Made in USA Made in Canada

[IceSpartan]

So the laptop I’m posting on is made in China, should I throw it in the trash and quit posting here?

[JonPerry]

Take a close look at a Harley. Many parts outsourced, assembled in America....

[Subway4X4]

So the laptop I’m posting on is made in China, should I throw it in the trash and quit posting here?

Same with my mobile phone, tablet, fish finder, underwater camera, rods, reels, Jawjackers, iFish Pro’s. All not made in North America.

My 18 year Toyota Tacoma was assembled in the US.  But the frame was made in Mexico. So not USA or Canada.

[SirCranksalot]

I am old enough to remember when "made in Japan" was very derogatory---worse than 'El Cheapo" is now, or at least was. By now I have had enough crappy NA made cars to sway me over to Honda and Toyota. My Honda is made just down the road a bit---people commute from here. It was the foreign makers that forced the NA folks to up their game---my Dart with the headlight bright switch on the floor where the carpet would jam it, my wife's Chev with the trunk release inside the glove box, My Chev Venture with the 'sound absorbing' liners in the front wheel wells---3 guesses as to what else they absorb. etc etc etc .

[uncleshorty]

That ship has sailed... literally...

[TickleStick]

Its gonna take a lot more then just some ice jigs to make that change.

I do prefer USA made products and I even enjoy good Japan made reels.

[kasilofchrisn]

You know there is a way around some of this stuff.
And that is to make some of your gear yourself.
For instance I have a Lee lead melting pot that's made in America.
Load up some lead from the Missouri lead mines or that has been recycled here in America.
Load some eagle claw hooks made in Denver Colorado into a Do-It mold made in Denver Iowa.
Paint it with some creatx paint that is made in East Granby Connecticut USA.
Use a american-made Penn fishing reel.
Attached to a Berkeley fishing Rod made in America and spooled with some trilene fishing line made in Spirit lake Iowa.
This is placed in my Alaska salmon bear fish trap rod holder that is made in Alaska.
There's a way to use a lot of American made products and as far as jigs and things making my own ensures their American made with American made components.
Or at least as many American made components as I can source.
And the quality is good because my standards are high.
Some of you might say that you have no option but to buy foreign stuff.
For a lot of things there is a way.
In many cases it's not that much more expensive and in many cases the American stuff is better quality.
Don't believe it can't be done you'll fall into that same trap as everyone else and just keep ordering the cheap junk from China.
After you've driven the American companies out of business you'll say to yourself well we don't have a choice anymore.
But we are at the point where we still have a choice in lots of things.
And I guarantee you the jigs I make myself catch just as many if not more fish than anything made overseas!
While I do have a few foreign made molds, the majority of my molds including my custom molds are American made. And whenever I need a custom mold made I use an American mold maker because that's just how I am.

[Jack978]

You know there is a way around some of this stuff.
And that is to make some of your gear yourself.
For instance I have a Lee lead melting pot that's made in America.
Load up some lead from the Missouri lead mines or that has been recycled here in America.
Load some eagle claw hooks made in Denver Colorado into a Do-It mold made in Denver Iowa.
Paint it with some creatx paint that is made in East Granby Connecticut USA.
Use a american-made Penn fishing reel.
Attached to a Berkeley fishing Rod made in America and spooled with some trilene fishing line made in Spirit lake Iowa.
This is placed in my Alaska salmon bear fish trap rod holder that is made in Alaska.
There's a way to use a lot of American made products and as far as jigs and things making my own ensures their American made with American made components.
Or at least as many American made components as I can source.
And the quality is good because my standards are high.
Some of you might say that you have no option but to buy foreign stuff.
For a lot of things there is a way.
In many cases it's not that much more expensive and in many cases the American stuff is better quality.
Don't believe it can't be done you'll fall into that same trap as everyone else and just keep ordering the cheap junk from China.
After you've driven the American companies out of business you'll say to yourself well we don't have a choice anymore.
But we are at the point where we still have a choice in lots of things.
And I guarantee you the jigs I make myself catch just as many if not more fish than anything made overseas!
While I do have a few foreign made molds, the majority of my molds including my custom molds are American made. And whenever I need a custom mold made I use an American mold maker because that's just how I am.

Got to say I admire your inguinty.  The only problem with what you said was using lead in sinkers and jigs isn't legal where i live (under a certain size) because of the fact the lead was poisoning the waterfowl and created a real problem.  Small lead sinkers and jigs were outlawed because of that which kind of makes it difficult unless you want to smelt tungsten or steel to do what you said which is probably beyond most people capabilities without special equipment.  I am not some kind of a rabid environmentalist but not every solution is actually legal everywhere.  What you are saying in general I don't object to but obviously you put some time and though into it.  Not everyone has that either. 

[stripernut]

Pouring Tin is not that hard... I have caught a lot of lakers on my buddy's Tin jigs.

[Jack978]

Pouring Tin is not that hard... I have caught a lot of lakers on my buddy's Tin jigs.

True but tin isn't mined in the US since the early 90s and over 70 percent of what is mined today comes from China.  Canada doesn't mine tin either.  Difficult to know the origin of a material since stuff like that isn't labeled. 

[stripernut]

The jig itself will be made in the USA...

[SkiSoloII]

Look at China's investments in 3rd world countries - especially South America and Africa. They OWN many of the industries, transportation systems, resources, etc.

[SirCranksalot]

and by extension the 'own' those countries. When they got you by the short and curlies the heart and mind is sure to follow.

[9huskies]

Got to say I admire your inguinty.  The only problem with what you said was using lead in sinkers and jigs isn't legal where i live (under a certain size) because of the fact the lead was poisoning the waterfowl and created a real problem.  Small lead sinkers and jigs were outlawed because of that which kind of makes it difficult unless you want to smelt tungsten or steel to do what you said which is probably beyond most people capabilities without special equipment.  I am not some kind of a rabid environmentalist but not every solution is actually legal everywhere.  What you are saying in general I don't object to but obviously you put some time and though into it.  Not everyone has that either.

Painted lead jigs are legal in Maine. Unpainted lead jigs are illegal unless they are larger than 1 ounce or 2.5 inches.

[kasilofchrisn]

Got to say I admire your inguinty.  The only problem with what you said was using lead in sinkers and jigs isn't legal where i live (under a certain size) because of the fact the lead was poisoning the waterfowl and created a real problem.  Small lead sinkers and jigs were outlawed because of that which kind of makes it difficult unless you want to smelt tungsten or steel to do what you said which is probably beyond most people capabilities without special equipment.  I am not some kind of a rabid environmentalist but not every solution is actually legal everywhere.  What you are saying in general I don't object to but obviously you put some time and though into it.  Not everyone has that either.

Okay then substitute bismuth for lead and you've got the same scenario.
A Google search shows that bismuth comes from the USA.

The most important ores of bismuth are bismuthimite and bismite. Bismuth occurs naturally as the metal itself and is found as crystals in the sulphides ores of nickel, cobalt, silver and tin. Bismuth is mainly produced as a by-product from lead and copper smelting, particularly in the USA.

You could substitute tin and still have a jig that was manufactured in the US although tin is a 1/3 lighter than lead.
Bismuth is closer to the same weight as lead than tin.
It might cost a little bit more but you'll have some American made handcrafted fishing jigs and lures.
I've not cast with bismuth but I've talked to some people who have.
They recommend using dropout spray in your lead molds which is a product I already own and use regularly anyway.
If I had some bismuth here I would cast some jigs with it just to prove the point but, since I don't have any on hand, I'm not going to special order it just for that!
But you could easily order some yourself from Rotometals. Catch one of their 10% off sales and if you can find some that qualifies for their free shipping you're good to go!