Daphnia -- Water Fleas

[papaperch]

Technically these aren't jigs. What they are is great ice fishing lures and yes they can be used in open water fishing also. I make some with plastic beads and some with metal beads used in fly tying.

these are my go to lure throught the ice when the panfish get lockjaw. tipped with either a waxworm or maggot they are downright deadly.

Perch ,crappie and gills are the normal victims but every now and then.....

the plastic beads have to be drilled but the metal ones the hole is big enough. easiest way to drill is hold bead with pliars and use battery hand drill. I use mono to wrap then glue bead to wrap build up. I use everything ( mostly scraps from other ties) for a tail.

Been my ice fishing weapon of choice for a few decades now. For deep water a split shot must be added to the line when using the plastic beaded ones or tie as a dropper under a normal jig or lure.

 

[Ron Don]

Those do look deadly! No ice down here, but I can see gills nailing those for sure!

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I like those,definitely a panfish killer.

 

[Len]

Very nice!! What size of hook did you use? I am going to make some of those for this seasons ice fishing.

 

[papaperch]

Len -thats a # 10 hook.

 

[AtticaFish]

What kind of #10? Almost looks like an octopus hook... not a bait or aberdeen for sure - has a pretty short shank. Darn you (and thanks), something else i need to make up. Like the looks of the red bead one, looks like a perch eye that just fell out of the original owner.

 

[papaperch]

Russ- its like a salmon egg hook. Don't have to be a special hook long as its somewhat curved. I use gold ones because I have to use gold ones on my pin mins for soldering purposes. The solder just will not stick on the bronze hook. Try them at Willard and see what happens.

By the way as you can see they are real easy to make. If someone had the power to limit me to just one panfish lure on the ice . These would be what I take.

 

[Uncle Grump]

Those look sweet - going to have to try a few of those...

UG

 

[jjsjigs]

Did you mean Dipthera? As in midge or "snow flies"? In the genus Chronimidae? They are nice looking jigs... BTW. Definitely "trout worthy" for winterfishing.

 

[papaperch]

Nope I meant just what I said Daphnia commonly called water flea. It is indigenious to almost everywhere. It is a small almost translucent aquatic organism. It is so small I could not see them when my eyes were good. Bluegills and crappies gorge themselves on them under the ice. They are readily visible when placed under a microscope. Just google what I typed and it will tell you more than I can and pix to boot.

 

[LedHed]

Very interesting tyes - gonna have to try that pattern - thnx for sharing

 

[StumpHunter]

Those look good.