Golfer1659 Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 I just wanted to thank everyone that has helped me along the way with the process of building my hair jigs. Here was the first try without a vise, the vise comes in on Friday......please critique. More hair and shorten the hair?? Also the thread was a little lose compared to the front the jig head, I think I have to tie tighter. Painted, baked, head cemented, tied and whiped with some nice bucktail hair. I deceided to use the worse hair on the tail first for my first practice jigs. All in all I think it came out good, got the jig heads from a local friend that makes a great product with some nice mustad hooks. Here is the first photo: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 If you're going to use a soft plastic trailer, that's great. If you want to fish it as is, I would add some contrasting lighter hair on the bottom. It doesn't have to be white, just a slightly lighter shade that resembles how baitfish and craws are colored. Other than that, it looks fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 What you have looks fine and will catch fish. However, you might add some more bucktail and possibly some chennile to slow the fall rate if you are going to fish it in cold water. I fish lots of bucktails and never use a trailer on them so I bulk them up with lots of hair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'm with Jig Man, I would like to see them fuller as well, just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I agree, a little more hair would be nice. As far as length of hair, that is your choice. Some times, I have to look at what fish I am targeting. Example...I saltwater fish 80% of the time. I know what fish goes after the head more, and which fish tail strikes. Different hair length helps there. Some times Flounder are not as aggressive and short strike. Shorter hair/trailer. My target most times is just to cover the hook to no longer than 50% of the jig length past the hook. Personal choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) That is pretty good Golfer, as the others said, if you fish it alone use some more hair but if you use a trailer like a Zoom skinny chunk then that would be killer. I make mine for use on a river for smallies, I make a finesse jig with silicone for the late spring but for the cold water hair is what works. The way I make mine is the first thing I tie on is an olive or black zonker strip that extends down to about a half inch below the hook, this acts as my trailer, and then I use black buck tail on top and olive or brown bucktail on the bottom of the jig, it is an easy patter and works fantastic. Another thing you can do if you want a bulkier jig without using a lot of hair is to make a chenile body and then tie the hair on, this will create a bulkier apperance and flair the hair out so that when it is in the water it will pulse with little to no movement. Overall, I think you did a great job on your first jig, I know I'd fish with it!! Edited January 10, 2012 by smalljaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfer1659 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I dont see alot of local guys throwing hair jigs with two sets of hair on it. Its usually one or the other. Like black, brown or olive. Do you guys ever throw a single color or is it normally a combination of some sort?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 A lot of people use a single color. Make several up and see which ones work for the water/sunlight conditions for that day. For what I fish for, basic white seems to be king in saltwater, but I do jigs up to 4/color hair plus some type of flash for people. Most jigs I make that are not white are 2 color heads and hair. Example is green on top of jig, white or pearl on bottom, then hair to match the head. Fish are not as picky as fishermen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 When I use bucktail jigs it is to show the fish something they have never seen before. I normaly have at least 2 colors or more of hair along with a different color of head and yet another color of chennille. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Glenn Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 I like a single color of hair. I'm not trying to match anything, I just want it to look alive. I like black or dark brown depending on the skin I am taking it from. If you can get bear hair legally, that is killer for bedding bass. I like a rattle also. Musky Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 I'm surprised that on one has mention crystal flash. www.novalures.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jig Man Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 I use crystal flash in my bucktails for sandies but not for blacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfish4774 Posted January 15, 2012 Report Share Posted January 15, 2012 Golfer1659, you are probaby too preoccupied to realized it right now but you are in the beginning stages of becoming addicted to the art of jig making. Stop while you still are able. Just kidding. I don't know enough about the style of jig that you are tying to "critique" your jig tying however I can offer up a bit of sage jig tyer knowledge: Don't be too concerned about the looks of the first jigs that you tye since you are new at the craft. At least in my experience I had to make 3 or 4 hundred before I started to really get the hang of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldfart9999 Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Looks good, maybe a bit more hair. As far as color, I make both single and multi color, the single are black, brown, rootbeer and white. The multi color can be brown and purple, brown and orange, brown bottom, olive sides, black, purple, or dark olive top. I've made olive using hair from different parts of the tail. A tail, at least those I've seen and use tend to be lighter on the outside and darker on the inside, that can be used to make some subtle color differences. Use your imagination and what you have seen fish hit. Smalljaw, how did the zonkers work for you? Do they have movment while the jigs just sits? Rodney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljaw Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Looks good, maybe a bit more hair. As far as color, I make both single and multi color, the single are black, brown, rootbeer and white. The multi color can be brown and purple, brown and orange, brown bottom, olive sides, black, purple, or dark olive top. I've made olive using hair from different parts of the tail. A tail, at least those I've seen and use tend to be lighter on the outside and darker on the inside, that can be used to make some subtle color differences. Use your imagination and what you have seen fish hit. Smalljaw, how did the zonkers work for you? Do they have movment while the jigs just sits? Rodney Rodney,99.9% of the time I use har jigs is in a river for smallies and the water is cold. You need to find the fish and they are usually in slack water pools behind islands, well even though the water is slack it is still moving and that makes the zonker strip move while it as rest also. I haven't tried the zonkerstrips on jigs in lakes, the only reason I didn't was in the lakes I use a bigger jig so I will use a plastic trailer to slow the fall down. I really like the way a zonker strip moves while in the water, it is subtle but still looks like it is living so I have to say they do work, maybe I should just use them this season to see what happens, I may have been missing something now that I think about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldfart9999 Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Thanks Smalljaw, I'll have to give it a try this year. Rodney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box Car Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 (edited) Golfer, Looks good to me. I agree with the others about more hair and some accenting flash a boo. The vise will help a lot too. You will really like it. It will help you work the hair, making tighter ties, causing the hair to flare out better.the more you tie the more you will develop your own likes and dislikes. For example, some of the jigs I make have longer hair than others I like the hair to work with the trailer I plan to use once you start fishing them you will get a good feel for this. I really like using the zoom skinny chunks and tiny chunks, and let's not forget the finesse worm and the 4 inch ring worm nor the good old grub. Their is no real right or wrong when tying your jigs. Tie what works for you. Be happy. Tight lines and God Bless, Box Car out here. Edited February 14, 2012 by Box Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
