Favorite jigs...?

[Jordan Williams]

Lets hear it BBG members...Whats your favorite jigs to use for bluegill?

[John Sheehan]

'Jesse' Jig .My pet African Grey's  red tail feather .Just a bit of Red tail feather on a 24th oz Jig .

[John Sheehan]

One of favorite commercial Jigs is the Mister Twister ,'Lightning Bug'. Blue for clear water  or  Chartreuse for stained water  .

[jim cosgrove]

awsome jig john.now that is using your resources

[Jim Gronaw]

I tend to use, for most situations, hair jigs that I tie myself for different reasons. One...I just get a kick out of catching fish on my own creations and two...most of the standard jig companies just don't have the colors/patterns and sizes that I like.

I do a lot of fishing with 1/64th and 1/32nd oz grass shrimp patterned jigs that I tie in pink, beige, tan, silver and sometimes with similar colored jigs of the 'auto' pattern that has been popularized by LedHed on this site. Those southern Cal anglers are masters at jig tying, and very original in patterns. I also like the filament, or rubber-legged jigs in 1/64th oz, with either red, black or brown legs...very good in cold water...55 and lower, conditions.

I also tip my jigs about 75% of the time. When a hot bite for crappie or perch is on, tipping may not be neccessary. Worm pieces, wax worms or maggots are good. Dixie anglers prefer crickets.

I am also fond of the shad dart style heads like the Trout Magnets in 1/64 and 1/32 oz...a standard in the Mid Atlantic region since the early 1950's. I buy them in bulk at fishing shows regionally and then paint them myself...lots cheaper than the T M's.

[Vince Fusco]

I am with is Jim on this one. I too tie most all my gill jigs, and use a lot of deer tail hair on them in various colors. My go to jig is a 1/64th  to 1/80oz. all black jig, although I do tie lots of other colors, and use them as the bite and conditions that day dictate. Sometimes I tip my tiny offerings with a wax worm or wiggler. I think the contrast between a black jig, and a cream colored wax worm helps at times. 

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

HEY JIM , if you could only use two jigs , not counting other stuff which  would you use and could you post a pic. I'm sure everyone besides me what like to see that pic. JUST TWO NOW AND this doesn't include other stuff ya use , only jigs please and thanks from all of us........

[Jim Gronaw]

Tooty...sorry I'm late in getting back with this.

My two favorite, under the majority of circumstances, would be the 1/32 oz Pink Thing and the 1/32 oz Grass Shrimp in either olive or tan.

When the crappie are hot, the PT will do fine without bait tipping. When the bite gets tough I'll tip with a piece of garden worm, wax worm or a small minnow. Maggots too, especially in the colder water.

I almost always tip the grass shrimp jigs, year round. Everything hits these, even where grass shrimp don't exist, they still catch a lot of fish. Maybe it's the bait tipping, but I do know that in almost all of my fishing tipped jigs outfish either bait or jigs on their own.

Like I said...there are exceptions, and sometimes some drab or goofy off-beat color will slay them for a day or two until they get their wits back.

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

NO PROBLEMO JIM FOR SURE. I really wanted to pic you brain mostly for colors . You really answered my question well with dynamite pics as usual and like aaaaaaaaaaaall of your jigs no matter the name or size. Simplicity seems to be a goal of yours , almost to Tony's point of minimalist approach.
  I've experienced more than once what works or is hot today is generally different in a day or two , on the same body of water, same temps, same wind and sun. Don't know the answer to that equation but if I did I'd be very wealthy . Then I would buy a place out by you and Jeffrey and really learn something !!!!
   I'll post my two favorite bugs , and guess you could call em that . Don't really make jigs but try to keep the fall rate down . If they had a solid head instead of hollow I spose they could be called jigs.

  The purple bead head I"ve been using for the last 30+ years , the one with the legs, and then the Jeffrey named Silent Stingers , that I"ve been making for about 10-12 years . I've caught more fish on those two colors and baits than all the rest combined...........

[Jim Gronaw]

Here are a couple pics of my favorite jigs...

These are my 'Pink Thing' patterns, from the top, 1/64th, 1/32nd and a 1/16 oz versions.

Above, the top two are 1/32 oz football head hackle jigs with filament tails...a 'hybrid' jig, if you will. The one on the bottom is a chartreuse 'Auto'...thanks, LedHed.

Here we have simple but effective grass shrimp ties in popular colors...some of Jeff Abney's favorites.

And lastly, we have a couple 1/32nd oz filament, or rubber-legged, jigs and the ever popular pink shrimp pattern that gets 'em in Dixie and beyond.

I'll admit that I am not a purist, as I tip jigs 75% of the time. I feel that the combination of the two far outfishes either one on their own, under most fishing circumstances. There are exceptions.

Occasionally, I'll get an oddball jig that is really hot that particular day, and I don't know why that is. I prefer 1/32 or 1/64th oz jigs year round, with the smaller, and even 1/80th oz, as better producers in the cold water periods of 50 degrees and lower.

[Allen Morgan]

Jim, I really like these jigs, especially the "pink thing" version.  I have a couple questions:

1)  What kind of head are you using?  A plain ball-head jig, without a collar?  Or some store-bought, painted, jigheads that have a keeper barb for soft-plastic?

2)  is that tail material bucktail or craft fur?

[Jim Gronaw]

Thanks Allen. I almost always use a plain ball-head jig without the collar and build if I have to with thread.I buy them painted and unpainted, but for the PT's, I like to buy painted jigheads, usually getting them in bulk from different fishing shows and shops throughout the region.

The tail material is both craft fur and bucktail. I usually only use buck tail on the larger 1/16th oz version and craft hair on 1/32 and smaller...but I have made some exceptions at times, depending on how much material I have on hand.

[dick tabbert]

I made a couple of the double tailed jigs awhile back and haven't had a chance to try them Jim if you would keep me informed as to how the preform I think they should do good with the tail action.