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I am getting into tying jigs and want to venture into making BG and RE jigs. The smallest so far that I've made are 1/32oz, but are mainly intended for crappie. I tied a grass shrimp jig that has caught BG as by-catch while crappie fishing, but never specifically targeted them.
So when fishing 1/64 and smaller jigs, how do you go about it? Under a float? Dragged on the bottom? Cast and retrieve?
I know it could be any of the above, but what do you have the most confidence in?
can't go wrong with a thill mini shy-bite, imo. good luck, ~brian
Cast and retrieve only. No float.
It’s been working for me for over forty years.
Cast and retrieve, light line, UL gear, loose drag......hang on. Shallow to medium depths are best covered with the 1/64 and lighter. , 1/32 to 1/16 will cover the rest of the water column. If you are fishing shallow you will be ticking the bottom some anyway, and a twitching type retrieve close to the bottom will mimic all kinds of goodies that Panfish are looking to eat, and again....hold on.
Cast and retrieve...no float......and get yourself a good JDM mono 2# test with a diameter of around .120mm and you can cast a 1/64 jig very well. If you want to cast even further get you a good 2 or 3 pound test PE line...or as we call it braid.
Regards
What Alphahawk said about casting!! Tiny jigs and average American lines are an exercise in frustration. I have fished a 1/32 with a plastic body on 4lb line for a long time, but that rig just won’t cast anything lighter very well. Stren crappie in 2lb hi vis will help but it doesn’t compare to the JDM lines. To my surprise, the JDM line isn’t that expensive. The rods and reels, well......you’re on your own there. There are entry level and very good ones for you to learn about and choose from. Just like when you started fishing, a little at a time. I also use a strike indicator sometimes, really a very tiny float. Most times I’m casting with nothing but a jig. Prepare to lose some while you learn the new stuff. Slow retrieve speed is key or you’ll just be working the higher portion of the water column. The strikes are fantastic, and then the drag sounds off, and you feel like a 16 year old kid walking out the door on his first date. There’s no going back.
"like a 16 year old kid walking out the door on his first date"
That's when my trouble started.
I use a tiny weighted Leland slip cork when fishing a 1/64 handtied jig. I can cast it along way.
Cast 1/32 oz. no float . Vertical jig ,no float(any size ) . 1/80 ,1/64, 1/100 cast under cork or clear bubble .
It depends on a lot of factors. Here in Missouri I fish shallow weedy lakes and use a weighted 3/4" float with hand tied grizzly marabou jigs 1" or less in length. If the lakes are clear and I see fish then I remove the float to avoid spooking them and cast. Deeper water, no float with a 1/48 to 1/24 oz. head. Tipping these small jigs with waxworms or tiny pieces of scented plastics help quite a bit. I also use permanent markers to darken up the bottom of my floats to avoid spooking fish or having the fish hit my float instead of my jigs.
I paint the bottom of all my floats, green. I never use plastic floats, to much noise, when they hit water. Use cork or balsa wood.
First is cast and retrieve. Second is under a float. Most of the time bluegill and redears are near the bottom and I don't want to use a float. But when fishing shallow flats less than 6 feet deep I will use a float to gain casting distance and keep the jig above the weeds. Also, in smaller bodies of water at least, Bluegill will often suspend near the surface even out over deep water. It is always worth a few casts with a float out in open water if you aren't having much luck finding them where they normally are.
Cast and retrieve without a float or cast and float rig it back to you, essentially leap-frogging the bait along. I like the latter method for suspended crappie and when fishing from shore for crappie along rip rap.
These are balanced jig flies I tie. They weigh from 1/80 to 1/120oz. They have brass bead heads on Diaichii #10, #12 and #14 jighooks. I fish them under a fixed weighted foam float in 1' to 6' of water. 4# fireline and 4# fluoro leader. They have caught crappie, bluegill and bass over and around stakebed. Attachment 363878
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Very nice looking jigs!Quote:
Originally Posted by z520tom
Bob
I do the exact same thing. Jigs and all. Just tied a few while waiting for ice to form here in nw Pennsylvania.Quote:
Originally Posted by z520tom
Nice jigs Tom. Those are tied with a pin through the bead? That’s one I haven’t played with yet, interesting.......
Pin with bead on it then attached to hook. This bait hangs horizontal also and is in the natural position for the baitfish it represents when fished under a float.
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I had good luck last year using my
Regular crappie pole vertical jigging around trees during the spawn. Caught some dandy red ears and blue gills.
Also used a float casting with my ultra light rig pre spawn and spawn I caught 100s some days.
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I would think light blue would be a better bottom color.Quote:
Originally Posted by trypman1
u2s
Very creative Tom!! Horizontal balance factor reminds me of my old ice-fishing fav lure (Rapala Ice jig) that exhibited the same, at rest profile. Ice jig is also a great open-water vertical jigging bait. Just another thought...if you take a conventional jighead, normal knot, then do 2 half-hitches to secure the "balance point" on body(chenille)...stay tuned, one for the laboratory.:fish:yikesQuote:
Originally Posted by z520tom
u2s
This shows the hook with the bead and dressmaker pin attached to each other. Then you tie any jig pattern you like. Attachment 366153
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I have some larger ones up closer to 1/8 oz done in this fashion after catching a couple videos by Crappie Hippy. If you don't mind, what size and type beads are you using to obtain the light weights? Thank you a lot, and those jigs look great. Eric.
Mostly 3/16 and 5/32 inch diameter brass beads. I use 1/8" diameter brass on my smaller bluegill nymph jig flies. These are 1/8 brass beads and weigh around 1/120 oz and I fish these under a fixed float down to about 6 feet These are Diachii 4640 size 14's..Attachment 366237Attachment 366238
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During the hard water season I use a spring bobber on all my ice fishing rods. These will detect the lightest bites.
During the soft water season I use a Thill balanced bobber. These are balanced with solder or lead wire to upset with the weight of a given lite jig weight. This system works well detecting up bites and adds weight to help for casting distance.
Good info great discussion
Tom
Where do you get your pin and beads?
Here in South Louisiana, I seek out panfish mostly. I occasionally tie my own micro jigs (1/64, 1/80) and have been very successful with the following setup. Shakespeare micro ultralight rod (7ft/6in), Lew's Laser Lite Speed Spin loaded with Stren 2lbs test mono, (optional 1.5 Comal peg float), BB or 3/0 split shot 18inches above micro jig.
The best technique is to cast and slow retrieve without float or cast and slow jigging retrieve with float. The rod and reel are inexpensive and allows you to cast smaller jigs a greater distance. Here are some that work for me.
Attachment 367797
Nice work on those micro jigs. They will catch every thing in the lake sometimes.
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My advice: make sure hook gap is adequate when using large diameter lures. Too small a gap and fish are lost because of poor hook sets. I use braid in 2# diameter/ 8 # test. If using a 1/64 oz jig and small plastic lure, I go with a fluorocarbon leaders of 4# test for better lure action, better strike sensitivity and less line bow. But if the lure is heavier overall - IE using a 4" Kut Tail worm, I go with straight braid.
The number of soft plastic lures that catch any fish including panfish is unlimited. You can even use parts of large soft plastic lures such as this tail cut from a 5" finesse worm:
https://i.imgur.com/KoFu2ZN.jpg
Beetle Spins with small soft plastic like the Crappie Magnet (left photo) does very well:
https://i.imgur.com/Qpqrodc.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/IjnahMg.jpg
Kut Tail rigged on a 1/64 oz jig with #4 hook (left) and a 1/24 oz jig with same hook size (right):
https://i.imgur.com/2gmCC1l.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/9vm3rYd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/L4FDvX8.jpg
This year I'm going to use 1/64 and 1/32 oz jigs more often and with more soft plastic designs and sizes.