What color hiar jigs

James or Dustin,or Vick, What colors hair jig are producing?I saw the purple and black but are there other colors as well? And does it matter as far as the color of the sky,for instance would darker colors go better on day’s like today?(rainy)

Black and purple have been good regardless of the conditions. Kelly (deep/dark) green has produces some fish as has a dark blue. Lay hands on some brown / burnt orange and you’ll be armed to the teeth.

James, do you tip the hair jigs with some meat, or do you toss the jigs plain? A better question would be, how do you fish a hair jig? I’ve never done it, but I think I need to add some to the collection. I checked the Gander in Woodbury for some last night when I was picking up more K Grubs with your picture on it, but they are switching over to ice fishing, not much of a selection left.

I occasionally tip a hair jig… but not often. I cast and fish them like a ringworm or k-grub. Cast-keep the line tight-slow retrieve just fast enough to keep the jig up off the bottom and moving. Nuttin’ too fancy.

All the Gander stores will be keeping all the BFT products in stock permanently. You may see some ups and downs in stock, particularly as season change, but they will always be in the stores to some extent. Gander’s biggest problem has been keeping them in stock. Not a bad problem to have to be honest. Do BFT a favor, if you go in and see the display running low, grab the dept. manager and give him an ear-full!

Why do they work??? I dont get it. Thanks.

They offer one of the “shadiest” profiles when viewed in the water of any bait I’ve ever seen and they do so without any movement… and that seems to be huge when fish just aren’t very aggressive. Above water they look rediculous but it’s what they do below, the way the hair on a well-tied jig fans out behind the head and gently “breathes” in and out when the jig is moved that produces the hit.

After watching a guy clean a big walleye at the resort this past spring that was stuffed full with two large handfuls of maple tree helicopters I gave up the need to know what a walleye sees in a particular bait.

If you see me out in front of the resort next spring carrying a ladder under one arm, a pail under the other and headed for the nearest maple tree, that will be me gathering bait.

Maple tree helicopters??? Too funny. And we eat these things?

I just have never given hair much of a try. I know that hair has caught a lot of BIG fish over the years-but I probably need someone to take me to school w/ them before I tie one on. I guess I am already stubborn at 32 years of age.

Hey, maybe those helicopters are the fishes version of peanuts.

Sometimes ya’ feel like a nut, sometimes ya’ don’t.

I really don’t use hair as much as I used to. I’ve found I can out-produce with plastics in most situations BUT there seems to be a few tiems a year when it’s called for and nothing else will do. And they are fun to fish with.

Who then in your best opinion makes a good hair jig? And, are they tied with a synthetic hair or deer hair? Inquiring minds want to know.

Most of my hair jigs are deer hair with strands of mylar added for flash.

Who? It’s easier to tell you who doesn’t then who does! I like Bucktail Wayne’s, he has the best I’ve used. I’ve never fished with a fisherflick so I can’t comment there but they look like they’re tied well and certainly Jarrad knows a good jig.

Most places just gob a pile of hair on a hook, much too much hair, cinch it down and call it good. I like mine tied very sparcely and a bit short. Using the finer end hairs is key and some guys use the short stubby hairs found at the base and sides of the tail and that works poorly at best. Some like to tie them like streamer flies on a jig head and those produce poorly for me. And the last thing to look for, durability! There’s a guy I know that ties a good jig but the durability is so poor, the hair pulls out after a fish or two, that they’re not worth buying.

Thanks for the input. I know I’ve got a little bit of everything you mentioned. I also know what you mean about the sparcely tied jigs. They do give the best action. Too much hair and the jig looks like a chunk of garbage in the water.

I know some manufacturers use craft fur. They work okay….for the first time you take them out of the bag. As soon as you come back to use them they are one balled up mess and never staighten out. Needless to say you got to love bucktail hair. Those are the only type of hair jigs I use. Can’t rule out a few pieces of crystal flash in between the hair.

This is another thing I thought of. You ever heard the story of the man and the bear in the river fishing? The bear was catching tons of fish. Fish were swimming left and right of him all day long. A fisherman walked near the bear to try and catch few of fish the bear was catching. When the man walked in the river all the fish down river of him left and were no where to be found. Thats why I think Bucktails or more natural than any other hairs. Just my two cents.

I make my own hair jigs and find most of what you all are saying to be true. When I tie the hair on with the thread, and tighten it down, when finished, I always put a drop of superglue on the thread. I find that this holds very securely and prevents the hair from coming loose. I like to use as little hair as possible and do use the actual bucktails(deer) that I get from Janns netcraft. All this saves a few bucks(no pun intended)and I have fun doing it. The superglue thing works well to hold the hair in place.

Are you using regular sewing thread when you tie? Or should a person buy the “fly-making” thread?

I use either nylon thread(A or B) or the pre-waxed variety.

James, who handles these hair jigs in Rochester? Looked on
B-Fish-N Tackle web site and didn’t see any hair jigs listed there. What is the make of these hair jigs?

Well here’s the deal with hair jigs…

I’ve NEVER found a source of well-tied hair available commercially. It’s just too time-consuming and labor intensive. So the “good stuff” ends up being produced in smaller quantities by guys that started out producing jigs for themselves, got it right, and started trying to tie to fill demand for friends and friends of friends. I’m sure Jarrad would agree, the Fluekiger family can only make so many and still do it right…. so you’re just not likely to find a source available on-line or in a mass retailer that’s worth a hoot.

Bucktail Wayne ties for me, some of my customers and for Everts Resort. He couldn’t possibly do any more. Going through Everts is a good route to go if you want smaller quantities, you’ll not be guaranteed colors or sizes needed or wanted will be available, or if you want a larger number, shoot me a PM and I’ll put you in touch with him. Not to sound snotty but don’t bother trying to get him to do a custom order for 1 – 2 dozen jigs… go through Everts for that and take what you can lay hands on. But if you, or anyone else for that matter, wants a large quantity, let me know.

Or holler at Fireflick. He might be able to take care of you.

Mike at Hooked On Fishing in Rochester, Mn. 507-282-4982 has all the colors mentioned and some other good colors too. And while you are there he also has the B-Fish-N Tackle ring worms, K-Tails and Superdoos too. Thanks, Bill

Yup-yup. I’ve never used them so I didn’t add them to the list but I know Dustin likes the hair jigs from Hooked on Fishing… Dustin knows a thing or two (lets give him the benefit of the doubt here!) so they’d be worth a look too.

I also make my own rods, so I use the same nylon thread that I use for rod winding. I use the larger size thread, size “D” and “E”.

Yep, I use em and like em too! They catch fish. Now if I can just get you to take my fish pic too! [from other post/thread] lol. Thanks, Bill

my comments may be a bit off thread here… but… well, on the subject of the maple seeds found in a walleyes gullet… this is another piece of a puzzle that seems to fit with a theory I have… and that theory is that Walleyes feed heavily on dead and dying shad… these fish often lay on their sides and drift in the current, they have a thin profile from the side and thick when seen from the bottom….. I think this is why super doos are so effective… they have a thin side profile and when you just let them lay and drift in the current they present a dead shad like profile…. toss in a bit of tentacle action if/when the fish is giving them a close up eye and you have a *wham* as the fish inhales that dying shad…. (so he thinks!)….. then you have some maple seeds drifting in the current… hmmmmm mighty dead/dying shad looking… yum….. drifting anything minnow like and holding it still or just a slight jiggle from time to time (dying) would probably elicit the same resonse…. geee dont a sonar look like a maple seed? weird huh? and you dont have to RIP them like crazy to get bit.. try holding them still sometime like a super doo…. weird, but works sometimes really well… less can be more for sure…
wonder what would happen if we combined a super doo with a shad body, laterally compressed so it looked like a shad floating down on its side, big profile from below.. thin from the side… tentacle action…. hmmmmm what dya think? ahhh well.. Im probably just crazy…. (probably? look at my pic!)

What about sizes? Do you pick the size according to the current,where as 3/8 for faster current and 1/8 to a 1/4 for slower current? Same as you would with the ring worms?

Exactly.

I AGREE WITH JAMES ABOUT A HAIR JIG BEING TIED ON THE SPARES SIDE. IT ALLOWS THE HAIR TO MOVE AROUND MORE IS MY THEORY ON THE HOLE THING. LAST YEAR IN CANADA NO MEAT WAS THE TICKET. THIS YEAR THE MORE MEAT THE BETTER. I AM USING NIGHTCRAWLERS. A PERSON COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE HAIR JIG AND WHAT MAKES IT TICK AND HOW IT TICKS. I LIKE A COUPLE OF STRANDS OF FLASHABOU TIED IN WITH MY BUCKTAILS ALSO.

GUNDY

To add to this I like to use red thread and think it looks like open gill plates – dead bait or blood – and you can buy it at any store but get the coat/button thread – it is thicker and more durable. I use old nail polish my wife doesn’t like the color of anymore to coat all the thread on the jighead. Then they won’t unravel on you. Agree with the flashabou and we even tie entire jigs from flashabou or the crinkly finished flashabou type material. The pearl opaque in the water looks more like a baitfish than most baitfish do. Also – don’t forget a band of contrasting color at the bottom to catch their eye and to appear real (ever notice how real baitfish are dark on the back and light on the belly…) if the water is dirty invert this scheme for maximum visibility! my 2 cents from an old jig tier… don’t overlook maribou – it has that same lively action in the water too. Have fun, it adds another dimension to catching fish – especially on a rod you’ve custom built too! These ideas should give you something to look at when the wife has you in a craft store… (don’t tell my fishing partners – they can’t figure out where I get my supplies – and I won’t tell them – better to make them beg for one of those jigs you have tied ) Chuckles

Sounds like we need to have a hair-jig tying get-together class in someone’s garage this winter with some beverages!!!!

This has really sparked my interest. I think that I may be doing some playing around this winter!!!

I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE SUPER TO HAVE SOME KINDA GET TOGATHER TO DEMONSTRATE JIG TYING METHODS. ALMOST ALL OF MY JIGS ARE TIED WITH RED THREAD AROUND THE NECK. I USE A HEAVY NYLON THREAD USED TO TIE RODS WITH. I CAN REALLY BARE DOWN ON THE BUCKTAIL WITH THAT HEAVY THREAD. MY SMALLER CRAPPIE JIGS ARE THE ONLY JIGS I TIE WITH SYNTHETIC HAIR. HARD TO FIND NOW. WAS CALLED ANGEL HAIR. I KNOW THE STUFF IS MADE BECAUSE I HAVE USED IT OFF OF DOLL HEADS.

ONE OTHER THING. I TIE JIGS AND I AM NOT A FLY TIER. BUT I HAVE A BUDDY WHO IS A FLY TYER AND HE TIED ME UP A COUPLE OF MUDDLER MINNOW PATTERNS ON 1/8 OZ. ROUND JIG HEADS. ABSOLUTLY ONE OF THE DEADLEST JIGS I HAVE USED. WHEN IN THE WATER IT LOOKS KINDA LIKE ONE OF THOSE MAPLE TREE TWISTERS. TAKES SOME REAL SKILL TO TIE THESE THINGS AND YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO JUST GIVE THEM AWAY.

GUNDY

Hey Chuckles,

Would you consider putting on a seminar if I could get us a place to meet? I’m thinking I could get us into one of the Gander stores, most likely Lakeville since I used to work for the store manager. I’m going to discuss with James off line, I’ve got some ideas I’d like to run by him. Any of you other hair guys out there interested??

That would make a neat seminar and I’m always game for an idea like this. Gander is good to work with in these regards and I might even be able to get Wayne to show up and demo some of his techniques.