I picked up some hair jigs today at my local tackle store to try to target smallies.  I caught quite a few smallies last year but not many on artificial bait.  I've fished for LMB plenty with normal jigs but don't really have any experience with these hair jigs.  Could someone explain to me how these need to be fished and do you use trailers with them?  If so what kind?  I've found a couple of websites that make it seem like they're the best smallmouth bait but I've never heard anyone talk about them.

Man nobody has any information on these baits?  This is my first ever no response lol  ;D

I've tied my own bucktail jigs for smallies for years. They're my "go-to" smallie lure.

Fish 'em pretty much as you would any jig. I like to bounce 'em along the bottom, or swim them anywhere from a few inches to a couple of feet off the bottom.

I usually use a trailer, mostly small, soft plastic crawdad lookin' critters, curly tail grubs (single and double tail), etc.

Hope this helps!

Good fishin'!

Tom

OK I have used hair jigs both plain & tipped with a minnow. Both work. Best to use them as a cold water presentation below 55 degrees. Caught my 2nd biggest smallie on a hair jig prespawn 2 years ago. If your using them under warm water temps they become just a another jig. If that's what you want to do I would definitely add a trailer. Hair jigs offer a very fine finesse presentation in colder waters.

Like Dwight said, I mainly use them in colder water. They are a great pre spawn and winter bait. I almost always fish them with no trailer, but when I do it's a piece of a straight tail 4" worm in the same color as the hair jig. Pretty much always black. I either drag the bait slowly just off the bottom, or hop and fall back to the boat. They work both shallow and deep. They catch a lot of largemouth, too.

Hair jigs in water below 55 degrees can be deadly, my main presentation is a slow drag, adding small hops and pauses occasionally. Just remember to slow down and let the natural movement of the hair do the work for you, you don't want to over work a hair jig.

I think I want to cry every time I see the photo's of Dwight's smallie's.

Pardon my ignorance but what is a hair jig and does anyone have a picture of one?

:-/

Also are they effective bank fishing?

Here is an image of my favorite hair jig. Yes hair jigs can be effective from the bank if your able to reach bass inhabited areas.

Thank you Dwight :)

Dwight,

That is the best smallmouth, he is a monster

Here is an image of my favorite hair jig. Yes hair jigs can be effective from the bank if your able to reach bass inhabited areas.

Weight, please. Is this a custom or available for sale? Do

you fish the same jig in other colors, too? When tipping,

are you using live minnows, big, small or just complimenting

the jig?

We're still a couple of weeks away around here, but water

temperatures have already dropped 10*. The "season" is

just about to begin!

BTW, I LOVE your fish. That is a classic pic!

;D ;D ;D

RW

I mostly use 1/8, 1/4 & 3/8 oz. These hair jigs are available by internet order from jensenjigs.com. I use the standard yellow perch, green perch & alwive for smallies. I use them tipped with 2-3 inch lake shinners or small bass minnows Some times just use them plain. Lake erie temps have dropped from 77 degrees to 69 over the last two weeks. I can't wait for our "season" to start. 

A black bucktail jig with a #11 pork frog trailer slow rolled like a swimjig can be deadly for smallies around here.

Thank you!

I just placed my order. His leech is on sale for $1.89,

so I bought a few of those, too. Have you had any

luck with that?

RW,

I use the leech mostly for pike like this. I know one of his customers caught his PB largemouth on one. I haven't used them much for smallies because the perch patterns mimic the the perch forage in erie so much. All black is good in dirty water as well as clear water. Give them a try.   

Geez...

that smallie looks like it weighs a lot more than 6# 14oz. i was gonna say 9 pushin 10

Beautiful smallie.  I have been tying hair jigs this year on 1oz picasso jig heads with rabbit zonker trailers for fishing the ledges at Pickwick and have had some sucess.  I've caught more large mouths than smallies.

Now that I can post some pics............here are some hair jigs that I've  been tying and using.

Skanky Shad

On a 1oz scrounger jig head

They are good anytime the water is below 60, but when fished faster they can still work in warmer water. Tip them with a little plastic crayfish or double tail. The rage chunk is a good choice for a trailer too.

Bone-headjig, those are nice looking jigs.

Thanks Dwight............they would look alot better with that smallie your holding hanging off one of them.

Just put an order in at jensenjigs.com, thanks for the link. I've been looking for some hair jigs with a perch pattern. Looks like I found 'em!