Old-style jigs often outperform modern ones
In an angling world flooded with soft-bodied jig offerings, it might seem the classic hair jig would be outdated. Why fish a leadhead jig garnished with a simple tuft of hair when you have flavor-, scent- and texture-enhanced choices by the gazillion a quick mouse click away?
The reason is because bucktails provide a unique look that gamefish respond to, especially when the water is running cold.
"Bucktails are very natural looking," said Jim DeZurik, a Minnesota-based hardcore angler who ties some of the finest custom bucktails you are going to find. "They look like part of the environment, like they belong there. When you bump into pods or schools of fish, you can catch one right after another using a bucktail jig.
"Hair jigs simply look like something to eat, and the fish aren't able to identify them as anything else," he added. "And they are very durable. You are not constantly changing tails, as you might be if you were using a soft plastic grub."
While DeZurik admits that bucktails are quite effective in lakes and reservoirs, he said they shine in streams.
"There is something about the hair on the jig that really excels in current," DeZurik said. "It breathes in the water, even when the jig is still. But the jig has to be tied correctly."
DeZurik ties his bucktail jigs with a relatively sparse amount of hair, which he believes has a lot to do with how it behaves in the water.
"That way the hair has room to move," he explains. "If there's too much hair on there, it looks pasty, it looks dead.
"But you don't want to get too sparse, because you do want to have some texture, something for the fish to hold on to. And there must be enough there to expose the color that you wish to show," DeZurik added.
DeZurik adds a bit of accent to some of his jigs, which can be especially attractive to bass. He shies away from tinsel, opting for a more subdued accent, like a Flashabou. His signature Jimmy D's Riverbug jig incorporates a couple of feathers that serve as a tail.
"Most living things in the water have tails," he said. "Crayfish have tails and legs. When you watch a crayfish move in the water, its legs drag. Minnows have tails that create a certain movement."
DeZurik says that feathers are durable, often the last things to be pulled off the jig on those days when dozens of fish bite it. He ties the two feathers on in opposing directions.
"That way they stick out away from each other," he notes. "When you pull forward, one feather collapses while the other opens up."
The head is another significant factor. Jigheads are available in a variety of shapes, and do-it-yourselfers have an equally varied list of molds available.
But DeZurik said the traditional round ball head serves his style of fishing well.
"It goes in and out of cover pretty well. I like the way it drops. I don't care for a jighead that swims. I want to be able to lift the jig up and have it drop head first back down," he said.
Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.
