Why do you fish hand tied?

[skiptomylu]

To add a little more to glasseyes post, I have had more than one person come back to me and tell me they caught over 300 fish on a single jig I tied. Personally I have seen my neighbor catch 125 crappie on one marabou Roadrunner and we all know marabou is one of the weaker materials to tie with and even though the tail got smaller and smaller, they were still hitting it when he decided to tie on a new one! Personally I have caught between 80 and 100 before loosing a Roadrunner several times. So for sure soft plastics will cost more for each trip fishing for ever if using just soft plastics and also need the water to get above 50 before it's really good for that material IMHO!

Skip

[trypman1]

For fun and catch fish.

[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!!!

[deathb4disco]

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

[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.

[Micropterus salmoides]

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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[trypman1]

I am with Skeetbum, he nailed it!!

[GrumpyLoomis]

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.

[lowe175]

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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[ekahle1]

What awesome responses! For me, catching the fish is the end goal, but the excitement is in the journey. That journey starts with researching: the body of water, crappie in general, and different techniques. Then I enjoy tying my own jigs in different color patterns that I think will work well for each situation, and I mean it when I say I enjoy it. Tying jigs is a hobby in and of itself.

Recently, I have taken up duck hunting to some extent, and have found much enjoyment in taking some of the feathers and cleaning them in order to make jigs out of them as well. This is just another way to immerse myself in the process of catching crappie!

In the future I hope to start rod building as another way to become part of the process of catching fish!