I found this thread and loved the information.  I read an article YEARS ago in a magazine about a jig fishing expert that taught many a pro how to fish a jig by using the reel and not the rod. I could never find it again.   Reading Tom's article,  I realized that I have found it.  I also think I figured out who the "fisherman in California" referenced in Bo's video is. 

ttt for newer members.

so Tom still hoping you will come out and fish Casitas with me sometime soon? going out again tomorrow on my boat with Doug Carlson.  let me know.  Also Tom's illustration about how to effectively fish a point is spot on.  

This is an interesting topic. Thanks for all the helpful posts WRB. A couple questions: how do you make your jigs? Also, are there any other jigs besides the *** you would recommend from tackle warehouse?

One more thing: do you know of any good pork trailers available? Where do you get yours from now?

I made my jig molds back in '71, a viper stand up head designed to go through rocky areas easier than a football head that puts the hook point further back from the head to improve hook sets when casting a jig.

Regarding pork rind trailers; SuperPork went out of business last year, no replacement. Uncle Josh is the only pork rind lure company still making jig trailers to the best of my knowledge.

PM and I can tell you how to make your own...it's time consuming, takes about 3 weeks and messy.

Tom

so Tom still hoping you will come out and fish Casitas with me sometime soon? going out again tomorrow on my boat with Doug Carlson.  let me know.  Also Tom's illustration about how to effectively fish a point is spot on.

I know you have a red boat and will talk to you at the ramp if you are there when I am.

Tom

Luckily there's at least one online vendor with some superpork available.

 

Tom, could you tell us what to look for in pork trailers (size, floatation, action etc)? Should we shave a little fat off where the hook goes in, and also where the claws start?

Read everything in this thread, thank you Tom for providing guidance and sharing your experience with us all, it's a pleasure to have great anglers like you on BassResource!

Luckily there's at least one online vendor with some superpork available.

Tom, could you tell us what to look for in pork trailers (size, floatation, action etc)? Should we shave a little fat off where the hook goes in, and also where the claws start?

I can email some sketches.

A good pork rind trailer should be like soft leather and float on top of the water, not sink on it's own.

Bass do not like live crawdads with big claws, they prefer no claws or smaller claws if they have a choice.

When I fished live crawdads we removed the claws to improve our catch rate. Soft plastic trailers use claws as flappers to give the illusion the plastic is alive and swimming, it's a unnatural movement for a crawdad.

Pork rind trailers have a natural movement like a Senko, moves enough to look alive to the bass.

My pork trailers are 3" and 4" long X 3/4 to 1" wide with a split tail 2 1/2"- 3" long, similar to a pork frog with thicker longer tails, very simple shape that swims very good.

I have a sketch to show outline and how to trim a pork trailer. Dying pork colors is also easy if you start with natural cured white pork rind.

Tom

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Thanks Tom, on behalf of everyone. I believe I already have the sketch you're referring to. I'll be happy to post it here- with your permission- if anyone's interested. 

Tom's jigs:

 

*close up photos of a few jigs and pork trailer. The pork trailer is a copy of the old Pedigo 4” lizard made for me by SuperPork*, now out of business.

The jig is my own design that dates back to ’71; a stand up viper shape that goes through rocks extremely well, not good for brush. I use a Gamakatsu #114, 5/0 on the 7/16 oz jig. This jig is ideally suited for casting horizontal presentations in deep structured lakes..*

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom, a few weeks ago we spoke briefly on hair jigs. I noticed when I put the pork trailer on the jig, the hair clumped together and had no movement. I was using Uncle Joshs #11 i believe. How do you keep the haiir flowing naturaly and not clumping. I imagine it has to do with the liquid in the pork bottle?

Tom, a few weeks ago we spoke briefly on hair jigs. I noticed when I put the pork trailer on the jig, the hair clumped together and had no movement. I was using Uncle Joshs #11 i believe. How do you keep the haiir flowing naturaly and not clumping. I imagine it has to do with the liquid in the pork bottle?

When the hair gets coated with heavy oils or scent gels it tends to mat together under water. If the wet hair is clumped around the trailer out of the water, that is normal, in the water that could be a problem.

Wash the hair jig in mild up scented soap like a Joy, rinse and blow dry.

I thread on a 3/4" piece of soft plastic worm on the hook shank and slide it under the hair up to the jig collar to help flare out the hair and prevent the pork trailer from fowling the hook point. You nose hook a pork trailer, don't thread in on like a soft plastic trailer.

The liquid in a pork jar should be heavy salt water, not oil.

Tom

Deep, thank you posting the photos.

The jigs in the pictures were tied by the late Doug "Skinny" Harris, the detail is amazing. I don't add eyes other than red dots for crawdad color and yellow dots for shad color and use plain Testers enamel paint for jigs I normally fish with.

Tom

Tom, do you make your own pork trailers? Do you just buy pork from the grocery store?

Tom, do you make your own pork trailers? Do you just buy pork from the grocery store?

Since SuperPork went out of business I make my own pork trailers.

I can post a how to when time permits.

Tom

Since SuperPork went out of business I make my own pork trailers.

I can post a how to when time permits.

Tom

Ok thanks I'd like to start using pork. What you said about the bass not wanting to eat the claws makes sense.

Since SuperPork went out of business I make my own pork trailers.

I can post a how to when time permits.

Tom

woulld love to hear it.

woulld love to hear it.

Posted a how to in the tacklemaking forum.

Pork trailers should be high floatation and soft, not stiff, for a natural life like motion underwater.

Tom

Posted a how to in the tacklemaking forum.

Pork trailers should be high floatation and soft, not stiff, for a natural life like motion underwater.

Tom

Thanks!

Tom's smallmouth hair jigs!

 

 

The above 2 hair jigs have brighter colors than my largemouth hair jigs. The Shad color shown earlier is also good smallie color and the brown with green above is a good largemouth color in the spring, all colors will catch LMB, and smallmouth or spots at times.

The brown Chartreuse with red is called Fritts after Dave Fritts brown/chartreuse crankbait.

The light brown with green/ black is spring craw.

I haven't shared these jig colors on a site like BR before so they should be new colors to most folks, hope you enjoy them.

Tom

I had forgotten the photos of my hair jigs and pork rind trailer were on this site...I didn't share that anywhere else!

Tom

Thanks for the resurrection.  Was a very good read and look forward to putting your advice into practice.