# Sidewinder jigs



## ez2cdave

I was digging through some old tackle and found these ( below ) . . .

Back in the 1970's and 80's, there was a lure called a "SIDEWINDER JIG". They worked great on Spanish Mackerel and other species, especially when fished from piers and bridges. Their action was very erratic and drove the fish wild. 

I've been looking for them and can't find them . . .

Are these still being made and who sells them ? Are molds available ?

Thanks !


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## Sand Dollar

Not to sure about that particular lure, but the Gotcha plug is probably close to what you are looking for. Check out link. It also has the same sales line. "The lure is excellent for bluefish, spanish mackerel, trout and other fish that feed on small bait fish. It is great for fishing from piers and bridges and is also a favorite of boat fisherman jigging for trout and bluefish" Hope this can help you...:fishing:

http://www.seastriker.com/gotcha/


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## ez2cdave

Sand Dollar said:


> Not to sure about that particular lure, but the Gotcha plug is probably close to what you are looking for. Check out link. It also has the same sales line. "The lure is excellent for bluefish, spanish mackerel, trout and other fish that feed on small bait fish. It is great for fishing from piers and bridges and is also a favorite of boat fisherman jigging for trout and bluefish" Hope this can help you...:fishing:
> 
> http://www.seastriker.com/gotcha/


Thanks . . . I already use Gocha's, but was hoping to be able to have these excellent jigs, too !

BTW - The GOTCHA's started out as "JERK JIGGERS", originally .

Thanks !


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## bryan25854

walmart sells them iv got a few they work grate for trout ladyfish and jacks


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## ez2cdave

bryan25854 said:


> walmart sells them iv got a few they work grate for trout ladyfish and jacks


GOTCHA's or SIDEWINDER JIGS ???


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## bryan25854

ez2cdave said:


> GOTCHA's or SIDEWINDER JIGS ???


sidewinder jigs


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## ez2cdave

bryan25854 said:


> sidewinder jigs


I just looked at the Wal-Mart website and did not see them listed.

Are you certain they are Sidewinder Jigs ( like in the pics above ) and not "Shad Darts" ( or similar ), which are "upside-down" by comparison ?


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## plotalot

I remember my brother brought a few of those jigs home when he was on leave from the Coast Guard while stationed in Charleston. I didn't know a name for them and I think one of his shipmates from Fort Lauderdale had introduced him to these jigs. The bend of the hook twisted 90 degrees on the axis of the shaft in relation to the eye contributes to the action just as much as or more than the beveled lip. I have twisted the shank of a normal jig to somewhat get that side to side jerk that your sidewinders had.


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## ez2cdave

plotalot said:


> I remember my brother brought a few of those jigs home when he was on leave from the Coast Guard while stationed in Charleston. I didn't know a name for them and I think one of his shipmates from Fort Lauderdale had introduced him to these jigs. The bend of the hook twisted 90 degrees on the axis of the shaft in relation to the eye contributes to the action just as much as or more than the beveled lip. I have twisted the shank of a normal jig to somewhat get that side to side jerk that your sidewinders had.



The other unique thing about the Sidewinders was that angled face, which made the lure dart downward, when retrieved from an elevated structure like a pier or bridge.
I sure wish I could find these !


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## Charlie2

I quit looking and went back to the drawing board.

I whittled out ta 'master' from wood and made a mold from Bondo. Mine turned out to be 3/8 to 1/2 oz. You can make them of any size, 

I use them for fishing off the pier for Spanish, Blues, Kings; whatever. I have caught Pompano on them. C2

Lots of luck on the hooks. You have to bend them yourself.


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## ez2cdave

Charlie2 said:


> I quit looking and went back to the drawing board.
> 
> I whittled out ta 'master' from wood and made a mold from Bondo. Mine turned out to be 3/8 to 1/2 oz. You can make them of any size,
> 
> I use them for fishing off the pier for Spanish, Blues, Kings; whatever. I have caught Pompano on them. C2
> 
> Lots of luck on the hooks. You have to bend them yourself.


EXCELLENT, Charlie . . . GOWGE would have been PROUD ! ! !

(Yes, I was on the Florida Surf-Fishing Forum when it was run by GOWGE ) We met at one of the Expo's in St. Augustine !

Dave


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## ez2cdave

Charlie2 said:


> I quit looking and went back to the drawing board.
> 
> I whittled out ta 'master' from wood and made a mold from Bondo. Mine turned out to be 3/8 to 1/2 oz. You can make them of any size,
> 
> I use them for fishing off the pier for Spanish, Blues, Kings; whatever. I have caught Pompano on them. C2
> 
> Lots of luck on the hooks. You have to bend them yourself.


Got any pics of your hard work ?

Dave


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## bryan25854

try buying shad darts and bending the hook cuz now i cant find them


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## Charlie2

bryan25854 said:


> try buying shad darts and bending the hook cuz now i cant find them


I was kinda surprised to see this thread come back up.

The shad darts that I am familiar with are a tad too small for the pier fishing that I infrequently do.

For Dave: I missed your request the first 'go-round' but still have a few hanging around somewhere. I'll try to make pictures but ain't guaranteeing anything. My posting pictures is a hit-and-miss operation to say the least.

Remember Gowge. I owe a lot to him. Lots of correspondence and C.A.R.E. packages back and forth over the years. RIP. C2


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## SmoothLures

Closest thing I have is some 1/4 and 3/8th oz shad darts. Similar. Never done anything with them, bought them for trout and didn't like how big the heads were.


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## Charlie2

Those would work. Just be careful bending the hook around.

Powder coat or paint it; put some hair on it and go fishing! Hang On! C2


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## nolesnum01

They are made by acme lures. Go to their website www.acmelures.com.


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## bluefish1928

I have seen these sold at Basspro under offshore angler spanish mackerel jigs. I think this might be a basspro local product. I personalyl never used one but caught plenty of blues on got-chas


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## Seachaser

nolesnum01 said:


> They are made by acme lures. Go to their website www.acmelures.com.




Link does not go anywhere!


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## Charlie2

Acme Lures is defunct. I see where they were trying to sell the Domain. C2


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## ez2cdave

*


Charlie2 said:



Acme Lures is defunct. I see where they were trying to sell the Domain. C2

Click to expand...


Charlie,

ACME is STILL in business . . . But, their "Side-Winders" are SPOONS, not JIGS !

http://acmetackle.com/*


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## ez2cdave

I'm still hunting for these . . . If all else fails, I'll try to get a mold made ( probably from a "blank" Do-It Mold ), using the Sidewinder Jigs I have to get the proper dimensions !


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## bigjim5589

Dave, if I might make a suggestion. Being a long time mold modifier myself when I can't seem to find something already made, I believe a shad dart mold would work too, but you would have to move the depression for the eye to the opposite side so that your angled head is facing how your sample shows. You could also use a regular long shank hook, (Mustad 34011 style for example) but would have to cut a depression in the mold for it to mount to the side and use the smaller sinker eyes up front for the line tie (hook eye) instead of worrying about bending hooks. IMO, bending jig hooks is asking for breakage trouble. Those sinker eyes are available in stainless, and longer, so you should be able to bend them & hook an end thru the eye of the hook, not that it should pull out of the lead, but that would limit the chances. With a little patience & a Dremel tool, it's much easier & less expensive to alter an existing mold than to have one made or make one from a blank. Unless of course you know a machinist with a CNC machine!


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## ez2cdave

bigjim5589 said:


> Dave, if I might make a suggestion. Being a long time mold modifier myself when I can't seem to find something already made, I believe a shad dart mold would work too, but you would have to move the depression for the eye to the opposite side so that your angled head is facing how your sample shows. You could also use a regular long shank hook, (Mustad 34011 style for example) but would have to cut a depression in the mold for it to mount to the side and use the smaller sinker eyes up front for the line tie (hook eye) instead of worrying about bending hooks. IMO, bending jig hooks is asking for breakage trouble. Those sinker eyes are available in stainless, and longer, so you should be able to bend them & hook an end thru the eye of the hook, not that it should pull out of the lead, but that would limit the chances. With a little patience & a Dremel tool, it's much easier & less expensive to alter an existing mold than to have one made or make one from a blank. Unless of course you know a machinist with a CNC machine!


Hmm . . . Good points !

The only problems I see with making them from the Shad Darts is that the bodies are much shorter than the Sidewinders and that the Sidewinders are quite a bit heavier than the Shad Darts. That Yellow & White one is 3/4 oz. and Shad Darts are usually much lighter, at least the ones I've seen.


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## ironman172

spear head jigs work great too....I catch the crap out of all fish mentioned with them....a local guy in Gulf shores Alabama makes and sells them (called Looney jigs)
I made a bunch for my last trip to share with all the other fisher people on the pier....they can go quick getting bit off....60lb flouro, helped..... but when thick and fighting for the prize the fish won a lot....but at 15cents a piece I had plenty to donate for the month....and they have good action....
never did any of this before I retired recently and came into 1000lb of free lead on a job....so had to make use of it somehow 

















also got into making butter fly jigs for offshore fishing, along with weighted pier gaff's 

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I have always liked and enjoyed a good challenge...... since retired, I have put some of that to use for fishing stuff....plus my middle name is CHEAP and like to make things to use while doing things I love outdoors 

you could always sand a flat area on the tip of the jig for a different action, plenty of room for that....but the position of the hook might be hard to get....I guess after poured you could bend them to that location if wanted, but not sure if needed 

.


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## Youngbuck757.

ironman172 said:


> spear head jigs work great too....I catch the crap out of all fish mentioned with them....a local guy in Gulf shores Alabama makes and sells them (called Looney jigs)
> I made a bunch for my last trip to share with all the other fisher people on the pier....they can go quick getting bit off....60lb flouro, helped..... but when thick and fighting for the prize the fish won a lot....but at 15cents a piece I had plenty to donate for the month....and they have good action....
> never did any of this before I retired recently and came into 1000lb of free lead on a job....so had to make use of it somehow
> 
> View attachment 10869
> 
> 
> View attachment 10870
> 
> 
> also got into making butter fly jigs for offshore fishing, along with weighted pier gaff's
> 
> .
> View attachment 10871
> 
> 
> View attachment 10872
> 
> 
> I have always liked and enjoyed a good challenge...... since retired, I have put some of that to use for fishing stuff....plus my middle name is CHEAP and like to make things to use while doing things I love outdoors
> 
> you could always sand a flat area on the tip of the jig for a different action, plenty of room for that....but the position of the hook might be hard to get....I guess after poured you could bend them to that location if wanted, but not sure if needed
> 
> .


Good lookin gaffs!


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