Weekly Recap; 11/24/25-11/30/25

The weather has shook things up! Wednesday things really started with the rain then wind and snow. Thankfully we only got maybe two inches here in Tonawanda.

Happy Thanksgiving! Just to ramble a bit. When I celebrate this holiday, I don’t think of Pilgrims and Natives sharing a peaceful meal together, regardless of what we’ve been told. In my mind it is a reminder to be grateful for what we have and who we have. So in my usual way, I send a message to all those I want to share some of my gratitude with.

On top of that… the irony that Black Friday is pretty much the antithesis of being Thankful. So, stew on that idea when you are fighting for the best deal. Do you actually need it? Or have you just gotten locked into the mass consumerism? Have you questioned why you keep buying? Gratitude to Greed all in 24 hours…

Thursday was a chilly one too. The water color on East River was looking pretty stained. Not sure how the Lower River looks. However, Lake Erie got pretty big! Friday I took a drive (photos below) and took a walk by the lake in some serious winds!

Waves crash in the Buffalo Harbor

The winds were howling steady 21 mph with gusts up to 37 mph out of the West. It made for beautiful waves crashing on the Buffalo Harbor walls. The seagulls even joined some of the photos I got. Hard to capture the majesty of the waves my phone, but this does justice. The sun was breaking through the clouds with beams of light. The water shimmering with ghe wind moving it fast, the surface ever changing. Rows and rows of clouds as far as you can see.

Day 1 ties

One things every day had in common, besides being chilly, was making lures and art! A few of my favorite things!

These jigs I tied above, they are intended for use under a float rig. They are 1/32oz and finessey. The top two jigs are bucktail and flash. The bottom two are flash, marabou and rabbit strip. Split the color palettes into the white/blue and black/gold. Two solid options for imitating a wide variety of baitfish.

Day 2 ties

Decided to size up on the next batch that I tied up. This time went with a 3/8oz Marabou and a 5/8oz Bucktail. Both of these tactics I will be talking about in my seminars at the Niagara Falls Fishing Expo this February 19-22.

Similar models will be for sale at the JD Outdoors Co. booth!

Day 3 ties

The top jig is what I think of when I hear the term “Bucktail” it is a lure that has been around for decades and has caught many saltwater and freshwater fishes. Most of the Bucktail I tie up are 5/8oz which seems to be the sweet spot, especially for our local waters fishing in deep, rough and current.

Getting creative is one of my favorite parts of tying up lures. Scanning the materials, I find what will suit my needs and the goal of the lure I’m building. Target species always comes to mind, but the bucktails catch everything truly. These jigs have caught Walleye, Trout and Bass. All have super stout Gamakatsu hooks. Which stay sharp a long time, and are super easy to hone up to a needle point.

Day 4 ties

Went to the opposite end of the size spectrum. The Bucktails eat these little Nymphs. The top one was a more creative tie. Looked at a few patterns and combined them. I don’t care if it is not “to the book” but I’m sure it’ll catch fish! The bottom one is a copper zebra midge. The wire is actually brass, and the head copper, so it has a two tone pattern which is neat. Both are tied on a size 14 Gamakatsu hook!

Day 5 tie

Most I’ve tied in a long time! I think my bucktail have come a long way since I started them years ago. The neat thing is you can have multiple people tying together, give them the same materials and general pattern, they will all have their own unique style (within reason of course) but the more you tie, you gain your own way of doing things.

For example, the red thread, which most people who have used my baits, know that I have red thread on almost everything! Why? Saw my first bucktail with red thread and became obsessed. It just makes sense to me! It could be gills, or even blood; both of which add that hint of realism.

Day 6 tie

This is a unique one for sure.

Heads to eye and tie

These are all freshly painted jig heads that are the base to the JD Outdoors Co. Marabou and Bucktail Jigs! Gamakatsu 604 hooks, extra sharp and extra strong! The colors I keep pretty simple; matte black, white or emerald shiner. However, if you look in the pile, there is a two toned head, mix of white with a shiner top.

These might make it in more of the arsenal!

The smaller black jig heads are 1/8 and 1/4 oz for Marabou jigs for Smallmouth. They do catch more than just bass, but that is their intended purpose. Something about the simple black hair jig makes bass munch, especially in the hotter, clear sky, clear water, heavy pressure days.

The bucktail see the most action from me on Lake Erie in water temps under 50° F. Something about this range just turns them onto the bucktail.

Feathers Day; 1, 2, 3

Art art art!!! Feathers!!!

This was my intense study this week. Mixed media; pencil, colored pencil, pen. All are based on feathers I found in the last two years. The top is a Turkey feather, bottom left is a Bluejay feather, bottom right is a Woodpecker feather. Also they were created in that same order. One each day basically and touch ups.

Song of the week;

The Exact Feeling by The Tragically Hip

This whole album, We Are The Same, is a soundtrack to my childhood. Released in 2009 when I was 9 years old. It was on heavy repeat in the car with my Dad and brother Jeremy. In fact the FIRST time I ever saw The Tragically Hip was at Art Park on the tour of this album.

Highly recommend giving it a listen. Hope you enjoy!

Another episode of the Two Angles on Angling podcast is out on YouTube! Give it a listen, Ryan goes over the tackle he deems essential this time of year fishing the Great Lakes Region of Western New York.

Tight lines and we’ll catch you on the water!

Jordan H. DiVirgilio