Not quite there yet

[hays47]

Been busy tying a few for walleyes and decided to downsize some for the real gamefish ( crappie ). I have liked how they have worked so far. But not real pleased with appearance just yet.

Friends tell me I am just too fussy. Be happy that they work. I guess my " artistic side " wants to make them look exactly like a minnow. Was trying to imitate the Dace minnow and lake shiner two types that are high on the fishes menu list. Smaller ones 1/32 bigger ones 1/8

Comments negative or positive are welcomed.

[talegunner]

Hey hays47, I like your thread heading "Not quite there yet" Your jigs look great. What I see are 9 cool variations that I dont have. Im not quite there yet. Nobody here is ever really there that falls in love with tyin jigs. We just keep tyin for the next cool fish catchin jig. As far as i can tell you were there, but we are always not quite there yet. TIE ON my friend!

[jigtwins]

Those look great. As long as they catch fish, I wouldn't change a thing!

[OKSTATEjiggy]

Hays,

if you're catching fish on what you have, then that's what matters. If you want to tie jigs that have better tail-body-head proportions and have a uniform appearance, then look at as many pictures of jigs and flies as you can, and try to imitate what you see. You can browse through all the old threads and look at everything that has been posted, or you can look at some here: http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-t...-pictures.html

Be mindful of the marabou feather you are using. Try to select the feather with as many long fibers on the top as you can, and just use the top of the feather. Look at these kinds of marabou: FISHING TACKLE for bass fishing, crappie, walleye, trout.Fishing lures, fishing hooks, lead molds. BARLOWS FISHING TACKLE.

Use the top of the select feather or the strung marabou you buy from your fly shop or C.C member.

Also, watch this video: YouTube - White Minnow

BTW, I dig the lateral lines on your middle column of jigs.

[sticksteer]

If there catching fish then your there. All the pretty sparkly flash is to catch the fisherman !

[hays47]

A little further explanation on these. I am expiermenting with the E-Z body braid and different heads for a minnow or chublike appearance.

I expect that I will never be fully satisfied with my jigs. To me half the fun in this is all the different styles and materials you can fool with. A little over 2 years ago my stuff for tying would have fit in a 2 gallon bucket. Now it takes up about an 1/8 th of my 24 X 32 garage.

I no sooner learn how to tie a certain style of jig and then boom either I see something or think of a new idea. I will confess to leaving active fish to run home and tie a pattern that all of a sudden strikes me. It don't happen often but it has happened. I am pretty sure I went off the deep end back there somewhere.

[AtticaFish]

I look at it this way... any predator feeds when they can on whatever is the easiest thing to get hold of. There for, you don't want the healthiest looking minnow in the lake, that would take too much energy to catch. I tend to add the color red to make the apperance of blood. I like to make some that are perfect, but those are made mostly to give away and impress people. :D I don't sell em' so if the "not quite right" ones catch fish......

Use the better marabou (like OKJiggy said) on the bottom right one and you have one KILLER PROFILE jig!

[talegunner]

A little further explanation on these. I am expiermenting with the E-Z body braid and different heads for a minnow or chublike appearance.

I expect that I will never be fully satisfied with my jigs. To me half the fun in this is all the different styles and materials you can fool with. A little over 2 years ago my stuff for tying would have fit in a 2 gallon bucket. Now it takes up about an 1/8 th of my 24 X 32 garage.

I no sooner learn how to tie a certain style of jig and then boom either I see something or think of a new idea. I will confess to leaving active fish to run home and tie a pattern that all of a sudden strikes me. It don't happen often but it has happened. I am pretty sure I went off the deep end back there somewhere.

I understand perfectly where your com'in from. Just another fork in the road headed down fork street. I also feel your good pain. I to am a serial jig tier. TIE ON