Critique/advice for new tier?

Was wondering if some of the professionals, and you're all professionals compared to me, had a second to make some suggestions for improvements on my jigs. Here is a picture of some recent ones (wish I would have gotten in on the sports jig swaps with my St. Louis Cardinals jigs on the left). They're all tied on PBug's 1/16th sickle hook jig heads, which are great btw. The two on the bottom right are with crazyangler's ss fancy newage chenille and barred hackle. The upper right is ca's anthracite newage chenille and squirrel tail that a friend gave me. The Cardinal's jigs are tied with chenille and marabou from my bass pro/Wapsi kit. I left the heads unpainted because now they are like one big shiny eye? I do want to experiment with powder paints though. Anyway, thanks for any advice/criticism.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B...0/DSC04800.JPG

They look great, love the squirrel tail jig Thumbs Up

They look good for a new guy, really good!
On the thread neck, if you use a flared collar it would be easier to hold that a bit more narrow, but on a hook with no collar it's fine.

To each his or her on for t ail length. Some like a short one like yours, I like a bit longer because I feel I get more action. Some that like a short tail say they don't want short strikes, but I feel on that subject that a crappie has a big mouth and that for me is not a consideration as I don't believe in general they short strike unless your color is off for what they want. If fishing for Blue Gills though I do this they will short strike a lot.

Skip

Nice work. I really like the look of the squirrel tail. have to add that to my list.

Thanks Skip, I took your earlier advice and made my bodies a little shorter. I'll make the tails a little longer and see how that looks/works.

Thanks for the squirrel tail compliments, it was kind of frustrating to work with, pretty slick stuff. I like how it turned out too.

Here are two I tied today with longer tails. Painted one with vinyl white base and fingernail polish over the past few days then tied it today.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-l...0/DSC04801.JPG

I tie a lot of jigs that friends and I use and the majority of them are on bare lead heads. Color is good, but basic works well too. Nice ties, good balance. Something you can try and see if you like is to take a V or two from the base of the hackle feather and add it to the base of the hackle feather on your jig. Gives a fuller look that I like and a tiny bit more action when almost motionless.

Wow. They all look excellent and all will catch fish. Great job!

Took some jigs out to test last night at Shelbyville here in central IL. Could only fish from about 5-7 pm.

8"er caught on chart/blue swimming it off the bottom
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-h...0/DSC04803.JPG

10"er caught on squirrel tail 2' under a float:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E...2/DSC04804.JPG

Caught a few more keeper crappie and a bass on the squirrel. Will be tying up some more today.

Congrats on your catch and I am sure you liked that on your own jigs, right?

Try some kip tail too.

Skip

Was really great to catch them on jigs I tied. That top picture was the first fish I've caught on a jig I've tied. Started tying in July and fish here have been biting on minnows ever since so I haven't fished the jigs much. So far I haven't sold any and before yesterday I hadn't caught any on them so tying didn't make a whole lot of sense, except that I like to do it. Now that I'm catching them on my jigs, there is a lot more incentive to tie them. Thought about tying some squirrel tails and putting them on the classifieds to see what happens.

Will definitely try some kip tail and will try adding some base hackle stacked on my tips for more action. Both the hackle and squirrel looked great in the water.

Don't leave marabou out of the equation either. I use that a lot in the sparing my self. I long line troll them then.

Skip

They look good, and you know they catch fish. Plus it's a great feeling catching them on something you made yourself.

That's the right stuff, good job.