# Waiting for some rain....



## tsr770 (Mar 3, 2010)

So, since being given a one hour lesson on fishing for steelhead with a jig and float I've become slightly obsessed with it. (Of course) Then I went to buy some jigs for myself 10 jigs and $20 later I decided I need to make my own. Just like crawler harnesses, perch rigs, and on and on, I enjoy making them myself to pass the time between fishing adventures.

After a trip to Netcraft, digging a mold and melting pot out of my parents attic, looking at all sorts of sites online, and cleaning up the "Dad's room" in the basement I went to town. The whole tying jigs/flys is totally new to me but I found it relaxing and actually somewhat fun after I got it figured out. Trust me there was more than once that I got ticked at feathers, thread, and that damn whip finisher.

Anyway, my latest time passing results, this batch is all 1/16th ounce, powder painted heads, cleaned out eyes, and Daiichi High Carbon hooks which are the strongest #4 jig hook Netcraft sells. Some are like the ones you buy at the local bait shop, some are palmered schlappen and hackle, and some are bunny hair too.










Not too bad for a beginner IMO? fishing_finlander any myself are gunna give them a washing on Sunday to see what happens.

I do have a couple dozen that I'll let go to some locals if your intrested.


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## MstrAngle (Feb 28, 2010)

Nice work on the jigs man, they look good. This will be my first yer also using a jig and float.


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## Toga (Nov 11, 2009)

Nice jigs. I rarely use them but they work very well under a float. If you would like to off a few I tie up some very nice flies and would be willing to set up some type of a trade.


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## Steelmon (Mar 30, 2009)

Your jigs look good and should work well. I prefer the visibility and ease of handling of a bigger profile, especially in dirty water. I tie my own jigs in 1/8 and 1/4 oz. I never knew a Steelie that would turn down a big minnow, if it was an easy meal . We find 3 and 4" shad in their bellies quite often. The fish I lost a couple days ago and the one I caught yesterday came on my own jigs. 

You may want to tie more of the whites for the Huron . It seems like white always works on that river, even when conditions say no . I know a couple guys that have only white jigs in thier vests. I carry other colors, but it's just dead weight, since I always end up using white.


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## pdp3 (Oct 21, 2009)

I would love to buy some if you are willing to sell them plz inbox me asap!


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## tsr770 (Mar 3, 2010)

My mold also has 1/8 ounce, but I couldn't get any size 2 hooks, had to order them but they are in, so 1/8 ouncers are next. Like ya said, not many steelhead are going to pass up a nice big minnow imitation, and with that said I saw no reason to scrimp on the marabou like the store bought ones seem to do. 
White you say? Looks like I will have to come up with all sorts of white variations too... lol its just way too addictive! 
The palmered schlappen ones in salmon and pink look a lot like a nice yummy gob of spawn in the water, so they may be winners too. And the rabbit hair jigs are basically a jig version of the west coast/Alaska flesh flies that are a staple for salmon/steel out there there.


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## Steelmon (Mar 30, 2009)

You're white ones look a jig called "laughing Whitefish" that they sell at Little Dipper. It's a very deadly pattern. I have a few of them for times when I want to go a little smaller. They're beween 1/16 and 1/8 oz, about 3/32 is my guess.

I enjoy tying my own jigs too and the big reward comes when you catch fish on your own jigs. I just tied up 10 1/8 oz white w/red thread. That's my best combo.

What happened to the snow/rain we were supposed to get? Every rain prediction this fall has been wrong.


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## tsr770 (Mar 3, 2010)

Yeah that rain went the same way as the rest of it we have been supposed to be getting. I see a couple chances next wwek but they're only 30% once again. 

I got some more hooks this morning so it's gunna be back to my basement cave.. lol


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## streamertosser (May 20, 2008)

nice lookin jigs, i've gotta get a bunch tied up here asap


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## Steelmon (Mar 30, 2009)

Only hit one small stretch yesterday, but beat the heck out of it . I got rewarded with one hit that I missed . It came on one of my white jigs tipped with a Gulp Maggot. One of those things has a lot more scent than a wax worm and they are much easier to keep . I've had the same little jar for 2 years and there are still a lot left in it. I tried several different jigs, spinners, and even spawn bags. 

They got 2.5 inches of "OUR" snow in Port Austin :rant:.

I took a drive around after fishing, at 2:30 pm. There was no one else where I was, no one fishing at Fort Street , no one in a couple other spots I checked, and only 2 people in Huroc Park. There were a couple boat trailers at the Flatrock Ramp though. I have never seen it so quiet on a Saturday in November. 

The flow at Ann Arbor is up to 300 cfs for the last 2 days as opposed to the 150 cfs average of the last couple weeks. No torrent for sure , but it can't hurt, if it shows up here.


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## tsr770 (Mar 3, 2010)

I saw another post that they are drawing down Kent Lake for the winter, that will hopefully kickstart the flow, hopefully the rest of the impoundments follow suit. That should boost the water flow for a week or so if they do, hopefully long enough to inspire some fish to head in.


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## Steelmon (Mar 30, 2009)

There was a very good flow out a Pt. Moullie yesterday. That's the kind of thing that might bring some fish in. The flow is not much good if it doesn't reach the staging fsh. I go out there a lot just to look for moving fish and toss a spinner or spoon for a bit. Many days this fall, there has been no flow.

I think the East Wind, early last week, may have caused the little push we had. I saw 3 fish at the coffer one day a week ago. I went down there with my rod the next day and never saw a fish. I go by there every day. I have not seen one fish there since. We have not had any East Winds since then either. 

I go by the Little Dipper quite a bit. There was only one pic in there for about a week. All of a sudden, one day last week, after the East wind, there were about 6 more pics. On Sunday, a few days later, there were no new pics. That's what I'm using as a guage. I don't take my fish in for pics, nor do a lot of other guys, but there are enough guys that do to give us a guage on the action IMO.

Ann Arbor guage still up today, if you can really call 280 cfs "up". 
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mi/nwis/uv/?site_no=04174500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060


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## tsr770 (Mar 3, 2010)

Looks like a somewhat decent chance of some rain this weekend, and some better temps the coming week. These beautiful bluebird days are getting old.. lol


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## workingman (Aug 16, 2007)

TSR770

You got the sickness son. Only cure is a big steely dragging you up river.

Jig look very nice - good luck


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## tsr770 (Mar 3, 2010)

workingman said:


> TSR770
> 
> You got the sickness son. Only cure is a big steely dragging you up river.
> 
> Jig look very nice - good luck


 
I know I do.... bad enough that I keep looking at pins, what am I getting myself into? hahahaha 

Sunday I proved that the purple and black jig will catch a smallie, now for a silver fish. I am headed to the MO on the 18th for a few days, that should cure the itch a bit. Although a nice Huron River fish is my personal goal for this fall/winter/spring.


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## Steelmon (Mar 30, 2009)

A guy fishing near me got one yesterday. I had one hammer a #3 Chartreuse Mepps, clear the water, then come unbottoned :sad:. I bowed when she jumped, but it didn't help. It was no monster but I'll take anything these days. That fish was laying right where I thought she would be. It's a good spot to give my center pin a work out. 

I think the East Wind is going to pay off again . 

I'll wait to see on those rain predictions .

Don't worry Tsr770, if you have to be sick, fishing is the best kind to be. You're not hurting anyone or causing Mexicans to be cutting people's heads off. I just bought another expensive rod that I didn't really "need". I just justify it by believing that I'm helping to boost the economy.


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## tsr770 (Mar 3, 2010)

Yep.. I watched the east wind today from work blowing the steam from the monroe edison straight west, kinda crazy it was, there were clouds/fog at ground level being blown in off the lake past our shop all day


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## Steelmon (Mar 30, 2009)

Well the wind didn't help me yesterday. I threw everything I own and got skunked :sad:.

The more I study this river the dumber I seem to get . I think I was better off years ago when I tied on my jig/worm, spoon, or spawn bag, and just fished .

The river is flowing better and has come up about a whole foot :lol: in the last couple days.

There are a zillion little shad up by the coffer. A guy caught a couple Walleyes there 2 days ago, which makes sense. If the water was at the proper level, that place would probably be packed with Steelies. There is soooo much food :yikes:. If you fish there, be sure to watch out for the gulls [splat] :rant:. There have been a whole lot of them chasing those shad.

Stinkin' Ann Arbor flow is back down for the last 2 days.


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## pdp3 (Oct 21, 2009)

TSR 
I DO WANT SOME OF THOSE JIGS I THINK I CAN DO SO THURSDAY SO SEND PAYPAL INFO FUNNY YOU MENTION KENT LAKE WENT THERE LAST WEEK INSTEAD OF ROCKWOOD AND YEA THE LAKE IS CRAZY LOW SO HOPEFULLY THEY OPEN BELLEVILLE DAM PLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ WE NEED WATER BAD I GUESS THE FLOW IN ABT 2-3FT ON HURON:sad:


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