Charlie Bunting believes a large plastic jig catches big, active crappie.
Here he pulls in a heavy crappie during a Lake Dardanelle tournament
with his partner/son, Travis Bunting, on the net. (Photo: Tim Huffman)
Hair Jigs vs. Plastics – We Polled the Experts
by Tim Huffman
(Editor’s Note: In last month’s issue of CrappieNOW Magazine, Brent Frazee shared a pro & con argument from two crappie experts on hair jigs versus plastic jigs. This month, Senior Writer Tim Huffman continues the debate by polling six top crappie anglers. You may be surprised by the results – or maybe not.)
Are you a Ford, Chevy or Dodge Ram lover? Do you prefer pepperoni on your pizza or are you a veggie-lover? And when you crappie fish, are you more likely to tie on a hair jig or do you almost always opt for plastics?
Here are some Pros and Cons:
Hair Jigs
- They are durable. They don’t tear like plastic or slip down on your hooks
- You can buy them, or many anglers prefer their own hand-tied jigs
- They offer a totally different action in the water
- They hold scent better than most plastic lures
Plastic Jigs
- Easily available in wide varieties everywhere baits are sold
- Comparatively speaking they are less expensive than hair jigs
- Actions can vary greatly based upon size, shape and material
- It’s very easy to switch out when one wears out or gets town
Based on my anecdotal survey of some of the country’s best crappie anglers, it seems most gravitate toward plastic first. But nearly all admit they like having hair jigs on standby for certain situations.
Three-time classic champ, Charlie Bunting, says he usually opts for plastic jigs.
“The Southern Pro Umbrella jig has been a good for many years. I’ve also used a lot of Muddy Water Baits with good success. My fishing partner and son, Travis, started adding garlic scent to his Muddy Water baits and it worked. We have used them when slow trolling, casting and shooting.”
All that said, Bunting admits, “(Forward-facing sonar) brought changes, so I’ll have at least one pole rigged with a tiny hair jig for when fish are finicky.”
Steve Coleman is a Reelfoot Lake crappie expert. He has eight national tournament championships to his credit.
“Handtied hair jigs can be excellent, but plastic has been successful for me,” said Coleman. “Plastics are versatile and have advantages. The one I use now is the split-tail body with an Eye-Hole jig head. It’s hot right now and earns a top spot for the best bait.”
John Harrison, a successful tournament fisherman from Louisiana, likes Crappie Magnet plastic jigs but stays versatile. His technique is forward-facing sonar.
“I like plastic and prefer to use them,” said Harrison. “But I’ll switch to hair when the fish ignore plastic. On our trip today I’m using a 1/24-ounce hair jig with a 3/16-ounce tungsten weight above it. I use the weight because it takes a tiny jig too long to fall without it. The weight falls first and then the jig. The jig follows and pendulums down under the weight, so a fish will often hit it when it swings down, whether the fish is hungry or not. I like pitching way out past the fish when they are spooky. If I can pitch past them, I can get more of a reaction bite, and they never know I’m around. I’ll pitch bigger plastic if they’ll hit it, but when they won’t, it’s important to downsize to a hair jig.”
Terry Adams, Crappie USA Classic Champ, is also a forward-facing sonar fisherman.
“I learned to fish by spider rigging, but I’ve learned fish can be caught all year long using one pole and forward-facing sonar,” said Harrison. “Today I run and gun a lot. I keep at least three poles rigged with different baits including hair jig, plastic jig and usually a minnow rig. I usually start with Jenko plastic Baby Fry jigs, then I’ll switch to hair (if necessary). When the fish won’t commit to a plastic jig, a tiny 1/32- or 1/64-ounce hair jig will likely make a big difference and change the day.”
Barry Morrow, Truman Lake guide and tournament fisherman with many regional and national titles, likes plastics.
“I use Redneck Rubber Beaver Bottom bait. It has the widest tail and a ribbed body and comes in a 1.5- or 2-inch model. It’s easily modified with the advantage of having a profile that fish don’t often see. My jig and hook size will vary based upon the bait and type fish I’ll be catching. The key to a jig is matching the right profile, size and color. I like bigger jigs because crappie have more trouble spitting them out, so I catch more fish. However, I will downsize to tiny plastics and hair jigs when it’s time to really finesse fish. Non-aggressive fish will sometimes hit a smaller hair bait when they ignore a medium or large plastic.”
Ross Wager is an expert at hand-tied hair jigs and owner of Wager Baits. Understandably he is partial to hair jigs and argues cost shouldn’t be a factor.
“On a day when fish are hitting good, you’ll go through more plastics than what a hair jig cost,” said Wager. “My recommendation is to use two rods with one of them rigged for plastics. Use the plastics to learn which color the crappie want. Then, switch to a hair jig. You won’t burn through your plastics, and you don’t have to mess with your jig all the time after bites or catching a fish. The hand-tied hair jig is a quality bait that will last a long time and can draw strikes when plastic won’t.”
Results
Five out of the six experts we consulted said they usually opt for plastic jigs first. They say plastics win when fish are in a moderate or active feeding mood, and they offer a wider variety of options to quickly fine tune size, shape, action and color.
All admit, however, there is a time and a place for hair jigs. They say it is an overwhelming favorite for spooky or finicky crappie, when small, more delicate offering with flowing action triggers more strikes.
But as the saying goes, wherever and however you fish, “Your mileage may vary.”
Senior CrappieNOW writer and recent Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame member, Tim Huffman, has a new 2024 book, Papermouth, Modern Fishing Techniques, available in Kindle or paperback at Amazon, or link from his website, www.monstercrappie.com
