Hair Jigs

[Arv]

Can any experienced hair jig fishermen give me the lowdown on these jigs and how to fish them? I've read some and watched a few videos but still feel like I'm missing a good deal of information.

1) Do you use a trailer?

2) How do you work a hair jig? Swim it, drag it, etc.?

3) I've gathered to use them in high pressure/stress situations (winter/summer), but are there other times you would use them?

4) Do you use all hair? Or a mix of silicone and hair? (I've seen both)

5) What type of head style do you use? Why?

6) What weights do you use? From what I've gathered, it is more of a "finesse" style jig so anything over 3/8's seems too much, but maybe not.

7) Finally, what set up do you fish it on?

I realize thats a lot of information to ask but I would really appreciate the help. Also, if anyone has any good articles or videos I would appreciate those as well. Thanks!

[WRB]

Can any experienced hair jig fishermen give me the lowdown on these jigs and how to fish them? I've read some and watched a few videos but still feel like I'm missing a good deal of information.

1) Do you use a trailer?

2) How do you work a hair jig? Swim it, drag it, etc.?

3) I've gathered to use them in high pressure/stress situations (winter/summer), but are there other times you would use them?

4) Do you use all hair? Or a mix of silicone and hair? (I've seen both)

5) What type of head style do you use? Why?

6) What weights do you use? From what I've gathered, it is more of a "finesse" style jig so anything over 3/8's seems too much, but maybe not.

7) Finally, what set up do you fish it on?

I realize thats a lot of information to ask but I would really appreciate the help. Also, if anyone has any good articles or videos I would appreciate those as well. Thanks!

1. Yes, usually a pork trailer.

2, 4 , and 7 See the Horizontal jigging post. 4. All buck tail hair, usually 3 colors mixed.

3. I fish hair jigs year around.

6. 1/2' oz, custom stand up style.

Hair jigs are not popular today with LMB anglers. Most hair jigs are custom made usually by the anglers who use them. For LMB a hair jig should be tied full bodied, meaning the hair should flair out away from the jig, not tight against the jig. The hair should not be trimmed after tying, the tapered hair ends provide a lot of movement. I add a 3/4" piece of worm body onto the hook shank to help flare out the hair.and keep the pork trailer in the hook bend.

Tom

[Arv]

Awesome! Thanks for the help Tom.

[00 mod]

1. I sometimes use a trailer, but mostly bare.

2. Same as rubber/silicone jig. Drag, hop and swim it. Also, I seem to get more hits on the initial fall of a hair jig as opposed to rubber/silicone

3. I mainly fish hair in the winter, or cooler water.

4. Only straight hair for me. Browns, greens,greys, black, white, and I have a river smallie special with pink in it.

5. I use ball heads in small and medium weights. A buddy ties a spun hair jig for me that uses a 5/8 and 3/4 head that is a picasso shakey head. The spun hair makes it fall REALLY slow, as it is very thick. He uses a felt material for the tied in trailer for these too. They are very neat.

6.Under 3/8 ball heads and see above for bigger.

7. I use 2 different setups. Small ball heads are fished on Pinnacle spinning rod/2500 ci4 reel. Larger are fished on St croix 7' m/f rod/curado 200e7

spun hair jigs....

[merc1997]

i was reading tom's comments about usually needing the hair to flair out on the jig. in our region, and fishing in water temps 56 degrees or colder, i have found that the hair needs to be tied so that it does not flair out. warmer than 56, i agree the hair needs to flair out. my theory on having a slimmer profile in the colder water periods is, in our, region the bass seem to target smaller crawdads more often. when water temps are above 56, i go to the full bodied hair jig, tied so the hair flairs out. my pork trailer preference in the colder water temps is an 800 uncle josh spring lizard pup. the old straight eels work, as well as a split tail eel, but i have had better luck with the 800 series. during warmer weather, i like no. 11's, 1's, and 25 uncle josh. when the t-rig plastic worm is working well, i will often go to the full bodied hair jig with a worm trailer.

bo

[00 mod]

Some photos of jigs by Tom(WRB)

Jeff

[Arv]

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback! My brother ties flies and said he would tie me some jigs for Christmas and didn't know if anyone fished hair jigs for bass. This should be plenty of info for him to go off of and for me to use them to catch fish

[WRB]

Thank you Jeff.

I rarely share photos of my hair jigs, hope you enjoy them.

The top photos are a comparison between full and tight tied jigs. I added my "weed guard" for reference.

Please note my jigs are not for sale, just wanted to share them with you.

Tom

[River Rat316]

Those are some nice looking hair jigs that would get wacked by the smallies on my river!

For me I use 3 different types of hair jigs,

my silicone/hair hybrid with either a pork trailer or a zoom small chunk trailer, these are simply a slow drag presentation and speed is usually the key to getting bit, I use these year round but they really shine in water from low 40's to mid 50's

The second is a Jimmy D river bug, these are a phenomenal hair jig, I use them during the same water temps, they offer a different profile and different action then the hair/silicone. I usually am going super light like 3/32 or 1.8 and just using small hops and letting the flutter down and sit for a couple seconds. I tend to use these when the fish are a little more negative

the 3rd is just a regular hair jig usually in 1/16 or 1/8 they would be like WRB's that are tied "tight" and use them in colder water or really negative fish fished painfully slow or deadsticked.

Those are pretty general and sometimes it goes completely opposite, like last year I had a unbelievable day on the 3rd choice in 55 degree water fishing them pretty aggressively, but they wouldn't touch my first 2 choices no matter how I fished them. I think alot of the hair jig bite has to do with profile of the bait and what the fish are looking for and trying to match there mood.

I wish I could find a pic of the river bugs, but just google Jimmy D's river bugs and you will find his site, he makes some great jigs!