Searchin' for some bait

A guy I work with and I are ALWAYS talking fishing. His main thing is bass with soft plastics ("hardware fisherman"), but he gets a charge out of about anything that pulls on the line. About a week ago, he mentioned he'd like some cutbait for an upcoming trip to Missouri where he would use it for catfish. NO PROBLEM, I told him... I knew a place overrun with little green sunfish.

He grabbed a little 5-foot ultralight spinning rod, I grabbed my 3-weight and we headed to the lake after work.1/16-ounce jigs were getting him bumps but no takes, and I was catching bluegills and little greenies every other cast or so on a #12 furled tail mohair leech. Finally, I dug into my ice fishing tackle that's still in my trunk and produced a couple 1/80 oz jigs (on a #10 hook). Silver jighead, black rabbit tail, black mohair body. That was the ticket for him!

I fish all sorts of ways. Fly fishing consumes a vast majority of it, but I still get a kick out of my jigging poles and spinning gear. What I do enjoy is when my knowledge in fly tying and fly fishing can translate into me helping someone else get on some fish.

Charlie learned how fun bluegills and green sunfish can be on super small jigs and ultralight tackle tonight! That 50-something year old man has a new trick up his sleeve now. He mentioned that I needed to tie him up some more of those little jigs so he can keep playing.... Another one into the dark side of bluegillin'!

Zac