Jig cost vs rubber

Out of curiosity what does a hair jig cost the average person. I use mainly rubber stuff and it ranges any where from .08-.17 cents a skirt and .25 cents a roadrunner or .07 a lead head. So averaging .35 a roadrunner or .15 cents a lead head jig. I sometimes get tires of being skirted and use super glue but have pondered using hair jigs. I don't even know if they come in colors I use here. I did try trolling hair jigs back in the spring and had a good experience but I already knew the colors the fish wanted and was given a few to replicate the plastic color. Just curious as I might try hair jigs if I can get them in my goto colors. On an average trip I may lose 4-8 jigs as do troll a lot of structure just ask nimrod lol. He told me he couldn't believe I trolled some of the stuff on nimrod. I told him I wasn't scared of trash lol.

For us we jig fish so the hair works better in our situation.The price of the hair probaly costs a little more.We tye our own jigs because the sky is the limit on the different colors and patterns you can make.The plastic is pretty much the same color eaiser to copy( pearl,chart,yellow,black,red,orange).We have several jig tyers in our area we can split the cost on materials or trade for something each of us don't have.Yes you have the cost of material but the real cost is your time how do you put a price tag on that. The main thing is to enjoy catching fish on what you have created "the hair jig". For us hair jigs are higher than plastic but we can creat our own colors.Great post bowhunter!!! Their is a time and place for both hair jigs and plastic.

Jackie what's your cost on them? I have all my tying stuff still and used to tie my own stuff some years back. Still remember how to do it lol. What are the commercial guys selling em for?

We have a source for lead at no cost,Hooks .2-.3 cents ea,body material .20-.25 cents ea,"tail material,marbou,kip tail, ,buck tail ".20-.25 cents ea. We have several tyers in our area we go together and buy when we see a special so the price varies(big help on shipping) with material a tied painted hair jig around .40 - .50 cents ea not counting your time!!!!! When you get into" poney" heads they are really high because of so many parts to the bait.Lead,paint, split-rings, roller bearings blades ect that goes into the bait probaly got close to .75 cents in a poney head!!! not counting your time making it!!! and the cost of your mold!!!! That tying lesson by MEATGETTER at the fall nimrod crappie camp was all some could not believe how fast and perfect she tyed that jig and in the dark.I don't know what he pays her but it is not enough!!!!

if you think that was fast you need to watch her in a well lighted room with air conditioner on !!!!! she can start a jig and i can turn out the light and she be though before the room gets dark!!!!!!!!!!!! lol know kiddin she has a lot of experience tying jigs i will put her up against anybody !!!!!!!! she has tyied over 2000 minner critter and jigs this month already!!!!! i think i might give her a raise !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hand tied jigs are gonna run around $.75 to $1.25 each. Several places will do custom orders, enabling you to get exactly the colors you want. Although, if it requires them to use multiple "tie-in's" (materials) the price will go up.

We've got three in Arkansas that sell hand tied jigs that I can think of just off the top of my head.

TNT Tackle Online
Slick Jigs by Creekslick
Meatgetter Jigs | Facebook

Their are some great ones over on Jig/tying here on crappie.com unreal Don,t see how their a crappie left to catch!!! yes we (Arkansas) is truly blessed with jig tyers and luremakers great fishing lakes and streams to try them out on!!!!! Look out Dardanelle crappie!!!! They hand tied jigs are expensive but well worth the effort!!!!!

I'm sure there are more that sell jigs that I don't know about, or have forgotten.

That's good info Jackie. Jerry no raise take that gal of yours on a vacation instead lol. I will look into those suppliers u posted Jackie. I am gonna take my top 10 colors used and see if they can be duplicated then give them a try against the rubber trolling. Anyone tiers up to duplicate my top 10 colors.

ABH, what colors you wanting? I can send a few your way, especially if you take me out in the pretty boat of yours. LOL. Seriously, if you PM me, I can get you a few jigs to try out and see if they are better/worse/same as skirts.

jw we can do any thing or size you want !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tie my own. Lots of fun and when you catch a limit on a jig you tied the night before it kinda makes your head swell.

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Originally Posted by MEATGETTER

if you think that was fast you need to watch her in a well lighted room with air conditioner on !!!!! she can start a jig and i can turn out the light and she be though before the room gets dark!!!!!!!!!!!! lol know kiddin she has a lot of experience tying jigs i will put her up against anybody !!!!!!!! she has tyied over 2000 minner critter and jigs this month already!!!!! i think i might give her a raise !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Where do you find a woman like that? She even helps the cooks at Crappie Camp.
DP

she can skin a deer to, she can fillet fish almost as fast as she tyies jigs!!!!!

Ok guys I appreciate it I will get ya some Picts of my favorites meat idk you may already make some of em. Lm I take you out no problem

I started tying about 3 a months ago. I'm guessing my cost per jig at this point is probably $15!

But it sure is fun!

the more you get in it the more expensive it gets !!!!! we have over $10,000 in inventory !!!!!!!! and never fails someone always want something you don't have!!!!!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by arkansasbowhunter

On an average trip I may lose 4-8 jigs as do troll a lot of structure just ask nimrod lol. He told me he couldn't believe I trolled some of the stuff on nimrod. I told him I wasn't scared of trash lol.

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Dangit man! I wish I could only loose that many. I average 20 per trip longline trolling. I make dang sure I am getting in the brush, but I catch much better fish on average than those just trying to tick the tops. As for the hair vs. plastics, I am 50/50. I normally pull plastics till the temps drop down below 60, then I will pull hair jigs tipped with minnows. Keep in mind I am talking longline trolling. If you are talking spiderriging for trolling, then I am all about the hair jigs or plastics with a straight tail. NO CURLY anything when spiderriging. Let the minnow do the work. I fish waters with both white and black crappie by the way. Get you a box or two of each in your favorite colors. I promise, there will be days they want one and not the other. Better to be prepared. The folks mentioned on this thread make some really good baits and I am sure you can get the colors you want.

Yea one of the secrets is I use light wire hooks so I don't lose many hooks comparatively speaking. I am not bashful about structure either when spidering ask nimrod lol. He couldn't believe I troll thru some of the stuff on that lake. Key is I may hang up on the unknown but then I fish the heck around and on it. Mark all structure with gps and I can fish it good then.

Soft plastic jigs all the way, always stick with what you have confidence in.

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Originally Posted by MEATGETTER

jw we can do any thing or size you want !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Whats the biggest (length) you can tie? 2" or 2.5"??

Water turkey better ask the one who ties em lol.

the length will very depending on the kind of hair, the larger jigs (1/8) or larger will be more consisted with bucktails but the best action is out of kip tails (calf)!!!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by arkansasbowhunter

Water turkey better ask the one who ties em lol.

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Haha. That is true. Sounds like the Mrs does all the tying while Jerry does the field testing.
Thanks again Jerry for the minner critters they look awesome. Going to try out this coming weekend.

Okay guys I compiled my top 12 tubes I would like to purchase replicated in 1/8 pink head. Any takers just shoot me a pm. What I plan to do is run nothing but hair jigs one day and see how the catch goes. Attachment 102478

I don't use anything but Litewirehooks and 2 inch curley tails (Mainley AWD or Southern Pro). When I get hung and get the jig back......just say I saved $.30 (.22 Hook and .08 Jig) and keep on fishing.

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Originally Posted by arkansasbowhunter

Yea one of the secrets is I use light wire hooks so I don't lose many hooks comparatively speaking. I am not bashful about structure either when spidering ask nimrod lol. He couldn't believe I troll thru some of the stuff on that lake. Key is I may hang up on the unknown but then I fish the heck around and on it. Mark all structure with gps and I can fish it good then.

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jw,what is the 4th one down on the right thats the only i cant tell what color is???

Silver fish, silver chart body chart tail

ABH you have started a great thread. There are 4 people on this thread that I have personally used and 1 I am dedicated to use because they dont wear out. I have fished with you and you with me. Some people care about the cost of losing a jig and some are concerned about the cost of buying a jig. You know me ,I could care less about losing or trying to get one unhung. I keep fishing. There are 10 people that will PM you to find out were to send your new jigs. All they want is feed back and a pat. It will answer the question Hair or Rubber

Billy I am going to put em to the test for sure and will post my results good or bad. I have fished once this year with a few hair jigs and did good that trip but caveat was I knew the colors they wanted. Haven't had any hair jigs to try since then so that is why I wanted to get some of the old stand by colors that produce for me most of the time. Kinda like me and you did the minner vs jig test. Came out even I think on that but I am anxious to try the test again on another lake with ya.