How many make jig patterns that look like actual forage?

smalljaw

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The last time fishing, my friend and me did really well with the jigs I made with the UV material, these jigs are pictured in the forum. Anyway, I was happy and it got me deeper into tying and experimenting and today I get a call from a friend who I gave some jigs to with the only condition that he tried them and to let me know what happened. He told me the jigs that had the hackle and the dubbing were getting bit when he was fishing rocks around current, and the wild colored ones didn't get bit, only the ones that had browns, blacks and watermelon and green pumpkin patterns, with the number one being a jig I made that had a thick brown bucktail tail, black chenille and orange hackle and a black jig head. I get this info and then I'm in the store with my wife a couple hours later and in the magazine rack is a copy of fly tyers world and there was an article about big nymphs for smallies and it made me think, one day were catching them on what I would call an attractor type pattern and then a week or so goes by and the more natural patterns are working, so now that I know both types work well I wanted to see what type of patterns you guys tie more of, forage or attractor patterns? An inquiring mind wants to know.
 

SaltyBuckster

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What I think is an attracter color and pattern probably is a natural bait to fish.Like the orange jigs that I tie.To me it would be an attracter color,to the fish maybe it is a natural occurance.I've never seen anything orange swimming around,lol.Same with pink.I think we can guess,but really who knows what a fish actually sees.
 

AtticaFish

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I tie more natural colors & patterns than bright crazy patterns for my personal use. But even my natural ties i tend to put a dash of contrasting color on. Solid black or solid white are hard to beat but maybe get more attention with an xtra color? Who knows.

Some of my own mental rules - yep, i am mental.
- Natural colors and patterns in clear water
- The slower i fish a certain bait the more natural and realistic i want it, match the hatch
- Vice versa, fast reeling burner lures (rippin' jigs, spinners & jerk baits) i like bright and flashy
- Muddy water = darker color lures, black being top pick
- Largemouth i stick to realistic forage colors
- Crappie will eat some crazy color stuff

BTW - Take that FlyTyer magazine home with you, alot of inspiration and technique can be learned and put into practice on larger jigs from even those teeny tiny flies.
 

Fatman

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x2 with Led and x1 with Attica - any fly pattern can be tied on a jig, you just have to tie it in reverse you want the pattern sitting flat in the area near the hook gap, jigs don't fall like flies.
 

redman

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I think it depends on the species of the fish that you are going after. When I fished walleye in the northern Glacial lakes of Iowa I tied jigs that matched the bait fish spot on. Now that I am fishing the cypress swamps of north east Texas I thur that out the window. The number one bait fish in Caddo Lake is the Gizzard shad the number one fished jig on Caddo lake is the Electric Chicken. If you want to match the bait fish to the jig it would have to be Shad gray tail a spot of black and a silver body with a white belly and a shad gray wing. But that doesn't work as well as a Electric Chicken. The other pattern that works well here is RonDon's LaBaits blue back and white belly 2 inch . You can have some luck with the same pattern in Crazy Angler's Slab Bandit.

Think that it must be close to what the Crappie are feeding on in the lake in the fall. I fish my faithful old Blue Belle pattern with luck here also. Now if I fished Walleyes at night I use a attracter pattern the Mary Kay to knock them dead. It looked like no bait fish but many a big Walleye fell to her charm. This last spring the number one bait lake wide here was a all black jig 1/32 with a #6 hook with two pieces of silver tinsel on the belly out a half inch beyond the hair of the jig. The number one live bait was a 1&1/2 inch Silver shiner. Two very different baits but both worked well.

I would have to go along with most of what Attica said. But in the same breath I would tell you when you get these fish figured out please tell me because it's worth some big buck to you to have me catch slab Crappies every day. I have been at it for 7 years on this lake and will keep at it until I get them figured out Which might be until I die.

Redman

P.S. When I get them figured out I will let you know and will not charge you one thin dime. I don't think that will ever happen. RM
 

JUNGLEJIM1

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I think the water color effects what fish actually see. In greenish colored water a white jig won't look white to the fish but it will in clear water.In dark,stained water I like something with some fluorescent color in it. I'm constantly checking what my jigs look like under a blacklight. I have one plugged in beside my desk at all times. Years ago I found out that my best fish catching jigs had at least one fluorescent color in them and sometimes more. You'd be suprised what some jigs look like under a blacklight. I've found some gray marabou that looks drab but really shines under a blacklight,really think there is something about ultra violet light that is key to fishing success. In most cases fish have to see it before they can eat it. Once,a friend of mine caught a catfish that was totally blind but very fat and healthy. Sense of smell must have been key,fish ate a chunk of bluegill.
 

Hawnjigs

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Don't forget hearing and feeling. Why all my ties now are JiggerJohn Boolies with the churning propeller blade emitting sonic and tactile stimuli.
 

redman

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All of which leads to another question!!!! How many of you add a scent to your jig??? I do all the time. I was lucky enough to have known Dr. Keith Jones who developed the products of Strike and Gulp for Berkley and Company and continued to work for Pure Fishing even after Coleman bought them out. Dr. Keith convinced me to use a scent. I have two that I like to use #1 is the Berkley Crappie scent and the second is my stand by and every fisherman's friend WD-40. I even will use crappie nibblets at times and have been know to cut up a Gulp bait and add it to the jig.

So in my estimation and to get back to the subject at hand with my being a meat fisherman. #1 if it is working for you and you are catching fish keep doing it. It matters little if it is a attracter or a match the hatch pattern. #2 Do what you have to to make your jig something special that will attract fish to it regardless of species. #3 and maybe the most important have confidence in the jig that you are using or it is not going to work all that well for you because you will not fish it correctly and it will lose it effectiveness.#4 fish the area where the fish are. Learn to read a body of water and know what it is telling you by observation. Finally remember to have FUN as a bad day fish is better then the best day of WORK.


Redman
 

ragged edge

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Over here I fish four different lakes for crappie and walleye. Each lake is unique for jig color and pattern. Some lakes the shoreline is from old volcanic lava flow while others are ancient mud flows from the same activity. The water clarity and shoreline vegetation changes from lake to lake as well.

Like redman pointed out, a meat fisherman and will use crappie nibbles/WD-40 when the fishing slows down. I do!
 

Hawnjigs

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Used to fish custom hand pour stinky Power Bait scented tubes for all my fresh water fishing, till I discovered thru JiggerJohn that a properly tied jig outfished plastics. I suppose tied jigs could be scented for added attraction but haven't needed to yet.
 

smalljaw

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I never believed in scents and then I won some scent in a drawing of some kind and I just threw it in my bag so I would have it, never thought I'd use it though. A few hours and no fish, I'm fishing a finesse style jig-n-pig, 1/4oz for smallies, I'm flipping my jig on to the bank and pulling it so it enters the water slowly and instantly I get bit and then the fish spits it that quick. After a few dozen bites like that I figured I would put the scent on and see if it made a difference since it was hot and I didn't feel like tying on another jig of a different color. Well after I applied the scent I made a flip on to the bank like I was doing and when I pulled it in to the water I got bit again only this time the fish didn't spit it and I landed a solid 3lb smallie, I caught a dozen more before the end of the day and now I use scent all the time.
 

papaperch

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I believe it changes from day to day or even hour to hour. Sometimes a match the hatch pattern works great sometimes its the complete opposite.

To back up my opinion. One of the most successful flies ever tied has been the Royal Coachman. Yet there is no insect alive that even remotely resembles it.
 

redman

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Well Hawn I do use some Gulp and Power bait by Berkley on occasions. Mostly I go with my own jigs to get the crappies out of the river. I use most Berkley crappie scent on the jigs. If it is to far out of reach I use the WD-40 which is never out of reach. I get it in spray bottles at Bass Pro Shop. Use to get it by the case at Berkley's factory outlet. That ran out years ago which should tell you how much that I used. It works very well with a jigs just use a spray or two every ten minutes it will wash off. But I guarantee that you will out fish any one not using it.

Guess it all comes down to whether you want to use it or not. Like I said I have to feed the family so need to to put fish in the boat on a daily or every other day basis. I try to live a self reliant life style and don't want to go to the grocery store to buy any thing but Coffee, Sugar, Flour, Corn Meal and Vegetable Oil. If my wife didn't like Dr. Pepper so much I would be there even less.

Up Date::: Got the Solar panels on order and will soon be ( Hope , Hope , Hope ) Off the grid. Water and phone is the only big bills that we will have. Got to have the computer to talk to you guys and gals.

Redman
 
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