How to Tie Crappie Jigs
Lead-headed crappie jigs come in a variety of sizes, colors and material combinations. Trying to collect all of the possible combinations would be expensive. Tying your own crappie jigs is simple and a fun way to pass time; it's also cheaper than buying them. Crappie jigs come in several body combinations, however, the chenille and marabou bodies are among the best crappie catchers.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Lead jig head hooks
- Lacquer paints
- Fly tying vice
- Fly tying bobbin
- Fly tier's scissors
- Fly head cement
- Monocord thread, waxed
- Chenille
- Marabou feathers
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1
Select the tools and jig components. Buy unpainted lead jig heads in bulk; sizes 6 and 4 are the most popular. Purchase an inexpensive fly-tying vice; it will work just as well as an expensive one. Pick up a bobbin, thread, scissors, fly head cement, and the chenille and marabou along with the vice at a fly shop.
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2
Buy any combination of chenille and marabou colors you can think of. Buy a variety of colors and be creative. White, red and fluorescent pink are always good. These are also the best colors for the jig heads. The monocord colors need to match the chenille body color. Lacquer for tackle craft is the proper paint.
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3
Paint the jig heads by holding the hook in your fingers and dipping the whole jig head into the bottle of lacquer. Pull the head out and let the lacquer drip off until the paint solidifies on the jig head. Dipping will give a smooth thick finish as opposed to brushing it on. Hang the jig heads by their hooks until they are completely hard and dry.
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4
Punch out the hook eye with a pin after the paint is hard. Lock the bend of the hook in the vice and wrap the thread from behind the jig head back along the hook shank to the barb of the hook. Let the bobbin hang in this spot.
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5
Select a marabou feather and pinch as many feather strands as you can from one side between your thumb and forefinger. Cut them off at the feather's stem. Lay the butt ends of the strands on the end of the hook shank where you stopped the thread. The feather tips should extend out the back an equal distance as the hook shank is long. Wrap several turns of thread around the butt ends on the hook shank just above the hook's barb. Cut off a second bunch of marabou from the opposite side of the feather and tie it down on top of the first bunch. Clip off the butt ends of the marabou.
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6
Lay the end of the chenille strand over the wrapped marabou, wrap three turns of thread over the chenille right over the last spin of thread on the marabou. Wrap the thread forward to the jig head and let the bobbin hang. Wrap the chenille forward, making each turn snug up against the previous turn. Stop at the back of the jig head.
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7
Wrap the thread five turns over the end of the chenille and cut the excess chenille off. Wrap the thread evenly over the chenille end forming a 1/16th-inch collar up against the back of the jig head. Finish the thread wraps with three half hitches pulled snuggly into the collar. Paint the collar with fly head cement. Do not cut the thread free until the cement has hardened or the thread will unravel. When the cement has dried, cut the thread and remove your crappie jig from the vice.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Keep the chenille wrapped on the cardboard it came on. Cut a slit at the top of the card. Pull out as much chenille as you need, slip it into the slit. You can wrap the chenille easily without the whole card coming unwound.
If the chenille becomes smashed you can plump it up by passing it through the steam from a tea pot.
You can buy painted jig heads, but they cost more than the unpainted heads. Painting your own is a big savings.
Be careful when handling the hooks so as not to get one stuck into your finger.
Use the lacquer paint in a ventilated area.
