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Guests: Derek Wurtz (Deek’s Jigs)
Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), El Charly, Luke Dean (Bait Slingers / Artemis Charters)
Deek’s Jigs founder Derek Wurtz joins Time On The Water, recorded live on May 12, 2026, to talk custom bladed jig design, hook selection, the Cheapskate collab with [FISH]rx, and where the inshore bladed jig scene is headed. Derek grew up in Long Beach, worked the counter at Performance Tackle, and has been quietly building one of the most trusted custom jig lineups in SoCal — now from Florida. If you’ve been fishing the Cheapskate, this is the episode that explains why it’s built the way it is.
In This Episode
- Derek’s SoCal backstory: Long Beach, Performance Tackle, Newport Bay by kayak
- How the Deek’s Jigs Dead Spin Ned Head came together — and why hook point was always the priority
- Bladed jig design: blade-to-head connection, the 95 lb crankbait snap upgrade, and what a 9 lb island calico proved about durability
- Why the Cheapskate was designed for saltwater from the start — and what separates it from freshwater bladed jigs
- Weight selection in SoCal harbors: 3/8 oz through 2 oz, how guys are using heavier weights to stay on the bottom at high tide
- First on-camera look at Bluechovie Buzzsaw — one of the May 15 limited drop colorways
- Roll Head origin: Derek’s head, [FISH]rx branded — and the heavier version in development
- Future plans: blade size options, customize-your-own concept, and more sizes coming with the next shipment
Why the Hook Came First
Derek didn’t start with the blade. He started with the Ned Head, added a blade, and immediately ran into the thing that bothered him about every other bladed jig: the hook. Too light for saltwater. Too heavy for the way freshwater guys want to set it. Not sharp enough to hold a point on hard structure.
His answer was a Mustad steelhead hook — already proven in the Great Lakes against quagga mussels and rock. Heavy enough to hold up in salt, sharp enough to stay that way. That same logic carried into the Cheapskate when the blade-to-head connection patent opened up. He upgraded to a 95 lb crankbait snap for better give and a tighter connection. Four months of hard fishing later, including a 9 lb calico from the island, the hook point was still good.
That’s the design story in one decision: start with what fails first, fix that, and build from there.
How SoCal Anglers Are Fishing the Cheapskate
The freshwater bladed jig is a shallow grass bait: half ounce, rod tip up, slow roll. That still works. But what’s happened in SoCal harbors is different. Guys are going heavier: 1 oz, 1.5 oz, 2 oz, dredging the bottom under docks and along pylons. The heavier the jig, the longer it stays in the strike zone without burning it through.
Charlie runs his along the bottom. Daniel’s been pulling the skirt and going soft plastic only. Mark at Performance was already fishing 1/2 oz for largemouth and finding it works. Derek’s adding 1.5 oz and 2 oz to the lineup in the next shipment. The island calico guys have been testing them, and the reports are solid.
The common thread: the Cheapskate gives you enough options in one jig that you don’t have to retie to change your approach. Pop it, burn it, drag it, kill it. The blade still chatters on the drop.
The [FISH]rx x Deek’s Jigs Collab and What’s Coming
[FISH]rx holds exclusive colorways on the Cheapskate — colors built specifically for SoCal saltwater. The Roll Head follows the same model: Derek’s jig head, [FISH]rx branded for the site. It’s been a consistent performer on structure-heavy fisheries, and a heavier version is already in development.
During the episode Daniel also showed the first on-camera look at Bluechovie Buzzsaw. Bluechovie Buzzsaw is one of the new soft plastic colorways in the May 15 [FISH]rx drop. Separate from the Cheapskate, but the drop is live this week if you’re looking.
Longer term, Derek’s goal for the Cheapskate is full customization: anglers picking blade size, blade type, and color combinations directly from the site. For now, the new weights land with the next shipment.
Why This Episode Matters
The bladed jig is having a real moment in SoCal inshore fishing, and Derek is one of the people who helped build that. This episode gets into the design decisions behind the Cheapskate in a way a product page never can — why the hook, why the snap, why the blade attachment is the thing that matters most under pressure.
If you’re fishing the Cheapskate, you’ll fish it with more confidence after watching this. If you haven’t started yet, Derek makes a pretty clear case for why it’s worth picking up.
Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.