I would appreciate any helpful insight on jig fishing- (beau-mac) colors and sizes to use, correct depths, water, etc.

I'm a drifter, have tried it a few times w/ sliding bobber and chartreuse beau-mac but I'm not 'converted' yet. My uncle is a realitive neophyte and wants to go this week. I figure a jig and bobber is a good way for him to start.

P/S - can they be tipped effectively w/ bait?

Thanks in advance.

I guess this would be a good place to find out the easiest way to get back to the board after making a post. I backed out on my browser and posted my question twice!

Everyone does it different, but I use a cork bobber with a glow stick as the stopper. I run my leader through the bobber then push the glow stick into the bobber as the stopper. Then I tie on a jig to the main line and fish. The bobber slides easily up or down the line by simply pulling the gs out and moving the bobber. This way will only be good when you are trying to present your jig less the 6' deep.
As for jigs nightmare is one of the go to colors for me. White or peach work as well. you can add shrimp oil or what ever you want.
hope this helps

I really like to use red and flesh patterns when Jig fishing. Seem to work well.

I wouldnt put any oil on it though because the oil will make the maribou all gummy and it wont look right underwater. Tip it with a small piece of shrimp or other bait if needed.

I've put in quite a few hours fishing jigs in the last 4-5 years. I would recommend looking at the thill style bobbers. I've fished every bobber known to man kind and have really enjoyed fishing with these the best. Floats well in fast water and doesn't provide much resistance to the fish on the take. I used them fixed for better sensitivity. I usually use anything from a nightmare jig to my favorite color pink. At times I'll use sand shrimp tail or just raw shrimp on the tip. Make sure your jig is running in a horizontal position and try to keep as much drag as possible off of the float. Thats where long rods come in handy. Good luck.

~steelymann~

Hoh#er ... just wait 'til your post goes through and then when it takes you to your post, I just click on the "Northwest Fishing Board" link up top

Hey y'all, pardon mah ignorance but what is a "nightmare jig". Tried the search function but didn't come up w/anything.

Thanx

Sincerely,
Roger

Yeah. what's a night mare jig. I make my own and would like some hints as well.

Nightmare.....Pearl white head, red chenille body and a black tail. The tail can be various materials. I prefer rabbit or yarn.

Make sure you make a sideways hookset & not a "12 o'clock".

Thills work great & set hook if you see the slightest downward movement.

Scent will gum up mariboo & not yarn. Make sure to wash it off with joy so as not to gum it up permanently when thru for the day.

15lb. powerpro of tuff line floats & works very well with bobber set up.

Some jigs come with elastic to hold your bait on.

Pinch the barb- better penetration & make sure its sharp.

Have fun!

Full Freezer

This is what we call "Nightmare" Jigs. I use both the round head and the bullet heads.
i hope this shows you what nightmare looks like



Cowlitzfisherman

cvowlitz, do you pour your own heads? or do you get them from hurley? and do you powder coat your heads and where would i find that color?

BERKLEY BOY75

Both Hurley and I fish together a lot!

Hurley was the one who taught me how to tie jigs. We are always experimenting on new jigs, colors, and bobbers

I use his jig molds all the time to pour my heads. I help him from time to time if he needs some jigs wrapped when he out of town. Or when he runs out of material, we share what materials I may have. You can get the powder paint down at Bob's in Longview. I used to use nothing but fingernail polish until I started using the powder paints. I still use a lot on nail polish to get the "right" colors. The powder paints can't come up with some of the colors that I can get from using the fingernail polish colors.

One thing that works great for me, is when I use the pearl white powder paint, I coat my final coat (head and wrap) with pearl white fingernail polish. That works great with other similar colored powder paints also. On the colors that I can't match with the powder paint, I use clear fingernail polish for the final head and wrap coat.

I hope that this will help you if you wrap your own jigs.

As far I am concern, you can't buy a better jig then hurley's jigs, or the price that he sells them for!


Cowlitzfisherman

Do the bullet heads help to keep the jig horizontal as they are shown in the picture?

Many times my jigs go vertical so the tip of the hook points straight up, which is not the preferred method.

Sometimes you just can't beat those bullet heads! They tend not to get stuck as much as the rounds heads do, but both work great if you know how to use them! I switch off from round heads to bullet heads all the time. Your knot will decide to some degree which way your jig will be floating (and I don't know if that really makes a big difference either). The picture is not the way that a jig really floats most of the time. According to all the so-called experts, they should actually be floating at 180 degrees from what the pictures shows (i.e. upside down). Like all experts already know, do whatever works and produces fish for you…that's what I do!

Good luck

Cowlitzfisherman

What's the "preferred knot fer tyin jigs to leader (to get them to ride correctly)?

Thanx

Sincerely,
Roger

RRR

This is my personal "preferred Knot"

There are very few that use this self developed knot. Both I and a friend of mine kind of think that we both developed it about 30 years ago! You won't see it anywhere that I know of…but you will see one that is very similar to it. I had a lot of fun over the years at the sport shows playing mind games with all the line reps with this knot. I have never seen a knot that tests out any stronger at the breaking scales!

It's a simple one to use (most of the time). I call it the "double improved clinch knot"! It is exactly what it is named. Just Double your line and make a complete "clinch not" (http://camalott.com/~striper/bait/knots/knots.html). The trick is not to cut your self sort on the small end of your knot and I always add a "little spit" to my knot so that it will not rub to hard when you pull it tight! The same knots works really well with all those new spider type of woven lines.

It is the "only knot" that I have used for tying my jigs and swivels for the past 30 years! It works great on monofilaments line up to 60 lb test.


Cowlitzfisherman

Thanx CFM. Lately I've been usin the Palomar knot for most things. It seems like whatever knot I use it doesn't cinch down tight enough to make the ride horizontal. I wet the line twice -- once before tyin the knot and once before tightenin it.

Take care and tight lines

Sincerely,
Roger

You are more than welcome!

Remember that water is NOT the same lubricant as "spit is". Use your mouths liquids to lubricate your line…water just won't do the job, or cut it!


Cowlitzfisherman

Oddly enough, I have fished w/several people that believe that spit works as a fish attractant.

I took the family clam diggin one morning and there musta been about two dozen or more people floggin the water in search of Dollys. I dug clams, messed around with the family fer quite some time, and did not see any fish hooked. Got my rod, walked down to the water, tied on a lure, of course I lubed up the line w/a copious amount of saliva. You guessed it! On my second or third cast, I caught a nice Dolly -- the only one caught that morn. Wonder if it was the spit?

Sincerely,
Roger

The nightmare colors are my go to colors. I use the round headed jigs myself. I pour and tie my own. I also prefer using glo bug yarn for the tail. I don't think the jig needs to travel horizontallike most people say either. I am sure mine ride head up and tail down almost always. The fish seem to hit them just fine like that. Teh color of the chenile for the body is called flo red or fire red medium. Any fly shop should have that. Also Joes in Lakewood has that color. For bait on those jigs I really like putting a nightcrawler on them That seems to work really well. I have used different shades of the pink and red, and have experimented with the tail colors also. I haven't personally had luck with the maribu jigs???? Not sure why. They look good, but I just don't catch fish withthem. Just medium chenile bodies and yarn tails work bes for me.
Buck

Good info Buck. Really appreciate it. Think I'll give some of those a try when I next get up that way.

Thanx agin

Sincerely,
Roger

Also RRR I have been spiting on my lures for about 2 years. I mostly do that when trout fishing. Dont do it so much for steelhead, but I am sure it works fine. I am not sure why, but for trout fishing streams as a kid if I spit on my lure or worm I would catch more fish. So I have kept doing that ever since!!
Buck

Thanks for the heads up on the nightmare clfm. I am going to make a couple up to night before I go out in the morning.

I use just a little tiny bit of super glue to keep my knots from sliding. Sure beats adjusting jig every other cast! It will always ride horizontal. Just make sure you adjust line before you glue. I also tie my on jigs and pour my own heads, I use bugs bunny hair for the tails and use shrimp oil for scent with no problems.

Micropterus101 -- Thanx fer the tip. sounds like it would wrk pretty good. Do you tie them up at home nd apply the glue or do you carry the glue w/you and apply streamside?

Couple a quick questions: What does "micropterus" mean? Are u a micropterus teacher or student? And finally, how big is that fish in yer avatar?

Sincerely,
Roger

hoh#er

If you do buy beau-mac make sure you sharpen the hooks, straight out of the package you could not poke your eye out with one of there hooks if you tried.

Yep, I carry the glue streamside in a container used for holding fly glue cement with a metal tube. That way when it clogs I just heat the tube with a lighter and it vaporizes pretty quick.

Micropterus is the first part of the scientific name of bass. I put 101 afterwards because I get asked so many questions I feel like a fishing teacher.

The fish in the avatar is 28 pounds.

micropterus101

This is getting pretty scary!

About a year ago, or so, we (the Board) had a pretty active member named RT. He was one of Bob's moderators and ran a contest for the best idea for fishing. I gave RT and the board the same idea and advise that you have about using "supper glue" on your jig knot!

Maybe we think to much alike…you think?


Cowlitzfisherman

Novel concept. I understand the thought behind trying to get the jig to remain horizontal by using super glue, but I prefer to let the jig to impart as much natural action as possible. Good jigs are well balanced and the current brings them to life (nice ties, CFM). A uni-knot (both easy and strong) can be tied slightly loose to yeild less resistance to the lures action with no loss of strength. Same tie I use on a spoon or plug. Works great with braids too. Best part is old men with feeble eyes like me can tie it because you can do it with your eyes closed; you will have to look to cut the tag though, which is why the only time I don't use it is for drift gear where I want a tag for pencil lead.

No telling what kind of trouble I could get into with SuperGlue around.

I always use the cinch knot. I just make sure I go through the top loop before I cinch it down and wet it with saliva. I have never had a problem with that knot. I still also believe that the jig doesn't have to ride horizontal I know for a fact mine very seldom are. I seem to hook fish just fine teh way they are. I also usually put some shrimp smelly jelly oil or paste on teh chenile.
Buck

yep that is a little scary but I guess on a message board with over 4500 particpants two are bound to think alike