Glad I chose your video to help orient me to this process. Great job at explaining everything, as u went along! Next, I need to buy a vice, learn more about various and different thread characteristics, and figure out how that "whip finishing tool" works!!! I'm excited to do this! Now if I did just a single color I assume you'd position the "bunches" more around the sides of the hook, and use as many thicker or thinner "bunches" of hair to get the overall profile you're thinking will be not too little or too much to entice (in my case) the smallmouth!
Thank you Bruce, I'm glad the video has provided some help. There are a lot of videos on using a whip finish tool and you can also do it by hand. Good luck on your jigs!!
It is just eye-balling it really. For me it begins with what kind of profile and action I want the jig to have. It also depends on the type of jig, this is a simple small profile jig that I slowly swim. So I just need to create enough bulk that it has a similar profile to the small minnow forage I'm trying to mimic.
Still watching your ties that I’ve seen often before and picked up another tip I can use. I’ve been looking for a small jig to fish below a float. I fish a small river that’s full of trees, trunks and branches. I think this fat head minnow made with craft fur drifted along the bank could be a winner. I’m going to do some 1/8oz and 1/16oz for a more lifelike drift. Thx
Thank you for your continued viewership Ken!!! I agree with your idea 100% however I'd use a freestyle head if you can pour them or get them from someone. The reason is because the freestyle head is balanced so it will maintain a horizontal position during the drift.
I love these finesse jig builds, they are right up my alley. Once you start using those thicker Owner 5313 hooks with that mold, are you able to still use the lighter wire hooks with it or is the difference in diameter so great that you can't use that same mold for the lighter wire hooks too?
Thank you, I'm glad you like the content. A big reason I like the 5313 is that they aren't super heavy. I can use those or go back to like a 570 or 32746 or even the 5318 with no issues.
@@smalljaw Oh that's awesome. Thank you very much for the reply - your kindness in helping people out sets you apart from many others online. Have a good one!
@@jigisuplurecraft No problem. I try to help and as I tell everyone here, if you have a question plese feel free to shoot me an email, the address is in the description box.
+ZTKrake Outdoors It does take a little practice but a fly vise and bobbin are very important. It can be done without but it is a lot harder, get the right tools and you'll be tying in no time. Thanks for watching.
Very nice, since I’ve been watching your channel I’ve been tying up my own float-n-flies. I use white and grey craft fur with polar flash. We have pond smelt in our lake so these colors work well. Thank you for teaching me. Please answer a question for me ? How is the best way to cut the craft fur from its holder and separate the shorts out ? Rick
Thank you Rick!! I just use scissors and cut the craft fur right at the base. I use good scissors for this and then I just pull the shorts with my fingers. I don't know if it is the best way but I've done it like that for the last 15 years and it works for me.
Do you like using craft fur for your tails on your crappie jigs. I tie about 90 percent of my crappie jigs with it. I think it has great movement in the water.
What’s your opinion on bucktail versus craft fur? If I’m fishing slack water, ponds or lakes. I normally try Marabou. I’ll even throw marabou in the river. But my number one catching jig here in Illinois is a brown top yellow bottom bucktail jig. And I’ve used bucktails for ever, bucktails can be inconsistent in shape and size so I recently changed to craft fur, same one you have here. Is there any advantage to using original bucktail versus craft? When I’m fishing in the river there is current. And I’m always doing a cast and retreat. I don’t stop it and let flare or put it under a bobber. Will it perform the same as bucktail? I went out this morning and in about two hours I caught a smallmouth, and a 6 pound flat head. Not huge. I’ve caught 30+lb flat heads but on a medium light rod it was a fun fight, but that was on my trusty bucktail. Now I don’t know if I should switch to craft fur . I guess I’ll give it a shot
Tony, bucktail has less action than craft fur. Craft fur is closer to marabou and for me marabou and craft fur are both warm water materials. I'm not sure of your water conditions but I bet the fish aren't in a heavy feeding mode when that bucktail is working. I find that bucktail works when the fish aren't very active, the craft often has too much movement in certain conditions. I use bucktail mainly in cold water conditions, and once the water gets past the 55 degree mark I'll go with marabou or craft fur. Now that is generally speaking, there have been times when the bucktail was better in warmer water and when marabou and craft fur were better in cold water. I guess it is trial and error but in my area bucktail is the king of cold water smallmouth!!!
smalljaw That makes sense, it’s just barely now been warming up to 67-68 degrees we still get cold nights in the high 40’. Today’s a low of 48. And most of our rivers are high, flooded and the waters dirty. So the fish aren’t really biting, so makes sense why that bucktail worked. Bucktail-cold. Marabou, Craft-warm I never though of it that way. I’m used to jigging with just gulp alive minnows or curly tails and the only hair I ever tied was bucktail, I’ve just now since 2020 have gotten into marabou and craft. Even then it was interesting too learn about the different types of Marabou so I’m still learning haha, I turn 21 in July and we were planning to fish smallmouth at a lake by the iron river where my friends family owns land. thanks for the reply, I really appreciate you reading through the whole comment most of the time at other channels the comment just gets lost. You have tons of knowledge on tying and everything you tie turns out amazing. Hope one day we get to fish! All this knowledge on tying, i know you have some tips and tricks for fishing! Haha take care man, life’s crazy right now. Stay healthy! No better way to social distance than to go out fishing!
hi smalljaw first i would like to thank you for all your great work here on youtube, you have been very inspirational for many new generations of tying. Can i add hackle to a craft fur jig or teaser fly? and which one would work better with it in salt water, neck or saddle or do you prefer northern buck tail for hackle ? thanks pal.
Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it. As for adding hackle to craft fur, yes, it works well in combination because of the fluid movement in the water. You can try the teaser fly but I don't have experience with it so that may be something you can try but hackle will work and saddle hackle if you want a little more action as neck hackle tends to be a little more stiff. Thanks again for watching and for the excellent question!
I've got a bunch of craft fur and jig heads. Time to grab the vice and tie. Have you used these in salt water? I'll be crappie fishing in freshwater but heading out to surf cast and pier fish in August. Thanks for the video, that looks like a great jig to have in any box!
Thanks for the kind words!!!! I never used them in saltwater but I have made larger ones with a longer type of craft fur called "yak fur" for a friend to use for Blue fish.
I'll be bringing some to NC to fish with. I'll tie them from 1/4 oz. and up (if I can get larger jig heads fast enough. I'll let you know... Thanks again!
smalljaw I have been tying a couple this weekend. My least favorite thing is when finishing the jig up the gnarly ends that are around the collar make it look kind of messy. I found a cool way to keep them out of site, maybe you can use it. I cut about 1/4" of scotch tape and wrap the collar and the ends immediately behind the head. I then just finish it with some wraps and it is good to go with no mess or fraying. Also want to ask.....I tie mostly rabbit jigs and I prefer a collarless jig, with the float n fly, is there a reason you are using a collared jig?
Craig DeFronzo I appreciate the tip, I know I'll use it!! As for the types of jigs I tie, if you look at my channel there is a float-n-fly jig I tie that is collarless, it depends on what kind of material I'm using along with what I want to do with the jig. For craft fur jigs I like a collar on my jig and certain marabou jigs as well, the reason is what the hair does in the water. For craft fur and Marabou, they compress and become thin so having a collar gives the jig a tapered appearance and a minnow like profile while in the water. My regular float-n-fly is on a collarless jig because even though it is tied with craft fur and sometimes buck tail, it doesn't matter as the mallard flank I use on them will keep the minnow profile I'm trying to mimic.
+Jack Wright Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it. Most of my jigs are for large and smallmouth bass and Crappie but a lot will work for other species. I actually tie this exact jig in a smaller 1/32oz with a size 6 hook for a friend that uses them for brown trout, hair works for all fish.
Aren't craft furs fake synthetic furs? And all of them are good for fly tying? Where can I buy the craft fur that you used on this video? Thanks ahead for answering my questions, I appreciate it!
Thank you for watching!! Most craft fur works but there are some that are better. Polar fiber is a good one and my favorite is Extra Select craft fur, both are made for use on fishing lures. You can get the Extra Select Craft Fur as well as a lot of different ones at this link. www.barlowstackle.com/
