How did panfish/crappie and jigs come together??

[Jig Man]

Enjoying the history keep um coming.....

 

[JSC]

JiggerJohn

Could you get us a picture of the Lau Lure? I cannot remember exactly what it looked like but I do remember reading of Glens fishin ... Course I was way down South & some of that news we never got .. Now Gelen is further South than I am.

 

[Fatman]

Great info!!!!!!!!! Keep it coming!!!!!!!!!

 

[jiggerjohn]

Kind of a snowy day outside,but got to thinking of jiggin history -as Redman says, It's easy for one recalled episode to trigger another! So I was reflecting on a "secret bass method" ad that I allowed to "con" me when about 11 or 12 . It only cost $3 , tho that was a fairly hefty sum in those days for a stupid little kid (now I'm a still gullible old kid!). But I wasn't actually disappointed at the lure and method ;turned out to be an obvious homemade,but very well tied bucktail jig and a method for it called "notching". The jighead had a backend with an backward pointing slope, something like Hawn's HU jig, tho it had a higher lead body,painted red. The tail was thinly stacked white bucktail (there's that WHITE again!) with a trailer hook of thin red bucktail. Very nice action in water,but the "notching" technique was to tie the jig in such a fashion as to thwart all action,except for a shimmy in the rear tail of the trailer fly! To achieve this, line was passed thru the eye,around the back of the jig head, back thru the eye and a form of clinch knot tied to tighten everything in a secure harness. Due to this tying tactic the knot actually locked into the bottom NOTCH of the hook eye -for a direct in-line retreive and a more powerful hookset. Then you were supposed to make a long cast, thrust your rod tip about a foot down into the water, retreive as fast as humanly possible, and midway in ,RIP the rod tip upward, and expect a strike! The single page literature that described this was very well done and exciting; supposedly this was a top Florida guide's secret, a Native American named John Astin(also the name of the jig), during the 1940s.

Yeah, I fooled around with this very briefly, but after a while figured it was an all-made-up type of tale. I had better uses for that sweet looking jig. But one day, years later I tried this retreive one great morning on a new lake (young & stupid bass!) and caught,by actual count 126 largemouth!! Other jigging retreives got nary a sniff,but with ultra speed,near the top it was a bass per cast! Still later I read in Bob Underwood's classic "Lunker" (Bob was the writer who spent 2500 hours underwater to see what made bass tick & how they took lures) that Bob used this same speed tactic with a leadhead,to take 110 largemouth up to 8# pounds during 2 short morning sessions one late Spring in Florida .

But,if notching was such a hot method, why hadn't I ever read about it in any book or magazine?! Then I happened on renowned outdoor writer Grits Gresham's marvelous book on bass fishing(copyright 1966). There was a total description of "notching" ,complete with photographs,and the story of a guy,Bill Adcock, who specialized in it-the stringer photo and description by Grits of their outing together was amazing!! Only difference between what I'd read years earlier in the John Astin literature was that Bill Adcock and others in Louisiana used a NOTCHED River Runt plug (they filed a notch on the front metal loop, after removing the split ring, again to secure the knot and neutralize any swimming action other than the slight rearend shimmy!).

So ,after all this time, I'm still wondering if this concept really did originate with a bucktail jig tied by that Seminole guide? or, if anyone happens to have that half page printout of the John Astin Notching method -would love it for my collection!

 

[redman]

Jiggerjohn Sounds like the Buck Perry method of Speed Trolling. Rip it or troll it on top or close to the top of the water. Don't know How many hours that I spent with one of his Spoonplugs trolling the waters of West Lake Okoboji for Muskie. I was never very successful. How ever I wasn't drawn in by that ad only because I didn't have the $3. If I had I would have been right there with you. I think that this must have been a old technique as I have heard the old boys talk about using cane poles with heavy short line to pull a white fly quickly across the top of the water to catch Northern Pike.

On another note the reason that I think that white was used to the extent that it was is that Dyeing had not been used to any great extent until after WWII. Deer tails were used as they came off the animal boned and salted. More than likely the tails of caves and any other animal the same was done for most of these guys were trappers also. Any body material was no doubt yarn and floss from the wife's sewing basket. A long about 1954 a miracle floss was developed that was florescent. It was called Gantron I think that it was from Danville but not sure it was sold in 1500 yard spools that were cone shaped. I have two in my collection. And yes the floss is still bright as the day it was made. Just another tidbit of history that came to mind as I read Jiggerjohn's posting.

Redman

 

[Shoemoo]

Jiggerjohn, you might try the periodicals section of the main library in your local library system for a copy of the ad. The Boise main library has physical copies of magazines like Outdoor Life and Field & Stream going back to the 1910s. They won't let you cut them up of course, but you can take photocopies and at least you would know what specific issues to look for on sites like ebay.

I could spend all day there just looking at the old outdoor magazine ads.

 

[jiggerjohn]

Hey Redman, I agree with ya about the complete waste of our valueable fishing hours in speed trolling,when we could have spent them ENJOYING ourselves by jigging!!I did catch muskies and bass by trolling-but SOOOO many long hours just sitting there holding a heavy rod without productivity!! Interestingly, since I had many face-to-face conversations with Buck, in reality he started a lot of his basic structure work & discoveries with JIGS!! He showed me a couple of his unique designs (heavy affairs for deep bottom work,with huge hooks)and gave me a bunch of them.And more than a few big catch advertisements for his plug was actually caught jigging! In fact, several of the original "names" in that trolling cult,eventually got burned out ,"retiring" to the complete joy of our light tackle jig fishing!

I've also looked into the long pole skittering method with jigs. This was (is) a very deadly presentation in a variety of forms. I have a dvd of a modern guy from Alabama (I think) who was filmed in real time, catching one nice bass after another. He tells me he currently just strings several vinyl skirts in tandem as his jiggerpoling "jig". But talk about OLD history of the jig -apparently a famous British naturalist wrote of seeing Native Americans in Florida using this to devastating effect through out shallow flowages . Their "jig",maybe the earliest known American home tied affair(observed during the mid 1700s!!!)), was called a "bob" -this was a thick ball of the available bucktail,cloth, and other materials. This HAD to be effective,because they fished to EAT,not for sport. Perhaps this is how the "John Astin" bucktail jig & notching method eventually evolved?!

 

[JSC]

"jiggerpoling "jig". " & "Spoonplug trolling"

There are still a few around that still "Jigger Pole" They use all different kinds of lures from Shoe Tounge Leather to Spinners & even Mirror Lures ... can really be effective but belive me it is a lot of work ..

Bucks Spoonplug Trollin was quite an eye opener ... He really opened up the use of the term "Structure" (which many people confuse with cover) ... I hung a monster Bass while trollin a Spoon Plug ... I froze on the reel and broke the line ... Fished jumped 3 times and each time he looked a little larger .... I have relived that one several times .. Now why did my thumb freeze on the reel with 12# line (Buck suggested a lot heavier line but you used what you had .. I was not dedicated to this kind of fishin .. only when it got slow casting) ...
I have heard the term "Bob" used all my life and they refer to the lure you are using.

 

[redman]

Jiggerjohn Interesting I got to attend one of his seminars in the early 1970's. The Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club once a year would bring in one of the top fisherman that wrote for Fishing Facts Magazine. I never got to meet him as the line was oh so long. I did buy his book. As I remember the seminar was $5 and his book was like $7.95. That was a good amount back in the 1970's about 10% of a weeks take home pay My wife was more than a little miffed. Over the years I got to hear Al and Ronnie Linder, Homer La Blanc, Buck Perry, Spencer Petros, Babe Winkleman, and several others that slip my mind as they weren't all that good. By the 1980's our local lake was fished down and interest in the club waned.

Cap Got up on that meeting and ask Buck if this statement was right only 10% of the water will hold big fish only .25% of the time. Buck had to agree that statement was right. I think that old timers had the structure thing figured out. Thur trial and error they got it. Kind of like what I am having to do with these dang cypress trees which ones hold fish and which ones don't. As I remember Buck was a college professor in Physics down in Tn or Ky. He made light bulbs come on in your head and would open your eyes. If you followed what he said you would do ok. Unless there was too much structure to fish. This is the problem with the last two lakes that I have lived on. Too much structure. So believe that now with the Side scan sonar it makes the job of finding fish so much easier.

Redman

 

[jiggerjohn]

Yeah, Redman, a lot of "sleight-of-hand" in SELLING the original structure trolling "method" (with modern tools&scientific observation, much of the deep water theories,especially, have proven to be inaccurate). But fish can be limited into certain select areas ,as Cap mentioned -we used to just take our light jigs on 4#test line and the usual lightweight spinning outfits to troll weed edges and drop offs to locate fish, and also ENJOY the battles (with heavy trolling gear you'd be tired out by the time you ever found a fish, then the outfits were so stiff that it was NO FUN to bring (haul is more like it!) them in anyway!). My 30 yr old son and I still do this in late spring on shallow (6-12') breaklines on Lake Erie; we've caught/released huge numbers of smallmouth bass from 18-23" this way, and do it every year if the winds &waves permit!

 

[deathb4disco]

I also wrote for Fishing Facts at the same time!

JJ, I don't want to derail this excellent thread, but were you on staff (one of their "field editors" as they called them) or were you a freelance writer who submitted articles to them?

I'm just curious since I was a devoted reader of FF. IMO, it was the best fishing mag ever. I learned at least 50% of everything I know about jig fishing from reading CB's articles. I've probably read some of yours, too.

BTW, I still have the very first issue of FF that I ever read. It's from 1975. The cover fell off it a long time ago, but I still hang onto it.

 

[deathb4disco]

In fact, several of the original "names" in that trolling cult,eventually got burned out ,"retiring" to the complete joy of our light tackle jig fishing!

Interesting. The late Tom McNally was a big Buck Perry fan and wrote a lot about him and his methods. Tom was also a pioneer in UL fishing.

 

[jiggerjohn]

Deathb4disco, Yep, ole Fishing Facts had some great material in it -really, a lot of terrific jig fishing info by guys that really practiced what they preached! I was,I guess, a free-lancer, tho they always wanted me to do much more;after a while they were making up "titles" for their "field editors" for almost anybody that wanted it! Early on I wrote about structure trolling, but came around to concentrate on jig fishing material exclusively with the "jiggle your jig" idea, slider fishing for pike, jig trollin, and the "wig jig" for big northerns. But I insisted on NOT writing just to have a story published; I had to thoroughly field test a concept, and KNOW it would work before I shared it with others! I'm kinda bummed out that these days writers will put out anything that they DREAM up or hear second hand, and when you see a "jig" story ,it's usually about those pro bass rubber band baits that all look the same! Ahh,bring back the good ole days and carefully conceived natural hair jigs!

 

[deathb4disco]

Deathb4disco, Yep, ole Fishing Facts had some great material in it -really, a lot of terrific jig fishing info by guys that really practiced what they preached!

Yep. In the 1975 issue I have, there's a great article on jig fishing by Tony Portincaso, in addition to one by CB. In another, Rich Zaleski did an article about how the plain ol' marabou-and-chenille crappie jig was about the best all-round lure ever invented. In still another, Carl Malz wrote about how effective adding a live minnow to a jig could be.

That's another reason I liked FF. They did not shy away from recommending live bait.

 

[redman]

DBD Boy have you brought back some memories with those names. Yes I think that mine went back to 1974. Lols Yes I remember one of the guys from FF came to town for one of those seminars. He came two days early to fish and spent most of his time there in Bars and Strip Clubs. The seminar was a flop because the guy came in drunk and talked for a half hour and then wanted to leave to get back to the clubs. Never did any fishing everyone involved was discussed.

However he was the exception rather than the rule. Most of the men I found were First Class Gentleman. They knew what worked and were very personable. Homer La Blanc staid until the last person who wanted to talk to him left. He spent time with everybody which is what most of the Gentlemen did. One of our local guys did write for FF Paul Johnson was a Financial officer with Berkley. He wrote several pieces on jig fishing for yellow perch on the Iowa Great Lakes.

Sorry to ramble but feel the need to preserve some of these stories.

Redman

 

[Fatman]

A book they put out "Lunkers Love Nightcrawlers"!!! is still valid as the day they wrote it. When I was in the Military and we started moving all the time, I had to give up most of my mags. I should have kept the FF though.

 

[redman]

Loved that book a lot of it was from the stuff that the Linder brothers had been doing for Walleyes in Minnesota. Think that that was the first time that I heard of Back trolling. We did a bunch of it back then. Surprised that the lower units of the motors lasted as long as they did. We did more moving backwards that forwards.Lols Help build a lot of back splash guards. I haven't back trolled in years at the time it was called boat control. Yes you can control a boat better going backwards but with new the trolling motors with GPS it make back trolling out of favor.

Redman

 

[JSC]

Fishin Facts and then In Fisherman along with Bass Master mags ... Got a collection of all that go back several years ... Many hours of great reading .. and this thread is still "Waken Up" some gray cells that have not been used for a while. Thanx

 

[jiggerjohn]

Since this is a light jig history thread, it's interesting to hear again about "Lunkers Love Nightcrawlers". This concept REALLY developed about a decade earlier,during the 60s, by Bill Binkleman. Bill , a Midwest Dept Store executive, wrote a few small booklets,titled "Nightcrawler Secrets",and from their popularity he launched a small newspaper called "Fishing Facts and Secrets". This grew and evolved into Fishing Facts magazine, though Bill sold the magazine rights to George Pazik after a few early years. But,man, the great information in those newspapers (I had an old,now deceased, buddy who collected every one of those newspapers and presented me with a huge binder with all of them intact -what a treasure trove! Thanks, Earl!!). Binkleman was terrific in getting others excited about light tackle methods, and thru his writings first introduced the then novice Lindner brothers, Jack Crawford and his amazing hand crafted jigs, and most of those young anglers who eventually became editors for Fishing Facts during the 70s and 80s. Anyway, Bill Binkleman went on later to expand/refine on his original nightcrawler system in another series where he presented Flo colored, ULTRALIGHT JIGHEADS, as the best means of presenting both crawlers and minnows down over deep structure. Tho Bill's descriptions in these booklets seem rather basic (all good things are!), I still enjoy rereading these to inspire all my light jigging approaches!

 

[deathb4disco]

DBD Boy have you brought back some memories with those names.

Another one of their field editors was Charlie Richie, a bass guide based in Texas. Like a lot of the FF writers, I had totally lost track of him over the years. A couple of years ago, though, I was surprised to find out he publishes The Backwoodsman magazine:

http://www.backwoodsmanmag.com/