jiggerjohn
Active member
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2010
- Messages
- 547
My 32 yr old son was whomping me during a short morning trout session a few days ago. "Do ya want to hold my rod on the next trout, just so ya don't forget what one feels like? " he teased. OK, time to bring out the big guns -so I reached for the thin blue plastic grocery bag that we carry our very limited selection of trout gear in. No, not to search for another jig, as Sean & I were using about the exact same satin/wool jig anyway(tho Sean's "special" Banshee sported a 1" thin rabbit strip trailer). But, rather to cut a thin 1 1/2 " pointy tailed strip out of the ultra thin, flimsy plastic material for a tapered, minnow like tail. Smug son wasn't so gleeful as I nailed a limit in the next 15 minutes!!
As reported here before, I've often employed these thin baggie strips previously -always with huge success. Can't beat their cheapness, and I can cut them in any length or shape that I desire, right on the water's edge to meet conditions & fit the jig size I'm using at the time. Recently, for instance, I made a dandy helgrammite imitation with a quick few side snips with scissors to give legs! Usually, tho, it's a straight V cut, starting at the hook pinning end of about 1/4 width. Yet any quick snipping "artistry" seems to produce!
Old buddy, Keith of Hawnsjigs, asked me why I thought these simple attachments worked at all. Here's a list of what I think I think about them:
1) Ultra thin width (about 1/20 as thick as thinnest pork rind strip) for no distraction or added weight to a wooly jig regular motion
2) BLUE color, which seems magical at NP & Pym the past year or so
3) No harsh action, just a nice NATURAL roll and flapping
4)Pointy tail offers very subtle quiver on slow, straight retrieve
5)Adds length and tapered minnow profile
6) Smooth & slick for easy entry into fish mouths; no problem for them inhaling something this light& wispy
7) Even slowest steady retrieve, trying NOT to impart added motion,pulls out the best action in these tails!
8)Tail doesn't interfere with dangling, rippling flashabou trailers
9) Cheap(free!) & any shape ya wanta cut, even while on the water (fly catalogs recently began offering precut minnow&crawfish shaped tails-no where near as active as baggies- for about 4 bucks per 8 tails! Fly guys must be rich!!)
10) Rides perfectly ABOVE wool & satin,marabou, bucktail,artificial tying material, or calf tail jigs
11) Flapping action could add sound/vibration as do vinyl sales "flags" at store sales events in the wind
12)Ya can always use a small bag to carry/store items for fishing -now rims of the bag itself can be turned into a lure! Carry small scissors!
13)My " Blue point specials" are wider than flashabou strips for more visibility, and the 2 materials coordinate well together
14) They stay on the hook extremely well despite their seeming flimsiness, but if one is stolen by quick slurping fish, replacement by pinning takes but a second
15) Colors are endless for baggies from various sources, including, with careful cutting over printed bags-stripes& multi-colored tails, tho I love my simple light blue ones
16) From testing, fish seem to prefer baggies over live bait tipping, plus ya can carry a season's supply in your pocket
17) Bag strips are natural for the subtle up-down motion of vertical jigging
18) Trout and panfish ,among others, love 'em
So ,as I tell my Hawaiian jig making buddy, "Bag 'em, Dano!"
As reported here before, I've often employed these thin baggie strips previously -always with huge success. Can't beat their cheapness, and I can cut them in any length or shape that I desire, right on the water's edge to meet conditions & fit the jig size I'm using at the time. Recently, for instance, I made a dandy helgrammite imitation with a quick few side snips with scissors to give legs! Usually, tho, it's a straight V cut, starting at the hook pinning end of about 1/4 width. Yet any quick snipping "artistry" seems to produce!
Old buddy, Keith of Hawnsjigs, asked me why I thought these simple attachments worked at all. Here's a list of what I think I think about them:
1) Ultra thin width (about 1/20 as thick as thinnest pork rind strip) for no distraction or added weight to a wooly jig regular motion
2) BLUE color, which seems magical at NP & Pym the past year or so
3) No harsh action, just a nice NATURAL roll and flapping
4)Pointy tail offers very subtle quiver on slow, straight retrieve
5)Adds length and tapered minnow profile
6) Smooth & slick for easy entry into fish mouths; no problem for them inhaling something this light& wispy
7) Even slowest steady retrieve, trying NOT to impart added motion,pulls out the best action in these tails!
8)Tail doesn't interfere with dangling, rippling flashabou trailers
9) Cheap(free!) & any shape ya wanta cut, even while on the water (fly catalogs recently began offering precut minnow&crawfish shaped tails-no where near as active as baggies- for about 4 bucks per 8 tails! Fly guys must be rich!!)
10) Rides perfectly ABOVE wool & satin,marabou, bucktail,artificial tying material, or calf tail jigs
11) Flapping action could add sound/vibration as do vinyl sales "flags" at store sales events in the wind
12)Ya can always use a small bag to carry/store items for fishing -now rims of the bag itself can be turned into a lure! Carry small scissors!
13)My " Blue point specials" are wider than flashabou strips for more visibility, and the 2 materials coordinate well together
14) They stay on the hook extremely well despite their seeming flimsiness, but if one is stolen by quick slurping fish, replacement by pinning takes but a second
15) Colors are endless for baggies from various sources, including, with careful cutting over printed bags-stripes& multi-colored tails, tho I love my simple light blue ones
16) From testing, fish seem to prefer baggies over live bait tipping, plus ya can carry a season's supply in your pocket
17) Bag strips are natural for the subtle up-down motion of vertical jigging
18) Trout and panfish ,among others, love 'em
So ,as I tell my Hawaiian jig making buddy, "Bag 'em, Dano!"
