Maribou jigs for Smallmouth

[Megastink]

Over the last several years, I’ve heard a lot from guys that fish the Great Lakes that little 1/16-3/32oz black Maribou Jigs swam in the water column are shallow smallmouth killers. I’d like to learn more about this technique, and I’d like to see some jigs from someone in the know. I’d like to tie a few myself on Hayabusa jig heads and see about cracking a few smalljaws here in Southeastern PA. Any experts on here?

[Junk Fisherman]

Hey Megastink.

 

Definitely not an expert but I have watched the Seth Feider videos on this technique and have picked up the Outkast Maribou jigs in black and brown.  I have used them a couple times and caught fish with them.  It's a do-nothing technique in which a slow, steady retrieve is all that is recommended.  The biggest issue I found has been casting distance.  I added a small piece of dense worm (remember the Berkley heavyweight worms?) that added enough weight so the jig weighed as much as a Ned Rig.  That really helped with casting distance.  

[Jermination]

On 8/24/2020 at 11:20 AM, Megastink said:

Over the last several years, I’ve heard a lot from guys that fish the Great Lakes that little 1/16-3/32oz black Maribou Jigs swam in the water column are shallow smallmouth killers. I’d like to learn more about this technique, and I’d like to see some jigs from someone in the know. I’d like to tie a few myself on Hayabusa jig heads and see about cracking a few smalljaws here in Southeastern PA. Any experts on here?

They work some what here in east TN. I will throw them out if i see a smallie come up to eat a nymph. 1/16th VMC marabou hair jig up north is a killer when they wont eat anything else. 

 

[FryDog62]

Marabou jigs were a main staple here in the upper Midwest for many decades.  My father was a wizard with hair jigs on the Mississippi and tributaries as far back as the 40’s.  Guess what, they still work. 

I primarily throw 1/8 oz black VMC Marabou jigs... will occasionally put a chunk of Heavyweight Powerbait worm on the hook - not only for additional casting weight, but to flare the skirt a bit.  
 

Due to several wrist surgeries, I’m a baitcast only guy.  I throw hair jigs on a 7’1” MLF Phenix Feather and Tatula Elite baitcasting reel.  Chucks it pretty far although not quite as backlash-proof as a spinning reel... but very close.  
 

Sometimes hair worked slowly works when absolutely nothing else will...

[Fallser]

I use marabou flies for smallies.  Not my go to fly, but they do work.  I've caught smallies and sunfish in the Wissahickon on them.  I do tie some on jig hooks, the rest on straight shank hooks.  I use what we call bead heads, round brass or tungsten weights that slide onto the hook for weight.  The jigs in Jerimination's post are good color selection.  Add olive and chartreuse to mix and you'd be in good shape.  I've had some issues finding decent marabou for tying them 

[Jig Man]

Around here bucktail jigs seem to work better than maribou.  Some guys prefer craft hair jigs but I only like them for float n fly.

[Steelhead]

VMC Dominator jigs are a great value. VMC has the Moon Tail jig coming out later this year. It's bucktail and has some fantastic colours. Blakemore Road Runners have been very productive over the years. Sometimes I'll add a small plastic twin tail trailer depending what the fish want. 

[pdxfisher]

Everything that was old is new again

 

In Billy Westmorland's book "Them Ol' Brown Fish" (1976) the "fly'n'rind" was the smallmouth bait. I think it might even account for the world record.

 

I also remember in the old Fishing Facts magazines in the 70s there was always a full page ad for Northland jigs (hair, feather, bucktail, etc). Folks used them for everything.

 

 

 

 

[Black Hawk Basser]

17 hours ago, Fallser said:

I've had some issues finding decent marabou for tying them 

Hareline's X-Select Marabou is pretty darn good for these type of jigs.

[OkobojiEagle]

The plumes are being "plucked" before they are fully developed.  I sort through a lot of plumes to find a few full webby ones I want to tie with.

 

oe

[tkunk]

Where I fish, people only use hair jigs during prespawn. Not sure what's going on, but here, they're far less effective here than they used to be. Three years ago, it was my go-to technique. This year, I didn't even attempt to use them. Few people seem to throw them anymore, so maybe they'll be good again soon.

[Paul Roberts]

Not aware of the new technique, but I've caught a lot of bass, both LM and SM, on marabou jigs of all sizes, although bucktail was easier to get "bulk" from and served a similar role before rubber skirts.

 

Marabou jigs are so easy to tie too, so it's easy to make your own. I'd always felt that if I was left with one material to tie jigs and flies with it would be marabou. However, in UL sizes, "crappie jigs" are so cheap that it's scarcely worth tying them.

 

Downside is that marabou is somewhat fragile, and has a habit of picking up algae and muck. White ones don't stay white for long in LM water. But then again, they still catch em. I used black, brown, purple, gray, and white, and in combination.

 

Trailer not needed as 'bou itself makes an awesome trailer; I use it on my hair jigs still. I often did add trailers though, usually a flat tail or ribbon tail worm, or once upon a time, a flat pork strip. The biggest bass I ever got a lip-lock on was a 7+lber a buddy caught on a purple marabou jig with a worm tail. It was a commercial one, made by Jack Crawford, called "The Governor" -for those that might remember those.

[OkobojiEagle]

5 hours ago, portiabrat said:

Where I fish, people only use hair jigs during prespawn. Not sure what's going on, but here, they're far less effective here than they used to be. Three years ago, it was my go-to technique. This year, I didn't even attempt to use them. Few people seem to throw them anymore, so maybe they'll be good again soon.

I don't think hair/hare is any less effective today, but other baits can be just as effective and easier to acquire.  Most hair jigs aren't mass produced making them less available to the majority of anglers.  Those of us that don't want to be without them tie the jigs ourselves.

 

Charlie Brewer and Ned Kehde popularized techniques that are not much different than hair jigging and usually just as effective.  Throw slider fishing, Ned rig fishing and hair jigging together and I think you have a lot of anglers finessing their way to good bass catches (not to mention most other fresh water fish).

 

oe

[dopey]

Most of the jigs in Billys book were bear hair, I've read that book a couple hundred times.  Hair jigs work!  When others put them down some of us kept using them cause they worked.  I also use dyed arctic fox and coyote tails for tying them it's a really nice hair for jigs.  

 

And yeah it's getting hard to find really good maribou!!  

[OkobojiEagle]

I going to feel awkward searching 2nd hand clothing stores for suitable women's boas...

 

oe

[Whatever]

Most fly tiers / fly anglers will attest to the magical ability of Marabou, Rabbit fur and peacock herl to attract fish. With peacock it is the iridescence, with Marabou and rabbit they just seem to quiver in the water, simulating a living organism. Combine any of these with a weighted jig head and they will generally produce fish.

[Jleebesaw]

I dont mess with tying my own or custom jigs, but i by northland hair jigs and they work well. Its an old standard bait up here in new york. Smallies like them, and walleyes do too.

[PaulVE64]

Covid gave me 4 months of tying/fishing/tying. 

Actually wore out a bobbin and went thru 3 thimbles of 200 denier thread.

 

An unweighted finesse worm on a maribou jig with light tackle in the rivers around me filled my days. Sight fishing in crystal clear is alot of fun.

[Mr. Aquarium]

I love tying and hair jig fishing. I tie a lot of steelhead and salmon but last year was mh first time tying bass jigs. Had good days on them, but haven’t gotten a chance to use them for smallies. I did good fishing for largemouth   in November water  last year in shallow. One day fishing holes in the milfoil.   Can’t wait to fish them on the new boat this fall and winter! 

[PaulVE64]

Ive been trying rabbit zonkers as my trailers on  maribou jigs. I also tie a bucktail collar under the maribou just for bulk on the fall

 

The hardest part is fishing it slow enough. For me maribou work best when i go really sllloooowwwww.

[chuck-norris-707]

I havent really smallmouth bass fish but I have casted a couple of the jigs and I have gotten lit up

[Talio]

I'm in your area and I fish marabou jigs quite a bit for smallmouth.  I prefer PJ Finesse over any other because the hook is superb.  There's really not much to the technique.  It's essentially a swim jig without a brush guard.  I do not consider this a bottom presentation because they hang up really easily.  In my opinion, it's a leech/hellgrammite pattern that works best in areas that a bass might be eating those kinds of baits.  I love them in the shallow fast water where bass may take up residence behind a rock and feed on the drift the way a trout would.  This method rarely requires a long cast, but to increase casting distance, I would start throwing it on 10# braid with a fluoro leader.  10# braid has the same diameter as 2# mono, so on my 7' medium light, I can cast a 1/16th oz jig out to at least 50 feet.  If you're focusing on faster water, you're probably not going to want to have that long of a cast anyway.  What I normally do is throw them upstream into the current and keep a semi-slack line while retrieving back to me.  If that line moves at all it's either the bottom or a fish, so set the hook every time.  In still water, this is my float and fly presentation.  I'll cast the bobber out, which will give you the weight for a long cast, and wiggle it every so often.  But my secret technique for marabou jigs is to tie on a fly fishing bass popper with a palomar knot, slip the tag end back through the eye like a drop shot and tie the jig to the tag.  I once hooked a double on this rig in the Wissahickon Creek here in Philly.  Thank god one was a complete dink, because I'm not sure I could have fought two big ones on that setup.  I don't trust my knot tying skills enough for that!

[OkobojiEagle]

13 hours ago, PaulVE64 said:

The hardest part is fishing it slow enough. 

Drop shot... Develop a pattern to tie on a 1/0, 2X long, down-turned eye hook.  You will need to very lightly weight the hook shank to counter balance the buoyancy of the dressing materials.

 

oe

[MickD]

On 8/28/2020 at 6:11 PM, OkobojiEagle said:

I going to feel awkward searching 2nd hand clothing stores for suitable women's boas...

 

oe

All the fly tying materials shops that I order from have very good maribou.  Black/chartreuse and plain olive worked well the other day, 3, 3.5, 4.  I don't think I can cast anything less than 1/8 oz, have to use my 3 wt fly blank built as a spin rod.  Boy do you have a battle on your hands with 3-4 pound smb on it.  Slow retrieve, nudging alone, over rock, a little lift and drop now and then.

[Bdnoble84]

On 8/28/2020 at 5:11 PM, OkobojiEagle said:

I going to feel awkward searching 2nd hand clothing stores for suitable women's boas...

 

oe

You joke, Ive been there. I also “skinned” a stuffed Lassie of my daughters for its craft fur.