Need Major Jig Fishing Help!

[MIbassin]

hey guys-

what is the ideal cover underwater for fishing jigs.

i am always confused when i should try a jig and when i shouldn't.

does there have to be structure there or can i just throw it into open water with submerged weeds?

p.s a lake I'm going to fish next weekend has a huge grass island with logs in the middle of the lake that sticks out of the water. would it work to pitch the jig into the little spaces in the island?

please help!!!most lakes i fish are mostly weeds!

[mikey5string]

There are different types of jigs. There are grass jigs and swim jigs for weeds/grass, Flipping jigs for heavy matted grass, football jigs for rocks....

submerged weeds are cover. That is a GREAT place to find bass.

Look in the articles section here and/or use the search function. You will find tons of info on everything you ever wanted to know about jigs.

[MIbassin]

thank you!...in weeds would a hope and shake presentation be better than a swim jig?

[Arv]

I pretty much always have some kind of jig tied on cause they're one of my favorite ways to fish and they work just about anywhere (just depends on what head style you're using). If there are a lot of weeds I would use something to punch through. 3/4 - 1oz on braided line. I would fish it more like a crawdad to start with personally but you may find swimming it will produce better. Try both and let the fish tell you what they want to eat. IMO the only time not to fish a jig is when you're not fishing.

[Jake P]

Jigs are good just about anytime. Happy bass live in grass so get something with some weight to it like a 1/2+ so you will be able to punch the jig through without problems. I would suggest an Alien head or a head with a "sleek" design to help slip through the grass. A football head for example would be a poor choice because it is large and bulky and wouldnt penetrate the grass as easily. Slip on a trailer of your choice and go to work. Presentations will vary depending on many factors. Just let the fish tell you. Try working with a twitch twitch pause and if you are not getting the results your looking for try swimming it right above the grass. Again, the fish WILL tell you what they like.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/jig-heads.html

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/jig-fishing.html

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/jigs.html

These 3 videos alone told me everything I needed to get started fishing jigs. Once you get comfortable with the feel of a jig in grass, around rocks etc. you will develop your own way of fishing them. Favorite make and colors etc. But these 3 videos should point you in the right directions. Good luck!

-JP

[MIbassin]

thank you all so much!

[Siebert Outdoors]

Any change in the bottom contour can be considered structure or will hold fish. Weeds, ledge, brush, dip, ridge, chunk rock. Any of those or other types of changes will hold fish. If you have a bowl lake as I call them that are just a dug out hole any little change can and usually will hold fish.

[MIbassin]

another thing i have trouble understanding, when do i fish a jig vs a spinnerbait because it seems like they would be fished in the same places?

[Arv]

Swim jig vs a spinnerbait is hard for me to say. Maybe someone else has a better answer but spinnerbaits resemble a small school of bait fish and a swim jig is going to be more like a renegade shad/blue gill etc. A football/arkie/alien head jig will be much different than a spinner. Those jigs, to me, are for specific cover - lay downs, rock, weeds. Not that you wouldn't throw spinners there too, but spinners will cover a lot of ground a lot quicker (like bait fish), where as you'll hop or drag those jigs through/over cover (like a crawdad). I also use jigs to learn what the bottom looks like too - something I wouldn't use a spinner for. I'll usually throw both - spinner more if the fish are more active and chasing other fish, jig more when the fish a little less active and might only react for a bite.