Hair Jigs

[Al Agnew]

Not much to add to the excellent info already given here. Everybody seems to have their own style of hair jigs, since what's on the market seems to be either straight marabou or straight bucktail. And it seems that all the styles work. I tie mine with the palmered rabbit simply because it's quick and easy and I like the way it looks with either red squirrel strip "legs" or the small plastic twin tail trailers I use. And, of course, it works.

Winter fishing isn't really all about the lures used. It's about finding fish willing to bite. Find them, and use something that stays on the bottom, moves slowly, and looks vaguely like something they'd want to eat, and you'll catch some.

However, even finding fish is only part of the equation, the part you simply can't do anything about is finding fish that are willing to bite. There are places I fish where I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there are lots of fish there, but sometimes they just won't bite no matter what you do. In the summer, you can often catch fish by triggering their predatory instincts. Something moves fast past their nose, and they whack at it in pure reaction to stimulus. In the winter, however, with usually clear water and very slow moving lures, the fish have plenty of time to see somethng, decide to swim up to it, look it over, and finally take it. After all, it's not moving very fast trying to escape. And sometimes, at some point during that four step process, they lose interest.

One place I've fished in very clear water, I know there are lots of fish there, and usually I can catch several nice ones. One day I fished this stretch of bank first with jerkbaits, and got nothing. Went back over it with hair jigs, nothing. Geez, did the fish leave? I climbed up the bank and walked the high bank, looking down into the water, and saw at least 50 smallies. They were there, but they just weren't even thinking about eating anything.

[Mitch f]

Less hair is sometimes a good thing

totally agree

I think you've learned to tie what the fish like and are leaving it alone. I wish I could be more like that. For dingy water, could you tie in just a little chartreuse ? Any pictures of the crawfish jigs?

Here is a pic of the crawfish jigs before I trim the weed guard length, I try to trim them to length by bending them back to the hook and trimming them to length half way between the barb and the point. They are very basic looking as you can see!

One place I've fished in very clear water, I know there are lots of fish there, and usually I can catch several nice ones. One day I fished this stretch of bank first with jerkbaits, and got nothing. Went back over it with hair jigs, nothing. Geez, did the fish leave? I climbed up the bank and walked the high bank, looking down into the water, and saw at least 50 smallies. They were there, but they just weren't even thinking about eating anything.

Very true!

[Jeremi414]

What kind of wire do you use for the weed guard?

[Mitch f]

What kind of wire do you use for the weed guard?

I've been experimenting with others lately but here is my standard:

http://lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/Leader-Wire/Multistrand-Coils.html

choose the 60 lb, .021" diameter

[Gavin]

Mitch's jig heads are great. Hard to snag...I also like the Bite Me Jigs Hunter Ball Head, and their standup heads with the weedguard...Great hooks, good single wire guards.

[Gavin]

Here are a few styles that I've found effective. The little deer hair jig will work with a plastic trailer, the others are the ones I fish were plastics are a no no. These were on Cabela's and Arkie Standup heads, I've since switched to the Bite Me heads with the weedguard.

[ColdWaterFshr]

I'm curious whether I am looking at sheet music written by Bach, or possibly Schubert or even Beethoven.

[stinger160]

Would you be willing to do a video of the tying process? Helpful to us rookies!

[Mitch f]

Mitch's jig heads are great. Hard to snag...I also like the Bite Me Jigs Hunter Ball Head, and their standup heads with the weedguard...Great hooks, good single wire guards.

Awesome Jigs Gavin!!!!

The hook on the bite me's are the ones I cant find..they are awesome! Black nickel O'Shaunessy Gamakatsu. They must have a special contract with Gamakatsu

[Gavin]

Looks like a Jazz guitar arrangement in E minor. Thinking Take Five...Dave Bruebeck. Jigs are easy to tie. Measure first, then tie in. Tight thread wraps.