Do you guys take longer to tie kip tail jigs then feather tails? I just can't speed this kip tail up much. I take so much longer tying them I want o just say no more Kip tails, but I can't.
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Do you guys take longer to tie kip tail jigs then feather tails? I just can't speed this kip tail up much. I take so much longer tying them I want o just say no more Kip tails, but I can't.
Skip
It's hard to just say "no more" when the finished product looks and performs so well. That's like using rabbit zonker, it takes longer, but I feel like it's worth it. LOL
Scott I like the rabbit and don't count that in this. Lots of hair I have no issue with, but that darn kip tail and even buck tail is so hard to be fast. I bet I can tie more than 12 kip tailed jig in a hour. If I have my materials out I am pretty comfortable that I can do at least 20 and maybe 25 an hour.
Rabbit is worth the extra time and effort IMHO!
Skip
I've been using fox alot lately and really like tyeing with it. Great action. Bob Marriott's has fox zonkers. I take the fur off the hide and it is the perfect length for a jig.
I have a ton of fox that are in tail form and I do like it a lot. Been using it for a few years now and have all the most important colors. However this kip tail stuff with a small jig head with a collar is a bi%&ch to tie fast. I don't think that I can get any faster at them. I don't feel that I can charge what my time is worth though and just need to be happy I only have a few customers that like that stuff. I do have to admit after last spring though that this stuff works great early spring. I think this next year I am going to force my self to fish some of my fox more. It's a lot easier to tie then kip tails at least for me.
I just feel like I have stepped back 4 years in my tying every time I have to tie some of these. Maybe it's just me and my perfectionism that makes it worse. I mean since I am not in this other than a hobby I take my time tying anyway, but at least with hackle I can tie them fast and be happy as they usually come out good and I can do something like 25 in a hour of them with same color.
I know some can tie a lot more than I can, but I do like what I do so this is it I guess.
Skip
skip i'm just the opposite i hate maraboo and i only use kip tail. i tie on jigs with no collar though, never even tried with a collar. i don't have a dedicated place to tie just use kitchen table and the wife hates the boo floatin around the house lol.
Oh yeah if you got the bou out you can't have wind or it's all over the place. I do sometimes get hot tying bou because I don't let any wind in this room then and if the AC comes on I sometimes have to wait until it stops, LOL!Quote:
Originally Posted by jusanothajoe
Tying kip tail on a bare hook is easier for sure and easier to cover all around the jig head. I had these heads made with a small collar and a slight flair on the end of it so I can tie thread neck hair jigs with these. I have other heads for other styles, but this one is kicking my tail. I got them done, but talk about slow going and I thought I would never get the 180 of them done and thankful there was not more.
BTW, Marabou is not as fast as hackle for me either and I can tie a hackle jig a lot faster, but even marabou is faster than me and Kip tails, LOL!
Skip
never tried hackle gonna have to give it a try. you guys tie some real good lookin jigs with it.
I am on a kiptail tying binge right now. I can tell you why I just picked up a tail and started in. I will say that tying commercially is alot different than tying for one self. Yes they are alot slower to tie but there is something about one of those little hair jigs that are so beautiful. Must admit that I use more bou jigs but I always carry a box of hair jigs with me and do use them. The sand bass and bream love them for some reason on Caddo. But every once in a while the Crappies will go wild over them and you have to tie them on your line behind a tree. Love those days.LOL
Redman
Redman I first time used some of these little jigs last spring and talking with Crazy he uses kip tail and squirrel tail jigs early, like before they move to the banks until just after they move in and that fits what I tried and worked for me. I was setting up to get a bunch of wedge or arrow head shaped jig heads for some guys in Louisana and after the first samples came in (2) I tied them up and one day sitting here tying I just wanted to go pitch one in here to see what it looked like and if anything would hit it. I went down to my bank and 20 minutes later I had 4 and smallest was 14". I was just putting it out under a cork about 15"-16" and putting it right next to the bank I was standing on. A couple days later I went out in my boat and was trying them again, but could find but one bank that had some that early and caught a bunch more crappie. SO I did learn they work and work well especially early spring.
Crazy said he goes back to feathers after they get on the bank good and I went back to my feathers too after that since the SRA started dropping the lake which moved the crappie out to 9'-10' where they stayed the whole spring. Of course I long line troll a marabou Roadrunner the rest of spring which is my number one bait in spring.
There is a time and place for these little kip tail jigs, but I knew when the guys form Louisiana wanted a bunch of these because it's about all they use I knew there had to be something to them.
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