Hair jigs...help

[IgotWood]

It's cold. I would like to start fishing some hair jigs, but I seem to not find very much information about them. I tie a ton of flies, so I don't plan on buying jigs. Can some of you post a photo or two of your favorite jigs, size, and weight? Where can I buy the jig heads from? Thanks!

[j bab]

Calling @WRB... He's the master of hair jigs. He'll probably tell you to tie real buck tail on your jigs and try to find some pork to go with it. I won't speak for him though, he can do the talking. Grab your note book.

[A-Jay]

Ask & you shall receive ~   saying BR forum member @Will Wetline is accomplished would be a serious understatement.

Enjoy - I certainly did.

His efforts lead directly to my version of Bronzeback Crack  . . .

A-Jay

 

[j bab]

Great looking jigs @A-Jay!

Here are mine, designed with aid from WRB. The heads are Yamamoto football heads from TW, hair was tied by a local guy (I'm not there yet), I just painted the heads with model paint.

 

[IgotWood]

Thanks guys! What size jig head...typically?

[j bab]

 

28 minutes ago, IgotWood said:

Thanks guys! What size jig head...typically?

Mine are ½ oz

also, here's another seminar for you:

 

[MickD]

Without knowing your depth, hard to recommend a weight, but these jigs are most effective when not moving or moving very slowly, so that would lead to lighter weights, trying for almost neutral buoyancy.

 

[IgotWood]

8 minutes ago, MickD said:

Without knowing your depth, hard to recommend a weight, but these jigs are most effective when not moving or moving very slowly, so that would lead to lighter weights, trying for almost neutral buoyancy.

 

I'll be fishing between 4-12'. 

 

Thanks again for the replies. You guys are a huge help. The old threads you guys posted are more than enough information for me. Thanks!

[WRB]

GYCB sells plain football jigs heads or painted black with and without wire weedgards at under $1 each and uses Gamakatsu or Owner hooks, I am sure Siebert Outdoors sells several types as plain jigs also. 

4'-12' several jigs weights can be used depending on the fall rate the bass want. If only one weight to start with then 3/8 oz should work good for you with 4/0 premium hook.

I fish hair jigs like any other jig, keep in contact with it all the time. Not all hair jigs are fished like crappie jigs!

Sent you a few photos, good luck.

Tom

[DoDFire]

Thought I would post up here and share the way I fish a hair jig in the winter. For those of you that have never fished in the winter you are missing out on a good time to catch some nice smallmouth. Give this a try and be patient, but most of all remember your safety while on the winter water holes so you can fish another day. This read is the way I fish a hair jig, I am dang sure not an expert but when I do grow up I want to be a Billy Westmoreland. 

I thought I'd post this up since we are getting into that smallmouth time of year that I love so much. Some may tell me to hush and thats all good, I love to share ways of catch'n fish and make'n memories with family and friends. Hope you don't get bored and enjoy,,,, I know I am not an outdoor writer or an expert on fishing but I have learned this style of fishing from guys that have shared their experience and a few articles that were wrote. I get asked often about my set up and how I fish it, so pull up a stump, here it goes. The set up I use consist of a 6'9" Fenwick EliteTECH smallmouth rod in ML-F, I have a Pflueger President (6925) reel that I have spooled with Suffix 8# nanobraid and I use Seaguar Red Label in 6# test as a leader that is about 15-20' long. I know that sounds like a long leader but there is a reason why. If you get hung up and can get the leader on the spool you will never damage or break your line to leader connection. Most times all you have to do is take the boat and get over top of the jig and give a slow steady pull and you will get the jig back. If it is buried with no hope try to get the Flurocarbon on the spool, it's quicker to to a jig on than it is to retie a leader. For my main line to leader connection I tie a FG knot and I make around 25-30 wraps. It is a very strong connection that shoots through the line guides without any restrictions. I love a 1/8 oz. hair jig and that's what I start with every trip, if you see that the fish are real stubborn and don't want to eat the 1/8 drop down to a 1/16 oz and see what happens. I target a bunch of bluff walls and like to find the ones where a channel swings into it. Most of the time there is a sweet spot somewhere near by. I also like to fish the locations that have a mix if bigger rocks along with the gravel and clay this might be a long tapering point or flat that has deep water near by. I have caught smallmouth on a hair jig in 45° water all the way up to 89° water anywhere between 4-5' deep all the way down to 45' deep, most times you are getting hammered in the 15-18' mark. I make my cast and let the jig fall on slack line, once the jig is on the bottom I engage me reel and I pick up the slack with my rod tip bringing it to the 10-11 o'clock position. Then I give the jig a little life by just turning the reel. This is where most folks struggle and I still do at times but you have to tell your self to slow down. I only move the reel handle when I am doing this and it is painfully slow, sometimes I may bounce my rod tip but its just enough to feel the jig bump on the other end of the line (real light) I will tell you this, knowing what that jig is doing on the bottom is important and you have to feel every little bump, tick, and you even need to know how it feels when you feel no weight at all, that's a good clue your jig is in the mouth if a fish. There will be days the fish hit so hard it feels like they could throw a loop in your line but most of the time you just feel the rod load up. When you feel it load just put nice steady pressure on your line and reel at the same time or a flick of the wrist will be all it takes the fish will let you know (no bone breaking or boat rock'n hook sets needed) Most of this info is for cool water the only thing I do in summer is go to a 9' crappie rod and make the cast and engage the reel right after the jig has sank a few feet then I let it swing back to the boat on a tight line, use your reel to maintain a slight bow in your line. Most of the strikes are a nice solid bump. Set the hook the same way. Like I said before, I'm no expert but this is my set up and the way I fish it on a couple of East Tennessee lakes and it has caught me some nice smallmouth and several of those green fish. I hope this helps someone out and I hope I didn't bore anyone. Hey, it's always a good day to talk fish'n

[DoDFire]

Also....Foxtail and no trailer. I have fished with others that use a trailer or even a minnow and I catch just as many if not more on some trips. Trailers are not needed unless you just want to use one.....save $$ and tie or buy more jigs.