Why do you fish hand tied?

I will start this post by acknowledging that some will find it offensive however as much as I love to tie my own crappie Jigs and Roadrunner Style baits with Marabou & Hackle. I would have to say that day in and day out soft Plastics perform as good or better. There are certainly rare occasions that I feel a hand-tied jig is an advantage but truthfully not enough to warrant the investment and equipment or time to justify. Do we do what we do just because we feel it's more rewarding? Is it the same equivalent to bowhunters that make their own bow and arrows and that in and of itself brings more satisfaction to the sport. What say you?

Easy my Uncle got me started tying bucktail jigs for him and his friends - then back when I was in the Air Force got stationed at Plattsburgh AFB, NY and lots of the guys fly fished so I tried it and started tying flies too. I've traded for lots of different tying materials so it's not always about how much it costs. And the biggest factor is that I can make a jig with components I choose and make a better jig than those on a store shelf

But I also have plastics, got to have the whole arsenal to catch em!!

don't have to continually adjust body .

Simple, if you have an aptitude to tie. It has an effect on me only another tier would know, it takes me to my happy place. Where my mind will actually rest. One other very important point there are times they will out fish anything. This is a fact! I did several controlled test with my own injected soft plastics and me and my neighbor hand tied marabou and craft hair jigs( I taught him basic and gave him a vise and all the set up) he's more creative than me! The hair jigs whooped my tail many times!

1. As a general rule, fur & feathers are more durable than plastic.

2. F&F have a very subtle action that can't be matched with plastics, IMO.

1. As a general rule, fur & feathers are more durable than plastic.

2. F&F have a very subtle action that can't be matched with plastics, IMO.

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

1. As a general rule, fur & feathers are more durable than plastic.

2. F&F have a very subtle action that can't be matched with plastics, IMO.

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Ditto! I hate changing out a soft plastic after nearly every fish, just think that is something I don't want to deal with. Plus as said by deathb4disco the action of a soft plastic can not do what a feather can and even sitting still a feature is working all the time. I am one that believes hand ties will out fish soft plastic more than the opposite will happen. I do know soft plastics has it's time and place, just not so much for me unless I am bass fishing, lol! Then the tying part it self.....I use to trade the stock markets from about 1991 until maybe 2002 and use to be on my computer 10 to 12 hours a day trading, researching and in chat room with a group of friends each sharing info on companies. We did well, but after my Bypass surgery I just lost the want to for that so I just quit since I was not doing very well after the surgery and was very different before. After losing the interest in it I looked around and thought...what am I going to do with all that time? I am not going to watch TV all day and not going to fish every day all day so what? That is when I took this old super cheap vise I have in my cabinet, but didn't know anything at all of how to tie anything. My tying then really sucked because I didn't know what I was doing or even what kind of materials I soiled use. So I started studying and looking for lessons on the internet and there was not much at all. Videos on Youtube came later so I finally found the lessons on FAOL and just studied them hard and just started tying in things like they did. If I wanted chenille I looked until I found a lesson that they used chenille body on their fly and that told me how to do this. Each step was the same. One huge advantage that method of learning has it it also help teach you the language of what all this hackle is or means, lol! Anyway my quitting the market trading and this hobby not only filled my time it also helped me in many way like meeting so many great people. I wouldn't trade it for anything, for sure not for using soft plastics, lol! Why would I?

Skip

I am a novice to this tying thing. But this past winter when the temps were below freezing I tied up a bunch of buck tails. Well I used them in early spring and WOW I caught fish on them. What a boost to my self esteem. Not only caught fish but on MY hand ties. I do use plastics at times. But the thrill of a fish on one of your own ties is as they say "PRICELESS" I have been stocking up on supplies for this coming winter. Tied a few with neck hackle for the first time, I will post some pics this weekend. They are my go to colors. I guess its all about what gives you the most confidence.

PS I want to thank you for your pics, help as I am learning.

I love to roll my own. It's fun and takes up the time during our winters. As for as catch rate, I would say both types are equal! The enjoyment of making that jig is worth it all.

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Originally Posted by tahoe 50

I am a novice to this tying thing. But this past winter when the temps were below freezing I tied up a bunch of buck tails. Well I used them in early spring and WOW I caught fish on them. What a boost to my self esteem. Not only caught fish but on MY hand ties. I do use plastics at times. But the thrill of a fish on one of your own ties is as they say "PRICELESS" I have been stocking up on supplies for this coming winter. Tied a few with neck hackle for the first time, I will post some pics this weekend. They are my go to colors. I guess its all about what gives you the most confidence.

PS I want to thank you for your pics, help as I am learning.

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Kip tail is kind of a pain, but also works very good when water is still cool! I never had any faith in it until some guys wanted me to make some for them. To short cut this story I had tied up 2 samples just to try. Stuck a cork above one about 14" and plopped it in the water next to the bank near my boat house. 15 minutes later I had 3 crappie and the smallest was 14", needless to say I found that day it really is good stuff, lol!

Skip

Skip

Simply for the enjoyment of catchin fish on a jig I made myself...

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

1. As a general rule, fur & feathers are more durable than plastic.

2. F&F have a very subtle action that can't be matched with plastics, IMO.

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Makes it better in cold water, subtle mvmt


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Good kip tail supplier?
I got some and most is really short

Thanks


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Originally Posted by brettw

Good kip tail supplier?
I got some and most is really short

Thanks


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Sometime you need to order over the phone and when you do tell the guy to please choose your tails to have longer hair. Some places it's hard to order over the phone, but that is about the only way I order supplies. So when you choose where you buy, I would also like it if I can speak to a guy that call pull some of my order!

Thos is how I have bought my materials for the last 10-12 years! I do not really like ordering on line most of the time!

Skip

Why do I tie my own jigs,

It is a craft that goes back as long as fishermen have fished. The first man to fish could not go buy what he needed he had to use what was available to him. He went through many trial and errors to be able to catch his fish. He didn't fish for the sport of fishing he fished to feed himself and his family. By his learning he passed it on to his sons and others.

Today has not changed much in our wants and the need to learn what works to catch fish. I started like most did with small amounts of materials and as I have seen my tyes being able to catch fish my need for my learning of the craft became strong and stronger. Now after many years of tying and catching the passion to be able to catch fish on my hand crafted jigs have not faded at all and "This is the Reason I tie my own jigs".

Like others I have boxes of many plastic baits because they also work but plastics will never be able to replace the natural materials for movement.
What a great pleasure it is to pass the craft of tying on to others and to watch their passion for tying and fishing grow.

Ronnie

THEY NEVER STOPPED WORKING THINGS ARE MADE TO CATCH THE FISHERMAN NOT THE FISH!!!!

I have actually conducted very scientific tests for close to a year now and I must disagree. My fishing partner fishes plastics exclusively and I fish my hand tied feather jigs exclusively. We change back & forth which boat we take but I'm in the back probably a little more than the front mainly due to his living at the lake. Admittedly there have been a few occasions when he has caught more than me, and all of those were when I was in the back seat but by a WIDE margin, my feather jigs out fish his plastics PLUS my feathers have routinely caught bigger fish. I guess it could be just an East Texas thing but whatever the reason, I don't see me reverting back to plastics any time soon (I fished plastics for many years before I started tying jigs)!

Not sure if anyone has mentioned price but I have all the other logical reasons that have been mentioned for using my hand tied jigs but if you look at expense I think hand ties are the way to go also. I know the initial costs of buying all equip. and materials is a cost but if you use plastics and nothing else and you fish a lot, then the plastics will be a more costly way to fish. I know it was mentioned but anyway I was fishing a local lake day after thanksgiving and caught 80 plus crappie, on the same jig. I tie my own hair jigs and some are not very pretty but they catch fish and when I tie them I make them with a little , more head cement and tie them to last. Now that same 80 plus fish using plastics like I do sometime would have probably cost me a couple dollars .

To add a little more to glasseyes post, I have had more than one person come back to me and tell me they caught over 300 fish on a single jig I tied. Personally I have seen my neighbor catch 125 crappie on one marabou Roadrunner and we all know marabou is one of the weaker materials to tie with and even though the tail got smaller and smaller, they were still hitting it when he decided to tie on a new one! Personally I have caught between 80 and 100 before loosing a Roadrunner several times. So for sure soft plastics will cost more for each trip fishing for ever if using just soft plastics and also need the water to get above 50 before it's really good for that material IMHO!

Skip

1. I can mimic exactly what's in my waters.
2. I can experiment in a way that I couldn't do only fishing mass produced goods.
3. I can sell what I've tied and at least make back the money spent in equipment and supplies.
4. Learning new, wholesome skills is never a waste.

For fun and catch fish.

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Originally Posted by Pepop

I have actually conducted very scientific tests for close to a year now and I must disagree. My fishing partner fishes plastics exclusively and I fish my hand tied feather jigs exclusively. We change back & forth which boat we take but I'm in the back probably a little more than the front mainly due to his living at the lake. Admittedly there have been a few occasions when he has caught more than me, and all of those were when I was in the back seat but by a WIDE margin, my feather jigs out fish his plastics PLUS my feathers have routinely caught bigger fish. I guess it could be just an East Texas thing but whatever the reason, I don't see me reverting back to plastics any time soon (I fished plastics for many years before I started tying jigs)!

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The guy in the back has an advantage the turbulence I guess but back seat person almost always catches more


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The one thing I find really funny is some new fishing magazine writers talking about how effective the new hair jigs are!! HELLO!!! they've always been around but seems only the smart folks kept fishing them!!!

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Originally Posted by Fatman

The one thing I find really funny is some new fishing magazine writers talking about how effective the new hair jigs are!! HELLO!!! they've always been around but seems only the smart folks kept fishing them!!!

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Exactly.

Speaking of which, I recently stumbled upon this 1985 jig article from (of all places) Sports Illustrated:

JUST JIGGLE THE JIG AND FISH MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GET HOOKED

My internal motor runs quicker than most and I just can't sit around and watch TV. I also have a creative side and this satisfies that too. I have made trips with nothing but my hand ties in the boat, and not come back with less than plastics. I also like to give one to a newbie that I meet on the water or at the ramp. They just can't believe that someone will give them something like this. There is much good will generated this way. I love to learn new things and this is a never ending learning process. New materials and techniques, different species, different regions......I could go on. I haven't tied a jig in a very long time but that will change soon.

I am with Skeetbum, he nailed it!!

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

My internal motor runs quicker than most and I just can't sit around and watch TV. I also have a creative side and this satisfies that too. I have made trips with nothing but my hand ties in the boat, and not come back with less than plastics. I also like to give one to a newbie that I meet on the water or at the ramp. They just can't believe that someone will give them something like this. There is much good will generated this way. I love to learn new things and this is a never ending learning process. New materials and techniques, different species, different regions......I could go on. I haven't tied a jig in a very long time but that will change soon.

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That sums it up for me for the most part. To me jig tying is the easiest hobby I've ever taken part of but I also had the best teacher anyone could ask for.
Tie a jig. A few easy steps.
The only thing that changes is colors, materials n prices of materials.
Everything else is whatever.

Pour your own heads....diff hook sizes....diff weights...modify molds.....mAke your own molds....
Paint em... multi color....glitter.... eyes...clear...powder...airbrush....etc

Tie em,,,… feathers/hair/Hyde on or off/ stem or no stem/synthetic....add flash or not ....body chenille, thread, dub, etc
It's just what you like. There's no rules. Find what works for you.
Everybody fishes diff.

Fly tying you can grab some techniques to fancy up your jigs but all in all it's the same. Unless your tying flies.

It's the freedom of making what you want to catch on.

I also like not having to fool with a fallen apart plastic.



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Satisfaction man. Its just sweet to know you have tricked a crappie with some thing YOU created. Heck you can buy anything but you can't buy the feeling of catching a fish on something you hand crafted. There is no other reason. Hair or plastic, rubber or hook and minnow, they all have their day. Fish on my friend.

I agree with everything said. One thing I find very satisfying is when everyone isn't catching anything and you are with a jig you made.

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What awesome responses! For me, catching the fish is the end goal, but the excitement is in the journey. That journey starts with researching: the body of water, crappie in general, and different techniques. Then I enjoy tying my own jigs in different color patterns that I think will work well for each situation, and I mean it when I say I enjoy it. Tying jigs is a hobby in and of itself.

Recently, I have taken up duck hunting to some extent, and have found much enjoyment in taking some of the feathers and cleaning them in order to make jigs out of them as well. This is just another way to immerse myself in the process of catching crappie!

In the future I hope to start rod building as another way to become part of the process of catching fish!

There are times when plastic will out fish feathers fur and tinsel. However when there is a hatch you can throw all the plastic you want and I can assure you 100% flys will out fish you. Not just for trout but panfish also. Crappie and bluegills love to eat may flys and caddis flys. When the Whit Fly is on the Susqy river the guys throwing hard ware quit fishing for a few weeks. As a fly fishermen I can catch almost every fish in the river. Sorry I am not bragging about my fishing because you could do it also. Using plastics is like having a shed full of tools and only using one of them.

I agree with Addictedangler, never go without a fly rod. Can turn a bad day into a good one.