I love to listen when anglers get together before going fishing. It’s often referred to as dock talk. Every angler anxiously wait their turn to tell stories of big bass they caught the day before or how the smallmouths were aggressively attacking their lure every cast. While some of these stories are true others are fabricated to enhance the size or number of bass caught. Some of the anglers standing around say nothing about what lure they are catching fish on or where. They really don’t care because it’s their secret lure that’s catching them. If their secret was to come out then everyone would be fishing with a Flair Hair Jig made by Ron Kruger.

Just over four years ago Ron Kruger (http://ronkruger.photoshelter.com/) began making the Flair Hair Jig. Each one is hand-made by spinning and trimming deer body hair into a particular pattern.  “I use deer body hair because it’s a proven natural material that flairs and pulsates with a life-like action when moved, regardless the water temperature. The flaired deer body hair compresses when you pull it through the water, and it flairs back out when it stops–similar to the way many animals, birds, and fish puff up as a fear or defense mechanism, and much the way a crawfish slims down when it swims and flairs out when it stops,” explains Kruger. Hair jigs were once the number one style of jig anglers used to fish with, but fell out of favor when anglers turned to using silicone skirts. Unlike jigs with silicone skirts, Flair Hair Jigs not only look and imitate live prey, but can be scented. “One of the main things that really sets them apart from other lures and jigs is the way they hold scents. If you douse them with scent when they are dry, they will hold that attractant all day. In fact, you can use one all day, put it away, and it will still smell when you take it back out days later,” explained Kruger.

Size matters when it comes to fishing with hair jigs. While other lure companies try to copy and increase the size of their hair jigs, Kruger’s Flair Hair Jig has remained the same size. “I came up with them because all the jigs I could buy were too big. They were the size of lobsters; not crawfish. Plus they would be way too heavy. Although lots of anglers have asked me to make them larger and heavier,” Kruger continued, “I have resisted that because I’m convinced one of the reasons they work so well, especially for bigger bass, is the slow fall.” Every one of the Flair Hair Jigs Kruger makes has the same hair body shape and size resulting in a slow rate of fall.

The Flair Hair Jig (www.baitmyline.com or they can be order direct from Kruger at a flat $4 each, regardless of size. There is no charge for shipping and handling for orders of six or more jigs. Orders are shipped via regular mail in a plastic box. Payment is by personal check only and should be made out to Ron Kruger, POB 133, Arcadia, MO 63621)  available in 1/8-once or 1/4-ounce in black, blue, orange, brown, natural gray and red. Kruger’s favorite color pattern is natural for fishing during the day or at night. Each one is made on a high quality Arkie Lures stand-up jig head.

The Flair Hair Jig can catch fish on any reservoir or river. During the winter months, highland reservoirs like Beaver Lake in Arkansas or Table Rock Lake are great places to catch big bass on hair jigs. Depending on the water temperature anglers often use hair jigs without adding a trailer; the rule of thumb is anything under 50 degrees fish a hair jig without a trailer. A hair jig is also a great lure for catching bass in rivers and streams. Warm water steams like the Kings River or Elk River are renowned for their smallmouth fishing and great places for fishing hair jigs. In the summer months, anglers can catch smallmouth in the shoals or just below them then in the winter months in slack water areas with large boulders.

Next time you get around a bunch of fishing buddies and the dock talk begins listen carefully to what lures they aren’t talking about. That’s usually the ones they are really catching their fish on. That’s because they want to keep their Flair Hair Jig their little secret.