Small Jigs

[Len]

These are really the first small jigs I have ever tied for Blue Gill and I really don't fish for them that often but would like to be pointed in the right direction......for colors to use....body type....tail and size! Mainly what would be good color producers? greens..blacks..browns..?

The ones in the picture are 1/80 #10 hook

[skiptomylu]

Now this is when I agree with a short tail. Also Chart will work, but mainly natural colors and not like crappie as much. Brown, black and anything that looks like a bug color will work.

So many ways, but I use to fish for them with dry flies with a split shot in front a foot or so and they will eat any of them. You know the little packs with a bunch of trout flies? Well they use to be made better, but even the ones now will do great, but put a little of you head cement thinned well on where you think it would come apart near the eye of the hook. Or learn to tie your own flies too. Anyway I am going the long way to say most anything small and natural color will do well, but short tail because they will nip at the ends. Put some thin hackle as a collar or palmered dry fly hackle.

I have been playing with lots of stuff for small jig for gills and there are some really great zonkers cut thin and not thick skin, like Mink zonkers.
Here is a few test jigs I was doing using, squirrel, mink and pine squirrel.


Also one of my test looks was this and I think this pattern will do great. This is a 1/32, but 1/64 would be good too and regular bend hook may be better?


Skip

[azslabber]

I catch thousands of gills every year with these under a slip bobber.If the gills are tiny like 3 or 4 inches and you do get into schools of them,I tip them with a tiny piece of worm.Like 1/4 inch.Here at Saguaro Lake in Arizona they like the long tail Skip.Sure,a lot of them grab the tail and do a lot of yanking,but,that adds to the fun.lol.Not as many bites on the short tails.That's a 1/64 at the top for size comparison.The grey works best here.

[ifish]

Good looking jigs AZ.

[Redman]

Len Nothing wrong with them But I like a little Buggier look to my Bream jigs. Size is about right. Just don't be suprised to take a crappie on one.

The Woolie that Skip posted is what I use alot of the time but like a size 10 gold plated hook. I tie it in yellow, white,olive and black. I use single strand flo. Orange floss for the tail about a 1/2 inch long and also the tying thread so I don't have to change or have a bulky butt end. I will use grizzly hackle on the black and olive to give it a more Buggy look. If I hit a good bream bed I may go thur half dozen woolies. They do tear them to bits.

All the Best

Redman

[midnight_f150]

some nice jigs on here!!

[shipahoy41]

Len those will catch you a boatload of fish. I agree with the shorter tail concept to prevent the Gill and Shellcrackers from messing with them and not getting a hook in their mouth.

[quivira kid]

Those will do good!
Natural, "buggy" colors seem to do well... Especially if you throw a little something flashy in there.
A short red tail with yellow or chartreuse body will do the trick as well. I've also done well with a black body.
A material you might look into for bodies in mohair. Uni brand makes spooled mohair, and it makes a killer-looking buggy body. I like their maroon and black. Brown bunny tail/maroon body with nickel silver head and black/black with orange or gold head.

[deathb4disco]

I use black about 90% of the time. They're just simple marabou-and-chenille jigs in 1/64 or 1/80 oz. Tipped with a waxworm, they're at least twice as effective.

[PBUG2009]

black with some yellow in it here....tear them flat up....