# Big fluffy marabou jigs for winter steelhead?



## Chinookhead (Mar 4, 2005)

I saw that Gander Mountain had Northland tackle Marabou jigs called "Bug-a-boo jigs" made for crappie, bass, and walleye on sale , so I bought a couple to try for steelhead in a week. Do you think that these jigs are too big? I've always used for steelhead smaller stuff like flies and my jigs have been more ice-fishing sized with a little bit of bucktail. I know that guys out west use lots of these big fluffy jigs for steelhead and coho. What do you think? Should I try them or are they too big for great lakes winter steelhead, especially in this low clear water? When I opened up the package they just seemed a bit big compared to what I usually use for winter steelhead. The jig heads are only 1/32 oz. but the marabou adds lots of body to them, which I could always trim.

Below is a picture of them all dry:









Here is a picture with the pink jig wet:


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## Westlakedrive (Feb 25, 2005)

I am not sure if they are to big but I have never used any that big.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Only one way to find out. Get them things under a bobber and start twitching the holes man.


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## The Downstream Drift (Feb 27, 2010)

I know the souteast rivers fish differently than the rivers on the west side so this may not apply. But one of the pinners I fish with down here uses larger pink jigs like that all the time. He tends to catch more fish than I do with them. I'm going to blame that on the "perfect drift" he can get with the pin though.


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## skipper34 (Oct 13, 2005)

I use marabou wooly buggers for steelhead and they seem to love them. I don't know why those jigs wouldn't work just as well. I would definitely give them a try.


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

As A/S said, try them out. They don't seem too big.

As the package states...walleye, bass, crappie...don't hold a candle to steelhead. Hooks tend to bend out too easily and thus I don't trust them too much for steelhead fishing, no matter if it Northland, Custom Jigs and Spin, 
or Lindy/Li'l Joe.


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## Chromedoggy (Mar 25, 2007)

REG said:


> As A/S said, try them out. They don't seem too big.
> 
> As the package states...walleye, bass, crappie...don't hold a candle to steelhead. Hooks tend to bend out too easily and thus I don't trust them too much for steelhead fishing, no matter if it Northland, Custom Jigs and Spin,
> or Lindy/Li'l Joe.


Yep- don't trust the hooks

Steelhead will eat almost anything when the presentation is on- or the fish is on.
Typically the bigger the presentation, the fewer the players- but those players are either pissed or hungry so hold on!!!


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## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

I would not trust the hooks on that jig. If you do hook a fish on play it lightly. This is the reason on the centerpin forum most of the guys tie their own jigs. I was on a SW river yesterday and the fish did not want anything to do with my river cured spawn. Tied one of my hand tied jigs tipped with 2 waxies and first drift thru the hole bam fish on! . It was a decent sized marabou dressed jig and was about 1/32 ounce. With jigs I like to get some color out there but not over do it. I want the fish to notice it but not be spooked.

Yesterday was a weird day with the weather. I got caught in 2 storms on the way up and the way back. As awkward as it sounds as soon as I crossed the MI border from IN it was sunny. Gotta love that Pure Michigan weather! My instincts told me to keep going after thinking about whether to turn around after seeing 2 dozen cars in the ditch along the highway.It was worth the drive to get away from the Zoo down here. Sorry to get off topic .

With the yesterday's sun and clear water I choose a bigger jig but in natural color. I've only found a few online places with Great lakes style steelhead jigs with good hooks. I think those Northland jigs would work in the right conditions. Try the black for the clear water...


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## Fishslayer5789 (Mar 1, 2007)

Go out and give them a try! I have caught a few steelhead on some monster size dressed jigs, but not often enough where they would ever be my first choice to start an outing with. When I do use big dressed jigs, it is often because I have tried several other smaller sizes and colors beforehand without producing a fish. Your jigs look great, and I bet if you fish them on a warm spell and can find some aggressively hungry fish, they will get nailed. The majority of my steelhead jigs are size 8 or 10, so pretty much half the size of those ones. On thing I have for sure noticed is that large dressed jigs have only caught *ME* fish from the middle or March to the end or April (so basically that spring push of fish). That is only from personal trial and error, not a generalization because I know for a fact that lots of people pop winter fish with large dressed jigs.


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## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

Marabou does slim down A LOT after being in the water especially after a while. I would not trim the ends that part of the marabou has the most action underwater.


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## Fishslayer5789 (Mar 1, 2007)

One thing if you tie your own jigs...you can just tie on the maribou "fluff" without the feather stem in it. Just trim the fluff off the stem, unless you can find a good piece with a really thin stem. If you add a piece of maribou with too thick of a feather stem, it won't get the full wave motion you may be looking for.


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## tsr770 (Mar 3, 2010)

Like was said, I wouldn't trust those hooks, last thing you want to do is hook the steelie of your life and have it straighten out that hook.

I cast/paint/tie jigs for myself and others using Daichii hooks, all in 1/16oz #4 hook and 1/8oz #2 hook sizes... None of them are the micro size stuff, and they catch fish. My feeling is that if you have a nice big juicy looking presentation you will entice any active fish that is close to it. If the fish are so sluggish that they don't react to something that looks like a good sized meal you should be bouncing spawn right on the bottom for them instead.

Here is a pic of my best jigs for the past 2 years running, thats a quarter for size reference... none of them are very small. They've hooked steel on both sides of Michigan, and Ohio and Pennsylvania tribs too. Fall, Winter, and Spring.


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