Strikes again. We fished the west prong this afternoon using the tiny jig and did well. The temps were hot and it was windy with storms building to the south but that didn't seem to bother the gills




We had a great time fishing and enjoying natures beauty

Gar...Wow...those are some awesome pictures & massive fish...

God's Country! What else can you say!



Side Note: You have one GREAT back yard!

Very nice outing! & always GOOD to see GODS promise to mankind.

Some great places and great fish!!!!

Nice fish. The one Pot Licker is holding is HUGE! Also love the rainbow!



Side Note: Is there any color of jig that works better in crystal clear water?

Thank you vogey for the reply! The west prong is a great fishery

Thanks chuck! I believe God has blessed yesenia and I by allowing us to be Stewarts of this beautiful place

I couldn't agree more fishbonz thanks for your reply!

Yes sir! Thanks for your reply rionator

Thank you Laker One! Yea she always catches the biggest ones
As far as colors go it depends on the time of year and what the fish are feeding on. As of lately gold, black, and orange have been working great

Nice fish. Looks like great fun.

Thanks for the reply osbournfishing

fabulous

Thank you butch sanders for your reply

And again... We went out again today to see if this jig was just a fluke and the jig proved itself again. We caught over 50 gills of all sizes ranging from 2 to 10+inches and a few bass

The highlight of the day was yesenia breaking my record c&r channel cat using the tiny jig

A huge congratulations I am so happy for her

Can’t beat the tiny jig!

Thanks for the reply! I totally agree with the time of year! I also fish some very clear waters and Black and Gold seem to work well for me. Also Chartreuse and plane White are getting good results in the clear water as well. I also sent you a PM!

Thank you jagg for your reply!

Yes white and chartreuse are excellent year round thanks for your reply!

Great pictures, fish and tiny jigs. I tie a couple different flies on jig heads. One is a simple marabou jig. Usually in white, yellow or black / chartreuse. I normally tie it on a 1/16 ounce jig head and use it for white bass and crappie fishing. Although I've had a couple good days catching bluegill on it in deeper, faster moving water. The other fly I tie is a "cap spider". I've had slightly better success catching bluegill on this jig head fly. I usually tie it on a 1/16 or 1/64 ounce jig head but Michael Verduin recommends a 1/124th ounce head. I suspect that 1/80th jig head you use is perfect for the slow moving waters you are fishing. That sink rate is often the key to successful catching.

Here is a link to Michael Verduin's fly tying video. It is a great watch as he talks about being a 3 time champion fly fisherman and the evolution and name of the "Cap Spider"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzZekzILGRI

You should try a few of these in the colors you like.

Thanks J-Moe for the link and the reply! I will definitely check out the video

Just like Fayette! The West Prong "Keeps on keeping on"! Nice Slabs!


Side Note: Nice Cat Yesenia !

Looks like you had a great day.
Fighting a the cat on a fly rod must have been really fun.
Good job.

Thanks for the reply ocelot! She was using a 4ft6 casting rod with a zebco ZO2 spincast reel and 4lb line

You all are catching a very nice quality of fish! One advantage on living in some beautiful,protected area! Always enjoy reading your post,seeing your homemade baits,and catching some super nice fish. Thanks for sharing.



Side Note: Do you make your baits for fishing during certain times of the year? Also what bait either jig or lure works for you year around? Again awesome post.

That tiny jig does the trick. Awesome job!

Thanks Gitter done for the kind words we fish with our jigs year round . 99% of the time we are fishing with our jigs for crappie,bass,and gills with the occasional carp and channel cat biting the jigs also. Percs of making your own Jigs is you always have plenty and there are always new color combos and different sizes to test lol. The other 1% of the time we are fishing for gar or flatheads and use the perch and carp that we have caught with our jigs for bait. It doesn't seem to make a difference what part of the year it is the fish will hit a jig

Thank you pop r for your reply it does the trick!

And again! This time we were 75mi south on the nueces and like pop r said the tiny jig did the trick! We fished from 8am till 2pm and caught 88 fish between the two of us using the tiny jig. We caught bass

rios
gills of which 8 were over 10in

and pot licker caught a few channels. I was holding this one for the pic

I think i might have found what makes the tiny jig work so good

Great example of "match the hatch"...nice fish & report...

Thanks vogey! They are on the way

Those are some great fish. I'm gonna have to try some of these...I can't be worse at it than I am at drop shotting lol. Looks like you guys fish them with light spinning gear and I'm guessing 6 or 8 lb line? What kind of casting distance do you get from them?

Thanks for the reply JohnF67 we are using zebco Z02 spincast reels with 4lb line on 4ft 6in zebco hotcast rods. We can cast the1/80 tiny jigs about 15yrds.

That's cool. Do you know what type of insect that is? I've tied some hellgramitte patterns similar to that insect. I have a new color pattern to try now

I think it's a type of mayfly it has wings although they cant be seen in the pic. It was sitting on my center console when i took the pic. They are very docile and will let you pick them up

Awh, that makes sense. I tie a type of sinking dragonfly which has a similar body shape with the exception of the long front antennae or the excessively long tail. The hellgramitte have a lot more legs. Thanks for the picture. This type of information is of great help. I have something to model

I have used live hellgramittes with good success, skin as tough as nails and pinch like the devil. Always glad to help would love to see your version of this mayfly when it's all said and done

Yep that's a mayfly and guessing a burrower like a hexagenia or could be a large swimmer like an isonychia. I would go with isonychia if it came out of a creek hexs usually come out of still water with a lot of vegetation debris on the bottom. Mayflies are often described by the action(s) of their nymph form. Guessing that one would be size 10 or 12. That one looks like it is still in the breading phase rather than in the "spinner" phase. A spinner is a mayfly that is spent from breeding. The wings are usually completely clear at this phase and the body is usually monochromatic. It also the phase that most fish take adult mayflies as the spinner is not going to fly away like a newly emerged bug. I think those are legs protruding from the front of the fly as true insects like mayflies have six legs. Mayflies usually have almost imperceptible antennae and their front legs are frequently a different color from the others.

There is a huge hexagenia hatch up this way during the summer and the fish gorge though this is more on the nymphs as they become super active and move to the surface. I have some flies that would be killer for this bug.

Hellgrammites are Dobson fly larva. Yes they do have large pincer that hurt like hell but that is because both the larva and the adult are carnivorous. Used to have to catch them for my dad when I was a kid before his yearly small mouth adventure/debacle on the Rappahannock river.

Sorry I nerded out here but streamside entomology was kinda of thing for me for the past sixteen years while I was fishing for trout around the country.

Great information Bones72. I've spent some time studying hatch charts and ultimately lean towards patterns of insects that have hatches a large portion of the year for sunfish fishing. What books or other resources do you recommend to study Central texas insects and hatches?.

Gar1970, This is a variant of a Carter's Rubber Legged Dragon that I tie. It is one of my 5 favorite flies for sunfish & bluegill. I also catch lots of catfish and bass on this fly.

Thanks for the info bones72 I learned something new

That's a good looking fly J-Moe is that a wolff apex your tying on?

Yes it is. I love it.

Great choice! I love mine too

Not sure on books most of what I learned came from mentors and the internet. Had a few fishing buddies that really helped me to learn the bugs on the water. In addition circulars like Fly Tyer or Flyfishermen magazine usually feature a fly in each issue that describes the fly the bug and most times its life cycle/habits etc.... as well as when and where it is applicable. Texas is a conundrum for me and still have much searching to do for resources to understand the movements of the seasons.

Some things have remained the same from when I was here before like the hex hatches yet other things are first time things for me. I have seen tricos on several creeks here earlier this summer, tricos are tiny little mayflies that I usually associate with cold, super clean trout streams in late summer early fall. Then catching about thirty or six to seven inch crappie in Nolan creek this Sunday really threw me for a loop. I also saw a ringtail going down the bank very early in the morning, this is a critter I thought of being further south like south of Austin. Then on last Friday, the day I caught a flathead on the fly, I saw a coral snake crossing the Brushy Creek; close enough I could see the bands and recite the rhyme "red on black friend of Jack, red on yellow kill a fellow". My experience was that they went out of their way to avoid water, guess I was wrong again. Who knows I might finds myself fishing for white bass with Catskill style quill Gordons or Largemouth with full dress salmon flies.

Thanks!

Your very welcome Gitter Done

Got a few more today. PL gave this one a nose piercing
And a couple of bass

And another minnow
We even got a double on the minnows
It's such a plain jig, not sure why so many different species of fish like it?

Gar1970- curious where you pick them lil jigs up from?

Got a lil 3 year old going out with me this Saturday.

Gar1970, thanks for the pattern. I hope you don't mind me tying up a few. I think maybe calling that jig "the Pot licker special' would be a good name for it. Anyway, I had to try them out and found them to be a killer especially on Bass with a fast strip (fly fishing). I was using a size 1/64th oz jig head which may be too heavy for fly fishing as I did drag up some crud off the bottom; so a tied up some on a size 14 hook with a gold bead head and bingo, slower decent and man do they really work on sunfish of all species. Again, thanks for sharing.

Pm sent

Thanks for the reply Rick! I dont mind at all in fact im flattered. My sole intentions were to share this pattern with all the gill fisherman in the bluegill/sunfish section. I tie alot of different jigs for gills but this one by far is the best one. I started off tying it with a 64th and it worked good but when i tied it using the 80th i couldn't believe the difference
The pot licker special sounds great to me

Gar1970 - Update on 3 year olds fishing trip.

Mariner sails had a Demo day for kayaks, she lost her mind that she could ride a boat. Fishing placed on hold for next week. I'll keep ya updated.👍

You have got a mighty mean jig on your hands, gar1970! The fish in my area have been trying to kill this little jig! It’s actually kinda frightening how hard they hit it. Been doing well cast out by itself and beneath a small float. Man they hit it! Thanks for the jigs! That solid hook on the jig is definitely plus. Typically I like my panfish jigs to have more give in the hook just in case I get hung up, but with this jig it makes the jig a bit more castable and makes it super durable. Very nice ties, gar1970!

Thanks jagg for the kind words! I have similar results the fish just hate the jig and try to kill it with viscous strikes the hook is a #12 eagle claw jig hook and is very stout for its size. I have caught bass and catfish up to 4lbs and carp to 8lbs with no damage at all to the hook. I have hooked bigger bass on it but they ended up popping my 4lbs test i am going to try my hand at fly fishing in the future maybe i can cast it using a heavier line???

Yes, you can tie any size leader you want on the end of the fly line. The presentation of that light jig on that light line can make a big difference over using an 8 lb. line though. Not to mention it's easier for them to see that heavier line. Especially in that clear water you fish.

Thanks for answering my question Jamie. I am not worried about the fish seeing the line. I use mr. Crappie hi vis green 90 % of the time when jig fishing and it doesn't seem to bother them. I have been using trout s.o.s in 4lb lately because the last spool of mr.crappie i bought was extremely weak i could pull it apart with very little effort, Maybe it was old who knows?? I bought the trout s.o.s at Wal-Mart on clearance for 50cents a spool. Got 3 spools of it. I like it but it's not hi vis and i can't see it. I am a firm believer of always watching your line so when i use up the s.o.s I'll go back to mr Crappie.
If I use let's say an 8lb leader I'm assuming the action of the jig will be different verses a 4lb leader? Your thoughts?

Yes, you won't get far as much movement with 8 lb. vs. 4 lb. I've used 6 lb fluoro before and was catching white bass and hybrids. I changed to 12 lb. and couldn't get a bite. Changed back to 6 lb. and started catching again. For small light flies or jigs it makes a big difference in natural presentation.

Fished the tiny jig this weekend and found the fish deeper than the last time. I guess the front had something to do with that but they were still killing it!






This tiny gill liked the tiny jig too

Leo those jigs are fish catchers. Still stuck on my worms but will be using your jigs very soon.

Thanks chuck! I know the boc can't be beat but this jig sure comes close, Plus its not messy and doesn't need refrigeration

We have had 3 cold fronts come thru since the last time i fished the tiny jig. So i tried it yesterday. The gills were not very active in the morning but as the day warmed up so did the gills. In the morning i would have to let the jig sink about 8ft before it would get bit and as it warmed the bite would come around 4ft then in the afternoon the gills were just under the surface and i would sight cast to them and they would hit it as soon as it hit the water. That is one of my favorite ways to fish for them






All fish released to swim another day

Nice slabs Leo!



I still hope to use your jigs soon!

Great fesh, Leo! The tiny jig is a mini Hercules! The surface bite has its days numbered for this year; glad you could get one of them!

Thanks for the reply Chuck!

All you gotta do is tie one on

Thanks Torry for the reply and the kind words about the jig! I'm afraid your right about the surface bite Especially since its my favorite way to fish for them
I don't think i have the patience to wait for the tiny jig sink 20feet to get to the fish but I'm gonna give it a try