i have some questions

[flapjackman]

being out of the jig tying for over 25 years and just getting back into it, somethings have changed, maybe even improved.

i want to throw somethings out for opinions and possible improvements.

i think most know by now i am a saltwater river/chesapeake bay kinda guy so all my baits are related to that zone.
my jig lead melting pot was old and after a few pours...failed and i replaced it 3 weeks ago and sent in my old one to Lee for repair. they called and said NO WAY......but we will sell u a new one for 1/2 price......i did it......came in yesterday - not used yet.

1st is hair
2nd is cements
3rd is paint

opinions please.

i have never used this man made hair, but it looks ok, i have just tyed a few jigs this morning, but i added a mix of real hair and denier just to keep myself happy.
how does that stuff work??

cements..............thread, back in the 70"s i just bought some clear laqure and dipped jig and thread, but i can not find any laqure locally.

paint......most i do not paint, but my kids want paint, so i bought some of this dry dip .....seems to work fine.

thanks
f y i
after posting this, I SEE I SHOULD HAVE PUT IT UNDER TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT......
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[SaltyBuckster]

I tried the Fish Hair,did'nt like the movement at all.Stick with bucktail,we tear the flounder up in Jersey,check out some of the trips in the saltwater forum.Get an Ultra Minnow mold !!!

 

[JSC]

Fish hair works for me in Salt water ... a little tougher and holds its color ... A lot of us on Saltwater Jigs use epoxy glue for a final coat on head and wraps (Powder Paint for this purpose is hard to beat) ... With Lacquer, and most other paints if you use with soft plastics you are asking for trouble as the pastic will attach these types of paint.

 

[StumpHunter]

The jigs look fine with that powder paint. I tried the fishair but I didn't like it much in the fresh water. Bucktail is hard to beat.

 

[Fatman]

I've tried the fishair but didn't like it, bucktail is way better. forget the laqure especially with plastics, stick with the powder.

With a good whip finish you shouldn't have to coat the thread, you'll probably lose it before you have to worry about it coming undone.

 

[LedHed]

Bucktail, Flashabou & epoxy

 

[Pup]

Needing length, so you might try some Targus Foxxfur. It's like the ultimate craft fur. I think you might like it.

 

[JSC]

"(Powder Paint for this purpose is hard to beat)"

I was not talking about using it to make the final coat // just for the jig head and afterwords coat over all with Epoxy.

 

[Lost Pole]

I use lacquer thinned slightly and powder paint. Would prefer epoxy, but lacquer is more cost efficient and easier to work with for me. I haven't had any problems yet and have been attacked by quite a few gar. No paint chips or falling apart jigs. But then again I don't tie any thread necks.
The few saltwater jigs I've tied, I used bucktail or craft hair. Most everyone here uses plastics for salt. Gulp! and Matrix type baits are killing specks n reds along the bridges right now. Biggest speck caught last week off the trestles here was 6 lbs from what I've heard.
Your jigs look great and glad you decided to venture back into tying your own. Can't wait to see the pics of the mules you haul in.

Adam

 

[Radtexan]

Nice work flap...Powder is the way to go...

 

[SaltyBuckster]

Hey Flapjack,
I just tied up a fish hair 2 oz. Ultra Minnow to see how it acted in the water,since you got me thinking of fish hair again.
#1. It was'nt pleaseing to the eye to look at,lol.
#2 It swam about the same for me.
Thanks for reminding me why I did'nt like it.I'de get a bunch of bucktails and go and catch some fish.

 

[JSC]

SB
Sounds like you are using the heavy material ... Try some of the lighter .

On a lot of Saltwater lures we use the straight nylon "Brisele" (spellimg) which has little or no action a lot of the guys cut it off just back of the hook especaily the "Pompano Guys" .. I have caught just about everything with it in saltwater and in freshwater as well ... A lot of this could be in the reflection of the light on the Nylon .. also they do not tear it up with sharp teeth (as long as the thread is epoxied over) as bad as with other materials (Bucktail, Feathers & etc.).

Your Bucktails look Great and you are catching fish on them.. Stay with it.

Have a great day.

Just an inflated .02 cents worth
JSC

 

[snake River]

Fisher hair is quite effective sometimes you wanted jig it has little or no movement and this is the perfect material for that though you may not think that it looks good in the water but to the fish very little movement sometimes means a whole lot we have used it nylon for making jigs and found it to be some time red-hot sometimes they do not want any action at all keep in mind all materials that you will use mean different things at different times according to the fish depending on your food source so you are try to imitating something in the water and something is very little movement will definitely trigger their feeding frenzy so I use a wide variety of materials we do carry a pot of different jigs tied with different materials when we go out because not all of your favorite for work so you have to go to something else and try to find out what they are feeding on do not be afraid to experiment this is what jig tying is all about to find out what materials that we can use for tying up jigs.