Using Hair Jigs

[chefmike]

I've only been tying for 2 years now...Learning something new every day. The latest example is the subject of Hair Jigs for bass...

I've got a fly shop in my basement, so I've got all the materials..bought some 1/8oz. jigs...

Can I use my 6 wt. Fly rod with one ?????

Or, have I gone too far to the dark side and need a spin rod, like a St. Croix Avid ??

Or, a

G. Loomis Bronzeback ???

I told you ,---- I've been studying

Thanks...any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks...chefmike

[Scott F]

That jig is too heavy for your fly rod. You need a spinning rod. But, I'm sure there a lot of guys here who'll say to throw it with a baitcaster.  

[Raul]

That jig is too heavy for your fly rod. You need a spinning rod. But, I'm sure there a lot of guys here who'll say to throw it with a baitcaster.  

I can cast that jig with a baitcaster.

[Will Wetline]

I too have been tying 1/8 oz. hair jigs. I plan to cast them with my 7' Med.- Lite St. Croix Avid spinning rod.

 

There has been a lot of good information the past couple of years on fishing hair jigs early season for smallmouth in In-Fisherman magazine. Read all you can find by Matt Straw and Doug Stange.

[Crestliner2008]

I agree with Will Wetline, go with a medium-light to medium action spinning rod, if you want to use a jig to tie with. The longer the better. But if you are dead set on using a fly rod, then I don't think I would use a jig. Instead use a streamer hook and wrap the shank with lead strips and tie over that. Just don't use too much lead. The only reason to use lead at all is to get the fly down, if you are tying with bucktail, which is a very buoyant hair.

 

As Will can tell you, there are other materials you might want to consider if you go the fly route. Rabbit for instance. Absorbs water fast, is very flowing and life-like in the water and sinks like a regular streamer fly would.

[smalljaw67]

For my 1/8oz hair jigs I use a 6'9" medium power spinning rod and for my 1/16oz hair jigs I use a 7' medium light spinning rod. If you want to tie jigs but wish to use them on a fly rod then buy some 1/80oz jigs, maybe even 1/64oz might be ok with a fly rod.

[McAlpine]

I tie 1/8th and 1/4 oz football heads for hair jigs that I fish with a M to ML spinning rod on 10lb braid and an 8-10lb flouro leader.

 

I also like to tie a streamer that emulates a hair jig and use a barbell head or sometimes a bullet head and throw these on a 5 or 6wt depending upon where I am.  You can also do a hook wrap with lead wire if you want a slower sink or no bulbus head.  Good materials are deer hair as long as your weighting, chenile on the body, rabbit zonker strips, maribou for tails or especially around the body in a bugger style.  From there just go nuts, sometimes I tie up all black leech style, sometimes brownish/orangish/greenish craws, sometimes some white and flashabou minnow style.  Just depends upon my mood.  Best advice I can give you is to invert your streamer hook.  (ie, tie it upside down).  Makes it much easier to fish around bassy places. Second best advice is if you are going to lead wire wrap at the nose, bend the streamer hook about 1/4 back the length so when the front is laying flat the back 3/4 angles up.

 

I'll see what I have laying on the bench when I get home and take some pics for you if you would like.

[roadwarrior]

Spinning tackle for me, too.

 

 

 

[SirSnookalot]

I made these originally for snook in the surf, use them more for bass fishing, they are my go to peacock lure.  1/8 oz head I use them with lite, ml and sometimes medium spinning.

[smr913]

I am planning on fishing hair jigs this year on some tailwaters this year. Setup as of right now is mossyback bcr802 and chronarch 50e and 10 lb fluoro. This is for 1/8th and 3/16th jigs with tiny paca chuncks. Never fished hair jigs but I love the setup for finesse lures.