Thread: Hair on a hook

I just started tying up some of the spearhead jigs I molded and painted and have a couple of questions.

1- Using a 1/2 oz Loony Jig as a model I've noted that the length of hair on the Loony is trimmed about 1/2" behind the head. Do you think it would make a lot of difference in the hook up ratio if the hair was 1" behind the hook?

2- The Loony Jig is trimed off square where it ends behind the hook. Other bucktal jigs I have are trimmed top and bottom at a slight angle so that it forms a slightly pointed shape at the rear of the jig when pulled threw the water, which gives the jig more of a minnow shape. So I'm confused as to which way I should trim mine for use at Gulf Shores, and does square or angled really make any difference?

3- This is a preference question for those of you who throw a lot of jigs. Do you like a jig with lots of hair to hide the hook or do you prefer a sparsely tied jig because of the better action it gives?

Appreciate the help folks.

Tater prefers less hair on the jigs , what he told me last year....he was not there to much this past trip due to work and him hurting his back....he is the one that knows, and sure catches fish with a jig when used ...less is better....Wilson said to cut at the back of the hook with none past it ....hope this helps

1. A Speck Rig has a lot of hair length behind the hook and there's nothing wrong with the hookup ratio of those ;-)
Almost all pompano jigs have just a short distance behind the hook to "help with hookup ratio". But I've caught just as many on 'spanish jigs'.

2. The hair of Looney Jigs are cut off square because that's the way Harvey (Terry's grandad) made them.
It was faster and easier (for him) to cut all the hairs at once at a single length.
I don't think that has a perceptible affect on the jig performance one way or another.

3. Once the diameter around the hook and head base are covered more hair = a 'slower' performing jig (ala bucktail jig).
That creates more drag as the jig is retrieved through the water.
How much jig visibility is needed is most often a function of the water clarity it's being used in, much like the action imparted to it.
It's one of the variable factors that needs to constantly be 'tweaked' to gain more success.
And it's part of the simple versatility that's makes such a lure a joy to use.
There have been plenty of times I was using a jig with ALL the hair chewed off and it was still catching fish.
Later I'd look at it (all pitted and scarred) and wonder why in the world a fish would want to eat that ;-)

I finally lost my old beat up rattletrap that was chrome with a black back when it was new. It had very little chrome left on it and I had changed the hooks twice due to the abuse of snagging sticks and dragging it through mud and gavel.. I caught enough bass on that thing to sink a ship. I even took coarse sandpaper and scarred up a new one but it still didn't catch as many fish. OCD or is was here a real difference?

I have been fishing since I was able to a hold stick with some string on it which was a very long time ago. Like most fishermen I obsess over what kind and color of lures I buy. You name it I have bought it. Every configuraton and color you can think of I have had and still have many of them. Some caught fish some were useless. As we all know most bright and shiney lures that have eyes that blink and are painted every color in the rainbow are made to catch fishermen not fish. Over the years I have concluded that there are times when fish will eat anything you throw at them and other times they will completely ignore everything you throw at them. Why? Only the fish can answer that question and their not talking. In my uneducated option, fish will most times strike things that move, crawl smell or wiggle like what they normally eat in their native enviroment. Color may be somewhat important as long as it provides contrast in the water conditions and natural light i.e. light colors in clear water with light colored bottoms. So I guess the bottom line is just throw something that resembles the creepy crawlers and little fishes that live in the waters your fishing and don't buy lures that look good to you because the fish your after don't see it the same as you do. Take a lesson from the avid fly fishermen and match the hatch. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I always trim the Looney Jig hair back to just cover the hook.
Not because I know what I am doing, but because I listen to people who do know what they are doing!

ALWAYS listen to the voices Fin ;-)

I believe it was Mark Sosin who said something to the effect "fishing is 90% confidence and 10% hardware."

This is gonna be a good year for Looney Jigs this year my wife and I are looking into patent and trademarking this week.

Originally Posted by TLII

This is gonna be a good year for Looney Jigs this year my wife and I are looking into patent and trademarking this week.

Awesome, wishing you much success. You've caught me a lot of fish over the years.

Originally Posted by TLII

This is gonna be a good year for Looney Jigs this year my wife and I are looking into patent and trademarking this week.

Getting a patent and trademarking a fishing jig might be an expensive venature and provide little protection from someone copying your product. Jigs are nothing more than a fish hook, hunk of lead and some kind of hair and thread. A patent/trademark protects some unique featuse of the product or the process used to make it. In the case of a fishing jig I'm not sure how you do that. It's kind of like trying to protect a fishing fly pattern. Example, I sit down and tie a streamer fly using an eagle claw hook, white buck tail. Some red flash and a brass head. It catches fish like crazy so I start selling them and have it patented and trademarked. Some one else starts making the samething only he uses crimped white nylon hair an owner hook and a gold glass bead for the head with purple flash. It also catches fish like crazy. I find out about it and sue him for patent infringement. We go to court and I spend money for lawyer's and so does he. The lawyers hire experts that I have to pay for to examine the streamer. The experts determine that his streamer is different than mine including the fact that his is 1/4" longer than mine and that he uses round thread and I use flat. They also determine that he ties his left handed and mine are tied right handed. It goes to court and the judge looks at the facts and dismisses my case. Conclusion, nobody wins except the lawyer's, they get paid win or lose. The weekend after the case, my lawyer and his meet the judge for a round of gulf at the local country club.