beads for bluegill

[John McKean]

Prompted by huge success last season with vertical jigging for big bluegills ,perch, and crappies on PA/Ohio's Pymatuning reservoir, I've been tying jigs daily in anticipation for the coming season. Yet in checking ice fishing results throughout the north, I'm rather taken with the use of a single BEAD to tip ,used instead of bait. These are mostly featured on the modern models of a "Russian jig" (actually a specially curved spoon -brands like Ken's Hook, McGathy "slab-grabbers" , etc), which seem to totally takeover an angler's attention, once he gets on to them. My latest jigs look very neat with a bright red bead at the bend of the hook, and acquire a swimming action! Of course, our spooners here could use this trick easily, saving a bunch on live bait, or acquire yet a new type of effective jigging spoon by seeking the well honed commercial models.

[John McKean]

McScruff & others, Let's see if this pic takes below. Here's my homemade "Meat-Beader" jigs in two styles, the basic 1/24 oz roundhead and the 1/14 oz swim head which features a shank based propeller. Don't know how many bluegills these models took last season, but DID have a counting contest with my son last Spring on ice out trout -by actual count, in a 2 1/2 week period we got over 800 !!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

The bead is really just an attractor target for the fishes to strike. Beats messing around with slimy old worms.

[John Sheehan]

I thought the hooksups would be interfered with ,having a bead in the way . but I 've seen several articles and have noted the interest in this bead/ Jig ,bead spoon innovation .John, do you glue it on ?

[John McKean]

John, With the beads, if ya look carefully at that photo above, I simple place one over the hook point and begin wrapping the wool body above it, to keep it from flying off -no glue needed +wool expands in water and holds the bead in place in the middle of the hook bend. With hook ups, often bluegill , perch, and trout follow from behind and just suck the easy to slurp bead right in -naturally the hook goes in for the ride!

[John Sheehan]

Thanks John ,I should have noticed .

[Kelly Peterson]

Are these just for ice fishing?

[dick tabbert]

Beads have lots of applications on flies and I guess an occasional jig the ways to use them are limitless. So your answer is no beads are not just for ice fishing. I make a jig looking thing and the head instead of lead is a bead. Now with the bead we can make the fly sink at a very slow rate when the fish are real zero biting mood and you need that very slow presentation.

[Kelly Peterson]

Thanks Dick-pretty much figured so but never seen a glass bead in this position before.

Well guess it is no different than a salmon egg on the hook other than the scent factor.