Living rubber jigs? What are the advantages?

[Bassboss]

I've been looking at jigs with living rubber (LR). And am getting some one from bass assault lures to custom make me a LR jig. But I'm not really 100% sure what the advantages of LR are over silicon?

Anyone wanna help me out on this on!

[Bob Smith]

Jigs are not my strong suit, but my experience with living rubber tells me to use that on my spider jigs whereby the front part of the skirt is cropped so that it stands out like a collar. The silicon skirt are flatter and don't stand up as well. LR skirts tend to drop quicker and don't flair out as easily when moved.

[BeaverIslander]

I'd like to know the same thing. I use Booyah and All Terrain Jigs and they both have silicone.

[JB]

Now years ago, all jig skirts were made out of rubber before silicone was recognized as a skirt material. The disadvantage rubber has is that it leeches chemicals that cause the skirt to melt over time or upon contact with other reactive plastics, wood varnishes, boat finishes, etc. However, many anglers claim the round rubber skirt is more lively than the flat silicone skirt and therefore catches more and bigger bass.

[Bassboss]

Cool thanks guys!

JB, thanks for telling me about this leaching chemicals thing. But you think that maybe the newer rubber jigs don't have this property with new technologies and all?

[JB]

The old timers used to put baby powder on their skirts to keep them from sticking to the tackle in their box.

[Raul]

Advantages of latex ( natural rubber )

More lively
Flares out more
Bouyant
Fewer strands make a bigger profile

Disadvantages of latex

Dries out and becomes brittle with time
Colors are ...... s*y ( pale and dull plus limited )
Can react to finishes
Strands stick

Personally I prefer living rubber for it´s advantages, as for the disadvantages, since seldomly a jig I tie returns to the box ( the most I´ve been able to squeeze out of a jig is 3 trips ) dryness and brittleness are not an issue, I purchase jigs frequently and the skirt is fresh. Colors ?... well, the only color I use is black , reaction to finishes is not a problem either, it ain´t gonna last long and strands sticking we go back again to the ain´t gonna last long department.

[Bob Smith]

Originally Posted by JB

The old timers used to put baby powder on their skirts to keep them from sticking to the tackle in their box.

That's right and sometimes we used corn starch. WE almost always used a pork trailer (Uncle Josh frogs and eels). Like you stated, the plastic and the rubber would melt together if left for any period of time.

[Abbeysdad]

Just my $.02, but for a jig, i think the (natural) rubber is going to perform pretty much the same as the (synthetic) silicone.

[swimbaitkid]

I use them more than any other jig,I use Custom Big Bass Baits living rubber jigs,heres a fish I caught this weekend at High Rock prefishing on a living rubber jig

[BeaverIslander]

Originally Posted by swimbaitkid

I use them more than any other jig,I use Custom Big Bass Baits living rubber jigs,heres a fish I caught this weekend at High Rock prefishing on a living rubber jig

I checked the site out, and there you are holding a check. You're using the Arky Jigs? I've heard of them. Haven't used em.

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by swimbaitkid

I use them more than any other jig,I use Custom Big Bass Baits living rubber jigs,heres a fish I caught this weekend at High Rock prefishing on a living rubber jig

haha! Ya, I saw that one on face book!

Nice fish too! Could you give me a link to the jig web site please?

Edit:

I found the web site. But I can't find the LR jigs?

[swimbaitkid]

You have to call him for the Living rubber jigs,and he makes custom stuff
his website is www.custombigbassbaits.com and you can get his phone # from there,We call that color black Brown spice