are usually plenty strong enough to handle a steelie , he will break the line before he bends the hook out. It would have to be just the thinner diameter and smaller jig hooks that are in danger of straightening out.


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## Chef T (Feb 28, 2011)

My buddy and I gave up on other peoples jigs and he started pouring his own jig heads. I'll come over once and a while to paint them. It has become the best option in all my years of steelhead fishing, it should of been done long time ago. I highly suggest the serious steelheader look into making your own jigs. Even after costs, each jig comes to $.12 a piece. You can make whatever colors you like and once you find the right hook for your needs, you're a very happy camper. Now when I lose a jig, I just break off and laugh.


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## MadMax1 (Aug 27, 2012)

I rarely fish jig n mag, and have very little result when I do. I usually run them about 3-4' under the float w 4-5 maggots in the end. Am I rigging this incorrectly? This is a method I've just never had any luck with. Any advice would be appreciated - thanks


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

We usually use minny foos with 1-2 maggots or meal worms. When we go we usually do ok. fly 3 ft - 4 ft. light sinker 1 ft up from jig and a small 3/4 -1 " bobber. The extra sinker is so we can stay to the tiny jigs and still stay on bottom. Only big enough to keep it from floating up. Black is usually our best or black and brown. But some times other color work better. But always small.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

I didnt make these jigs , I got them from wormdunker. I just put some glow in the dark paint on them though to try at night sometime , I know glow paint isnt necessary but it couldnt hurt to try. I just like having options. They can be caught on glow in the dark lures. I might get a chance to try them one night this week if i can get to the river.


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

I had another idea for making jigs , was reading about using metal beads and a small nail for the jig head instead of using lead and a mold. This is a "weight forward" design that should help keep the jig sitting horizontal in the water , especially if the beads were made of lead , drill a hole through some lead shot to make lead beads.


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## flyphisherman (Jul 7, 2009)

You're on the right track Yonder!!! It's called a bullet weight. It allows you to skip the "pouring of the lead" step.

I will reiterate.....Those mini foos are garbage. If you want to throw money away, just give it to me.

Buy Mustad UltraPoint hooks and you will not be disappointed. I'm a fan of size 6. I think a 100 pack will cost you almost 12 bucks. So that's 12 cents a hook...pretty decent deal.

Get a sewing pin and snip it in half. Put that through the bullet weight or bead, and tie it to your jig hook. After you secure it with bunch of wraps, finish it with a whip finish tool. Coat the thread with superglue, and be sure to schmooze some up into the bullet weight too (helps keep it from spinning). I like to paint the lead head with some nail polish (two coats), then I paint some eyes, then clear coat. 

This is how you make a Wicked Good Jig!!!


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