Thread: Verticle Jigging: Hair Jigs vs. Plastic

I used plastics for years, rather than pay more for the feather jigs, although I DID get feather jigs occasionally. Then I got my own kit, took free lessons at Bass Pro Shops, and now I have jigs that last MUCH longer and are much cheaper. I also have an unlimited selection of colors and types of materials. Bulk jig heads, Pro-Tec powder paint (get a heat gun), acrylic eyes if desired, my wife's knitting yarn (all colors available, including variegated) or any of seven types of chenille available at Grandpa Bob's, strung marabou, pheasant feathers (free if you know a bird hunter), and kiptails, and you are set. Cost for me is less than ten cents per jig, most of which is the lead head. Some guys I know get their own molds and lead, and the cost is even cheaper. When heads get chipped, I just use the heat gun and redip the heads. Open flame will burn the jig body, but the heat gun does not.
Most of the time, we get more fish with the jigs than the guys with plastic. Last Wednesday, for instance, there were ten of us at the inside dock (9 degees temperature). I got 97 crappie, one guy with a shadpole and Bobby Garland rig got about 50, and the others (all using plastic) got zero to ten crappie.
But the best benefit is catching them on something you have made yourself.

I must not have been opinionated in 2012.

Fish eat them all. Use what you are comfortable with. If they don't eat your jig, tie on a minner and see if the fish are really there. We've got good jig tiers on the board that will fix anyone up with some quality stuff, at a bargain, that will catch fish as good as anything artificial you can buy or create. Make use of these wonderful people and watch your catch increase. I have tied a few jigs myself and in the long run if you count your tying supplies and the time it takes, you are money ahead to send one of these guys a PM and say "send me something that will catch a fish" and you are set.

I use Plastics cause in warm weather they seem to hold on longer and like the action. The big Southern Pro Umbrella Tubes seem to displace more water and kinda float down. In cold deep water I like hand tied because they are easier to keep down and get there faster. I catch fish all year on both.

I'm no expert by any means, but I have always used plastic, in recent years I almost exclusively use crappie magnets. However, recently I was fishing (3 trips ago) and wasn't doing too good using crappie magnets. I ran into a guy who was doing better than me and he gave me a tied jig that was working for him. I didn't get to fish much longer so I didn't really get to make a opinion as to which was best for me on that day. Two weeks later I'm fishing the same lake and I still had the tied jig on one pole so I left it on and put a crappie magnet of similar color on another pole and fished both, a pole in each hand. The tied jig won hands down on that day. Got back to the office called MEATGETTER told him to make me up $50 worth of his tied jigs in the color he likes best half in 1/16oz and half in 1/8oz. Went back to the same lake last weekend, fished the same area using the tied jig and the same color crappie magnet, same presentation and depth. Crappie Magnet was the best producer without a doubt. Now all I can say is "go figure". To eliminate the plastic from coming down I put a drop of super glue on the head and then slide it up over it. It will get worn out before it comes off.

Originally Posted by jackie53

Still learning myself!!!!!!What I have learned from these guys(crappie.com.pro's) when your in fish the quality hair jig will catch fish in cold water better and stays together better after a missed strke or fish.The plastic will slide down on jighead blocking hook.The good quality hand tied jig will last longer than plastic.Espically when you hit the honey hole brush pile!!!!With a good quality hook the hair jig will last until it hangs on a stump or a big hybrid striper or flathead catfish wants it more than you!!!!!! You can't have too many!!!!! Plastic you can change colors eaiser and faster!!!! hope this helps!!!!!

I don't have that problem with Southern Pro Umbrella tubes when I insert jigheads from the rear opening . Draw back is having to cut off the jighead to replace a tube bait.

It seems it would be easy to solve the problem and get every color imaginable of both tied jigs and plastics....only real problem would be moving the barge around from place to place that it would take to tote them all....hahahaha....

Originally Posted by eric 3501

It seems it would be easy to solve the problem and get every color imaginable of both tied jigs and plastics....only real problem would be moving the barge around from place to place that it would take to tote them all....hahahaha....

I have to kid those I fish with about tote'n so much gear (baits). They are usually shocked how little I actually carry.