FAQ's about JJ's Jigs

  FAQ's = Frequently Asked Questions about JJ's Jigs

We've been in business for a little over five years now and we've received quite a few questions about our 'business' model. We haven't really had a good sit-down Q&A session since March of 2009, so I guess it's about time for a chat.

If you're a bit fuzzy about what we do at JJ's Jigs, maybe the following questions and answers will clear things up.

Question: Is JJ's Jigs just a fly shop?
Answer:  Nope. Not in the conventional sense. We sell jigs and flies.  We're more of a fishing company. Most fly and Bait and Tackle shops (and big box stores for that matter) are required to 'push' inventory to satisfy the industry-manufacture greed machine. Quite honestly, we don't care what rod you fish, the waders you're wearing, or if you have industry 'approved' fishing attire. Our focus isn't gear peddling. Basically, we just want you to enjoy your fishing experience. To that end, all we do is provide the essential tools (flies & jigs) and resources (personal instruction classes) to allow for a more productive and memorable day on the water. Everything else is just marketing hocus pocus.

Question: So who's involved in JJ's Jigs?
Answer: Basically it's me (Dave Pelachik). I tie 100% of the jigs and 100% of the flies for JJ's Jig's, write the reports, update our Facebook content, post on the Current Hotness List, tie fly & jig orders, and come up with the creative juices for new products. My wife, Karin, is the "Minister of Finance" and takes care of the office management, billing, shipping, customer service, marketing, and day-to-day administrative tasks. Todd "The Ambassador" Carr drops in from time to time to help with projects, ties up some cool trout flies for us to play with on the water, and helps me out with Research and Development for the fly side of the house. Lance Dunham of L.D. Guide Service is my one and only official Pro-Staffer who tests out 100% of my jigs on the North Branch Susquehanna River. Other than that, I'm pretty much the mule pulling the plow.

Question: What exactly do you guys sell?
Answer: Quite plainly, just the stuff you need to fish, superior quality custom flies and jigs. If you're a novice at fishing I also provide personal instruction classes.

Question: Why can't I learn what I need for flyfishing on the internet instead of booking a personal 'On the Stream Personal Instruction Lesson'?
Answer: Most internet fishing resources post a summary of what type of insects are hatching along with a generic list of patterns to use,   the 'two dimensional' strategy. So what's missing? The "WHEN", the "HOW" and the "WHY". It doesn't do any good to tell you what's hatching and what flies to use if you don't understand! That's why  'On the Stream Personal Lessons' work! Seeing is believing with flyfishing and being out on the water with me will get you to see the big picture!

WHEN - hatches occur on the river throughout the day. Timing is everything and confident anglers don't rely on luck, they know when to be in the right spot at the right time.

HOW - fish react to the various stages of a particular hatch, basically understanding rise forms that indicate fish are on nymphs, emergers, adults, and spinners. Conditions can change rapidly during a hatch. Recognizing those changes will give you an advantage most people can't identify.

WHY - it's important to fish patterns that closely imitate those various hatch stages. Quality fly patterns which are proportionate, durable, and tied correctly are proven to produce more consistent results.
 

Other sites leave you to decipher 'stick figure' reports. Being on the water with JJ's Jigs will help you understand the three dimensional reality of fly fishing and fly casting. We will provide you the necessary tools to clearly recognize fishing opportunities AND take full advantage of my 20+ years of experience in this sport.

Question: I hate when I order food at a restaurant and it comes out looking nothing like the picture on the menu. Do you use 'stock' Photoshopped images on your website?
Answer: Nope. These are actually flies and jigs right off of my vise. The jigs and flies you see in the pictures are the same ones that are shipped out in your order. I tie all of the custom patterns on our product listing and personally guarantee their quality.

Question: How do I know your flies and jigs are paramount to my successful fishing?
Answer: The typical angler will routinely drop over $800 bucks on rods, reels, lines, waders, boots, tools and accessories (and this is the low-end estimate). All the while, none of these 'things' are as important to fishing as proportionate, durable, and practical fly and jig patterns. Unfortunately this is the crucial part of the equation that most ignore. Plainly, some people opt to skimp on the single most important aspect of fishing (the jigs & flies)!

Cheap, generic patterns may fool the odd fish here and there, but success is more about the advantage of consistency and quality, and more times than not your best opportunities will result from superior, tried and true fly and jig patterns, tied correctly and consistently by myself who fishes locally and understands the forage foods of my fisheries.

Question: I have a rush order and need my flies or jigs to fish tomorrow. What now?
Answer: In 90% of cases, we can get the order filled and ship them when you need them. We generally factor in these types of 'urgent' issues and understand procrastination is a part of human nature. It's not a problem. We're a small customer service orientated company and we don't mind going out of our way for the people that keep us in business.

Question: Do you guys offer guided trips?
Answer: Are you kidding? I actually LOVE to fish. But... we don't guide out of JJ's Jigs, but we do regularly recommend that you contact Lance Dunham from L.D. Guide Service. If that's a necessity, let us know and we'll definitely get you hooked up with Lance to schedule a charter fishing trip.

Question: Do you plan on opening a shop here in town?
Answer: Good question. My sons, Joel and Josh, filled my magic 8-ball up with Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and it just hasn't worked the same since. I guess the simple answer is who knows? I'm not really in the future predicting business, but I like opportunity and change... so we'll just have to see where the current path leads. 

Question: What's the best way to get a hold of you?
Answer: Email (jjsjigs@epix.net), find me on Facebook,  or call me at:(570)-265-2947 or (607)-377-2014. Either way, I'm always happy to talk with friends and customers!

Question: Why do you ship with the US Postal Service Priority Mail? Standard 1st Class, UPS, and FedEx can be cheaper.
Answer: My shipping charges are not designed as an additional profit center. (Unfortunately that seems to be the case with many, many other sellers on the internet and catalog fishing tackle houses.) The cost of shipping includes the postage, packaging and handling. I think you'll find my shipping charges much more reasonable than most you'll find elsewhere. USPS priority mail is the cheapest when compared to similar service (2-3 days) from UPS and FedEx. I always ship via USPS Priority Mail because of the speed and reliability to the shipment and low flat rate fee when using USPS Priority Mail Also, by using Priority Mail it allows me to add a delivery confirmation number. This way the customer (and the sender) can track the package and ensure that is has been delivered in a timely manner.

Question: Where have your flies and jigs been tested?
Answer: Our flies and jigs have been rigorously tested in waters throughout Pennsylvania and New York, specifically the North Branch Susquehanna River and major stream tributaries of this River. They are extremely effective at catching both Lake and River Smallmouth Bass and trout. All of the jigs and flies are custom designed to effectively be tasty snacks for our denizen trout and smallmouth bass.  We have also tested a lot of our flies on the Madison, Gallatin, and the Lamar Rivers in "Big Sky Country" of West Yellowstone Montana.

Question: Your jigs and flies seem a little bit on the expensive side.
Answerer: Our jigs and flies are priced very fairly when you take into consideration the tools, materials, and time needed to tie these items. If you compare our products to most other generic and "big box" store bought jigs and flies you will quickly see the difference. Generic and store bought brands often use the cheapest materials possible while we ALWAYS use the very best (and often most expensive) and highest quality materials available. My jigs and flies last!  Most big box stuff lasts only 4 to 8 fish, while my products will normally outlast three to four times that many hook-ups.  In fact one of my Susquehanna Seducer jigslasted over 65 boated fish until Lance Dunham retired the jig to his Wall of Fame in his home studio.

Question: Is there a minimum number of jigs or flies I have to order?
Answer: Absolutely not... if you want to order 1 or 121 that's fine, we'll accommodate any size order!

Question: Do I have to order a certain amount of any pattern or can I make an order with a wide assortment of jigs and flies?
Answer: Feel free to order any amount of any pattern... i.e. if you want one or two of every pattern, no problem. We aim to please.

Question: I'm confused about how to order from your site, how do I do it?
Answer: All you now have to do is fill in the amount of each jig/fly you would like and then click on the "add to cart" button. When you click on "add to cart" a new window will appear with all of the items you have ordered. You can choose to continue shopping or check out. When you do check out you can either pay instantly with Paypal or most major credit cards. If all else fails... call us at 570.265.2947 and we can take your order and process a valid credit card over the phone.

Question: What if I want to order but I do not want to pay using a credit card?
Answer: Unfortunately our automated checkout on the website is equipped only to process payments through Paypal and Credit Cards. If you do want to order and pay with a check or money order, simply use the automated ordering system and select "check" as payment. Then once you receive your total in the checkout, mail us your payment. Please note that your order will not ship until after we receive your payment and your personal check clears.

Question: Do you confirm orders before processing them?
Answer: Absolutely. When you have put your order in we will get back to you with an email to let you know we have received your order. Also we can update you via email to confirm the wait time (if any) for your order. Additionally at shipment, we will send you another email with a delivery confirmation number so you can track your shipment order from the US Post Office to your mailing address.

Question: Do you ever attend Fishing Shows and Expo's and have your products for sale? Can I email you info on upcoming shows I'd like to see JJ's Jigs at?
Answer: Absolutely we do shows! We want to know any and all info on upcoming shows in your area! Just contact us with all the juicy info. The staff at JJ's Jigs LOVE to attend fishing shows/expo's to showcase our products, and especially meet our customers face-to-face. (Because we want to THANK YOU personally for your support of JJ's Jigs.) We attend a handful of shows yearly. In fact, here are a few photos from some of the shows we recently attended:
 














Our booth at the Towanda Outdoor Sportmen's Show




















The Earlybird Sportsmen's Expo in Bloomsburg, PA

Question: Do you have a large stock of already made jigs and flies or are all of them tied specially for each order?
Answer: We do not usually have a tied up stock of jigs and flies. With a selection as large as we offer, many of our jigs & flies are custom tied for each order. This allows us to make any modifications that a customer may want (i.e. weighting the flies, changing color schemes, etc.) We pride ourselves in being flexible jig makers & flytyers that will give the customer exactly what he/she is looking for.

Question: If many of your jigs/flies are tied specially for each order, how long does an order take to complete before it is shipped?
Answer: Most of the time we can have orders in the mail within 2-3 days, though during late spring and fall, wait times are typically 6 - 8 days. (Especially just prior to the opening of PA & NY bass season and during the "fall bite".) So, get your orders in early!

Question: I'm new to bass flyfishing, can you put an assortment of your most productive warmwater flies together for me?
Answer: No problem, we have all been new to flyfishing at one time. We'll put together a selection that you can not go without!

Question: How can I get started in jig-fishing or flyfishing?
Answer: You can start with the help of fellow angler friend, but the best idea is to attend a well-established and recognized teaching program such as my Personal Instruction Classes. My hourly lessons will teach you the right way to cast and all the other fundamentals one would need to start fishing. My Personal Instruction Classes have taught countless men, women, and children the exciting sport of fishing.















A Personal Instruction Class on casting a flyfishing rod.

We are happy to provide information on our products and current fishing conditions on our local fisheries. If you have any other questions for JJ's Jigs please contact us.