I said WHAT?!

[Helianthus]

So this past week while I was holding conferences with a family, the lady goes on to talk about her and her pops life and hobbies and the normal family history and she goes on to mention that they have a rabbit farm. They raise rabbits and sell the meat. So I asked what she does with the hide, and she gave me this weird look and said," well just throw them away." As if I just won a prize beaming with a smile, I was like, "Can I have them?" So I gave her my number and really not expecting to hear back as things like this normally get forgotten or not taken seriously but I got a call today, my luck I missed it but nevertheless, it was the call saying they were about to have 3 hides.

when I called back and received his voicemail he mentioned he was prob out bass fishin. I'm not to familiar or any really with bass jigs. I'd like to make some good ones for him. Ultra minnow a good choice for head? and what about the tail? Would be nice to use rabbit, but would that be appropriate for bass? Any help/advice greatly welcomed.

 

[Jig Man]

My best advice is milk, egg, flour, peanut oil, salt, pepper, tatters, crown royal... :icon14: :icon14:

 

[LedHed]

Try some football head jigs also. Using rabbit is a great idea. What a score...

 

[Radtexan]

Score,,,,do they have any chickens ????

 

[Fatman]

Getting the skins would be a great score!!!!!!!! but do you know how to tan them!!!!!! so that you could make zonker/cross-cut strips?? At one time there was a home one step tanning kit but I haven't seen it in years.

Anyone know how to tan skins easily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[smalljaw]

Helianthus, most of the jigs I tie are for bass, mostly smallmouth but I do tie hair for largemouth and hair works great when the weather is cold or extremely hot. If you make a full rabbit jig for bass you need regularzonkers strips and cross cut, the reason you need the regular is you want to have a tail on it and cross cut zonkers makes great bodies but not so great tails, if you can only have 1 cut get the regular zonkers because you can wrap them and make a body as well as a tail and while cross cut does make a better body it is almost useless as a tail. You can use just about any head design but keep your hooks at a size #1 or larger, you can get away with a #2 hook but that is about as small as I would go with largemouth.

 

[Helianthus]

Thanks smalljaw, very helpful! Will have to work on some after lil man goes to bed!

Rad-She did mention that they sell chicken eggs but didn't mention anything else. Will have to take note and ask!

FM-As my dad says, "If you thought about it, someone else has to AND wrote a book about it" So DO I know, no, am I hard headed and going to attempt to learn, yes. I just can't see passing up the chance. I mean, I know how bunnies populate so that's a lot of hides!! To me, its worth the attempt. Not saying it'll be successful as I'm no stranger to failure but don't know until you try.

 

[smalljaw]

Thanks smalljaw, very helpful! Will have to work on some after lil man goes to bed!

Rad-She did mention that they sell chicken eggs but didn't mention anything else. Will have to take note and ask!

FM-As my dad says, "If you thought about it, someone else has to AND wrote a book about it" So DO I know, no, am I hard headed and going to attempt to learn, yes. I just can't see passing up the chance. I mean, I know how bunnies populate so that's a lot of hides!! To me, its worth the attempt. Not saying it'll be successful as I'm no stranger to failure but don't know until you try.

If you have a source for free hides, even if you have to pay a small cost, and you learn to tan the hides and cut zonkers, you will have a nice business on the side as everyone here will keep you busy, seriously! You would have a nice profit margin and even if you don't go that route at the very least you'll have a tremendous supply of rabbit and with a little Rite clothing dye you make them any color you want!!! Go for it!!

 

[StumpHunter]

Great find, congrats and hope the hides work out well for you,

 

[Fatman]

I'd take the hides either way!!!!!!!!! Even dry you can tie with them

 

[Lost Pole]

Forget the tying… eggs n wabbit…
YUM.

 

[StumpHunter]

Forget the tying… eggs n wabbit…
YUM.

A thought from my own heart :icon14::icon14::icon14:

 

[AtticaFish]

mmmm.... been too long since i've had grilled rabbit.

Bass jigs that i like are mainly larger and full ties. My favorite are the ones that use silicone skirt material but also tie a lot that are just long rabbit zonker strips with full bucktail tied around the zonker. Wolly bugger patterns work well too.

Tube Mimic

Jig-n-Zonk

Smallie Tail

 

[Helianthus]

Thanks everyone! Attica thanks for links, helps greatly!