Articulated Bunny Leech

[cadman]

Hey Guys,
I know I will get a lot of answers here, hopefully! I have attached a video link of what I would like to make. I would like to make something similar to this on a round lead head jig. Can someone tell me how to tie this? I want it to be strong as it is going to be used for bass. All I know is that it is made out of zonker strips I think. Also I don't need the big bulky stuff at the head of this bait. So any help in advance or tutorials would be appreciated. Also where would I buy the zonker strips if that is the correct terminology. I have the jig heads, thread, vice and bobbins. Thanks for any help in advance.

[video=youtube]

Moderators note if the video is not allowed, or if I'm breaking some legal issues please delete video immediately, and I will repost with just words........

 

[Radtexan]

[video=youtube]

 

[Fatman]

Great video - couldn't understand why he didn't use the rotary feature for some of the tying sequences and a whip finish would be better. LOL If you get over to FTF Luke is VERY good tyer!!!!!!

 

[toadfrog]

Lord I had to go look up the word before I could even think about tying it .

 

[AtticaFish]

.....if the video is not allowed, if I'm breaking some legal issues....

The above statment truely made me laugh!!!! Rules??? Whater dem?


Ok - serious - but still not sure about that video. Almost looked like the back end hook was more like a stinger hook since he never attached the Zonker (rabbit strip) to it in the video.... maybe i missed a step. :huh:

My Opinion:
I have done some longer articulated rabbit zonker jigs (trying to imitate whole nightcrawler with the hook near the very end) for tail nipping y.perch, but would not think that bass would need that back end hook. I would suggest just a larger hook and you are good to go for black bass. If you leave a zonker strip (or 2) long out the back of a jig, it will kick like a SOB when you jig it! You know bass will inhale the whole package - no problem. For laragmouth i would use a long straight cut zonker (magnum size) out the back and wrap a cross-cut rabbit strip around the shank up to the jig head. I have some of similar style i use for smallmouth..... will get them out and take a pic tomorrow.

Not sure how much length of Zonkers you need, but Jann's has them if you just need a few. There is a guy on EBay that sells half hides stripped out if you want more (cheaper price) but can't find the link at the moment. You also may want the Magnum size straight cut Zonkers for bass - they are wider and have alot more hair and bulk per strip. White or gray - get it at the craft store and cut your own!

If you realy want an articualted style jig, it is possible just a little more work that i don't think is needed for bucket mouths. What weight of a jig do you want to make these on?

 

[cadman]

Radtexan,
Thanks for posting the You Tube tutorial. The You Tube video is very similar to what I want.
BTW can you tell me how to post an actual You Tube clip like you did here. I like that better over the way I posted it however I don't know how to do that. Much appreciated.

 

[cadman]

Man, I'm having issues today I can not figure on how to post replies from other guys quotes Just like Atticas just did?????Any Help

 

[cadman]

Attica,
You must be a bass fisherman at heart. You know exactly what I'm thinking. With that said, this is what I'm looking after in this whole set-up.

#1 The flailing hook in the video makes no sense to me and I'm not going to go that route. You are correct Attica a bass willl inhale it, no need for a trailer hook
#2 I would like a black strip. Don't know if I can buy it in that color that way?
#3 I am going to use this on a 3/16 to 1/4 oz bass jig head providing they sink the strip down, don't know what style yet, I have so many molds. Any thoughts?
#4 A fatter or wider piece is what I want as well. Like you mentioned "straight cut magnum zonker strip". How long is long and how wide is wide?
#5 What is a cross-cut zonker strip and how do I tie that on?

Sorry for all the questions, as you can see I don't tie any fur or anything else. So any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated.
Fishing season is over by us so I want to make some of these bad boys for Spring to resemble a flowing leech. When I get done with some I will post some pics, however I have to buy all the supplies, so that will be awhile.

Sorry for all the questions, as you can see I don't tie any fur or anything else. So any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

I am off to work so I will talk to you guys later.

 

[papaperch]

Messed with articulated jigs a bit just to see if I could do it. Once my curiosity was quenched I lost interest. As far as cross cut and straight cut. Its been my experience to always use straight cut on all applications. A cross cut does give a neater looking jig but the straight cut makes the jig more " lifelike ".

For the line I would use one of the thin super braids. I just don't trust any kind of mono to hold up long term. I don't tie bucktail hair jigs. But almost all other hair as long as it is thin and moves in the water. I prefer to marabou as it seems to be more durable.

 

[Radtexan]

Radtexan,
Thanks for posting the You Tube tutorial. The You Tube video is very similar to what I want.
BTW can you tell me how to post an actual You Tube clip like you did here. I like that better over the way I posted it however I don't know how to do that. Much appreciated

Cad,copy the link in youtube as normal,from your reply screen use the TV icon..





Insert link in proper option...youtube,google etc....

 

[Shoemoo]

You can buy rabbit zonkers at just about any shop that sells fly fishing supplies. There are also many vendors that sell them online. Zonkers come in two styles. Regular zonkers are cut from the hide the long way, so the hair runs straight down the strip. The hide part of the strip is about 3 mm. Magnum size zonkers are about twice as wide. Cross cut zonkers are cut the short way, so the direction of the hair lies to one side. As fast as I know, there are no magnum size cross cut strips. Cross cut strips are usually used for wrapping the hook shank. I use them in my steelhead jigs.

They come in tons of different colors, even two tones. A pack is usually four strips and runs between $2 and $3 depending on where you buy. You can also buy half or whole hides.

 

[Fatman]

Rad

That's pretty cool except I didn't see it at first cause I had to scroll left as your screen shot was too big LOL

Thanks for the quick and easy on this.

 

[cadman]

Thanks Rad,
I did as you said and edited my original thread and it worked. Thanks so much for the help. Now why can't I quote your post and reply to it?

 

[Radtexan]

no prob...the quote function is currently BROKE,,,,but you can manually do one...it does take a little work,but is sometimes worth it ... copy the text you want to quote.......Use the icon,three to the left from the TV icon I showed,,,looks kinda like this then hit the close quote tag... or type........[/quote]

 

[cadman]

no prob...the quote function is currently BROKE,,,,but you can manually do one...it does take a little work,but is sometimes worth it ... copy the text you want to quote.......Use the icon,three to the left from the TV icon I showed,,,looks kinda like this then hit the close quote tag... or type.....quote

Rad,
Well it works and Thanks Again I really appreciate it.

 

[Radtexan]

Well it works and Thanks Again I really appreciate it.

 

[AtticaFish]

Late to reply. Looks like RadT had me covered on your posting questions though.

"#3 I am going to use this on a 3/16 to 1/4 oz bass jig head providing they sink the strip down, don't know what style yet, I have so many molds. Any thoughts?"
That weight will sink even a large rabbit strip. Alot of flyfisherman use them un-weighted and they doo sink on their own - after getting good and soaked through. Can use any head style... if you want a natural leech look, could use a wobble head. Plain ol' round head will do, but i would prefer something with a 60* bend eye if you are going to be casting up to a shoreline.


"#4 A fatter or wider piece is what I want as well. Like you mentioned "straight cut magnum zonker strip". How long is long and how wide is wide?"
The length is your preference - when i used to fish nothing but bass, a 10" black Berkley Powerworm texas rigged on an offset 2/0 was a favorite of mine. They will suck it ALL in. lol. But - the longer you make it, the more expensive it is. Zonkers are not cheap. If you can find a whole black hide at a hobby store, get it and you can cut to both your prefered length and width.

Shoemoo has all the right definitions on the zonks. I would have guessed that regular zonks are .125" wide and magnum are .25" - that is a total guess though. I don't have a whole ot of the cross cuts stlye and to be honest (and go along with papaperch) they might not be needed. You can wrap the regular straight cut zonkers the same way as the cross cut and the only real diference is how they look before they get wet. Once they are in the water - ALL the fur flows towards the back anyway.

Here are some of the ones i do. These are more for smallmouth in the river. 1/16oz (with an XL long shank hook) on the left that has a straight cut zonker out the back and a cross-cut zonker around the collar. 1/8oz in the middle with 2 straight zonkers out the back a straight cut wrapped around the collar. 1/8oz on the right but the bottom of the head was filed flat. The one on the right has the zonker tied in first then wraped with bucktail around the lead collar. The bucktail only goes back as far as the hook bend - this helps to keep the long zonker tail from coming up and getting fouled around the hook. I make more with the bucktail thread neck than the other style.

 

[Fatman]

Attica

Nice ties there!!!

 

[cadman]

Attica and guys thank for all the help. Attica BTW me like all the jigs you posted. Especially the black one on the right end.

So now lies the testing. I went to BPS last night and bought a 30 pack of 1/8" blk zonkers that were 12" long for $8.50+ tax. Hope I got a good deal. If not well BPS then got more of my money. I will try to tie some of these in the next few weeks and will post the pics here. All I need to do is to add water , which is highly unlikely as it is ready to freeze over here any day now.