Getting started

[New River Rat]

After finding this site and knowing how smallmouth love "snacks", I spent time in my dungeon/shop yesterday (not having a clue).

 

[CrappieHappy]

Nice, nothing wrong with those!!

 

[Fatman]

X2 They look good!!!

 

[AtticaFish]

What weight head is that? It looks light weight, unless it has additional weight under the body, could make it both tough to cast and very slow sinking if there is much current in the river. If you can get it to the fish - it will get eaten.... you can throw away all those spider grubs now~!

I make many of those a year using craftfur, bucktail or rabbit zonkers....

http://www.jigcraft.com/patterns/jignzonk_01.html

 

[bassman356]

Scary looking thing, but I'll bet you will catch fish with them.

 

[Pup]

Bass love legs.

 

[New River Rat]

What weight head is that? It looks light weight, unless it has additional weight under the body, could make it both tough to cast and very slow sinking if there is much current in the river.

1/8 ounce. It'll cast just fine, land near the bank, micro-eddy, back through the seam, set the hook.......perfect scenario.

 

[Radtexan]

That'll work !

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Sounds like a plan for this bait. Smallies will eat it.

 

[StumpHunter]

Looks good.

 

[Squall Line]

I may just have to learn that. NICE JIG

 

[New River Rat]

Two things I've learned so far.

!. This ain't as easy as I thought.
2. I work artificial material better than feathers and fur.

I really need to practice some more. I'm trying to do 1/4-3/8 jigs in somewhat of a wooly bugger/helgramite pattern.

 

[AtticaFish]

Always learning!

Have been doing this a while and still would much rather use fur over feathers. A lot of people have a hard time working with craftfur, but i would prefer it over marabou or hackle. Tie a lot of stuff with craftfur, bucktail and rabbit zonkers.

Making big hellgee or bugger will require large hackle feathers to palmer the body. Tend to break a lot of hackle trying to make w.buggers and it gets very frustrating - but maybe i just try to wrap too tight. On larger w.buggers, i also like to counter wrap wire over the palmered hackle to keep it in place better. Could use the silicone skirt material to place legs along the side of a chenille body to make hellgee pattern.

 

[Fatman]

X2 with Attica - Your always gonna learn more. Bugger necks or Large saddles should work out good for you on 1/4 - 3/8th oz jigs.

 

[smalljaw]

Those are different for sure but the chenille has the skirt pushed up nice that you'll get good seperation of the strands in the water which looks great!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll get better with practice and take what you learn from the crappie-trout-panfish jigs and apply it to bass jigs and you'll love the results. Wooly bugger jigs on 1/4oz bass jigs work awesome for river smallies and I remember the first hackle collars I tied, they fell a little slower than straight bucktail jigs and it resulted in some more bites. Great job though, they are different but very cool!!!!!!!!!!

 

[New River Rat]

Here's some I'm going to try tomorrow. Here in VA, the photo period is starting up for the smallies, and the big girls are wanting some snacks!

 

[Pup]

Now, those are looking very buggy. I think that's a good thing.

 

[Fatman]

You should have no problem getting bit with those

 

[eyecrosser]

That'll get it done, nice job!!!

 

[New River Rat]

Trying rabbit and rubber