Matt Becker customizes his hair jigs with upsized jigheads and hooks .
pouring something special
Pro : Matt Becker Craft : Pouring weights and custom jigs
Most of us had that moment as a kid : when you walked into a tackle store , saw the cool stuff on the shelves , wanted all of it , and then realized you could barely afford a single pack of sinkers . Matt Becker sure did , and that ’ s why he started pouring his own weights and jigs .
“ It was just a lot cheaper , and I didn ’ t have the money to keep going and buying more ,” Becker says . “ When I was in my early teen years I really got into it , pouring jigs , buzzbaits , drop-shot weights , tube jigs . I even got into soft plastics for little bit . I just always had ideas in my head on how to make a bait better , and I ’ d try to make it myself .” Case in point : hair jigs . While admittedly only getting into the pattern in the last several years , Becker immediately realized the effectiveness of hair jigs … and their limitations .
“ All the ones on the market , the hooks were so small ,” Becker said . “ I just didn ’ t feel very safe catching 5- to 6-pound smallmouth on them . Plus ,
Becker ’ s handmade hair jigs helped him to a top five finish at Lake Guntersville .
you needed such light equipment to cast them .”
So , Becker decided to start making his own to fit his needs . That meant bulking up everything , from the size of the jighead to the size of the hook , as well as how much marabou he tied on it .
“ The first couple weren ’ t how I wanted , and it was a lot of trial and error ,” Becker said . “ You still wanted it to just float around , but have a bigger profile with more weight so you could cast it further , which is huge on those slick , sunny days when it really shines .”
Well , he finally figured out the right combination , and now it ’ s a staple on his deck just about any time he ’ s fishing smallies . Plus , tying his own means he gets to try different colors than just the typical black , or he ’ ll add flashabou and tinsel into his jigs , all to present a different look to wary , shallow smallmouth .
“ It ’ s hard to say it makes a big difference to the fish , but it does to me ,” Becker said . “ It gives me more confidence , which is sometimes actually all you really need .”
PHOTO BY JOEL SHANGLE PHOTO BY TYLER BRINKS
46 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2023