Flash Talk!

[Lazy Cody]

Up until recently I put a couple of pieces of flash in all my jigs, but I tied a few with unpainted lead head, green/olive bodies, and brown tails with no flash - they worked great so I tied a few more "earthy" type jigs without flash and they work pretty good too. So now it's got me thinking - did I ever need to add flash or is it just another thing to spend money on?

So - I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts about when to add flash to a jig and when not to? If you're gonna add flash to a tail do you match it to the color of the tail? or the body? or use a different color altogether? Also, if/when you use flash do you prefer the pearl flash or the tinsel type material?

[GrumpyLoomis]

I have a tendency to think we over do the pretty for function ( me included). There certainly are days a little flash helps attract fish. But we have to be careful not to get into my jig is has to be different than anything else out there. Just my thought. Oh, I have two people who request no paint plane Janes and can catch fish with the best of them.

[billygee]

Lazy Cody

Seems your question has always been in the realm of building a better mouse trap
being the waters fished clear, stained, muddy, etc. depth is another factor
another question should one use UV, or Glow, then if anything at all

Ah yes,
the challenges having the right combination are always in question
As far as positioning the flash can depend on you

Guess one might say that's the Sport of Fishing

billygee

[crappieseeker]

I have a tendency to think we over do the pretty for function ( me included). There certainly are days a little flash helps attract fish. But we have to be careful not to get into my jig is has to be different than anything else out there. Just my thought. Oh, I have two people who request no paint plane Janes and can catch fish with the best of them.

I catch 99 to 1 on unpainted verses painted, and I have caught my fair share and then some. so I agree that the pretty is for the human eye and not the fish eye.

[Cane Pole]

Fish will not bite ugly jigs.


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[LedHed]

I fish and tye for Bluegill.
Shallow water up to 10 - 12 FOW, I tye plain Jane, sometimes with Krystal Flash (prefer small tight twist). For deep big water I use fluorescent, phosphorus, and iridescent materials/paint - especially fluorescent Krystal Flash.

[skiptomylu]

I have been asking myself this question for the last few years now and still have not decided. I want to try both ways on the same day, just have two rigs ready to fish and use one and then the other and see how it comes out. I have noticed that since I started adding flash my catch of crappie 17" and longer has slowed greatly, but my actual fishing the last 3 years as also slowed a lot due to many things. Still I want to give this a good test, but this spring again has not been one that I can judge it with. SO I wait another year to test my question out as the spring in the best time to do that IMHO!

I do know fishing shallow water on a sunny day that Holo Flashabou sure shoots fire out as it comes in!

Skip

[skeetbum]

I am speaking from the lazy side of this. I came by my opinion while using plastics early in my learning process. I had a spot that I could have a hundred over the gunnels and be at the house at noon. I was buying jigs at Wally and most were painted. Somewhere along the line the box got wet and a bunch of them rusted and got pitched. Next trip to Wally i bought em naked. At that spot, little if any difference. Majority of these fish were small but when you can catch em like that, who cared. Ever since then i will carry a few with colors but 90% or more of my box is plain. The ones I tie for gills I like to use earth tone colors like tan, brown, dark brown, green and black. I have some new colors I’m going to try and i’ll Post when I do.

Flash is in most of my ties for crappie but i’m Beginning to leave it out of some of the gill ties and they don’t miss it. I once tied one with at least 15 pieces of flash, used it several times, they never touched it. Took the scissors to it and left 2 or 3 pieces and it caught fish. Can’t explain it, but that’s what happened. I use tinsel, crystal, polar and angel hair flash. All have their place.

[deepfry]

Very interesting discussion fellas.....