Need a consensus on jig sizes and colors for low water conditions. Have had some luck on #1s but nothing consistent. Seen guys using smaller jigs with better results but could not tell what size or colors they were. Seems like white or pink just cant be sure. I tie my own so I tend to over think the whole process. Do fish care for fancy jigs or simple ones with body and tail only. thanks for any help. not asking for any top seceret stuff.

Skyrise,

I would go small, like a #4. I do well in low clear water on that size with a simple pattern, like red body black tail, or orange and white. Smelly jelly on the head of the jig works well also! Good luck.

Skyrise,
I used to think go small for clear water myself, but found that it isn't necessary at all for winter steelies. take this morning for example, went up to the Skykomish, and the water was pretty darned clear (more than five feet of vis.) I hooked two fresh winter runs, one came unhooked, and *gulp* one broke me off, I saw both fish. both were on 1/4 oz. Marabou Jigs, with #1 hooks. one on blood red and black, and one on orange and white, you just don't need to size down for winter fish in my opinion. however for summer runs I usualy fish with a 1/16 oz. jig with a #4 hook. both fish today bit in less than three feet of water.

Fuzzy
www.silentapproach.com

I had have to say I have the best luck with darker patterns. To me the color doesn't matter, but the shade. Darker shades work best. Jig head size I'd say 1/16-1/8. I have also noticed that head size isn't always a factor in winter conditions.

White or pink/white are both good winter colors and work well in colder water temps. I usually run 1/4 oz in the winter but sometimes drop to 1/8th, 1/8th and 1/16th in the summer. Simple jigs catch fish just as well as fancy ones, many jigs are fancier than they need to be! If you know the fish are there switch up colors on them and see what they like for the day, this can make a difference.

There is not much ambient light present during the winter, even on a sunny day compared to summertime. Dark jigs need sunlight to contrast against a light (sunlit) background. Even on a sunny day in the winter, the water is darker than a sunny day in the summer. Don't make me go into detail, just trust me on this one! That's why dark jigs work so well in the summer.

Colored water on a sunny day I will use a cerise/black jig, killer! Pink and white jigs are my bread and butter as they work well for me in all conditions. Then again pink anything in the winter is tough to beat! Plain white is my low, cold water favorite. I spanked a lot of summers last year on very small red/black and peach/black jigs. In the winter and early in the morning during the summer I always start off with something bright and then tone down as necessary. Also depends on where you're fishing. Unmolested steelhead, which are few and far between on the overcrowded rivers in the Seattle metro area, are more apt to taking brighter and larger jigs. Fish that have been hammered on, like at Reiter, will react better to smaller jigs. Doesn't mean you can't catch fish on dark jigs on dark days but I am a firm believer in the theory of bright lures on dark days and dark lures on bright days. Again, it depends on where you're fishing. Fresh fish, both hatchery and wild, are more apt to taking a jig or bait with a larger profile.

I have tested these methods on the upper Sauk, where I always have first water, and found them to work well for me on natives and the occasional inbred brat that makes its way into the upper river. I just don't have the success on dark jigs in the winter unless I am fishing in full sun or full sun in chocolate water. Hatchery fish all in all are a different story as I believe that most brats become chicken s**t, spooky little *******s when fished over and over. Subtlety is the key!

Justin
CEO, Sauk River Steelhead Ranch


[This message has been edited by SAUKit2em (edited 01-04-2001).]

Thanks for the info guys. As this is my first full season of using the float and jig, it has been alot of fun (been a stodgy fly fisherman for years). Have been outfished a few times already and have always wondered why. So thanks for your info. thanks.