# Ding a lings



## YakinnFlorida (May 26, 2012)

All i hear about re these ding-a-ling jigs and idk what they look like... Could someone post a picture for me?


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Im probably wrong but I believe the ding a lings are the ones whose heads look similar to a gotcha head.


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## Austin (Sep 30, 2007)

JD7.62 said:


> Im probably wrong but I believe the ding a lings are the ones whose heads look similar to a gotcha head.


Yeah, those are just pencil head molds. I can't seem to find a single picture anywhere..


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## eddiem84 (Nov 3, 2010)

Here ya go.


These are all half heads. I don't have a picture of the full heads.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Correct me if I'm wrong but I remember the old 'Ding-a-Ling' heads as the mold with an oval bottom (kind of egg shaped) and a flat surface on top with the hook eye on top about 1/4 or 1/5 of the way from the nose. They were one of the originals and not many people using that mold anymore but they are still around......at a lower price point.


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## AustinP (Feb 26, 2012)

This is the head that me and my buddy have that we call "ding a ling" style head and you can look at the head and see exactly why...


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## flounderslayerman (Jun 3, 2011)

There was three sizes that I remember. 1/4 head which is the one in the pic above great boat jig. 1/2 head has the egg shaped bottom and flat on the eyelit side ok boat jig but better for the pier. Then the full head which is a good pier jig.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

the peanut shape heads are the ding-a-ling jigs.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Got a video of it.... been a while since I listened to it!!! On vinyl!!!!


http://youtu.be/UaEC-lWSlmI


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## flounderslayerman (Jun 3, 2011)

Looks like there's half and full heads plus a couple of other brands in the pic. I used to buy the unfinished heads from outcast back in the 90's powdercoat and wrap the heads myself.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

There are several different styles, but the peanut style are true ding-a-ling jigs. Came from one of Frank Helton molds. He put Cobia fishing and that jig on the map here.The other styles are just a few others that my jig guy offers too.


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## eddiem84 (Nov 3, 2010)

lobsterman said:


> There are several different styles, but the peanut style are true ding-a-ling jigs. Came from one of Frank Helton molds. He put Cobia fishing and that jig on the map here.The other styles are just a few others that my jig guy offers too.


The ones I posted are Frank Helton's half head ding a lings. They were one of the last batches he made before he passed. Anything that wasn't made by Frank is an imitation, and not a true ding a ling in my opinion.


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## Tyler Massey (Oct 2, 2007)

I have a few original ding-a-ling just that are white and made with nylon rope that was unraveled.. I found them in an old tackle box I found after Ivan. 

But yeah Frank had sever molds he poured heads out of.


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## Charlie2 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Ding-A-Ling Heads*



Tyler Massey said:


> I have a few original ding-a-ling just that are white and made with nylon rope that was unraveled.. I found them in an old tackle box I found after Ivan.
> 
> But yeah Frank had sever molds he poured heads out of.


What happened to Frank's Molds? Just curious.

I liked the old Upperman Big Ben Bucktail. It was a 'half' jig with a rounded bottom and flat top also. C2


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## eddiem84 (Nov 3, 2010)

Charlie2 said:


> What happened to Frank's Molds? Just curious.
> 
> I liked the old Upperman Big Ben Bucktail. It was a 'half' jig with a rounded bottom and flat top also. C2


One of his sons has them, I think Bobby maybe.

Jan Micheal Garcia made a pretty good mold off of one of Frank's. He making and selling them now.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

eddiem84 said:


> The ones I posted are Frank Helton's half head ding a lings. They were one of the last batches he made before he passed. Anything that wasn't made by Frank is an imitation, and not a true ding a ling in my opinion.


 
The ones I get come from some of his original molds he sold to the guy tham makes them for me.


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## Tyler Massey (Oct 2, 2007)

Charlie2 said:


> What happened to Frank's Molds? Just curious.
> 
> I liked the old Upperman Big Ben Bucktail. It was a 'half' jig with a rounded bottom and flat top also. C2


We had a few molds machined and one is a Big Ben or Half head whichever you call it. It looks really good. We have them for sale at the shop.


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## Billcollector (Oct 16, 2009)

Tyler, who did the machining on your molds? I have two CAD drawings of jigs I am looking to get machined.


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## Tyler Massey (Oct 2, 2007)

Billcollector said:


> Tyler, who did the machining on your molds? I have two CAD drawings of jigs I am looking to get machined.


Jamie Fuller made all of ours. He does an outstanding job.


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## SeaBit (Jan 22, 2008)

O.K., just to clarify some things on this thread. My father-in-law, Frank Helton, sold all his molds, hooks, jig hair, etc. to my wife and I in 2006. We started a tackle manufacturing company, (SeaBit Tackle), and continued making Frank's lures as "Capt. Frank Helton's Original 'Ding-a-Ling' Jigs". He taught us how to pour heads, wrap and paint the "Ding-a-Ling" jigs EXACTLY how he did it. (He wouldn't let us use his name on the jigs unless they were made perfectly and were indistinguishable from his,.....those that knew Frank know what I mean 
While Frank was in the hospital, he expressed a desire to have his son, Michael (Mo) Helton, a well-known Cobia fisherman in his own right, take over the job of making the "Ding-a-Ling" jigs, (ie. Frank's legacy to his son). My Wife, (Marcia), and I complied with Frank's wishes and now Michael (Mo) Helton is the ONLY person 
making Frank Helton's 'Ding-a-Ling' jigs. Anyone else who says they are using Frank’s molds are simply not telling the truth – (lying)!
Mo has the REAL 'Ding-a-Ling' jigs at Pat's Bait and Tackle in Ft. Walton Bch. Pat's number is: (850) 244-5440. He also sells to a few other shops……I’ll talk to him tomorrow and post those locations.
In summary: If you're making bogus copies of 'Ding-a-Ling' Jigs, we can't stop you. Frank's patent-pending on the ‘Ding-a-Ling’ jig he invented ran out years ago. But, you DAMN sure better not be selling your sh!t as Frank Helton's jigs!!!:no:
SeaBit


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

SeaBit said:


> O.K., just to clarify some things on this thread. My father-in-law, Frank Helton, sold all his molds, hooks, jig hair, etc. to my wife and I in 2006. We started a tackle manufacturing company, (SeaBit Tackle), and continued making Frank's lures as "Capt. Frank Helton's Original 'Ding-a-Ling' Jigs". He taught us how to pour heads, wrap and paint the "Ding-a-Ling" jigs EXACTLY how he did it. (He wouldn't let us use his name on the jigs unless they were made perfectly and were indistinguishable from his,.....those that knew Frank know what I mean
> While Frank was in the hospital, he expressed a desire to have his son, Michael (Mo) Helton, a well-known Cobia fisherman in his own right, take over the job of making the "Ding-a-Ling" jigs, (ie. Frank's legacy to his son). My Wife, (Marcia), and I complied with Frank's wishes and now Michael (Mo) Helton is the ONLY person
> making Frank Helton's 'Ding-a-Ling' jigs. Anyone else who says they are using Frank’s molds are simply not telling the truth – (lying)!
> Mo has the REAL 'Ding-a-Ling' jigs at Pat's Bait and Tackle in Ft. Walton Bch. Pat's number is: (850) 244-5440. He also sells to a few other shops……I’ll talk to him tomorrow and post those locations.
> ...


Frank gave me a couple of those jigs when he did the cobia seminar for us a few years back. 

I went and dug them out of my tackle box when I saw this thread and hung them up. They're retired as he hand picked them for me out of the 30 or so y'all had there. 

I guess I'll need a couple more.


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## flyliner (Oct 13, 2007)

panhandleslim said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong but I remember the old 'Ding-a-Ling' heads as the mold with an oval bottom (kind of egg shaped) and a flat surface on top with the hook eye on top about 1/4 or 1/5 of the way from the nose. They were one of the originals and not many people using that mold anymore but they are still around......at a lower price point.


 
Big Bens, great for fish on turtles that sound


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## SeaBit (Jan 22, 2008)

JoeZ, the Cobia seminar with Frank was posted on YouTube by Calvin. You can find it by typing in Frank Helton in the search. Daddy was definitely 'one of a kind'!
Marcia (Helton) Bailey


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## Tyler Massey (Oct 2, 2007)




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## eddiem84 (Nov 3, 2010)

I didn't realize Mo got the molds. I was always told he would, but for some reason heard he didn't. I'll have to give him a call.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Throwback!

Sent from my LG G2X using Forum Runner


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## eddiem84 (Nov 3, 2010)

Just saw Mo, his jigs looks great! Put in an order for two dozen, we will see soon if the fish like his as much as his dad's!


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## SeaBit (Jan 22, 2008)

Mo Helton will be at Harbor Docks in Destin Friday, (Cobia World Championship captain's meeting), with some 'Ding-a-Ling' jigs. They're made with the same Helton magic that Frank had!


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## scjeff (Mar 22, 2014)

Brining an old thread back but they're selling the jigs again.

http://treasure.craigslist.org/sgd/4379005960.html 

I'm putting an order in.


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## eddiem84 (Nov 3, 2010)

scjeff said:


> Brining an old thread back but they're selling the jigs again. http://treasure.craigslist.org/sgd/4379005960.html I'm putting an order in.


Mo has been making them since Frank passed, he brings me a couple dozen every spring. He always sells a bunch to the Ships Chandler or you could probably contact him on Facebook as well.


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## shootnstarz (May 4, 2011)

OK folks, here you go. This is an original unrefinished 1969 F.H. Ding A Ling obtained from the master himself.

Rick


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Ding a ling are the more rounder ones, turtle jig is the one that has a flat side and squidder is the squid one of course. They also have a no alibi which is sorta fish shaped but and aggressive angle.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

If you want the real deal go see Ms. Pat under the brooks bridge. She sells them for $9.50


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

shootnstarz said:


> OK folks, here you go. This is an original unrefinished 1969 F.H. Ding A Ling obtained from the master himself.
> 
> Rick


Wow, an old Creek Chub balsa, diving plug. What's the style, name of that thing?

We used to catch so many Mackerel on those things that one would only last a few days. I remember one old Captain who only liked to fish just to the East of the Pass, in Pensacola. That's all he would pull and we would catch over 400 Spanish Mackerel in a half day using those Creek Chubs. That was the easy part, the filleting part was the difficult part. I could never figure out why he wanted to catch so many but since he didn't help out on the fillet work, it didn't matter to him.


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## shootnstarz (May 4, 2011)

It's an original Creek Chub Pikie, yep they were/are mackerel killers. Mackerel did a pretty good job of killing them too as they are soft wood. That's why there's not many around. I saw one sell for over $100 on feebay years ago.

I bought a bunch of ding a lings and big bens from Frank way back in 70 or 71, that's the only one I have left form that batch. Nobody could find out where he got that skirt material.

Rick


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Yeh, a Pikie. Think it was originally devised as a muskie or pike lure. Not sure but that thing was death on mackerel. I think it was a combination of the action and the flash of that stainless steel lip.

That skirt material almost looks like he unraveled some extremely heavy poly rope. Maybe he found a bunch after a storm or something. Somebody will have the answer to this mystery, I'm sure.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

delete


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## shootnstarz (May 4, 2011)

The original skirt material is soft and supple, not stiff like rope material. We tried all kinds of rope trying to find what he used, never did.

Rick


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## displaced (Nov 14, 2008)

commonly referred to as "dog balls"


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## SeaBit (Jan 22, 2008)

Shootnstarz, Frank always told me that it was rope he had his kids unravel and comb out for him. It might have been some kind of rope he got while working at Gulf Power. 
Mo Helton is doing a great job wrapping the Ding-a-Lings and Pat, (Pat's B&T, Ft. Walton), is truly one of the nicest people you could ever meet!:yes:
SeaBit


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