Articulated Alaskan Saltwater BTD Jig - Blueback Herring

 
Alaska has some of the best and unique saltwater fishing opporutunites worldwide given its remoteness from the outside world coupled with super-abundant populations of foragefish and predators. The big three - halibut, ling cod, and rockfish - are Alaska's three most popular marine gamefish that draws anglers from across the globe to bask in amazing scenery encircled by snow-capped coastal mountain ranges coupled with lush temperate coastal rain forests. Given all its beauty, lies giant predators lurking in the underwater world below engaged and hungry to eat a giant Pacific herring or other baitfish species. Alaska's talented saltwater charter captains have traditionally relied heavily on cut or whole-rigged Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) bottom rigs or vertical jigging tactics with oversized soft plastics to entice aggressive strikes from Alaska's big three. Although these tactics can be very effective, the soft plastic era of saltwater fishing in Alaska's lacks realism. Hair jigs properly tied and dressed with mixed comibnation of natural and synthetic hair can most accurately represent the Pacific Herring, the most popular and preferred baitfish by halibut, ling cod, and rockfish. Articulated hair jigs have incredible action and movement that is unmatched compared to a standard soft plastic hootchie, squid, or grub variant on a large round head jighead. Over two years, Musky Mike Flies has sucessfully field tested articulated blueback herring models in the 10 to 11-inch range to represent large older cohorts (e.g. age classes) of Pacific herring. The Articulated Saltwater Bucktail Deceiver (BTD) jig contains a single articulation (no stinger hook) with 100-pound braid to the main saltwater jig head. Tail consists of 6-inch royal blue grizzly Schlappen dressed with two strands of blue pearl Lateral Scale Flashabou on each side which is tied onto a 28mm big-game Waddington shank. Articulated hair jig is tied on heads of several weight sizes:  8, 10, 16, and 24 ounces. Larger jig head sizes feature longer lengths which results in a  longer length overall. Length as follows: 8 and 10 oz are 10-11 inches, 16 oz is 12 inches, and 24 oz is 14 inches. Each jighead is custom painted with multiple applications of powder coat paint under direct heat source from a heat gun which ensures a bulletproof finished coupled with a a finalized coat of clear coat epoxy resin. Multiple color combinations for the jighead are available to match the blueback herring color scheme. Airbrushed scale patterns are also available as well. Body consists of four colored bucktail hair combinations for the upper back, thus including chartruese, turqouise blue, royal blue, and purple. Underbelly is white. Topping includes mixed combination of holographic royal blue flashabou and peacock herl. Three strands of segmented Lateral Scale Flashabou are tied in for the lateral line alongside the main jighook shank and accented with a blue grizzly saddle feather to imitate the operculum or gill flap of the Pacific herring. Each series of thead wraps are secured with UV resin. To illustrate pure realism, large 15mm Flymen Fish Co eyes in color scheme "Earth" are attached and reinforced with 2 applications of UV resin. This is the first ever articulated hair jig ever released for targeting giant halibut, ling cod, and rockfish in Alaska. Soft plastics and bait may have their place and time, but they don't provide the movement and realistic apperance of an articulated hair jig. This is just the first of many products to be released from Musky Mike Flies into the saltwater fishing world to provide the marine fishing community with additional options to standard soft plastics and bait. With hair jigs, you CANNOT COMPETE WITH REALISM!!