Jig Colors and Sizes for Winter Steelhead

After some good pointers from jig affectionnado Mark Anderson, I have a pretty good handle on jigs but it's not my forte'- a late starter still learning. If I had to chose one jig for all occassions it would be a 1/4 oz. pink and white version with a little Krystalflash and cerise or black colored head. This pattern of jig, by Silent Approach, more often than not with a little shrimp tail added, was what I did best with during a real good day on steelhead Friday. Next best was red and black. I also like the black and chartruse with a little silver Krystalflash. The next one I would chose is the newer chenile bodied jigs in cerise head, pink body, and white trailing wing. How about someone making some with the colors of the green butt skunk fly (mostly black with white next and a few strands of red, kelly green, and silver Krystalflash)? How about the chenile bodied version in a 'skunk'? Black head, with some red and white hackle wound near the head, black chenile silver spiraled body, and some green or white marabou feather fluff out the back? Killer! The first jig manufacturer that makes a good 'skunk' in 1/4 oz. pattern will sell me many! (Are you listening John and Roger or whoever?). Mark likes BeauMac's versions with bead bodies in pink and white; as well as several other colors. I think it seems obvious that 2 contrasting colors are surely effective, but Mark caught one on a pure black jig and a few on a pure red jig Friday. I'm beginning to think jig fishing is somewhat like steelhead fly fishing in that the colors aren't of paramount importance? Like with flies, presentation is likely more important. I also wouldn't care to use the 1/16 oz. or seldom the 1/8th oz. heads, except in the lowest clearest levels. The 1/4 oz. casts and sinks better, and I think get plenty of action even in moderate currents. ... What are some of your fav colors and sizes for particular water conditions; and particular rivers? Thanks. - RT

[smilesforu]

color is not as important if youre using bait on your jigs. I also prefer the 1/4 oz size.

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Marty M
Steelheader.net

[tadpolly]

Hey guys,I'm new so wait til my back is turned before you point and giggle.Red and black has been a staple for me for years.Cerise if the water has a little color.!/8 and 1/16 if the hooks are strong enough.Presentation is the killer here and a long rod seems to be a huge help here.So on that thread,does anybody know of a long stick that is rated for either 6-10 or 8-12?I'm not looking to spend a mint here as the indicater(float)tells us what is happening.We are looking in the 11-13 foot range.Maybe a midwest outfit or a B.C rig with a spinning handle?Have fun and thanks for any input.Mark D.

[Steelheader69]

Well RT, I've always been kinda torn on colors on lures of anykind. I feel sometimes it's color, then other times it seems that if you have the lure in front of the fishes face they'll either hit it or you put it in their mouth and legalsnag them. But here's what I use (I use jigs quite a bit for steelies and I do tie my own) Oh yeah, I'm in process of getting a small jig mold for 1/4 ounce so when I do I'll tie you up some green butt skunks.

Well, it seems in low clear water, I get more hooksets in either all black, black/green (I mean green green, not chartruese), and brown/orange. In that good visibility, perfect green water, I like to use purple/pink, purple/black, and black/chartruese. Then, when we get that lower vis, almost muddy I use pure pink, pink/white, white/red.

Well, as I've said before, there have been times where I'll use a certain color under certain conditions and nail fish consistently. Then, there are days that I can go through the rotation of my jigs and not touch a thing when Iknow there is fish in river. So, hope that helps.

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You haven't lived til you've rowed a cataraft. Friends don't let friends run Outcasts.

[Roeboat]

On some of the rivers around here the best color jig is called the "nightmare." It is white head red body with a black tail. It is very effective here. I've also had great success with an all red jig at times and the old Leo's jig with the weak hooks. And growing in popularity are the shrimp colored jigs (basically peachy light pinks)

[Jigman]

RT, I spent part of the summer field testing the very jigs you describe for Rainbow Jigs. The ones I used had a black chenille body with a black marabou tail with Krystal flash and had different butt colors........Chartr., red,orange,pink,cerise, kelly green and a few others I don't recall. The black with a red butt was my favorite and caught lots of summer fish in clear low water. I know Mike at Rainbow has been real busy putting his website together and getting ready to go retail but I'm sure if you sent him an e-mail he'd be glad to make you anything you need.......probably for free!(rainbowjigs@aol.com). As for colors I like for winter fish many moons ago I ran into an old timer down south who was knocking the heck out of the winter fish on jigs, before I started jig fishing. I talked to him for a while and he showed me what he was using. He pulled out a bunch of white jigs(plain white) and said this is the only color you'll ever need for winter fish. To this day white has produced more winter fish for me than any other color and in the winter I only carry 2 colors, white and pink/white. I usually run 1/4 oz but sometimes jump up to a 3/8 oz and have had good luck with both. The whites have some flashabou tied in and have either black or white heads and they also have eyes. Pink/white is also an excellent summer run color as are dark colors such as blacks and purples as well as red combos. Summer fish I'll usually run 1/8th oz but sometimes will go to 1/16th or 1/4 depending on the water.

[Wog]

RT-
I have found that the color of Jig your fishing is sometimes the difference between catching fish or going home skunked. I can't recall how many times I have fished a hole with a particular color for a while, switched to a different color and then got a strike on the first cast. This tactic short of changing Jig depth has been very productive for me.
Most Jig fisherman I have met and talked with prefer dual colored Jigs. I prefer to fish solid colors. Black, red, pink and purple are the four colors I like the best. Red has been the most productive with black a close second. I have tried dual colored Jigs in the past and had more luck with soild colors.

[Fuzzybutt & Angel]

I agree with most of you guys, color isnt as important as jig placement, in the hole you are fishing, but it does play a certain role in water temperature, Jigman (Mike) refers to the straight white color, and its a good one for cold water steelhead, as is the light pink, anything below 39 degrees and those are killers, but there are warmer temperatures during the winter/spring, and a good angler needs to recognize this and adapt to the conditions, I'll give you ten dollars if you catch a winter run on white in water warmer than 42 degrees. and 1/4 oz. gets the nod from me as well during winter flows, and 1/8 and almost always a 1/16 oz jig during summer conditions, and thats where the buggy colors come into their own, olives, blacks, browns, and burnt orange combinations are my first choices, followed by dark purple, and not maribou, but arctic fox, finnland Racoon, rabbit, and squirrel tails. feel free to e-mail me with any of you jig needs, or see my website http://www.geocities.com/Pipeline/Cl...tApproach.html
RT: you fished my jigs?? talk to me man! had a good day today as well landed two shiny ones in two hours on the Sky (NOT RIETER)
and didnt see another fish hooked.

[Jigman]

Roger, you owe me $10.00! I've had killer days in the summer on white when the fish wouldn't touch anything else.

[Fuzzybutt & Angel]

Mike, O.K dude! I owe you ten bucks!! send me a picture of you in short sleeves, holding a chromer with a white jig in its face, and I'll pay you!! hows it going man?? good to see you again!

(the bet was for a WINTER RUN fish, not a summer run, summer fish will bite anything sometimes, I am talking about moving fresh winter runs,in warm rain swelled rivers. not summer fish.)

[This message has been edited by Fuzzybutt & Angel (edited 12-03-2000).]

[Jigman]

Going good! Busy with work. Heard you were working down the street in a machine shop. Get married again? Had a fun trip on the peninsula with Mario last march, lot's of big chromers!

[Fuzzybutt & Angel]

Yup man, machining again, making parts for the lazy "B" not getting the wage though, yup, got married again! and she's a definate keeper!! :-) we gotta hook-up my friend!! you still on swing? lets wet a line!!
LRAndes@earthlink.net

[Jigman]

I'm on swing as always. You working swing too? Living in Auburn now you'll have to spend more time on the Green. Boeing's been hiring back like crazy........you might get a call.

[Fuzzybutt & Angel]

yeah man, working swing too 3:15 - 11:45.
wouldnt I love a call back to the "gravy boat" I once knew!! whew! I'm whipped man, up @ 4:00 am this morning, but back in time for lunch, e-mail me, and we'll exchange phone #'s. yup, living in Auburn, pretty close to the green,did good on summer fish up there this year testing some new products for my business, got some real nice fish this year, bigger than average to this year is a good thing to see.

[First Bite]

I agree with Jigman on white also. I always carry some in the winter along with pink & white. Red and black are great too. I'm constantly trying new colors and every once in awhile you come across a winner. I learn something new every trip out.
As far as size of jigs, I stick with 1/4 oz for winter use and as low as 1/16th for summer flows.

[Jigman]

Ya, it was good up there this summer. I'm surprised I didn't see ya. Had a 13 fish day up there last summer, best day this summer was 10 hooked and 7 landed. I'll e-mail ya, gotta go.............

Roger, as I mentioned in another post your jigs have the best palmered marabou feathers I've seen on jigs. They have more action in the water. They were what I was using on our hot day Friday. ... I have another Q about size though. Most answered about jig head weight, which I intended. But I also would like Mark, Roger, Mike, or you other jig users opinions on the effectiveness differences of the length and density of the feathers; marabou or otherwise. When I dunked Roger's Silent Approach jigs they had that great action look but I was suprised at how long the feathers actually were when they got wet. Around 3" long Roger? That sure was effective on these good biters we were on. One of the fish grabbed the black and chartruse, with some Krystalflash, in the shallower clearer appearing tailout. I think it's the longest "fuzzy" thing I've ever hooked a steelhead on. Mark hooked many on shorter feathered jigs. Obvioulsy these fish liked both lengths, but they were on an exceptional bite. Are there situations where you would prefer shorter or longer feathers? 2" to 3"? If so what river conditions? As with steelhead flies, feather density could make a difference too maybe? ... BTW, I bought a batch of the Silent Approach jigs, I got in the mail yesterday, and the one that just screams 'fish on' to me is the cerise head with pink sparkle chenile body and a balanced blend of feathers in purple, white, pink, and a little Krystalflash, about an inch and a half out the back. Beautiful as any custom steelhead fly. A like one is pictured near the bottom of the samples shown on the above URL site. I almost struck at the bag they came in! But I'm not a steelhead, so we'll see how they work. ... I sure appreciate your sharing info on jigs guys! Thanks so much for your good 'tudes. - Steve (RT)



[This message has been edited by RT (edited 12-04-2000).]

[dummy]

rt had a great day yesterday on nightmares and pink. on 1/8 oz heads i have never used 1/4 except with out a bobber for silvers. why so big too. i seem to do better in slow bobber water with small natural presentations. rt i got a guy that will make any jig you want on any hook. he has got the best period. caught six yestday before noon on his jigs. tapolly try st. criox. they have real good prices 100 dollar range. i have two and they do fine i like them alot. fuzzybait white works fine on warm water steelies try going down to 1/32 and 3lb test.

[Fuzzybutt & Angel]

Dummy, I use 1/4 oz. jigs almost exclusively in the winter, winter fish dont move as far to pick up a jig as summer fish do, and I want to know when I am looking at my float, that my jig is right under it, not floating downstream, or flailing in the current somewhere, 1/4 oz. stays planted right under the float, right where it should be. placement for me, is critical for winter fish, and if you are off a foot in your presentation might make the difference between getting bit and not. and I tie as small as 1/64th oz. for summer fish, and 3 lb test?? why so heavy??

[This message has been edited by Fuzzybutt & Angel (edited 12-04-2000).]

[smilesforu]

Heres a tip to get your foam floats (dinks) to stand on end. Wrap a piece of pencil lead around the base of the float and squeeze with pliers to compress the foam. Its a neat way to get your float poking straight up.
Tight Lines

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Marty M
Steelheader.net

That gets dinks to stand up Marty? ... hmmm ... desparate situations can call for desparate measures.

[Roeboat]

Lead in the dink is perhaps not the best solution. Try a small piece of hollow core below the float, perhaps 12-18 inches above the small jig. It gives the added weight to get the small jig down. Or you could also add split shot if you prefer. With the lead in the dink you still don't know where the jig is or how it is traveling underwater. With the weight you know you are down and can tell by the angle of the float how your presentation is going.

[Roeboat]

Hey Marty, whatever works for you is best. What is so cool, is that we all have ideas and techniques that work for us individually. I make my own dinks in various sizes. They are very durable and hold up to lots of chinook abuse. I use as small a float as I can get away with so there is very little above the surface . I have tried lead in floats before and it enabled me to cast farther, but that was the only benefit to me. Pencil lead also "sets" the float but enables you to fish faster and deeper water with the same dink while maintaining equal sensitivity.

[meyersbilly]

Hey Marty: do you find that the straight-up and down float works better than the 45 degree angle. In BC we rarely if ever have our float sitting straight up and down in the water column. We always place tension on the rig. Possibly this is why I have had limited success with jigs on the float. I normally bottom bounce them (on a tight line swing). Maybe I'm missing out?

BC dynks are way too big, cut them back a bit and they seem to work the best.

Billy, jigs for steelhead are at their best when there is decent water visability and fished off bottom a bit so the marabou feathers or rabbit fur will have some action. However, I do know some guys that have caught fish by driftfishing them right along bottom w/o any float; not refering to snaggers. In real cold water temps with some color, more common in your area, you may do best by having the jig drift about a foot or so off bottom. When the water is clear and above 40 degrees the steelies will move from a 7' deep hold up to take a jig 3 1/2' under the float at times. If not then move it deeper. Also, put a small piece of prawn meat on the jig hook to enhance it's effectiveness. - RT

[smilesforu]

It is actually a good solution for getting the dink standing up. Especially the longer canadian style floats. More weight can be added below if you desire but this can be used with a ultra light weight jigs, pink worms or your standard jigs by themselves and still allow the use of the large style float. This setup can also be used with out a swivel to stop the sliding hollow core lead. But if I am fishing heavy stuff below the dink it should stand up on its own anyway. Even with this setup you need to see how your float reacts for your gear down below. The key of this setup is that the float stands higher allowing the line to be higher off the water. I prefer my float standing straight up
Tight Lines

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Marty M
Steelheader.net

[smilesforu]

Roeboat Just a trick I use on the dink to help me keep my line up from the surface and fish the back side of boulders that are near the surface or just poking out. I can easily remove the lead when I want to fish it with a drift setup (sliding pencil lead on swivel or hollow core on the line) below the dink. The large bc dinks work great for this since they can handle a lot of weight for the faster water. I think you should hold back on the dink while fishing it downstream. If you cast upstream you just have to let the current bring it to you until it passes.
The surface water is faster than the water below, so this technique lets the lure hit the fish first instead of the line and lead dragging by first. The sliding lead allows you to feel the fish on a tight line immediately. This type of setup (lead on swivel) also helps keep you from hanging up around boulders while still being able to get your tackle down on the bottom. The straight piece of hollow core on the line works best on water that is a consistant depth with out a lot of bottom contact on the lead. There are lots of solutions to fishing different streams...be versatile and catch more fish. In low clear conditions try a castabubble and jig or a thin tall thrill float. Lots of choices for floats and they all have their advantages over another.
Tight Lines

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Marty M
Steelheader.net