Question: tying a jig with a soft plastic body and marabou tail

[Super Dave]

Anybody know how to tie those jigs that have a soft plastic grub body and a marabou tail, like the Lindey Fuzz-E-Grub or Jelly Belly Jig? They look like the body was made from soft worm/grub plastic with a marabou/hackle/buck tail, on a regular leadhead jig.

[shipahoy41]

I have never done it but I remember seeing it on the forum. Here is the thread. This may help a little.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/jig-t...elly-jigs.html

[Super Dave]

Thanks for the info, Ship. The Jelly Belly thread suggests tying the marabou tail to the jighead first, and then cast the soft plastic grub body around the hook and the marabou. I was thinking along a whole different line of thought: figure out a way to secure the marabou tail to the grub body first, and then thread onto the jighead like you do with other soft plastics. I may try tying the marabou to a short, straight piece of wire or toothpick; apply a little superglue and then insert into the soft plastic grub body before threading the grub body onto the jighead.

[Super Dave]

Did a search on Jelly Belly Jig and found the following instructions, courtesy of Alan W. Miller's website:

Crappie Jig: Chartreuse Jelly Belly Alan W. Miller

[fish_4_all]

Okay, here is what I do:
Take a metal embroidery needle, large eye and push it from the bottom to the top leaving the eye sticking out. Take some 12# fishing line and double it up. Thread the tag ends through the eye of the needle. Pull the needle and the fishing line through to the top of the grub. Now pull the fishing line so that the loop is about 1/2 from the bottom of the grub. Now take your marabou and thread it through the eye of the fishing line. Now the tough part. Pull the fishing line so that it pulls the marabou into the body of the grub but hold onto it so that the marabou eventually pulls out of the eye of the fishing line and finish pulling the line out. Use a needle point applicator to apply some super glue inside the grub and on the marabou and there you go. Can make them up all you want and never out a hook in them until you are ready. Can even change hooks if you are lucky enough not to pull out too much marabou when you remove the hook.

I will try to get pictures but I have not been very good at getting quality ones recently.

[Super Dave]

Thanks, Fish. I can see that you would have to hold your tongue just right and use all your dexterity to get the marabou in the right depth. LOL This will work best with the marabou that is stacked and sewn when you buy it. I cut my own marabou off the quill and I would be lucky to catch it all in the loop. Still a good technique. Might try it with some hackle or bucktail.

[fish_4_all]

Hackle, bucktail, yarn, chenille, flash, rabbit fur, squirrel or whatever you want to use will work. I have done it with yarn, marabou and flash.

[skiptomylu]

I think most that make them are casting them in a mold. Probably some kind of injection mold for soft plastics. I have seen to many that are not done by using a already made plastic worm or something like that.

Skip

[shipahoy41]

fish 4 all that is an interesting method. Again, I have never tried to make jelly jigs, but thta is interesting anyway. Thanks. If I were to do it, I personally would try and design some type of mold and pour my plastic around the hackle or marabou. Send a PM to Bigbob. I know he has been experimenting with this idea also.

[fish_4_all]

I would never make enough to bother with pouring them. I don't like using plastics for much of anything. The ones I do use are just simple grubs or cut works because I am trying something new. I know how I would set up a mold to pour them though. Get the mold ready and insert a piece of 1/16 or 1/32 inch copper tubing in the section for the tail. Then use fishing line or a needle to pull the marabou/tail material into it for pouring.