Benefits Of Textured Skirting?

[JeziHogg]

Is there any? or is it more of a cosmetic thing?

http://fishingskirts.com/fishing-skirts-categories/skirt-making-material/textured-skirting

[Topwaterspook]

I would think the texture would produce more vibration but it's only a guess.

[cadman]

I have not seen them in my hands or on a jig yet, but I'm going to say it's cosmetic. They do look nice, and maybe several strands would change the looks of a regular silicone skirt..

[rockchalk06]

I haven't seen them firsthand, but that jig that Rippinlips made has it. Hopefully he will chime in and give you a review.

[smalljaw67]

I've been using it for a year now, I got mine from Barlows as they call it "rippled skirt material", I figured it would be something different so I gave it a shot and now I use it on finesse jigs quite a bit, it is a new staple for me. From my shallow water observations I found it does 3 things, 1 is it holds air so the first couple of movements you get some bubbles released from it, whether that helps or not is undetermined but I know it doesn't hurt as I often get bit in the first few shakes. The other thing is the movement, if you use it like I do, which is in conjunction with regular material, you notice right away that the ripple cuts seem to grab water and get pulled away from the jig slightly faster than the regular silicone, and that makes for 2 levels of movement, does it make a difference? Well I'm not sure but as I said, it doesn't hurt and it does make it look much more alive in the water. The 3rd thing I found is the illusion of movement, I'm pretty sure it is just because of our own eye sight being blurred looking into water and the fish, more than likely, don't see this. What I'm talking about is watching the jig sit motionless on the bottom after it has settled, the ripples in the material give it the appearance that it is moving, but it is due to looking at it from above the waters surface so I don't look at it as anything that will affect the fish. I also noticed that when finesse jigs were getting bit to the point of using them for a full day, we found that almost every fish that had a jig deeper in their mouth when we landed it, seemed to have the rippled skirt material on it, we fished jigs with and without as I often do with new materials to see if anything has an effect. I can't say one caught more than the other, both jigs worked great and maybe it was coincidence but the fish seemed to be trying to eat the ones with the rippled skirt as the jigs were deeper but anyway, I believe in them enough that I keep them on hand, the stuff I got is actually green pumpkin in a natures edge pattern with the ripple cut, I think the best way to use it is not a full skirt of it but as an accent with a full tab or half tab, that way you get a little extra action on the jig without it being too much, but that is just me but I think it is great stuff.

[cadman]

Hey Smalljaw67,

     Great write up and thanks for all the good info.  

[JeziHogg]

Sounds like blending it with a swimjig would be really beneficial.

[Comfortably Numb]

Pretty cool. Havn't seen that. Most obvious .....

 

It should slow the fall of the bait.

 

Little more vibration.

 

Do the strands tangle with each other?

[Felix77]

I bought some of these skirts for Christmas.  I also bought some living rubber, paint and some jigs from Cadman.  Here was the result.  In the water the combination is awesome.  Seems to have a life of its own when combined with living rubber.

 

[J Francho]

Air bubbles was my first thought.

[RandySBreth]

I've used it for almost two years on my pet finesse jig - I don't know if it really makes any difference but it does look different and really pretty cool. I need to post some pictures I suppose but times pretty tight today.

[flipin4bass]

Back in the early 90s, the Terminator bait company out of Tulsa sold a jig made of this material. It was probably the most expensive jig at the time, but they performed as advertised; more action, trapping air bubbles and then releasing them as it was fished. Pictured are some jigs I tied yesterday using this type of material and Siebert's Dredge Heads. Yes, those are thick skirts, 240 strands, but I prefer a thicker skirt as it provides a slower fall rate and larger profile and the lunkers seem to like them too. They definitely trap a lot of air bubbles and you can see these bubbles releasing when working the jig in the shallows. The strands do not get tangled either.

[flipin4bass]

One more.

[smalljaw67]

Back in the early 90s, the Terminator bait company out of Tulsa sold a jig made of this material. It was probably the most expensive jig at the time, but they performed as advertised; more action, trapping air bubbles and then releasing them as it was fished. Pictured are some jigs I tied yesterday using this type of material and Siebert's Dredge Heads. Yes, those are thick skirts, 240 strands, but I prefer a thicker skirt as it provides a slower fall rate and larger profile and the lunkers seem to like them too. They definitely trap a lot of air bubbles and you can see these bubbles releasing when working the jig in the shallows. The strands do not get tangled either.

 

240 strands???? Is that a straight up 240 or is it 120 folded over to make 240? I ask because the heaviest skirt I ever made had 6 tabs of material and I remember tying it and even with wire it was a little more difficult than a normal 3 tab and at the time I figured even with a 1oz jig 6 tabs was probably the limit unless you had frogs hair rubber because getting the wire tight enough without cutting the strands was tricky to say the least. I'd love to hear if you did 12 tabs.

BTW your jigs look AWESOME!!!

[flipin4bass]

240 strands???? Is that a straight up 240 or is it 120 folded over to make 240? I ask because the heaviest skirt I ever made had 6 tabs of material and I remember tying it and even with wire it was a little more difficult than a normal 3 tab and at the time I figured even with a 1oz jig 6 tabs was probably the limit unless you had frogs hair rubber because getting the wire tight enough without cutting the strands was tricky to say the least. I'd love to hear if you did 12 tabs.

BTW your jigs look AWESOME!!!

I use 6 tabs, 120 strands folded to make the 240. I have no problem tying 6 tabs, but I've never tried that many using rubber.

[Felix77]

I use 6 tabs, 120 strands folded to make the 240. I have no problem tying 6 tabs, but I've never tried that many using rubber.

 

I was going to ask the same question ... I thought you meant 12 tabs.  Those do look great!

[caseyhayfishing]

Those are some full skirts!!

I usually only use 2-2 1/2 tabs.

 

Here is a jig i just tied up using some textured skirting.

1 tab dark green pumpkin

1 tab textured dark green pumpkin

1/2 tab light green pumpkin/green flake

 

Havent tried the textured jigs yet so no feedback from me but i like what smalljaw and flippinforbass had to say about them,

EIther way, you cant beat the feeling you get from whackin em on something you made!

[Megastink]

I like the swimjig idea. Makes the bait look bulkier, and I model my swimjigs after crappie and bluegill (or bream, to you southern folk with nicknames for everything).

[HookSetDon]

Nice jigs flippin, what skirt pattern is the jig in the first pic lower middle

[flipin4bass]

Nice jigs flippin, what skirt pattern is the jig in the first pic lower middle

 

That is the Hot Tiger Craw.

[hookset on 3]

I would think the texture would produce more vibration but it's only a guess.

 

I definitely agree! Think about the outer layer of scales on bream, they  are quite rough. So does the swimming action of these bream create more turbulence as it passes over the scales? Yes, IMAO.

 

I believe you guys are on to something here. Rick Clunn always talks about the lateral line on a bass and how it picks up on vibrations. These textured skirt tabs have to put out more vibration than smooth skirts.

 

Very interesting!

[flipin4bass]

I definitely agree! Think about the outer layer of scales on bream, they  are quite rough. So does the swimming action of these bream create more turbulence as it passes over the scales? Yes, IMAO.

 

I believe you guys are on to something here. Rick Clunn always talks about the lateral line on a bass and how it picks up on vibrations. These textured skirt tabs have to put out more vibration than smooth skirts.

 

Very interesting!

Rick Clunn did know what he was talking about. My mentor and teacher was the late George Zebrun, a fish biologist with the State of Illinois. Although it has been almost 40 years, I can still remember my first view of a lateral line under a microscope. That lesson opened up a whole new world for me when it came to understanding how that predator we call the bass works.

 

[hookset on 3]

Rick Clunn did know what he was talking about. My mentor and teacher was the late George Zebrun, a fish biologist with the State of Illinois. Although it has been almost 40 years, I can still remember my first view of a lateral line under a microscope. That lesson opened up a whole new world for me when it came to understanding how that predator we call the bass works.

 

GeorgeZebrun.jpg

 

The Lateral Line on the bass, is a sensory organ that we as humans, can hardly comprehend its full functionality.

[wisconsin heat]

Terminator used to use those skirts on some of their older jigs. I still have a few of them with the textured skirts. It does slow down the drop a noticeable bit. I also just really like how the skirts felt to the touch. I'd like to believe they feel more natural to the bass and they'd hold on longer; I haven't done any testing or anything, just a thought.