Hair Jigs for Bass - Part 1 - Overview

Posted by Lorraine Haggerty, Owner Haggerty Lures on 15th May 2016

If you've done a Google search for Hair Jigs - good grief! There's so much on the Market, made in so many ways. 

How do you sort them out? What actually works? And what exactly is a "Hair Jig"?

Hair Jig is a term coined for Bucktail jigs when dealing with Bass. However, many people use the term for anything with natural materials - Bucktail, Marabou, Feathers. So when you call and ask for a hair jig, please don't be annoyed when I ask what KIND of hair, just to make sure. 

So what is Bucktail hair? It's Deer Tail. Much different from other parts of the Deer, it's hollow and buoyant, creating a nice flow in the water. It also stands up well to hooked fish, giving you potentially many casts on the same jig if it's tied properly and glued well. It really only comes naturally in one color - white. All of the other colors in the rainbow come from dying the tails. The top side of the Bucktail is brown, but it's a different makeup than the soft white underside which is best.

Other types of hair we use that are also great for Bass fishing are Marabou, Black Bear, Silver Fox. They each have unique properties that make them fun to cast with great results.

Tournament Fishing is much different from Bass fishing with your kids. The Pros need to catch the big Hogs, and use jigs designed to attract them. Time and ounces are big money. The bigger the lure, the bigger the fish, on average. That being said - many Anglers have been fishing with a small 1/8 oz or 1/4 oz jig and caught a Lunker by surprise! That's the fun of Fishing - you never know what's lurking beneath the surface ready to gobble up your bait. 

When out with the Family your goal is to hook them into something, anything at first, to get them excited, pumped up, engaged. Keep the kids from getting bored. The worm and bobber technique we used to use just doesn't seem to hold the same charm for our offspring. They want action.

I'm going to focus on Tournament Bass fishing first. Kind of working from the Top down. If you have an insight into how the Pros target the biggest and best Bass, you'll know better how to refine your own fishing.

As always, Please feel free to call or email me with questions or advice. We love photos! And we're happy to share our knowledge and love of this great Sport. 

See Part 2 of Hair Jigs for Bass - Tournament Jigs or 

Part 3 of Hair Jigs for Bass - Family and Fun 

Tight Lines... Lori