Looking at maybe making some small ball head or shad dart hair/fur/whatever jigs for crappie/other panfish. Sizes around 1/64-1/16 maybe 1/8oz max. I was wondering where should I start? I know a lot with this hobby, you could read the same thing three times and get three different asnwers. Id prefer to pick your guys minds here and just go with that.

 

I would need to know whats the best place to buy materials from?

Maybe a kit is out there to get me started?

Preferred brand of jig, or are they pretty much the same at that point?

Not positive but maybe @Bluebasser86 could help you with this.

I tie some very crude jigs that I use for trout mainly, usually in the 1/80th-1/32oz sizes. I pour the 1/32oz ballheads myself, the rest I buy from online or BPS fly department. The Trout Magnet heads work well also and come in those small sizes. BPS sells the materials also, and I've had really good luck with tying yarn bodies and tails for trout, I'm sure crappie would eat them too. 

@smalljaw67 has a YouTube channel where he ties all sorts of different jigs. Honestly some of them are more works of art then jigs in my eyes. 

I tie hair and feather jigs in sizes from 1/80 to 1oz. I pour all of my heads and get most of my materials from Barlow's, Jann's Netcraft and Lure Parts Online.

If you're going to buy your jigheads, pay attention to the hooks that are used. Cheap jigheads often have crappy hooks.

 

Tom

Thanks for the tips. I'll have to check out those websites. Whats worth getting, hook/jighead wise?

I've bought larger size non-lead jigs from leadfreejigheads.com.  They have smaller size jig heads and list the brand of hook.