Searching for Jig ideas

I've seen a lot just browsing the different posts. How about a thread about what works, colors and which brand jigs you use? I'm sure like fly tying, it's a hit or miss game with a lot of input, but there a guys that have been doing this for years who have a go to jig they don't mind sharing. I'm looking for ideas for my own arsenal. My sons are impatient fisherkids and getting fish on the deck keeps them interested in our beloved hobby of FISHING. :biggrin If you don't mind share, please post a picture too.

Man what a loaded question, but legitimate. Only you know YOUR water the best. I have stuff I have carried for a long time with no luck and then I hit that day where it is the only thing in the box that works. Stick with two things and you will be fine, stay with basic colors for your water. I.E. stuff that works there. The other is your gut instincts. I carry too much stuff when I'm out out of my area. Couldn't catch much on my jigs so I went to a local and ask a few question. He gave me a couple jigs and I did very well. I had never fished purple and flashabou alone ever. It worked in that water. One of my friends only fishes with black, white, or yellow. Not my thing but he does quite well. I don't think this much helps but after 50 years their is no magic bullet. Oh and most importantly, You are the super DAD for teaching your kids a great tradition. Good luck

Your post is what I know and feel about these things. Like buying jig heads and skirts, you don't know until the fish tell you something. I'll apply my Fly and Bass knowledge to what I tie and see how it shakes out. Thank you for the kind comments Grumpy, most days I feel like I'm failing, because they don't enjoy the outdoors as much as I did at their age and do now.

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Originally Posted by TheRo0sTer

I've seen a lot just browsing the different posts. How about a thread about what works, colors and which brand jigs you use? I'm sure like fly tying, it's a hit or miss game with a lot of input, but there a guys that have been doing this for years who have a go to jig they don't mind sharing. I'm looking for ideas for my own arsenal. My sons are impatient fisherkids and getting fish on the deck keeps them interested in our beloved hobby of FISHING. :biggrin If you don't mind share, please post a picture too.

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If you've ever tied a woolly bugger before, that's all you need. Just tie it on a jig head but without the palmered hackle. Solid white and solid chartreuse will work in most places.

Don't overthink it.

That's where I was headed. I appreciate the input!

Some with and some without flash. I tie most of my jigs with wooly bugger chenille. Black goes with everything in my opinion.

Unpainted head, 1/16oz, white tail, blue new age chenille.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Mr. Crappie Wally Marshall said his go to jig that works in majority of lakes is chartreuse and white. If I had to pick one jig it would be that color.

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Tied these last year and caught a ton of fish on them. I usually start there then change with conditions. Other good ones are Gray Ghost, Black and White.

Attachment 375991 Attachment 375992

Hands down, my favorite is the gray ghost with 2 or 4 strands of flash just a tease longer than the tail material. Bare lead head but have used chartreuse, Orange and black. Black head, gray body, white hackle V’s for the tail with just a few strands of flash. Variances of that as you try other material. White/gray/white w/flash. I usually use no more than 4 strands of flash but also have some without. Also, in 3 sizes at least. I start at 1/8 and go 1/16, 1/32, and 1/43 (1/32 ball head no collar, #8 hook). Many times I have the right color and have to find the right fall rate before they’ll get interested. The tiny ones get a lot of play in my boat.

My weapons of mass destruction are the gray ghost, all pink, all chartreuse and all white. There are so many options but these are my bread and butter colors.

Such a big question - always interested to hear what everyone has to say about it.

I know it's broad, but if I ask and get ideas, I can start tying them in random colors and weights. Then when I find the hot pattern for the spots I fish, I make more. ;) Great response too!

My favorite spring and fall bait is these 1/32 Oz Roadrunners that I tie.

Skip

I do have a couple other color combos I like, but these will cover any water condition from clear to really stained!
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Which ever gives you the most confidence it will catch fish. If you lack confidence you lack patience and focus which hurt more than choosing the wrong color ;)

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I vote for 1/16 all pink and tip the jig with a live minnow.

I shared a picture with my friend out in KCMO and he said "Can you make them in 1/4 oz?" I tied a couple in 1/16 because that is what I normally throw with plastics on them. So, he's got me wondering if I need to jump to 1/8 and 1/4 oz jigs. It's almost as fun as tying flies, but cooler because it's not as intense with perfection. LoL

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Originally Posted by TheRo0sTer

I shared a picture with my friend out in KCMO and he said "Can you make them in 1/4 oz?" I tied a couple in 1/16 because that is what I normally throw with plastics on them. So, he's got me wondering if I need to jump to 1/8 and 1/4 oz jigs. It's almost as fun as tying flies, but cooler because it's not as intense with perfection. LoL

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Absolutely is the big difference in flies and jigs! I mostly use 1/32 in Spring, but once they move deep here I go to 1/8 and 1/4 oz jigs. I like to feel the jig when I am fishing 12' to 20' down and the weight really helps a lot if there is a little wind. I have on occasion use 1/8 in spring when they were still in 12' of water and I just pulled it next to my boat because the wind was strong that day. If wind is not an issue in 12' of water I would still use the 1/32 Oz Roadrunners or Pony's long lining.

Summer is tight lining for me.

Skip

I wondered about the deeper water scenerio. Time to hit the search button for the same jig heads I bought, but in heavier weights.

Oh, here's a question for those who've been tying jigs... Bucktail, Synthetic bucktail or Feathers or does it matter? I want to know other's thoughts on this.

For me it's feathers except when it's colder, even if the water temp is like 50 degrees or lower. Personally I feel that is a time they are not as active and are not in chase mode and then hair may be better. I know that I never had any respect for kiptail until I had to tie some for a guy and I went down to my bulkhead to test them and caught 4 with the smallest at 14"! I found respect, lol!

I know lots use bucktail and know it works, I just don't use it for myself. Spring I love marabou and summer that and hackle. Hackle is the most popular feather for sure and think some of that is the pain tying marabou right is.

I know Craft Fur works great, but again personally I don't like my jigs tangling in the box like that stuff will get in the hooks! So for me if hair, real hair. I do love some Rabbit though and consider it on the same level as marabou except hair!

Everything tying is and should be on a personal level, it's your choice what and how!

Skip

Skip

Do you remove the lead behind the main head or wrap your yarn accordingly? I watched a video and the guy cut that away. When I tied my first jig, I just wrapped to match levels. It make sense to remove it, but isn't that part of the weight?

If you are taking about the collar, I use jig heads that do not have a collar and if I had one that had a collar, I would cut it off.

As for the weight, look at a 1/16 with no collar and a 1/16 with collar, both heads are the same size even though the collar adds weight to that jig, both called 1/16 and for sure the one with a collar probably is closer to 1/8 than 1/16? For sure will weigh more so anytime I am talking about a jig head it's a no collar unless it's a hair jig, then I want a collar, but not just any collar. Once I got a guy to make a mold for me by copying a head I sent him, then we talked about what I wanted. It was a thin as possible collar with a flair on the end just to control thread width, then the collar I want for keeping the hair from spinning around the shank as easy as it does. This was for a kiptail jig I was tying for some guys in Louisiana.

For me I don't like the heads to weigh too much more than it's stated weight and most do not if they have a collar! Just for kicks I have weighed every style head I have and it's a lot of different heads and some are really close, but many are not. Once example is a 1/32 Oz Pony head, in truth closer to a 1/24 Oz and it doesn't even have a collar, but if you get a mold for a 1/32 Oz pony head with collar, I bet the head size is the same which will make it even heavier!

True Original Marabou Roadrunners, 1/32 is super close, but the 1/16 is not close to 1/16, why I don't know.

Skip

Thank you for the the information Skip. I was looking at the one I tied and now I see why the collar is removed. I'll be tying a few up tomorrow for a trip to the lake on Friday. Leaving out of Starrett Creek.

I think Skip nailed it on 1/8 and 1/4. They are a great tool in the arsenal of jigs. And here in Iowa buck tails are the look. Not the hot set up the further south I go or I don't know how to fish down there.:cheers2

The nearest tackle shop is 40 mins away. So, I dropped into Walmart to look at their barren shelves. Nothing in 1/4, but I found a few 1/8th oz package. Here are some I tied real quick with what I have in my materials. I do like natural and synthetic bucktail for tying tails vs feathers. I will see which gets more strikes and keep a mental note. There are few color options I'd like to buy for the main body and thicker yarn. Yarn for small trout flies just doesn't cut it for 1/8th oz jigs. LoL

https://www.crappie.com/crappie/atta...528_214659-jpg

My favorite deep water jig is a 3/16 jig head with a size 2 hook. I like 1/32 jigs as much as the next man but you can't tell what a small jig is doing in deep water. Add the wind and your really at a disadvantage.

I went out yesterday afternoon and it was a tough day fishing for us. I'm still learning where to search for the crappie and well that means bites are far and few between. My sons were with me which means I am fishing for 2.5 people instead of focusing on my day. Out of all those I tied I had real good success with the 2nd one down on the left and caught 1 and had a few bites on the 2nd one up on the right. I'm going to tie a handful of those tonight and see how things work tomorrow.

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...9b&oe=5EF631EC

Looks like some of them worked at least!

Good job!

Skip

Time on the water will only make you better. After 50 years of this I still have those days. Just less of them. For me it is the love of the sport. Tying is just the part that has kept the passion going. I have 2 kids that grew up with the poles in their hands more than most folks. Today 1 loves fishing and 1 could care less about it. I guess you never know. Keep up the good work.

I tied a few more I tied up 16 jigs in 4 differnt colors and 2 different weights on Sat. I learned that I don't like 1/4 oz jigs yesterday. "Why" you ask, the hookds don't bend easily and I had to cut a couple off. LoL I'm serious on this one... I hate cutting line and I hate losing jigs. Actually I told my son "Cut it, it's not like I don't have more material to make more for the box." It's a lot easier than getting frustrated.

I'm looking for places to buy material, I'm also interested in finding places online to purchase materials. I typically use Weaver's near Bennett Springs State Park, but they are 2 hours away!

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Originally Posted by TheRo0sTer

...I'm looking for places to buy material, I'm also interested in finding places online to purchase materials....

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I recommend trying Skip (skiptomylu). He is most definitely capable of handling your needs.

I sent him a PM a little bit ago. I hope he can help, I hate driving 2 hours and it's mainly because I like seeing what I'm buying and not having a big box store or Amazon rep pulling my order.