"Paying Forward"

[hair jig]

I give alot away to. I gave a guy some jigs one time he went to his home lake and said he caught 5 keepers and he said he has never caught any keeper crappie before in that lake.

[AtticaFish]

...Did give the boy another half dozen jigs though. He caught a limit on them then gave one to his dad. Great memories.

Thats the best part.... You gave him six and was probably like pulling a tooth when he HAD to give one to Dad. LOL Least that would have been me when I was younger! :D


I've given away things when I can as well.
One time gave a guy an altoid can with maybe a dozen jigs inside. He was very insistent that he pay me something for them but I just laughed and said they barely cost me anything to make, if he only new the truth of my investments....:D I watched him even catch a few on the jigs. He packed up and left before I did, and when I got back to my car there was $5 stuck under my windshield wipers.

[radtexan]

One of the problems we get into as jig tyers is what to do with all our jigs. Most of us that get into it tie more than we use (or lose) and most of us aren't interested in selling jigs. I get great pleasure giving some hand tied jigs away. When I'm around some fishermen and I'm catching a few, it seems to always tickle others greatly when I ask if they've ever tried any "custom, hand made jigs". Jig tiers are nearly always using something that most folks haven't ever seen, esp with the sickle hooks and new age chenille that a lot of us use.

Make people happy? Get an excuse to tie more jigs? Life is good!

Well said Mr Tony !!

Ill give you an example of Sandwich Makers style as well.Close to 3 years ago,he and I had exchanged a few Pm's, living within 100 miles of each other and fishing a few of the same lakes.He asked for my address one day,said he had something for me to look at,and within a day or two a package arrived.I tried to go back and find the pic of what he sent,but I assure you.it was an unbelievable assortment of some of the finest custom hand tied jigs I had ever seen.Not just a few,there had to have been several hundred

I had been tying some flys and nymphs in the past,but my vise had been in top of a closet for close to 10 years.I was so so inspired by what I had received from him,I dusted off my equipment and started piddling with some jigs. Few years later I really need to add a room on to the house for all the tying equipment and materials I have accumulated (thanks again Tony ),but he helped me find one of the greatest hobbies I pursue...And yes there's not much better than catching fish on something you have created,but the sharing of jigs and helping others get started on the hobby is truly a blessing to me,and I owe a big thanks to Tony for that !!!!!

[shipahoy41]

One of the problems we get into as jig tyers is what to do with all our jigs. Most of us that get into it tie more than we use (or lose) and most of us aren't interested in selling jigs. I get great pleasure giving some hand tied jigs away. When I'm around some fishermen and I'm catching a few, it seems to always tickle others greatly when I ask if they've ever tried any "custom, hand made jigs". Jig tiers are nearly always using something that most folks haven't ever seen, esp with the sickle hooks and new age chenille that a lot of us use.

Make people happy? Get an excuse to tie more jigs? Life is good!

If more people were like you, this would be a better world. I am always giving mine to youth to get them interested in tying and in fishing. I tell them "What you are is God's gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift to God!" They may be "Underpriviledged and at risk" but all they really want is someone who cares! Give them confidence and tell them to take that with them all their life.

[njones]

Newbie here, I've been looking around on this site for a few weeks and finally decided to register yester day. I actually found this web site while looking for Jig ideas.
Any was . . . last year when the crappie were spawning at one of the local lakes, I went out to my favorite spot to thow some of my jigs when I ran across this older gentle man. I went to my spot and threw my silver jig up next to this downed tree that I fished year before, and started pulling nice crappie out one after another. After awhile the guy comes over and askes " What you using there son". So I show him the jig, he looks it over and says "where you get it at", I kinda smile and pull some out of my box and hand them to him. I say "I tie them when I'm not fishing", he looks at me over his glasses and smiles back, while tieing one on.
A few hours pass and I start packing up my stuff to head back to the truck, the older gentleman says "For being a kid, your pretty good crappie fisherman" as he packs his stuff to head back with me. As we're walking back he's grinning ear to ear with a full stringer. He follows me to my truck and starts to hand my jigs back, I push them away and say "you keep them" as I pull some more out of my box to hand to him. He says "thank you" and starts back to his truck, with the biggest smile I think I've ever seen.
And to think I made his day and mine with just a few lil ol' hand tied jigs.

[AtticaFish]

Welcome to the site Njones! Glad to see some young folks around here, gettin' tired of some of these old geezers! lol Just kidding, these are the best bunch of guys that I don't actually know... in person anyways. Can't wait to see this infamous "silver jig!" AF

[skeetbum]

We are fortunate in so many ways. We have the means to fish a lot, tie these little fish catchers, and enjoy each others company, both on and off the water. So many of those around us have the passion but, for one reason or another, can no longer go. It is our place to step up and do what has been spoken of here. If we met someone who had nothing to eat, we would sit him down to a meal. This is no different. I'll speak of an instance that happened to me a little over a year ago. I was pulling the boat out after limiting on a cool morning and an older gent and his wife pulled into the launch area and just sat and watched. After a time Dad got out and came over to see what I had caught. I lifted the lid on the cooler and showed him, and his eyes lit up like a kid in a bakery. He said he used to fish a lot but his age and health wouldn't let him any more. We talked fishin for a while and I asked him if he had a bucket in the car. He got a real confused look on his face and asked why. I said" cuz the wife will get mad if you just set some of these fish on the floor of your nice, clean car". He said "I'll go look". I'll bet he hadn't moved that fast in a while.He came back with a big garbage bag and said this'll do. I gave him half of my fish and almost had to get ugly for him to keep his money. He just coludn't believethat someone would do that. I truly made their day. He said he was going home, it was time for lunch, and had a giant grin on his face. I love my sport, and tying jigs is just another way to further emjoy it. I'm in with a really good bunch of folks, a pleasure to know you all.

[gabulldog]

im the same way i give more away then i could count see i have a job that lets me sit and tie on sat and over the years i have meet so many poeple who fish or hunt becouse of it most cant belive i will not sell them jigs but will only give them away its gotin me more then a few fishing trips and alot of new friends all so it has gotin a few me a few things like from the guy who rasies chickens tons of feather and neck and sadle hackle poeple who hunt bring me deer tails and one guy gave me a hole deer skin witch is curin as i tell yall this tons of tree rat tails and 2 weeks ago a 2 foot sq of bear skin
if you ask me i should be paying them to take the jigs