MIKE GILES: Jig Tying Championship 2023

Published 3:24 pm Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Albert Wood of Terry, Mississippi, was crowned the People’s Choice champion at the recent Mississippi State Jig Tying Championship. There were two competitions held at the recent State Jig Tying Championship held at the Pelican Cove Grill and Wood took first place for the best jig by a vote of the people. Wood was awarded the custom carved trophy and $1,000 for his Best of Show jig!

Each jig tyer put their best jig up for display, and each was given a number so that nobody would know who tied each jig. The people at the show judged this competition on each competitor’s best jig.

Ironically, Wood came in second during the first competition which was judged by three judges. That competition included tying four separate styles of jigs and the judging criteria was very strict and failure to follow the rules to the T and consistently tying all of the jigs identical was the key to winning that competition. Wood won $600 for his second-place finish, making it a very productive day for him.

Wood is an avid fly tyer and angler and has traveled around the country catching fish on his hand tied jigs and flies. It should come as no surprise to those who know him that he enjoys working at Bass Pro Shops in Pearl also. His love for tying jigs and flies and catching fish with them shines through as well.

Second place and $600 went to Ross Wager from Opelosusas, Louisiana. Wager ties thousands of jigs each year and is an expert custom jig tyer.

Third place in the People’s Choice competition went to Steve Hart, of Ridgeland. Hart won $400 for his efforts in this competition, as well as $400 in the judged competition for third place, giving him $800 in winnings.

Van Pierceall was also crowned the first State of Mississippi Hand Tied Jig Champion in the other judged competition after four rounds of tying different jigs. Though the competition was tight, Pierceall pulled away in the final stage.

Pierceall, from Stoutsville, Missouri, won a magnificent custom-made trophy featuring hand-carved painted crappie reproductions and $1,000! Pierceall originally started tying crappie jigs as therapy while experiencing some health issues and it soon turned into a passion for the avid crappie angler. Since 2015 he has made and sold thousands of thumper jigs each year.

“If you aren’t fishing a thumper jig you’re just taking a boat ride,” said Pierceall.

Each competitor competed in four rounds of competition where they had a limited time to tie four different styles of jigs. Before each timed event they were told which style of jig that they had to tie, and then they had to tie three identical jigs of each style for judging.

None of the judges knew who tied the jigs, as they were put in numbered envelopes so that no judge would know who tied each set of jigs.

Second place went to Albert Wood of Terry, Mississippi. Wood earned $600 for his second-place finish in his first crappie jig tying competition. Wood is an avid fly tyer and angler and has traveled around the country catching fish on his hand tied jigs and flies. It should come as no surprise to those who know him that he enjoys working at Bass Pro Shops in Pearl also. His love for tying jigs and flies and catching fish with them shines through as well. Third place in the judging competition went to Steve Hart of Ridgeland. Hart won $400 for his efforts in his first competition as well.

Judges for the event were Dan Dannenmueller of Crappie Now and a two-time professional crappie angler of the year, Ron Stallings of TTI Blakemore and Roadrunner Lures and Mike Giles, Bass Pro Shops Regional Pro Staff Angler, speaker, author and jig tyer.

Call Mike Giles at 601-917-3898 or email mikegiles18@comcast.net.