Flig Sizes, Shapes & Colors…1

FLIG SIZES, SHAPES & COLORS…1 By TubeDude…April 2020

It is good to carry an assortment of sizes, shapes and colors when fishing with fligs. Your choice of which to use…and how to rig them…might be based upon the species targeted, the depth at which the fish are holding/feeding, their primary forage, type and size of bait, the type of bottom structure (snags, etc.), water temperature and water clarity. Some colors seem to work well no matter what kind of bait or plastic you add to them…or what the water conditions are. Other colors work well for attracting a reaction bite when the fish are in a neutral or negative mode…or the water is cold and/or turbid. In the final analysis, the major positives of fligs are that they provide color and/or “bling” as well as presenting your bait or lure somewhere above the bottom. Size can be especially important. A small light flig will float a small piece of bait or a small Gulp Minnow. But if you are soaking a large whole minnow, a whole nightcrawler or a hefty chunk of cut bait you will need more floatation…and a bigger flig. It is a good idea to first dunk your fligged bait beside your boat or float tube…to see how well it floats. That will help you know how much flig you need and to make changes if needed. Let’s start at the small end…ice fligs…in glow and non-glow. Panfish …as well as many trout, bass, walleye and other species… sometimes seem to prefer smaller offerings. Tipping these micro models with a waxworm, meal worm, piece of crawler or fish flesh will often produce better than fishing larger offerings.

While these small fligs were originally designed for ice fishing, they have proven effective in open water for a variety of species…not all small. They can even be fished with a bubble…like a fly. They have also produced when fished with a fly rod…either on the surface, like a popper, or down deep above the bottom with a sinking line. There is a separate writeup on fishing fligs through the ice. Basically, they are presented by vertical “dropshotting”. Use a sinker, weighted jig or jigging spoon on the bottom, with one or two small fligs tied in above. To fish the little floating jigs dropshot style it is recommended you tie them on short dropper leaders…2”- 3” off the main line. But some experienced dropshotters prefer to use the traditional dropshot rig…with the hooks tied directly to the line above the weight…with a Palomar knot.

Fligs with tails have proven to be very effective on a wide range of species of all sizes. Adding tails changes the profile and/or color contrast. There are lots of different options for tail materials…fur, feathers or synthetics. Krystal Flash or Holographic Flashabou are ideal for adding extra flash and attraction.

These two pictures show some of the synthetic filaments I use most in making tailed fligs. You can use the color options to coordinate with the main colors of each flig, or you can use sharply contrasting colors to increase visibility.

Tailed fligs are designed for fishing bait rather than plastics…but you can still add plastic or Gulp goodies

Mega tailed fligs are simply big versions of the smaller models. They are made on heavy 3/0 straight shanked hooks. They are ideal for making spinner rigs with blades…for larger fish. Unlike fligs made with regular jig hooks, these fligs pull in a straight line when slow-trolled.

The picture below illustrates a mega tailed flig rigged with a couple of beads and a “Smile” spinner blade. Also note the placement of a sliding bobber stop…to keep the blade and beads close to the flig.

The fligs in the picture below are made specifically for floating Gulp Minnows. But they work fine for fishing all kinds of bait too. The larger ones are on size 1 or 1/0 hooks and handle 2 1/2 or 3 inch Gulp Minnows. The smaller ones are for 1” size Gulp goodies. They are on size 1 or 2 hooks.

1. Blue -back silver 2. Red glitter lg. 3. Red glitter sm. 4. Hot pink 5. Chartreuse/Red eye lg. 6. Chartreuse/Red eye sm. 7. Hot orange 8. White/yellow eye lg. 9. White/Yellow eye sm. 10. Fire tiger 11. White/red eye lg. 12 White/red eye sm. Medium fligs are larger foam bodies on hook sizes 1/0 to 3/0. They are ideal for fishing bait, plastics or Gulp Minnows. They are best for small to medium sized minnows or small pieces of cut bait.

1. Olive Glitter 2. Motor Oil 3. Pale Perch 4. Fire Tiger 5. Yellow Chartreuse – Red

Eye 6. Yellow Chartreuse – 3 Spot 7. Green Chartreuse – Red Eye 8. Green Chartreuse - 3 Spot 9. Chartreuse – Orange Belly 10. Chartreuse – Orange Band 11. Chartreuse – Black Spots 12. Hot orange 13. Hot Pink 14. Black – 3 Spot 15. Black – Side Bars 16. Black – Chart. Belly 17. White – Red Eye 18. White – 3 Spot

These bigger fligs are all made with larger foam bodies and bigger hooks. (2/0 – 4/0) They will float a bigger minnow, cut bait or larger plastics.

1. White-3 Spot 2. White – Red Eye 3. Red Glitter 4. Pink Glitter

5. Hot Pink 6. Red Head Chartreuse 7. 3 Spot Chartreuse. 8. Fire Tiger 9. Purple Fire 10. Purple Peril 11. Blue Back Silver

Gorilla fligs are made for fishing big baits for big fish…catfish and even sturgeon. The originals are made with 1” foam heads…1/2” wide…on 3x strong 5/0 hooks. The long body models are made with 1 1/2” foam. This version came later but they are becoming the most popular.

1. White – Yellow Eye 2. White – Red Eye 3. Fire Tiger

4. Green Chartreuse – Red Eye 5. Yellow Chartreuse – Red Eye 6. Yellow Chartreuse – 3 Spot 7. Purple Fire 8. Orange Glitter 9. Blue Back Silver 6

Gorilla Fligs have proven their effectiveness…and their strength…on lots of big catfish. Some anglers who lust after big bad battlers have even taken them to Idaho and introduced them to sturgeon. They work…sometimes out-fishing plain bait. But even with a 5/0 hook they can be a bit small for the biggest baits and biggest fish. So I hunted up some big tempered 8/0 jig hooks and built “Kong Fligs” on thicker 1.5” foam plugs. Sturgeon have shown their approval. Kongs have also received votes from big cats…especially when fishing large slabs of carp meat or a whole big chub or white bass.