Thread: Why do you fish hand tied?

Originally Posted by Pepop

I have actually conducted very scientific tests for close to a year now and I must disagree. My fishing partner fishes plastics exclusively and I fish my hand tied feather jigs exclusively. We change back & forth which boat we take but I'm in the back probably a little more than the front mainly due to his living at the lake. Admittedly there have been a few occasions when he has caught more than me, and all of those were when I was in the back seat but by a WIDE margin, my feather jigs out fish his plastics PLUS my feathers have routinely caught bigger fish. I guess it could be just an East Texas thing but whatever the reason, I don't see me reverting back to plastics any time soon (I fished plastics for many years before I started tying jigs)!

The guy in the back has an advantage the turbulence I guess but back seat person almost always catches more


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The one thing I find really funny is some new fishing magazine writers talking about how effective the new hair jigs are!! HELLO!!! they've always been around but seems only the smart folks kept fishing them!!!

Originally Posted by Fatman

The one thing I find really funny is some new fishing magazine writers talking about how effective the new hair jigs are!! HELLO!!! they've always been around but seems only the smart folks kept fishing them!!!

Exactly.

Speaking of which, I recently stumbled upon this 1985 jig article from (of all places) Sports Illustrated:

JUST JIGGLE THE JIG AND FISH MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GET HOOKED

My internal motor runs quicker than most and I just can't sit around and watch TV. I also have a creative side and this satisfies that too. I have made trips with nothing but my hand ties in the boat, and not come back with less than plastics. I also like to give one to a newbie that I meet on the water or at the ramp. They just can't believe that someone will give them something like this. There is much good will generated this way. I love to learn new things and this is a never ending learning process. New materials and techniques, different species, different regions......I could go on. I haven't tied a jig in a very long time but that will change soon.

I am with Skeetbum, he nailed it!!

Originally Posted by skeetbum

My internal motor runs quicker than most and I just can't sit around and watch TV. I also have a creative side and this satisfies that too. I have made trips with nothing but my hand ties in the boat, and not come back with less than plastics. I also like to give one to a newbie that I meet on the water or at the ramp. They just can't believe that someone will give them something like this. There is much good will generated this way. I love to learn new things and this is a never ending learning process. New materials and techniques, different species, different regions......I could go on. I haven't tied a jig in a very long time but that will change soon.

That sums it up for me for the most part. To me jig tying is the easiest hobby I've ever taken part of but I also had the best teacher anyone could ask for.
Tie a jig. A few easy steps.
The only thing that changes is colors, materials n prices of materials.
Everything else is whatever.

Pour your own heads....diff hook sizes....diff weights...modify molds.....mAke your own molds....
Paint em... multi color....glitter.... eyes...clear...powder...airbrush....etc

Tie em,,,… feathers/hair/Hyde on or off/ stem or no stem/synthetic....add flash or not ....body chenille, thread, dub, etc
It's just what you like. There's no rules. Find what works for you.
Everybody fishes diff.

Fly tying you can grab some techniques to fancy up your jigs but all in all it's the same. Unless your tying flies.

It's the freedom of making what you want to catch on.

I also like not having to fool with a fallen apart plastic.



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Satisfaction man. Its just sweet to know you have tricked a crappie with some thing YOU created. Heck you can buy anything but you can't buy the feeling of catching a fish on something you hand crafted. There is no other reason. Hair or plastic, rubber or hook and minnow, they all have their day. Fish on my friend.

I agree with everything said. One thing I find very satisfying is when everyone isn't catching anything and you are with a jig you made.

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