Thread: Announcing a Smallie jig swap

Originally Posted by AtticaFish

Made it back out today! Yipeeeee

River is still up high, so i didn't even put on my waders, just walked the bank. There is a very large eddy over an area of about 3' deep water so i decided to give Pup's craft fur ties a try with the float & fly technique. I have not tried the float & fly much but can already see some advantages, only got hung once all day and even got the jig back. :D Pup - your craft fur ties have some excellent action, i need to get back and practice some more with tying my own. Oh yeah, caught a few fish in the process....

http://www.jigcraft.com/af/images/101_1127_e.jpg

http://www.jigcraft.com/af/images/101_1129_e.jpg

Here is the set-up i used if you can see it on the rocks here. The float is actually one of my homemade cheater floats i use. The jig was just a hair too heavy for it so it actually sank the float unless i kept it moving a little. I had it set for about 2' deep while i was fishin'.

http://www.jigcraft.com/af/images/101_1132_e.jpg

Won't be able to get back out till next week, just hope the river stays low. Lots of rain in the forcast.... but i don't believe them.

AF,

It's good to read that you had some success with my jigs. With paint and epoxy, those jig heads likely weigh about 5/32 of an ounce on average. I like your idea about swimming them with the aid of a float.

I fish them with a soft plastic trailer like a YUM Chunk or Baby Guido Bug. The hair (craft fur) moves well. I really like the sage green fur in combination with a red jig head and red flash. I patterned that jig style from an old Nick Creme soft plastic craw.

BTW, I bought the sage green craft fur from Hancock Fabrics. You might check one of their stores in or very near to your area if you really like it. I think that many jig tyers can truly find some great materials at fabric stores if they keep an open mind, develop a sense of timing, and have a little persistence.

Originally Posted by AtticaFish

I'll give you a peek into one of my personal boxes that i make up for myself.... i'm no In-Fisherman, but i could just about close my eyes and fish this couple mile stretch of river and still catch a few fish before i broke my neck. :D

The ones on the left are my muddy water jigs and the right are my clear water picks. This box is to go to (bribe) a friend from another OH site who promised to show me some private access points that i do not know of. I have a whole other box of just plain black jigs that work either way but better in muddy water. I also carry along a bunch of smaller size bass tubes, with the solid body black/red flake venom super do's being my favorite.

The small spinnerpaits do work well in the summertime, and weed out alot of the smaller fish. But is pretty hard to find ones that run true in the current. If they are off even just a little, they end up spinning. Twister tail trailers make it worse!!! I prefer the colorado blades over the willow blades just because i can run them slower and still keep them up out of the rocks.

When the river clears up more and slows down... ...all swap jigs will be fished and results posted for sure.

I'm digging into your box today,lol.

I finaly got out today and put a few fish in my hands... WooHoo!!!!! Was throwing one of the swapmeister's jig.

Still at work now but will post pics later tonight after the kids hit the pillows. Stay tuned......

This is the first day i've been out in a long tim. High water and very busy at work has been keeping me in the office at lunch. Anyway - I'm going back out TOMORROW!!!! Had some fun.

I was using Crappiekiller3's jig with the black head - orangish chenille - black tail with green flash.

First fish of the afternoon...


Suprised me! Pulled a bunch of drag on my UL and was pretty fun. Couldn't get any bites in the hole after i caught him, think he woke up the neighbors.

Then I did get bit from 2 of the fish i was after....




They wanted it ripped fast today. Took me seeing one chasing my jig as i was reeling fast the last couple feet back to me. After i started fast ripping i go 2 other hit/misses and saw several other followers. Both were pretty small but fun either way.

So far i have a picture of a fish on a jig from everyone in the swap but my own. Hopefully get out again tomorrow...

Well,let's see yours at work now.lol.Don't be showing no 5 pounder caught with my jig and stabbing yours in his mouth for a picture,either,lol.

Haha! Wouldn't have even thunk it till you gave me the idea. :rolleyes: :D If there's a 5 pound smallmouth in my little river.... i want it on my line!!!! If they are hitting on a fast-jerky retrieve, my brown bucktail jig should be a good pick. Ya never know! Just gotta decide which hole i'm gonna hit tomorrow. It's friggin' hot too.... in the 90's and hiking through the the river in waders i should shed a few (un-needed) pounds. I may have to hit the "big fish" hole tomorrow.... hehe.

Good luck,go gettem.

Man o' man i tell you what!!!! Went out at lunch today, slinging my own jig and was scared to death that i wasn't gonna catch a fish!!!!! I didn't get this one till what was my last 5 casts of lunch hour....



I hit one of my favorite little holes and thought for sure i was gonna get skunked! And on my OWN JIGS!!!!!!! The bass were following the jig (water clear enough to see now) but they would just not commit to it!!! Gets nerve racking watching fish follow jigs as you are ripping them along... you just wanna coach them.... come on, you can do it, you can do it. When i would stop the fast herky jerky action, they would turn away, speed up and they would strike and miss, Rrrrrrrrrr!!!!! At least i did get a pic of one on my jig. Had one other that was a quick release and came off as i was lifting him out of the water.

One half of my mission is complete - a pic of a fish with a jig in the lip of EVERY participant in the swap. But, gonna take a bit of a break from the swap jigs and play around with some of the new styles of rabbit jigs i have been messing with... don't worry, i will post for sure when i get back to the swap jigs, love to show the results of what everyone has made... make it all the more fun to jump in these swaps when you see people actually 'catching' fish with the jigs you spent the time on.

I do wanna say thanks again to all in this swap, makes it a challenge and fun at the same time!



EDIT - Oh yeah, forgot to show off this picture, was from yesterday...



The spot that is just about center frame is one of my favorites. There is about a 3' deep hole right in the middle of the slack area that has no foam in (just about) the dead center of this pic. The next slow area above that is another good one, but is pretty small, the ledge that drops off is good but all shallow water behind it.