Jigs for smallmouth

[Just Fish]

Does anyone tie jigs for flyfishing for smallmouth? and if so what sizes are effective?

[Just Fish]

I guess no one uses these? I know they sell them in fly shops for steelhead although I have never used them? They're not like a spin fishing jig obviously b/c they are much smaller.

[deathb4disco]

Well, I always considered the Clouser Minnow to be a jig, but it sounds like you're talking about small hair or marabou jigs. I use small jigs a lot but with a spinning rod and a float, not a fly rod.

[MikeZRed]

A friend recently pointed out this pattern to me. According to AC's intro, it was intended to imitate a jig for crappie. I'm not too familiar with jigs, but maybe you could change the colors/size of AC's pattern to fit what you use for smallmouth?

Crappie Candy

What kid hasn't caught a crappie on a jig suspended below a bobber? That's a deadly way to catch a mess of crappie anytime. It's still the way I do it when I take my grandsons fishing for these tasty panfish.

When I'm fishing alone or with another flyfisher, I like to use a fly rod to chase crappie. It isn't easy to cast a jig with a fly rod and somehow it just doesn't feel right to use a jig on a fly rod anytime, so I decided long ago to convert some of my favorite crappie jigs into crappie flies. It wasn't hard, and the crappie seem to like the flies as good or maybe better than the jigs, so I think I won this contest.

[Buddy Sanders]

JF,

I tie lots of them, for both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

I use Mustad and Eagle Claw jig hooks in a variety of sizes and styles from size 6 up to 5/0.

I like the fact that the jig hook keeps the hook point up, reducing snags. The upright hook seems to hook the bass better, most hook ups are in the top of the lip.

I don't bother with molding lead for the heads anymore. I use various beads, lead wire, dumbbell and bead chain eyes, etc., to add the amount of weight I want. I'll use everything from an 8mm Hematite or solid brass bead for a 'flipping' type jig for largemouth, down to a 4mm fly tying bead.

I use minnow patterns, leech patterns, craw patterns, and some that are just 'creature looking' for the jigs I tie.

These can be incredibly effective, especially for smallies in deeper rivers or faster currents. I catch a lot of bigger smallmouth on this type of fly in lakes fished under a foam strike indicator (basically a 'bobber'). The jig hooks keeps the bait suspended horizontally under the float, and the wave action gives it all the motion it needs. This is absolutely deadly fished on wind pounded rip rap bank.

Fly tyers are just now starting to expand the potential of this type of tie. Lots of new things happening on vises all over the world.

Buddy

[okieflyfisheman]

I tie marabou jigs and small woolybuggers on 1/100 jigheads and fish them successfully for both trout (at any time) and for crappie during the prespawn.

[Sagittarius62]

Can you say Barr's Meat Whistle?

http://www.llbean.com/cd-15/46272/4391.shtml

[biot midge]

Just Fish,
I do tie 1/100th and 1/80th oz jigs to use with the fly rod. One of my best producers has been black marabou tail, peacock/black ice dub body with a band of red thread behind the jig head. I also tie them in brown, olive, and ginger.
Steve

[Just Fish]

Biot Midge,
I am also curious to as the technique you use when fishing with them? and I want to thank everyone for their input. I am mostly a trout, striper/blue fisherman, however, I have a good smallmouth river near my home and am interested in targeting them along with carp with the fly rod.

Regards,
Shawn

[billknepp]

Along the lines of what Buddy said..I like bead chain eyes....If you own a soldering iron, gun or as I like Benz O matic torch...you can heat the bead chain eyes and fill them with solder...The solid kind...not the flux core type.What I really like is regular lead tying wire that fit's the hole in the eyes!. Depending on the size of bead chain..you can get a pretty heavy set of eyes... prolly most of you guy's already do this though...