School me on Hair Jigs

[Slefler]

Would like to start throwing these this summer. I figure it's not thrown a lot around here locally and a lot of our local fisheries get a tremendous amount of fishing pressure from different tournaments and trails. So I figured this would be the best way to learn some info from seasoned vets. 

[Fishin' Fool]

I just picked up some Feider Flies last week. It sounds like it's something to try when the fish are heavily pressured or there is an active may fly hatch. Google Seth Feider hair jig. That should get you going in the right direction.

[Slefler]

I possibly should have been more specific. Hair jigs to use for deep summer schools, 1/2oz to 3/4oz jigs.

[kickerfish1]

So you are referring to more of deep water ledge jig made of hair correct and not something that is small and compact in profile and typically of more of a lighter weight or smaller profile? If that is the case I haven't used many of those type but I have used the Northstar Hair jigs in the 1/4 to 1/2 oz sizes with great success. They be a bit more compact and perhaps a bit more on the lighter side then you are looking for but they really excel at fishing clear water and pressured fish.

[smalljaw67]

You are referring to what is commonly known as a "preacher jig", right? I've tied a lot of those over the years and then it died off only to have it come back because of 2 tournaments that they were major players in. The reason you see them disappear for awhile is because they are a niche type bait, they work in places that have larger forage fish and clear water, it is why you see them used on certain bodies of water and not on others. The long bucktail has almost no action, it is a very subtle movement and is used more for the baitfish profile it creates when wet, the action comes from the long feathers that are tied in and extend pass the bucktail. The movement of the feathers mimics the tail movements of forage fish and it doesn't move a lot of water or make a lot of noise which is why you need clearer water for them to be really effective. Jacob Wheeler insist that if has to have 3' to 4' of visibility before he would even consider using a preacher jig, and most others agree and add to it that KVD will use a crankbait and then a T- rigged worm first before going to the hair, he said the hair is a tool to coax stragglers that aren't active to bite. The presentation isn't complicated, make the cast and let the jig fall on slack line until it hits bottom. Once on bottom you hold the rod at 10 O'clock and give the reel 6 to 10 fast cranks and stop so the jig fall back down, and you repeat that until you are out of the zone. Normally if the fish are going to hit it they do so quickly, usually within the first two series of cranks. If you want to know how much of a niche bait they are, consider the fact that the Feider Fly, a 3/32oz marabou jig, is the hair used on the great lakes region as the preacher style jigs don't work well there even though the water would seem to be perfect for it, so it really depends on having depth, clarity and fish that are accustomed to seeing and eating large forage species, lacking in any of these areas makes the odds of it being effective less likely. Good luck.

[Slefler]

Thank you smalljaw and the other other replies. Makes sense as to why you don't hear about them being used much around here with our crappy water quality and stained color. I may give it a go at our other clear water fisheries that are pressured though. The big forage isn't a problem the majority of our lakes all have big gizzard Shad. Just looking for something different that the fish here haven't seen.  Thanks again 

[WRB]

Lots of misconceived information regarding hair jigs. Like any other jig the hair is simply the jigs skirt, nothing more or less. What type of jig you fish depends on the cover and structure, what size jig depends on the prey type and weight depends on the rate of fall and depth you plan to use the jig in. Color depends on what type of prey you are trying to duplicate and what the bass are keying on at that time.

Like any other skirt the hair type and how it's tied affects how it moves underwater. The common hair is deer buck tail. I don't use or like craft hair.

Suggest doing some site work searching "hair jigs", lots of history to read.

Tom

[OkobojiEagle]

I've fished hare/hair jigs in my Midwest waters for many years.  The bait has produced a good number of my largest smallmouth, walleye and musky... during very specific times of the open water season and all shallower than 10'.  My suggestion to you is don't use a square peg when you're obviously filling a round hole.  Good luck figuring out your lakes.

 

oe