Hair Jigs

[Painter1]

I would welcome your thoughts and help for finishing a few dozen hair jigs that I plan to give away. I hope this is the right place to ask and I am happy to send you a few in exchange for useful/valuable assistance from those of you who use hair jigs.

I know these type jigs are used in northern waters and more than one tournament angler has told me they are a key tool in his boat for Smallmouth.

We have some very clear water lakes in the Ozarks (Beaver, Bull Shoals, Norfolk, etc) and Youth "Tournaments" are now being planned on a year-round basis. Our hope is this will continue to engage kids all year, many who are at a vulnerable age for neglect, social problems, drug and alcohol abuse. The silicone jigs & plastics I have donated were very popular this past year and I hope to be able to help with some baits for upcoming cooler water.

Attached are pictures of jigs that are presented here simply as a basis for your comments, thoughts and suggestions. (I didn't make them)

[earthworm77]

likely should have listed this in the tackle making section.

[Ryan]

likely should have listed this in the tackle making section.

They look nice.

[Painter1]

I did post a note in tackle making but what I'm looking for is opinions on which, if any, of these jigs are most effective.

[Painter1]

When done, I will be listing some here to give away. I have a long convalescence coming and plan to stay busy. I don't want any $ for them but would prefer that they were effective.

[Les Young]

Good looking jigs. I've been using hair jigs every time I go lto catch smallmouth on because they sure ain't biting silicone jigs or plastics here for me lately.

[jclark408]

from left to right, #3 on top is my most successful style for smallmouth..................round head...........4" bucktail..........head does well in rocks and current.........best colors are yellow chartreuse head, white hair, red thread and a white head, white bucktail, red thread...............I also make one that's killer for clear water and it is white head, black thread, white bucktail bottom, grey mid, and black back

[willwork4fish]

Top row #3 is a good all around smallmouth jig/style, like jclark said it does well around rocks...I like a couple of strands of silverish mylar in there with the black. With that style I pretty much never go over 3/16, it's not a bottom contact bait. Top row #4 pretty much exactly as pictured is one I like to throw in like a tailrace area, swim it with some little hops. Last picture furthest one on the right is a good great lakes hair jig.

When it comes to hair jigs I pretty much use white or black. I do have some lavender rabbit hair jigs that I killed them on one day on Sturgeon Bay but have never had a bite on one since.

[Painter1]

from left to right, #3 on top is my most successful style for smallmouth..................round head...........4" bucktail..........head does well in rocks and current.........best colors are yellow chartreuse head, white hair, red thread and a white head, white bucktail, red thread...............I also make one that's killer for clear water and it is white head, black thread, white bucktail bottom, grey mid, and black back

Thank you for that information. Based on some information I read, I ordered a bunch of Marabou with the hair. Have you used/tried the Marabou and if so what was your opinion? With respect to weight and assuming year round use I have been advised to make 1/8 to 1/4 oz. I can make 1/8, 3/16, & 1/4 oz. With an assumption of making 100 jigs, how many of each weight would you think would be most useful?

I truly appreciate the help received here and by PM. I hope to keep my hands and mind busy for the next few months and think this is the answer.

[Jig_Man]

I make a lot of hair jigs myself. I find a lot of use for 1/8 and smaller. The 1/4 I normally use in 20-40 fow because the fall and hang up rate when used shallower. However, where I fish is very rocky and ledgey.

[jclark408]

Thank you for that information. Based on some information I read, I ordered a bunch of Marabou with the hair. Have you used/tried the Marabou and if so what was your opinion? With respect to weight and assuming year round use I have been advised to make 1/8 to 1/4 oz. I can make 1/8, 3/16, & 1/4 oz. With an assumption of making 100 jigs, how many of each weight would you think would be most useful?

I truly appreciate the help received here and by PM. I hope to keep my hands and mind busy for the next few months and think this is the answer.

I have no experience with marabou...........I use 1/4 oz primarily and 3/8 when current is heavy...........what weight will be determined by fishing environment............its current over rocks for me...............I think making equal amounts of each for general lake style use would be great

[Vengeance]

2nd row, 2nd jig is the hairycraw. I make that one. the process of tying it is a little different from the others you have pictured. This jig is on a football head there and not the best picture. most effective in the green pumkin colors (in my opinion). This jig is way underrated on it's effectiveness, which is fine because I can not keep them in stock. Known for catching smallies but I do very well with it on weed edges for largemouth. Black ball head with black hair is hard to beat for smallies all year.

[Painter1]

Thanks for the help, guys. The pictures attached are jigs I recently made. I would really welcome your advice on improving, changing or just forgetting about these.

As previously stated, I have some restricted activity time soon and would like to be doing something productive. I will be able to finish jigs but not make them so I'm planning to spend the week making jigs. Your thoughts are very welcome for this also.

I have Poison Tail, Snootie, Worm Nose, Football, Ball Heads, Arky, & Wacky molds. Smalljaw' youtube videos are awesome, but he is way out of my league in talent.

I plan to give these away, but there is no point giving away something that doesn't work. Thanks for your help.

[jclark408]

those look spot on..........tie away!..........nice work

I don't have any experience with the rotated hook eye but should be fine

[Smalljaw67]

I think they will all work fine to be honest. The Snootie along with the arky style that use the heavier hooks, those I'd use with a tiny paca chunk trailer with a lift drop, maybe 6" off bottom and then drop and repeat. The football head and the ones with the flat eye hook, those would be my dragging style jigs and I'd use a small chunk trailer like the Zoom Tiny chunk or the Venom Lures Ron Yurko finesse chunk. You could also pour your own chunk if you have a mold for the small chunk, the reason I say to use that small chunk for those is because that style of hair jig seems to work really well over a wide range of water temps and with the colors you have the little bit of extra bulk you have will be great for stained water. The plain ball heads tied with bucktail, those would be my cold water jigs with no trailer, let them hit bottom and dead stick and then just crank the reel ever so slow for a few turns and stop, that type of hair jig is extremely deadly when fished like that in cold water. Overall the jigs are well done, after tying a few dozen you'll be a pro and don't ever think that one that doesn't come out right is junk, when I started tying in the mid 90s I tied one that had a bald spot on the bottom of the jig. I was going to cut the thread and retie it but my buddy was watching me and he said he wanted it, well it turns out that when you moved that jig using short pops of the rod it would make the hair compress and flare a little different and the river smallmouth were all over it, after that I must have tied 100 or more the same way until I learned to make the hair do that without the bald spot. Painter1, I know I'd be happy with the way they turned out and the hackle you added really makes a nice trailer in cold water, I tie a marabou jig in 3/32oz and 1/8oz that is similar to the Outkcast Tackle Feider Fly but I use a shorter hook and I add hackle that is just a tad longer than the marabou, it is a killer hair jig in water temps from 70 degrees down to about 55 to 58 and you don't fish it on the bottom, you let it hit bottom and reel just fast enough to keep it just off the bottom in a slow swimming manner, that is a killer bait but the water needs to be pretty clear for it to be effective.

[c rig]

Top row second from the right would be great where I fish in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 oz in the winter, but there's so much wood on the bottom it'd be nice to have a weedguard. Would that be an option on that head?

[JoshKeller]

i fish my hair jigs alot different than most. I prefer a heavier, bulkier, more compact jig for cold water fishing. my preferred tie is bear or deer hair, flaired on a jig head with a ball collar. I wrap the collar on my jigs with dubbing fur to absorb scent. add a few strand of flash or round rubber so it moves when at rest. And my trailer is hand poured with floating plastic and no salt.

from your examples, #3 and #7 are my favorites.