Saltwater Jig Heads

[thursthouse 0]

Freddo - you're last comment hit home with me because I still feel the same way about catching fish on flies/jigs/whatever that I've tied. When moving to the salt, consider tying up some teaser flies. I personally think they require more effort than tying chartreuse and white bucktail onto a jig head (my personal opinion - and I probably tie them incorrectly) and I caught just as many fluke/bass on my teasers as I did the store-bought jig head tipped with fresh bait (I had to use a manufactured jig head, because like you I couldn't find any heavy enough jig heads in the store). Food for thought. Your enthusiasm is contagious

[Poopdeck 0]

Been pouring, painting and bucktails over 30 years. Only been tying flies for 2 or 3 years. I get no additional thrill from catching something on something I tied myself. I do it to save money. With buck tails selling for 4 to 8 bucks a piece nowadays I'm saving an incredible amount of money. I don't own a saltwater boat but I have more invites on friends boats because I give them weights, bucktails and teasers. It's way cheaper then owning a big boat.

 

The entire process is from start to finish easier then tying your shoe and the equipment needed is inexpensive and minimal. I also have not ever paid for lead and most of the lead I use finds me. Although lead is getting harder and harder to find.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Thanks for the baking times Steve... I'm still operating on old spec sheets since I only need additional powder every second year or so (buying powder colors by the one or two pound jugs....).

 

I'm not doing a full-time jig making operation at all (just filing orders up to and a bit over 100 units at a time) so I'm rarely baking any single colors (and still using my family's oven....). Here's a pic or two that illustrates what I'm doing (and it's always a mix of sizes as well - ranging from 1/8 oz up to 1/2 oz. mostly - occasionally a bit larger at 1 oz. sized heads...).

[stabgnid 0]

Bob here is some of my work . The Salmon /SteelHead Jigs are 1/2 & 3/8 oz. . the crappie are 1/16 & 1/64 oz

Steve-stabgnid

 

 

 

Salmon/Steelhead jigs

 

 

 

 

Crappie jigs

 

 

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Those look tasty... In the 'Glades the fish rarely get a good look at anything with the dark waters so our offerings are a bit simpler (but we still need very strong hooks on them...).

[tidewaterfly 0]

Nice to see other jig makers. Capt Bob, I've seen some of yours previously & they always look great.

 

I make various jigs including bucktails & "hair" jigs for bass. Been doing it a long time, almost as long as I've been tying flies.

 

As said, tying is tying. Once you learn the basics, it's just a different base on which you're tying & different amounts of materials.

 

I mold most of the jigs I make, and have many styles for freshwater & saltwater uses. At last count I have about 300 molds.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

I must admit that, as much as I like tying up bucktail jigs... these days I get far more orders for simple lead heads with barbs meant to be used with Gulp or plastic tails - and they're what I hand my anglers in the backcountry most days.... Years and years, every night I'd be re-tying tails on bucktails that had their tails chewed off - with the Gulp tails that's one less concern for an active guide (working seven days a week when I have anglers...).

 

Yesterday was fairly typical - we caught and released almost every fish on them. The following two pics give you an idea - in addition it was snapper, ladyfish, speckled trout, and one nice 60lb tarpon that just wouldn't stay connected.... I'll toss in one additional pic (also probably not appropriate for a flyfishing board... but notice the perfect set of teeth on this eight foot sawfish -very carefully released since they're protected -and always have been in the 'Glades...)

 

[tidewaterfly 0]

Capt Bob, over the years I've become a connoisseur of hair jigs. I really enjoy working with the various hairs & when I was able to chase river or stream SM bass, relied very heavily on them. They work! But, as far as selling them, too many folks these days would rather use the plastics & I've seen the same thing as you with Gulp & similar baits in the salt. It's a mind set that folks have, but hard to argue with it when the plastics work so well too.

 

A couple of months ago I was back in MD visiting family & stopped in a tackle shop that had opened up last year and is a bass fishing specialty shop. They cater to tournament & club bass anglers primarily. It was my second visit there & first time there I talked with the owners about possibly supplying them with some hair jigs. They're in an area where hair jigs are still popular, but of course most anglers still rely on the plastics more. I left some samples with them, but that's as far as it went. My guess is my prices are too high for them to justify putting them on a wall, where they might put a different product that will sell better. There's also this mentality among both angers & shops that hair jigs should be cheap. I may give them a try again, but frankly won't loose any sleep over it if they won't buy them from me.

 

Like you, I know I can sell the bare jigs heads, and it's easier to just mold them, and I'm set up to powder paint them, than it is to tie a bunch that may or may not get sold quickly.

[Freddo 0]

AGAIN and AGAIN... THANKS! Thank you to all that are sharing here; greatly appreciated and a huge help!

 

Yesterday morning, I tied a few bucktail jigs onto jigs heads that are white with eyes (1/8 oz.) to get a feel for it. I tied with black and white and added a little (4 strands) of Krystal flash to the pattern. Red thread was used to tie it all together and form a nice neat collar. Done! I must admit that I was a little confused out of the gate tying these for the first time because of the "hook up" deal. So - yes... the black and white bucktail material were tied in upside-down relative to the hook (OOPS!). I didn’t untie them (it happened twice) and figured I'd fish with a bait that swims upside-down (hee hee).

 

Having never fished a bucktail jig and learning jigging now in general, I headed out to the lake for a test drive. I was going to fish from what we call "The Boardwalk" here that spans about 50' of a dam at one end of the lake. Just off the boardwalk where I went, the water is about 5' deep. I tied on my first ever bucktail jig and dropped it into the water to get an idea of how it looks in the water. The jig didn't move more than 5" before a 12" largemouth shot out of "somewhere" and creamed the jig. Moral of the story, I'm as hooked as that bass was. Totally thrilling. I went on to catch lunch with it too (to 11" black crappie). I suppose now I'll be off to find other crappie patterns.

 

Now I'm waiting for some heavier thread I've ordered in other colors to arrive for tying some heavier jigs for our upcoming trip. My son and I will be surf and pier fishing in the saltwater.

 

[tidewaterfly 0]

Freddo, sounds good! It's not difficult unless you make it such. You'll learn the tying nuances, like limiting the amount of thread on the collar & keeping them looking good as you go, but frankly the fish won't care. Learn to tie them durable, and they'll work, and will last longer.

 

Most folks will tie with the darker color on the "back' but doesn't mean they won't catch fish, as you've already found out.

 

Jigs in general are one of the best lures you can use anywhere, and bucktail jigs are very versatile.

 

Post some pics of your jigs when possible, as we all like to see progress & different styles.

[Poopdeck 0]

Heavier thread may take less wraps but can also produce bulky crappy looking heads. I don't use much bigger than 6/0, 140 and 210 and tie up to 8oz bucktails. A little super glue or Sally hansons on the initial thread wraps will add more durability then heavier thread. Sharpies in different colors are a jig tiers best friend.

[Freddo 0]

Thanks poopdeck! The thread spools I ordered are UTC 140; I've been a fan and the collars are flat and smooth. So do you just use white thread and the Sharpies to color the thread? That seems like a cool idea to save on the number of colors to keep on hand. And for the record, I don't see myself tying anything heavier than 1 oz. for now (maybe up to 2 oz.).

[Poopdeck 0]

You most certainly can color the thread with a sharpie. I have lots of thread colors but sometimes I use white and color my thread two tone in the same colors as the hair. I mostly use the sharpies to color and bar the hair.

[Freddo 0]

Thanks guys! I will be tying a bunch and i'll try to remember to photograph some for you to see.

 

@ Tidewaterfly: Yes - I agree that the fish aren't always as picky as the guy tying the flies / jigs (especially me). When I first started tying, I thought the flies wouldn't produce and I was wrong. But practice and a LOT of repetition make us better at the bench, I've learned that already. As long as we get the hook ups ...

 

@ Poopdeck: I'll be trying the Sharpie tip you shared thanks!

 

Question for all please: Are bucktail jigs more durable if multiple smaller bunches of bucktail are tied on in sequence than just a couple of larger bunches? I want mine to hold up. What does your experience teach? Thanks!

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Making super durable bucktail jigs... is only a matter of using 210 denier thread (for UTC threads) or the old Danville's flat waxed nylon as far as I'm concerned (and at times I do them by the 100... per size). It's not the thread or whether you tie in small clumps or one big one -it's what you do after the jig is tied up. I simply use a Krazy Glue tube like a paint brush and lay a very thin finish on top of the thread. When it dries you'll need a razor blade to remove the thread - and it will actually take a few hits from Spanish mackerel and survive (thin super glue soaks into the thread). Once the glue dries you can finish over it with Sally Hansen's, if desired...

 

With bucktail jigs the only fragile part is the tail - and that will get chewed up after a few fish. I re-cycle the jigs that we use on my skiff constantly (as long as the hook is intact and not rusted up). The first order of business for re-cycling is to take a razor and cut off the thread since it's that durable after the super glue process....