My Top 6 Walleye Hair Jigs

Here is a follow up on a previous post about a gentleman asking about “why hair jigs”.

I absolutely love using hair jigs so I have put together a picture of MY top 6 “go to” hair jigs in order left to right,top to bottom.

They are the following..

Black/black – Black/black red core – Black/Kelly green – Patriot – Ugly bug – Willow cat

I pitch these plain to shallow waters(2′- 12’fow),rock piles,current seams or tips of wing dams.
I mainly pitch mainly 1/8 oz-3/16. Every now and then I will use a 3/32 oz.

Keep in mind I fish pool 4 only !

When using hair jigs with meat(fathead) I use a totally different color scheme of jig, post to come later on !

What are you favorite colors/weights ?

Attachments:

1. 

   Top-6-Jigs.jpg
   

Orange over brown
Black
White with Krystal Flash
Chartreuse over white.

SR

I’ll back up to the good colors from the 80’s.
orange/kelly green
orange/lime green
pearl/purple
green/white
red/white

Times and colors do change.

Anything black….
Black/Black-Purple
Black/orange
Chartruese/black
Black/orange-red core
Firetiger
Pink & white

I’ve never tried Patriot. Nice jigs Jeff!

He does make nice jigs.

I like a purple over chartreuse, but I stay pretty flexible color-wise. Things change fast and if a guy stays rigid in one pattern he might find time to read if he’s not willing to change up colors.

trumar wrote:

Here is a follow up on a previous post about a gentleman asking about “why hair jigs”.

I absolutely love using hair jigs so I have put together a picture of MY top 6 “go to” hair jigs in order left to right,top to bottom.

They are the following..

Black/black – Black/black red core – Black/Kelly green – Patriot – Ugly bug – Willow cat

I pitch these plain to shallow waters(2′- 12’fow),rock piles,current seams or tips of wing dams.
I mainly pitch mainly 1/8 oz-3/16. Every now and then I will use a 3/32 oz.

Keep in mind I fish pool 4 only !

When using hair jigs with meat(fathead) I use a totally different color scheme of jig, post to come later on !

What are you favorite colors/weights ?

Great Looking Hair Jigs!

I am just getting into tying my own hair jigs and was wondering where you get your jigs?

THX

Clear water/early season I typically use white, white-pink, purple, purple-pink-white, or black-orange

stained, dirty, other than super clear
Orange-white, green-chart, chart-orange, red-white, purple-white, pink-white

Most of all – what ever the fish want to eat

Mocha you have a pm !

Are there some guys that are using hair on lakes also? Would like to hear their input on if their success is similar to river fishing em. Thanks in advance, let the fall bite begin!!!

When would you predict the hair jig bite will begin this year?

KwickStick wrote:

When would you predict the hair jig bite will begin this year?

Next week for me!!! I hope. Going to get some wet either way. This said, I expect to do better with them in November, I’ll still be using cranks a lot next week. I’m going to try some thing all new next week on Lake Winnebago, a light hair jig and minnow.

mallardmayhem wrote:

Are there some guys that are using hair on lakes also? Would like to hear their input on if their success is similar to river fishing em. Thanks in advance, let the fall bite begin!!!

Any structure that walleyes inhabit, hair jigs will work. I pitch holes in the weeds, drop offs, rock bars, mud flats….. It all starts with confidence and using them

Randy Wieland wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>MallardMayhem wrote:</div>
Are there some guys that are using hair on lakes also? Would like to hear their input on if their success is similar to river fishing em. Thanks in advance, let the fall bite begin!!!

Any structure that walleyes inhabit, hair jigs will work. I pitch holes in the weeds, drop offs, rock bars, mud flats….. It all starts with confidence and using them

X2

Do you fish them the same way you would a jig and a minnow or do you need to pop it more to really give it lifelike action? I have used them with minnows a little but not too often.

About the only time I pop them is when I am fishing rocky areas so not to get snagged, other wise I pitch them and drag back slowly and wait for THE SMACK !

But that is just me others may do it differently !

Is there a certain time of the year they work better than live bait or certain situations or do they generally just work?

I’ve caught walleyes and sauger all year long using hair jigs. I’ve taken walleyes during the heat of summer in lakes using hair too. HOW you fish hair at different times of the year can be a lesson in its own right but the fish will reward you all year long. Yes, a hair jig will take walleyes on the river under ice too.

Personally I feel that hair and plastic [blades too] reign supreme during the winter open water period. One of the three will generally get fish on any given day except in rare situations where live bait might get the nod. In the fall for me starting at 50 degree water temps and dropping I see it as a hair bite, then blade bite, and finally a plastic bite when the water is coldest. I think the bucktails have the broadest range of use thru a year in the walleye world.

Don’t be afraid to let a bucktail sop up some Gulp juice before you dunk it.

Jeffrey Trapp wrote:

Is there a certain time of the year they work better than live bait or certain situations or do they generally just work?

As for me Personally …I have been known to use them year around under certain conditions,like high water current seams and have even added a mini paddle tail to them at times and fished the same type of areas with good results during the summer months.

We all are guilty of getting caught up on doing the same thing over and over at the same places we fish.

I am a think outside the box type of guy tho(No comments on that either guys)if all else fails revert back to the basics…BUCKTAIL JIGS!

This fish was caught 6/16/2012 it taped out at a healthy 24.5″ on a 3/16 oz firetiger hair jig with a firecracker chartreuse mini paddle tail.

Attachments:

1. 

   2012-06-16-19.09.001.jpg
   

What type of line do you throw your hair jigs on?

crawdaddy wrote:

What type of line do you throw your hair jigs on?

I personally use 4-6lb Power Pro and Suffix 832 .

Kelly green…black head
black…black head
black/yellow…black head

stained water
white/chart…gold glitter head
patriot…silver glitter head

Attachments:

1. 

   DSC00560.jpg
   

Kinda looks like a plastic hanging out of that one’s mouth Tom…. I’m not saying, I’m just saying. Haha.

@trumar do you ever tie on more hair for a bulky profile? I just started tying last week. I’ve wanted to for a while, but then I saw this post and hair jig water temps are a few weeks away so I stopped in a thorne bros and got every thing to get started along with 5 different colors of hair for about $80. I love it. Haven’t used them yet, but I will soon.

Tim,I may tie up some personal jigs with a tad bit more hair,but I tend to stick with the quantity of hair seen in the above picture for the ones I sell.

Sparse hair also gives the hair jig a cleaner look.

I could have phrased my question a little better, but I’m also wondering about hair length, do you go longer?

Tim J wrote:

I could have phrased my question a little better, but I’m also wondering about hair length, do you go longer?

Yes I do go longer sometimes with the hair,but again only on my personal made jigs, When I bulk up the hair I will go longer too, to provide a bigger profile.

FYI… I only buck up on hair when using 3/16oz or bigger hair jigs, cant answer why but it’s just what has worked for me on pool 4.

It is something you need to play around with as to your liking and see what the fish tell in the waters you fish.If it works for you log it or take a pic of it so you duplicate it !

I enjoy making test jigs to try to find that next HOT color combo !

What do you need to buy to make your own hair jigs?

crawdaddy wrote:

What do you need to buy to make your own hair jigs?

lead,smelter,hooks,molds,paint,hair(bucktail ect),thread,fly vise, thread sealer of some sort,2×3 bags.

OR

You can just buy jigs pre-made and paint them to your liking and tie them up !

It is addicting tho !

Any more questions just ask away !

JMHO Jeff

That’s what happens when I don’t use my cheater glasses

tom_gursky wrote:

That’s what happens when I don’t use my cheater glasses

Oh take my word Tom has put “quite a few” big ones in his boat by using hair jigs!

I tie my Hair jigs pretty full and about 5″ long… I saw the hair ties Dustin Stewart made up (no one I know better at chucking jigs for Eyes on Pool 4) and he commented that when they are soaked in the water they will appear less bulky…makes sense to me

Hair jigs are magic but you need confidence and PATIENCE…nothing like the “crunch” of a walleye hitting a hair jig

Attachments:

1. 

   th.jpg