Eyes on jigs-question

[GAMENESS]

Awesome - Flatfish46....please keep us updated.

[cadman]

I think this is a matter of personal choice and confidence. When I fish the IL river, I don't use jigs with eyes, because #1, I lose too many, and #2 I have tried like many of you with side by side tests, and it didn't seem to matter. On the lakes in northern IL, I get more fish on jigs with eyes especially bass, and walleye, I don't know why. With that said I sell a ton of jigs all year long, and all the bass guys want eyes, the walleye guys about 50/50 yes and no. The biggest factor I hear more about is color. This response probably doesn't answer your question.

[GAMENESS]

As for the back end, I notice some of you guys use hackle or something similar for the tails vs. marabou or bunny fur (on the smaller jigs-1/80,1/64 zo.) which have more movement....any input on that ?

[wardsmit]

I put eyes on sometimes, and paint to a fault sometimes, and sometimes the jig/lure has no paint or eyes either. Catching is no more or less in relation to the paint/eyes. sometimes the color is a factor or maybe the color combo sometimes, imho. I feel it is more of a personal preference or confidence issue. I have caught many fish of various species on jigs/lures with little or no paint and have caught fish on them with painstakingly creative schemes, color combos, and eyes. If I am out and the fishing is slow, I will try to be more creative and try different things to include the paint combos and painted or 3d eyes. One of my reasons for painting different schemes and trying eye patterns is that I enjoy doing it. Same for doing some extra fancy tying effects on the jigs...I do it because I enjoy it. I believe that most of the fish bite because they are active or the lure was presented to them in such a way as to find it hard to resist. I have always believed that crappie are easy to catch if you can find them and present any offering to them correctly. You may have to be creative in your presentation or size of offering.

[fish_4_all]

Flatfish, could you throw in another pattern to try out? A simple bright colored line on the head instead of specific eye spots? Maybe a white line on a black head or a red line on a green head?

Might show that a simple difference in color on the head is more imortant than a true eye spot, or may not.

[flatfish46]

I don't know why not.

[fish_4_all]

I figured while we are talking about eyes:
Spacer beads, use gems for eyes

There are so many colors I figured why not? They can match any head color or contrast it. Will be a nice sparkle for an "eye" and easier to put on than painting them on, for me anyway. Now if I can ever win an auction for them.

What do you think of them?

[brimreaper]

ok......here is my penny's worth...I think there are times that fish will hit most anything that looks remotely like a food item to them. There are many factors that influence this...you guys know them as well as I do..water temp., seasonal patterns(pre spawn spawn post spawn etc.) As for the eye question... I think the more clear the water the more important the details on the jig are. In muddy water either vibration( paddle tails curly tails etc) or contrasting colors are more important. I think a predator fish in more stained water uses non visual cues for feeding more than eyes. Now in very clear water I think the more realistic a bait looks the better it works unless you are working a bait fast for a reaction type strike. If you are soaking a jig around a brush pile and a crappie has all the time in the world to look at it I think those big boys are going to be very picky. Again somedays the fish are super agressive and it seems they will bite alot of different things...how many times did that happen to you last year....I bet not many....So I like to play the odds in my favor. I have plain jigs and very detailed jigs. I put them both out there and let the fish tell me which one they want and that is what I try to use. Is it worth the extra effort? For me it is...I fish with a guide some and he uses red jig heads with no eyes and thats the only color he uses. He loads the boat every year. The only thing he changes is the plastic body: and he only uses plastic, no hair no feathers. When the water is clear he uses lil fishies by cream bait co. . The rest of the time he is using southern pro triple color jig bodies. I have had 100+ days with him several trips. Plain heads work for him on his lake but the water is stained pretty good...less than a foot vis on a bright colored jig...most of the crappie season. I think this will always be a personal opinion and the more confidence you have in whatever you fish with that bait will work better for you....you will just fish it longer and harder than something you don't believe in....oh well thats a big ole penny's worth.....take it as you will...brim

[flatfish46]

I concur 100% Reaper I believe if you fish the river's that are really murky anything will do I prefer jig's with spinners on them for flash and vibration when the fish get active and like to chase I have good luck on cranks, tube's and the cream Lil fishies im lucky in one sense I drive right past their factory going to work every day I stop in often and check out there new products and they'll usally give Me some to test when the water is clear or their shallow and they've been hard pressed you better have something that looks very real these are the days alot of people don't do well and other's limit.