Why no love for solid black?

Shoemoo

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Nov 1, 2011
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Boise, ID
I don't think I've ever seen anyone post a pic of an all black jig here. 100% black just gets no love. But they work! I've been doing some night fishing on my last few trips out for crappie, and absolutely hammering them on all black jigs. I use new age or estaz type chenille and krystal flash to match the tinsel in the body, but other than the mylar it's black. Black head, black fuzz in the chenille and a black marabou, fox or rabbit tail. Sometimes I add black rubber legs too.

Weekend before last I outfished everyone and caught over 60 crappies, 90% of which were on black. There were some real slabs in the bunch too. Biggest one was over 14". They hit that jig so hard and so often the eyes came off and the chenille started sliding down the shank of the hook. (Note to self, add more glue.)

Even one of the guys who was fishing with me said he saw black tube jigs at the store before he came and left them on the peg because he didn't think they would work.

Maybe they just don't look flashy enough?
 

hookup

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May 22, 2012
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VA
Shhhh.

LoL

I posted a black leech rabbit hair jig the other day.
 

AtticaFish

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Attica, OH
I believe you have the answer! They do work, but most of my black jigs have hints of either red or blue in it and that is probably more for me than the fish.

Shoemoo said:
Maybe they just don't look flashy enough?

 

redman

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Sep 4, 2011
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Humboldt, Iowa
You got it nailed down they don't have a lot of flash or color just plain old black. That has been a spring go to color down here for years for me. Lately the local boys found out about just plain black now the have been adding blue and red wings to them. Think that AF has it right adding a color is more for the fisherman than for the fish. The fish like them just fine Black just plain Black.

Redman
 

papaperch

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Northeast Ohio
A huge all black Jitterbug has been a big bass producer for years . Used just at twilight hours or full dark. Why ? because black stands out from a fishes point of view. Almost all predatory fish view up to see their prey. from our point of view above. It would appear that dark colors and especially black would blend in too much against the dark waters. Just the opposite is true. Ever here better to be too shallow than too deep when fishing. Especially when crappie fishing they can be extremely depth orientated at times. Since I night fish a lot black jigs are always in my box.

Some colors are never widely accepted by fishermen but are great producers. Our own ignorance holds us back. Way more important to appeal to fishes point of view than anglers. One time was fishing at a camp in Canada. I was using pink jigs and was doing well on the walleyes. Trouble was I was the only one doing any good at all. Everyone else was too " macho " to even try a pink anything. They soon rid themselves of this notion when they finally surrendered to the " pank " craze.
 

smalljaw

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Aug 25, 2012
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If I can remember right, I think I posted a few jigs that were all black, that all black is fantastic in stained water as well as at night and in dirty water too. I do agree though, the lack of flash is a reason they aren't as prevelant as other jigs.
 

Fatman

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Northfield, Vermont
Here ya go
100_2762.jpg

100_3209.jpg

100_3745.jpg
 

LedHed

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Little 1" black curly tails work great for pan fish out here. Use to tye an all black hardbody roundhead 1/32nd jig - need to resurrect that jig....
 

quivira kid

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Sep 11, 2010
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Newton, Kansas
So a buddy and I went out tonight. Crappie are supposed to be on the banks right now, but we had a couple good rainstorms roll through this past week and kind of mixed things up a bit. The water was muddy in some areas, and the temps were down some. We fished 1/2-3/4 of a mile of good fishy shoreline.... rocky, with timber, right next to the river channel. Not much happening. A white, a wiper, half a dozen or so dinky bass and crappie. We finally located a little area that was holding some small fish, but at least it was something. They were nipping things to death, not really committing. So I reached into my bag of tricks and laughed, because I remembered this thread. 1/32-oz black jig got tied on. Black head, chunky black rabbit fur tail, and black gold chenille. 1.5-2 feet under a bobber........

913695_837744801313_628973860_o.jpg


Second ever smallie! Ended up catching 3 keeper size crappie that were 10-12" and a bunch of dinks right before dark. The big ones weren't coming regular enough to keep with the amount of daylight we had left, so they all got to keep swimming today.

Just had to share my "little black jig" story. I rarely fish without having a few of those along. Little and buggy catches fish more often than not!
 

Baxter1

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Jun 27, 2010
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I have some black tubes and twisters that I use from time to time.I tried a black kiptail with red thread and a plain head on our last trip for crappies and gills.Caught quite a few plus the only nice crappie(13") til I lost the whole rig.I tied some all black combos(kiptail,thread and head) the past few nights.They are hard for me to tie,trying not to nick the thread when trimming the hair between the thread and head.
 

Fatman

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Baxter - If you put a wrap of thread over the kip tail and pull down lightly you can pull back a little on the hair and won't have so much trouble with trimming
 

redear

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Jun 24, 2010
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Waverly, Va.
Baxter1, I know what ya mean about cutting the thread while trimming, I have gotten good at saving a jig that has had the thread cut. lol of course if the hair gets loose when it happens there is no saving it most the time. when ya got black thread and black hair it's the hardest to see, for me anyway. love those kiptails.
 

quivira kid

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Sep 11, 2010
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Newton, Kansas
Here is what I do...... cut the kip to the length you need, then butt the ends up to the head. Then you aren't having to cover up all those stray butt ends, either. It makes finishing a thread neck a whole lot easier, in my opinion.
 
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