Jig N Pig Vs Crawdad/ Creature Plastic???

[JPascavage52]

I was hoping y'all could help me out with something.. I have really gotten into jig and pig fishing over the past few years, and it has become one of my more productive lures, especially black and blue colored, as well as peanut butter and jelly, green pumpkin, and brown and burnt orange. I also like to use it on deep water flats in order to kind of explore and search the bottom to get a feel for underwater structure, and every time out, I get at least a few pick ups on it. However, the past two tournaments have been strange. In one of them, I had no luck whatsoever on 3 different colors of jigs, yet my boater was fishing a watermelon plastic craw (a Havoc Craw Fatty I think) and he caught the lunker and multiple keepers on it. This past weekend, I was fishing a lunker tournament, and had caught a few barely legal fish, and decided to work some offshore structure. A few minutes later, I hooked up with what ended up being the winner, a nice size smallie.

So, my question is this. I know jig n pigs are supposed to represent crawfish. How do you decide whether to use a jig n pig, or a plastic crawdad? What are the factors involved with the decision?

Thanks for the help

[bkohlman]

My most successful combo is Eakins Jig 5/16th OZ Missouri Craw with a green pumpkin 3in chigger craw.

The only factor is that I caught fish using it.

[Jig Meister]

Doesnt seem to matter for the most part. Sometimes fish like a bigger bait, and thats where the creature bait might help depending on the chunk size you are using

[Bass_Fanatic]

I fish plastics more often than jigs. I opt for a jig early in the year (February and March) and if the fish are being stubborn. I feel like a jig with round rubber in it can attract fish as it just soaks as the skirt moves with the water whereas a plastic just lays on the bottom.

[A-Rob]

I will fish a jig until the weeds mat and I switch to a straight shank hook with a plastic craw.

Basically I fish the jig until I'm so fed up with cleaning gunk off of it or I can't get it thru the weeds I'm pitching to.

if I can get a jig bite going, I am happy so I try to use the jig until I have to switch.

Its like using the right tool for the job based on the environment you are fishing

[Nice_Bass]

simple for me. Weeds- soft plastic. everything else-jig.

Mostly though i will have both rigged and ready.

[smalljaw67]

If I'm fishing clear water I'm going to use a beaver or craw type bait, if there is stain and the visibility is 2' or less then I'm using the jig. The cover also has a role in determining which I use, if I'm fishing docks I can use either but I go by water clarity but laydowns, stick ups, trees I'm almost always using a jig and thick weeds like coontail or milfoil I'll use the soft plastic unless it is a combination. Also let the fish tell you what to use, if you are getting hits but no fish on the jig try switching up, lately I've been on a finesse jig bite for the entire season. I'm throwing 1/8oz and 3/16oz finesse jigs that I make with a custom craw trailer, it is a ball head jig and the set up looks close to an eakins jig. I have been catching fish on it so much I haven't pitched a soft plastic or bigger jig yet this year but the heat has the fish very lethargic.

[NoBassPro]

Are you asking when to use a jig vs soft plastics or which type of trailer to put on a jig - pork or soft plastic?

[ww2farmer]

I like jigs in cold water, and/or around hard cover. Warm water and grass = plastics. For some reason I have never had a lights out type of day on jigs in the weeds in summer, some guys do, but I don't. I have on plastics tho, so I just stick with what works for me, and don't try to put a square peg in a round hole.

[WRB]

I was hoping y'all could help me out with something.. I have really gotten into jig and pig fishing over the past few years, and it has become one of my more productive lures, especially black and blue colored, as well as peanut butter and jelly, green pumpkin, and brown and burnt orange. I also like to use it on deep water flats in order to kind of explore and search the bottom to get a feel for underwater structure, and every time out, I get at least a few pick ups on it. However, the past two tournaments have been strange. In one of them, I had no luck whatsoever on 3 different colors of jigs, yet my boater was fishing a watermelon plastic craw (a Havoc Craw Fatty I think) and he caught the lunker and multiple keepers on it. This past weekend, I was fishing a lunker tournament, and had caught a few barely legal fish, and decided to work some offshore structure. A few minutes later, I hooked up with what ended up being the winner, a nice size smallie.

So, my question is this. I know jig n pigs are supposed to represent crawfish. How do you decide whether to use a jig n pig, or a plastic crawdad? What are the factors involved with the decision?

Thanks for the help

when you say jig & pig, do you mean a jig with a pork rind trailer? And soft plastic craw ; fished on a jig?

Tom

[JPascavage52]

Are you asking when to use a jig vs soft plastics or which type of trailer to put on a jig - pork or soft plastic?

I am asking when to use a jig vs soft plastic, specifically crawfish (or when trying to imitate them)??

when you say jig & pig, do you mean a jig with a pork rind trailer? And soft plastic craw ; fished on a jig?

Tom

I say jig and pig to include both jigs fished with pork rind trailers, as well as plastic trailers. I generally use Berkley Chigger Craws, and Zoom Super Chunks (both marinated in lunker sauce) as my trailers. I've had some success with pork trailers, but I don't like how after awhile, they tend to slide down the shank of the hook, rather than staying put. And, if you let them dry out, you need a chainsaw to get them off the hook.

Anyway, I went to Cabelas tonight, and picked up a couple of plastic craw imitations (some Havoc craws, and some beaver tails). Theyre each about 3-4 inches long, and I'm planning to Texas rig them on 2/0 or 3/0 EWG hooks, with a bullet weight on the line above the bait. Is this the best way to rig them for fishing offshore/ deep water structure, as well as edges of grassbeds (where I catch most of my hawgs in the summertime). I also have a few 3/0 weighted EWG hooks I've used to get Senkos and Brush Hawgs down faster without sacrificing too much action..

[WRB]

I am asking when to use a jig vs soft plastic, specifically crawfish (or when trying to imitate them)??

I say jig and pig to include both jigs fished with pork rind trailers, as well as plastic trailers. I generally use Berkley Chigger Craws, and Zoom Super Chunks (both marinated in lunker sauce) as my trailers. I've had some success with pork trailers, but I don't like how after awhile, they tend to slide down the shank of the hook, rather than staying put. And, if you let them dry out, you need a chainsaw to get them off the hook.

Anyway, I went to Cabelas tonight, and picked up a couple of plastic craw imitations (some Havoc craws, and some beaver tails). Theyre each about 3-4 inches long, and I'm planning to Texas rig them on 2/0 or 3/0 EWG hooks, with a bullet weight on the line above the bait. Is this the best way to rig them for fishing offshore/ deep water structure, as well as edges of grassbeds (where I catch most of my hawgs in the summertime). I also have a few 3/0 weighted EWG hooks I've used to get Senkos and Brush Hawgs down faster without sacrificing too much action..

The reason I asked was to determine how to answer your post. You seem to have the answers you are looking for.

Today's majority of bass anglers do not know how to fish jigs with pork trailers and sales prove that.

Another technique that works well with soft plastic craw or creature types is peg a glass bead about 18" above the hook to keep the sliding sinker above the pegged bead. Use a 3/0 off set EWG hook, shin hooked plastic. This lets the craw / critter glide naturally and works good for less aggressive bass.

Tom

[iceintheveins]

I use both, but I use the creatures in clearer water, weedier situations, or when jigs aren't working well. Anytime the water is more stained and I want to have a bigger bait, a jig gets the call. I catch more on creatures honestly but always have jigs with me.

[BassinMD]

I will fish a jig until the weeds mat and I switch to a straight shank hook with a plastic craw.

Basically I fish the jig until I'm so fed up with cleaning gunk off of it or I can't get it thru the weeds I'm pitching to.

if I can get a jig bite going, I am happy so I try to use the jig until I have to switch.

Its like using the right tool for the job based on the environment you are fishing

X2, I love fishing a jig it is always my confidence bait I will catch fish on a jig in any condition just need te right presentation