Nothing but Flair?

I have a lot of jigs and flies for salmon that are just a head and a big flair of either marabou or hackle. I was thinking this might work for crappie and bass, maybe blue gill.

Is there any reason it won't work? A wide palmered hackle or marabou right up tight to the jig head. Are there any drawbacks to doing this? Would it be better to put a small body down the shank and cover with a flair? Better to have a short body and then do the flair over the hook point?

Big question, do you think it would result in a lot of side and short bites because of the wide flair all the way around? How wide is too wide to help prevent a lot of short or side hits? Maybe keep the palmer less straight out but more angled toward the hook point? Have the palmer just as wide as the hook gap?

Can't say that I have seen it before for crappie. I have made big black and fluffy marabou on 1/16 black head for a leech patten. Does well for trout with a spinning reel as well as bass. For crappie, may be too much action/wiggle while in motion and turn into a puff ball fished under a float... that would just be my wild guess. ;)

Post a picture and let's see.

Hey Fish Pirogue fished a jig Saturday at the tournament that had a lot of flare on it he caught our 3 best fish over a pound bout an hour they took it all the way to the throat it depends on what size your gonna tie.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2.../AllFlair1.jpg

Something like these. I tried it on a larger hook first (right), and it looks better but is likely too large, is a 1/8th ounce x long #2 I think. Will save it for steelhead but I might give it a try since crappie have a huge mouth anyway.

The smaller one (left) simply didn't turn out the way I wanted but it will fish anyway. Gonna tie some more on some 1/16 tube heads #6. I think the tube head will look nice in front of all that flair.

I want more "flair" than bulk so the right one is what I am gonna try to copy on smaller versions. Lots of flair away from the hook and a nice flashy head.

Now I need to get a new hackle plier because my best one broke at some time or another. My other ones suck and won't hold onto it. :mad: I used it a couple days ago and it was fine but got got my tying box down yesterday and it was broke in 2. Darn gremlins.

Man it's all about experimentation!! Tie a handful up, hit the waters and let the crappie do the talking! I'd give ya my two cents but there's a piece of Super Bubble that I've been eyeballing all week! (hehehe)....

Seriously though... I started tying traditional flies and then got into tying for crappie, then bass and now saltwater flies/jigs..... Tie some up and tie a few 'thick' and a few 'thin' (or 'more flair' and 'less flair').... Put 'em into the water and the fish will tell you what they want....

I tied up a jig like the one you have on the right for crappie and never caught any on it but the bass were nailing it so fast and so hard that I now tie up that pattern for my bass jigs. Heck I've even taken some of my saltwater shrimp patterns and downsized 'em and have done extremely well for crappie, bluegill, etc.

So get to that table and tie you up a bunch and let us know what you find.... them crappie are real good at letting you know what they like!!

Well I have to ask because I do not catch many crappie. Of course I have been using nothing but plastics and cheapo Wal-Mart jigs for them so that could be the reason. Trust me, if someone tells me that it might work, I will tie it so I have it. I have over 100 different steelhead jigs so I am all about variety. I actually think I have some steelhead jigs that should catch crappie come to think of it. I am sure I have some that will catch bass. Will have to post some pics of them.