Mac10 Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 I'm interested in tying some small (1/16 and 1/8 ounce) hair jigs for both large and smallmouth fishing. Would appreciate tips on color selection and tying techniques. Thanks, Mac10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LedHed Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 I had a tutorial posted on tying ultra lite jigs but, since the last sever (rip off) crash, it is unavailable. word search TU - getting to be one of the best resources for lure crafting take a fly tying class – concentrate on streamers and attractors. Three good books are Streamers & Bucktails the Big Fish Flies – Joseph D. Bates, How to Make Your Own Lures and Flies – Mel Marshall. and Anglers Guide to Jigs and Jigging – Ken Oberrecht use the best materials and tools that you can afford keep notes on your patterns Can’t go wrong with black or white, brown, and yellow. Try to have one if not all of these elements in your patterns; translucence iridescence phosphorescence fluorescence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VARick Posted December 30, 2006 Report Share Posted December 30, 2006 When I was looking for information on tying jigs, I didn't find alot out there on the net. The techniques are the same for flys, look for clousers and those should give you some ideas for colors. You can also get ideas for what is commercially available and just make your own copy. Rick I'm interested in tying some small (1/16 and 1/8 ounce) hair jigs for both large and smallmouth fishing. Would appreciate tips on color selection and tying techniques. Thanks, Mac10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Bassitt Posted December 31, 2006 Report Share Posted December 31, 2006 For tying hair jigs it all depends on what you are trying to make the jig look like. You can use Bucktail, if you want a jig without to much action, or you can use Craft Hair, which a lot of guys are using that tie Float N Fly jigs are using, it has great action in the water. As far as colors go, just try and Match the Hatch, that is a favoret term that fly tiers like to use. Tying jigs you can make them simple and catch fish, or you can make them pretty and still catch fish. Just remember when you tie on the hair, dont get it to thick. Hope this helps Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac10 Posted December 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2006 I've been tying rabbit hair jigs, mainly white so far. I use a zonker strip for a tail and tie a collar on with crosscut zonker strip. When I tie white on white, I use two strands of blue silicon skirt material and 4 pieces of pearl crystal craft that all lay along the tail....tied on an eighth ounce jighead. On sixteenth ounce, I just tie the crosscut on the lead collar and let the two strands of blue and crystal craft stick out the back end about a quarter inch. Looking for other patterns and colors to tie with limited directions (specific to that particular jig). I apologize for not having been specific myself. Would appreciate your input....thanks, Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VARick Posted December 31, 2006 Report Share Posted December 31, 2006 How about we all put up some pics of our jigs? I also joined a swap for small crappie jigs.. got some nice ones. It is always nice to compare your patterns with someone else's and even other areas. I just tied up a couple the other day for speckled trout, I'll get the camera out and see if I can find some of the ones from the crappie swap too. Rick I've been tying rabbit hair jigs, mainly white so far. I use a zonker strip for a tail and tie a collar on with crosscut zonker strip. When I tie white on white, I use two strands of blue silicon skirt material and 4 pieces of pearl crystal craft that all lay along the tail....tied on an eighth ounce jighead. On sixteenth ounce, I just tie the crosscut on the lead collar and let the two strands of blue and crystal craft stick out the back end about a quarter inch. Looking for other patterns and colors to tie with limited directions (specific to that particular jig). I apologize for not having been specific myself. Would appreciate your input....thanks, Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VARick Posted December 31, 2006 Report Share Posted December 31, 2006 I uploaded 3 pics to the jig gallery.. two are mine and 1 is the crappie jig swap I participated in awhile back. How about we all put up some pics of our jigs? I also joined a swap for small crappie jigs.. got some nice ones. It is always nice to compare your patterns with someone else's and even other areas.I just tied up a couple the other day for speckled trout, I'll get the camera out and see if I can find some of the ones from the crappie swap too. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskat Posted January 1, 2007 Report Share Posted January 1, 2007 Mac, smallmouth & largemouth love olive dyed deer hair. Try putting a small strip of white in the belly. Olive, brown and black are my favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Party Crasher Posted January 2, 2007 Report Share Posted January 2, 2007 Mac, FOX HAIR!!! Snip a clump off righ at the hide and tie it on at the head of a round head jig. Long hairs, short hairs, body fur, everything. Tie it on. They are deadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charkins Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Marabou feathers have a real nice action in the water. I have tied a ton of jigs with marabou. Barlows, Jann's, etc. have them in all colors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenfeather Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 I love tying jigs with rabbit too. I like to push the hook through the zonker strip, tie on a body of chenille and hackle, and then pull the strip tight up against and over the body and tie off at the head. I used to slay the smallies in a local river with these jigs in mostly natural colors. The rabbit breathes so well that most of the takes were when I was dead stickin it. If you want to try another pattern that has proven deadly on all fish, then tie up some wooly buggers. Use webby hackles to add bulk and movement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Party Crasher Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Woodenfeather, those look great. What weights are you pouring them? Is there a little flash material in the chenille? Are you securing the zonker at the bend or just pushing the hook through it? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac10 Posted January 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Excellent tips!!! Thanks Guys...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenfeather Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 Party crasher, I don't secure the zonker at the bend with thread as the hide is very strong and has never torn where the hook goes through. I do however put a drop of glue on it right where the hook goes through when the jig is finished, so it wont slide up the hook if the skin stretches. As far as weight, I make 'em from 1/8 to sometimes 5/8 ounce. Since moving to MA. I've gotten into saltwater and have made some 1 to 4 ounce monsters. To answer your question about the flash, I sometimes use ice, pearl and metallic tinsel chenille. I also use mixes of hair and flash and form a dubbing brush. If you want to put a mono weed guard on it, slide the strip to the head after pushing the hook through, then tie the mono onto the hook to about 1/3 around the bend. Then slide the strip back and over the wraps, tie on the body and pull the strip tight up against it. Tie the strip off at the head and then tie the weed guard with just enough wraps to hold it but still allowing you to slide it. Cut it a little long and use a lighter to melt a ball on the end. Then pull the guard back so the ball is up against the wraps and tie off. Glue the head and tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac10 Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 WOODENFEATHER..... Excellent jig you posted...thanks for the great picture. I'm trying to tie a smaller jig and when I tie the zonker ( the one punctured with the hook) on the top and stretch it gently taut to tie it off, the tail section bends down as the hookshaft passes through....giving my jig a broken tail look. Any suggestions? Thanks and good fishing, Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenfeather Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Hey Mac, If I understand your problem correctly I'd suggest building the body farther back and slightly up the bend. That way the hook is more perpendicular to the strip when it butts against the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microtek60 Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 I tie 18th and 14 oz. jigs in black, olive, white, Chartruesse, red, and orange. I buy from jannsnet craft using their northern deer hair. I also tie jigs in black bear hair. I think that the deer hair has great action. You should also invest in a cheap fly tying vise to help out the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassfanpa Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 As stated previously, marabou and fox is just about perfect for tying smaller jigs. If you are tying larger jigs( bass, pike, etc) Yak hair and if you can find it, polar bear hair make excellent jigs. I tie very large (14-16in) flies for billfish, and these are awesome. Use your imagination to come up with what you want out of it. When tying bass jigs, I usually use a combination of bucktail, marabou and fox to acheive the look and movement I want. Experiment, and let us know how you make out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac10 Posted January 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 Here's something you may wish to try in your jig tying.....it's called targeting the hook. Simply put, use a different color at the hook point or near the hook as it emerges from the tied materials. In a white jig, for example, you could use a Sharpie Marker to put a bar or dot at the hook or near the hook point. I've read that the fish will hit toward the different color spot when attacking the lure. How really true it is, I can't say....but something to think about. One fellow wrote me that he uses a spot of melted red plastic on his plastic worms near the exposed hook....seems to think it works well. Along the same lines, I'm tying some olive jigs. I start with a regular zonker strip for tail and then using crosscut zonker, creating a slim collar near the jighead. Now, to target the hook, I'm approaching the collar tie differently. I start with a single wrap of chartreuse crosscut, and then overlay with the olive crosscut letting the chartreuse show for about a sixteenth inch when beginning the three wraps forward to finish the collar itself. This not only makes a chartreuse line for a target, but when pulsed, will flair out the collar and flash the chartreuse from the side and especially back views. Hope this helps, Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish wizard Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 Last June in Canada I made a bunch of 1/8 oz hair jigs to walleye fish with all very bright colors, hot yellows with hot pink, bright oranges and etc. Imean they were Bright and then brighter, some had flashabou accent in them. The smallmouth at lake of the woods went crazy over them. Caught far more smallmouth than walleye on them. I think ever one that had flashabou got bit off by the pike. Chartruse can be a great Smallie color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairjig Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 I have been making jigs for many many years and have tried most all materials but my best goto jig is a 1/16 oz. walleye jig head with a 1/0 mustad ultra point hook. Black buck tail with alittle white hair on bottom. Works well with a leech or minnow. Couldn't count all the walleyes and smallmouth we have caught on this simple jig. If I am fishing water deeper than 15ft. I tie two jigs on this is to get my bait down alittle quicker. . I'm 49years old and my dad and grandpa both used these types of jigs throught out there fishing days. and oldy but goody. HOPE this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac10 Posted March 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 FISH WIZARD AND HAIRJIG!!!!!! I'd also really like to know from each of you just how long the average jig is after it's tied. Some of the locals tie a shorter bucktail jig to be used with a live bait trailer and I'd like to go by your suggestions. Thank you and good fishing, Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairjig Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 Mac10: I make most of my jigs for live bait or twistertails on them. I like 1/16 oz. head with a 1/0 hook so the basic frame from head to the bend of hook is 1inch 3/8" after I tie hair on the jig the bait will be 1inch5/8" ..to 1inch 7/8". This set up will work with live bait or not. Another jig I make and have alot of luck with is 1/16 oz. or 1/8 oz. chenille jig Icall it because All I put on the jig is chenille. and a minnow or leech. With this jig I use mustads bait holder hook 1/0 this hook is alittle shorter than a standard 1/0 hook. I just tie the chennille from the head to the bend of the hook . HOPE this HELPS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac10 Posted March 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 Hairjig.....thanks. You are tying much smaller than I had imagined. Thanks for the help and ...... Good Fishing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatman Posted May 1, 2007 Report Share Posted May 1, 2007 Mac10, As others have suggested: Anglers Guide to Jigs and Jigging Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
