Thread: Jig Maker ……. Jig Maker

Let the whimsical misadventures begin

I kind of like some of these.


My large supply of ready to tie heads has now dwindled down. They got their featherings and such and have moved into the jig condo.

Trying to experiment some with matching up colors to make useful combinations. Some of the combos I like are:

Silver-White-Blue
Pink- White- Chartreuse Yellow
Gold - Tan- ?????
Purple- White - Chartreuse Yellow
The Mardi Gras Colors- Purple- Gold- Green


A jig can be one color, two colors, three colors or four. I am showing one with more than four, but then the colors start to detract from one another. Too much Flu Flu. Head color, tail, body and a highlight, all working together.

My next batch of heads will have some rhinestones for eyes. That brilliant pop of color has got to be good. A hotspot that will mesmerize the devils and draw them in like flies on a road dead coon on a hot August day in Gainesville, FL. Maybe not, but I plan to make some anyways.

Some of these have a dark strip along the back, just like a minnow does, but it doesn’t have the same appeal that a bright belly has. Adding a belly seems to make more sense. Matches the profile of a real minnow so much better.

6:1 profile. For every length of width, as seen from the side, there should be six of those same lengths in overall length. So if the jig is 1/2” deep vertically, it should be 3” in length. So I am trying to keep my depths at 1/2” or less for minnow imitations. Shad imitations can be fatter of course as they have beer bellies.

The Mop Fly is said to be a killer on trout, and there seems to be a gaggle of them fly fishing types that can’t stand to see that fly being used. Proponents say it is because all it does is catch fish. After some study on the subject it would appear that the success is based on profile and movement. Slender and long like a minnow. It also waggles as it goes. Dry, the mop seems silly, but once submerged things change. It becomes a tail that has a movement that seems to work.

Mop Jigs are easy enough to assemble. There are several variations of how to fashion the Mop to the hook. Behind, onto, at the head, and with stripped fuzz. I looked about on Amzion and found some new colors of Mop by searching Microfiber Chenille. Not every color I wanted but enough to do up plenty of jigs. I also use regular fat chenilles, although they lack the waggle. I have never really given the Mop Jigs a fair trial before, but will begin to do so earnestly now that Fall has fallen upon the lakes. Water temperatures are dropping. Gainesville Summer has gone away. Nights are getting cooler. Soon we will see reports of snow and ice and other miseries being inflicted upon our Northern brothers. Good stuff.

Saw a young buck chasing our Mama deer around the back yard. Her baby thought it all a game and was leaping and spinning and having fun. Then all of a sudden, the buck took off. That was when the big buck entered the yard. He lowered his head and took straight after her. The two were gone in the woods in a flash. Just married.

Woke up bright and early with no place to go. Tossed and turned, and finally got up fed the dogs and started the coffee maker. Then I heated up the lead pot to pour some new heads.





These are 1/16th ounce Big Eye Minnows. Lightly filed and prepped with shrink wrap. Ready for powder paint.







These are a 1/16th ounce sized jig, with it’s lead bait keeper hook thingie stuff cut off. This removal leaves a jig that weighs in at 1/20th ounce. Flat head.


Now I have to choose my paint schemes and get to burning some paint.

I only made it to the coffee pot. Today is the opener for bow season but it’s too warm to hunt. Beautiful work…

Very nice. I like those big eye jigs. Nice mold

Whites with a hot spot and then three from my metallic series- gold, silver and copper.