Let me say this since a couple have questioned this. First I will start with a guide here on T-Bend that ties hi own jigs and mostly uses Craft fur and uses the full length so it's longer than any of these.

Next you can cut it easy enough if you don't like it, but if you watch it in the water a little you will find it has more action when a bit long. The entire thing is a bit less than 3", something like 2 3/4" (at most) long from the tip of the head to the end of these strips.

I suggest it may not make any difference as far as more hits like Skeet said, but who knows if that day you would have got as many hits if it was shorter. I don't think it possible to tell that for sure even if 2 people each use a different length since most of the time one guy catches more than the other all the time using the same thing.

Personally I started out tying these shorter, but after trying a few like this I have become a fan of this length and use my vise as the measuring tool. I make sure to cut it to the length so I know about how long it is by just tying it to fit within a certain part on my vise.

Lets also look at it like this, if it was bream we were fishing for it may cause a problem if they attack it from the tail and never hit the hook, but were not fishing for bream, it's crappie and they have a big old mouth and even a crappie under 10" (here not legal if under 10") his mouth is so big that any of these will fit is very easy and really I don't give much credit to the talk of short strikes. I do give credit to them being picky sometimes and a much smaller profile jig is what it takes to get a hit, but then I wouldn't be using this size anyway. I would be using a much smaller, shorter jig for that.

Hey I am no all knowing expert, but have fished for all kinds of fish for most of my life and most fish will get the head of any prey all the way in their mouth if it fits in. Some will eat a fish that is bigger than their mouth will hold and I am pretty sure we have all seen the catfish with a ball stuck in it's mouth or a bass with a fish so large in it's mouth both are floating because the fish he ate was so big it was stuck in it's throat.

I also believe you can tell when they are really eating the jig and when they are just taking it because when you get the right color you will hook them deep in their mouth and not in the lips. On the other hand if your close, but not really the best color you will get a lot of them in their lips and if really eating the jigs I don't see the silver strip as something that will make any trouble. I do think a little extra flash may make for more strikes, but if short or long is the question then I would have so fall on the longer side as it has more action. Besides like I said it's each to cut it a bit shorter than it is and it really not a lot longer than my tails, 1" or less longer.

Just my 2 cents here and my opinion, nothing more.

Skip