Hand tied jigs not working

Ok so not to long ago i poured myself some 1/8-1/16oz weedlesss jig heads and tied various colors matching my plastic selection. I fish a floating marina with some brush tied to the sides of dock, water is 94 degrees fishing 18' deep. Here is how it usually goes. I start with my tied jigs, jigging the brush n shaded areas no luck, switch various colors and sizes, still no luck, well minus a largemouth bass. After i get frustrated with those jigs i throw a jiggin spoon and almost immediately get bit, so i jig again with the tied jigs, dead. Pick up the spoon n bam, now im catching them on side of body outside mouth which tells me its a reaction strike.. Maybe.. So i go to soft plastics and catch 3 in little over a hour.

why cant i get a bite on my tied jigs vs a plastic or much less a jiggin spoon. How should i jig my jigs fast-slow, how heavy is too heavy? And tips would be appreciated

Listen to the fish, not us. They will tell you what colors at what speed they are looking for and can change daily. Just stay at
it. If you roll a wheel barrow around a shed long enough, you will get good at it.

Tomorrow could be the day for your hand ties. Color is important, also is your jigging spoons shiny? I use zinc heads and or silver chenille. It truly works!

Very true, i need to go as much as possible so i can try to get a pattern going.

Jigging a kastmaster with a red flash strip on it so i tied a redbug head, silver chenille, red white feathers with red and silver flashabou both in 1/8-1/16, looked fairly close to me. I tried dead sticking, erratic jiggin, slow up an down, put index finger on line and used it to just tap the jig with no success. Drop the spoon and rip it up three or four times and i can either catch one or feel a strike within minutes.. Thats what im lost on, am i too slow falling with the hand tie and the fish are just hitting fast moving baits,or if its just the reaction strike?

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Originally Posted by Crappiedayz

Very true, i need to go as much as possible so i can try to get a pattern going.

Jigging a kastmaster with a red flash strip on it so i tied a redbug head, silver chenille, red white feathers with red and silver flashabou both in 1/8-1/16, looked fairly close to me. I tried dead sticking, erratic jiggin, slow up an down, put index finger on line and used it to just tap the jig with no success. Drop the spoon and rip it up three or four times and i can either catch one or feel a strike within minutes.. Thats what im lost on, am i too slow falling with the hand tie and the fish are just hitting fast moving baits,or if its just the reaction strike?

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Could be the "reaction strike" ... or it could be the difference in size between the jig & the spoon.

Spoons "flutter" when falling (resembling a injured/dying baitfish) ... jigs just "fall" (resembling a live, diving baitfish). Maybe the fish were just "lazy" and just wanted the "easy meal". :dono

Crappiepappy that makes since, never looked at it like that

I tie jigs. Some work and some don't. The ones that don't I give to my neighbor.

now thats funny right there.

Have you tried to tie up some Roadrunner type jigs? Sometimes, just a little flash is all you need! The horsehead jigs do the trick on many occasions.

I tie jigs myself, so I know you want to catch fish with them. Some days they will be the best other days not so much. Just wait next time they maybe the wining ticket

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I am of the opinion that some days it just is what it is .....fall is coming and I bet them handties will get clobbered once the water temps drop ....

Cnt say i have tried the roadrunner type yet, ill pick me up some and give it a go.

Lowe175 reading that make me feel less dumb, i was half expecting people to be like ohhh no you have it all backwards do it like this. But their is a reason why they call it fishing and not catching haha

http://i.imgur.com/CeqO6RJ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/o8Emdjw.jpg

(note the wire keeper)

Slugo cut in half:
http://i.imgur.com/LM21ZYI.jpg

The Joker (Strike King), like all of the above, catch many species:
http://i.imgur.com/HXLO2QE.jpg?2

Can't go wrong with soft plastics rigged on 1/16 oz jig heads. I've even started cutting off the ends of finesse worms (IE the one pictured used for drop shot fishing and always catch fish. You also may want to try different areas in the lake and use a more horizontal approach covering more water with more casts.

Well since water is 94 during the day i kinda figured deep shade, also i failed to mention i only have a kayak so some big portions of the lake are a real pain to get to an then fish

Fish don't prefer shade much of the time and may be in 3 ft of water on a sunny day.

I really hate using minnows, but in summer time fishing I usually do use them, but I also use one of my hand tied jigs. I start withering a heavier jig than I usually use say in spring and it's a 1/8 or even 1/4, then I have a drop shot hook up the line about 12" to 18" for the minnow. The jig then becomes my weight and bait. I believe the smaller fish getting after the minnow is a big help to getting the larger fish to bite. From my experience we usually catch about 75% of the larger fish caught came on the jig. I just think it's an awesome technique to use on crappie that are just not so much into biting. All it takes is one or two small ones to kick start the bite sometimes! Just my opinion though!

Skip

Spoonminnow: yeah thats what i see aswell big ol 6+ bass ambushing bluegill, maybe im a little deep since dock is floating.

skiptomylu: wow thats a very well thoughout technique, and since i grew up bassfishing dropshotting is a very known style where im from