trimming jigs

[jj2]

how many of you trim your jig skirts and weed guards and how much do you trim

[fishfordollars]

I do.

Trim the skirt just below the bend in the hook

Trim the weed guard at an angle parallel with the hook point.

i don't trim mop jigs though.

[mhamlin]

If it has any sort of living rubber, i will not trim it. On the other hand if it is silicon, depending on the strand count and how the strands are secured; I will generally leave about 1/2 inch past the hook bend, all the way to the actual bend. I've also been known to cut the skirts into an actual point, just to give it a slightly different profile.

[BucketBuster]

I do.

Trim the skirt just below the bend in the hook

Trim the weed guard at an angle parallel with the hook point.

x2

[Pez]

I do.

Trim the skirt just below the bend in the hook

Trim the weed guard at an angle parallel with the hook point.

x2

X3

[bigfruits]

if im using a chunk or if im fishing heavily stained water i usually dont trim. with a nice sized craw trailer or clear water i sometimes trim to the hook bend.

most of the time the amt i trim (if any at all) depends on the profile size i want to present.

i think trimming the weed guard is a little more important. i usually trim it the way described in the posts above, sometimes remove a few of the guard strands in sparse cover. splitting the guard into a V will sometimes help if youre getting too many snags.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I trim the skirt about 1/4-1/2" behind the hook.  I'm going to try some mop jigs this year I made so I wont trim those.

I dont trim weedguards.

[lightsout]

I usually trim the skirt into a "v" like shape with the part in center a bit shorter to display the trailer better.

I'll often trim the weedguard fibers closer to the front of the jig completely off, and then cut the tips parallel with the hook.

[Bankbeater]

I trim my skirt so that it goes back just past the bend in the hook and I trim the guard down so that it is just above the hook.

[roadwarrior]

Experiment for yourself. I trim some skirts and

weedguards, but leave others untrimmed. I don't

think it makes any difference!

:

[J_Pearson]

Some of my jigs I'll leave un-trimmed (the big Mc-Nasty Uglies I call them  ). However, I'll often trim my jigs just so all the strands of the skirt are even and flush with one another. Just a personal preference of mine, I believe it gives the jig a better looking profile while in use.

JP

[Captain Obvious]

I don't trim weed guards I thin them out buy removing a few strands and I trim the skirt by cutting in a ^ shape behind the hook bend

[DWG1984]

I trim the weed gaurds on 45 degree angle just past the hook and cut out about five of the fibers. The skirts I go 1/4 inch past the hook in a V shape.

[KC Bass Fanatic]

I fish jigs A LOT. I've experimented with trimming the skirts and weed guards extensively. I can honestly say that I do not see the up side to trimming either. I don't notice that I get more strikes with a trimmed skirt nor do I lose or miss more fish with an un-trimmed weed guard. I have stopped trimming either and I catch a butt load of fish on jigs and rarely miss a fish on the hook set. IMO people who claim they are missing fish because of the weed guard are either a) fishing an inferior jig or haven't mastered the art of when to set the hook with a jig i.e. they try to do it like plastics.

If you feel the need to trim your skirt to downsize your presentation you should probably just go to a finesse jig.

Strike King jigs are nails right out of the package.

[LilJakeC1]

The main reason why I feel I need to trim the skirt at times is because I feel that the skirt sometimes effects the action of the trailer. If you have many strands in a skirt and you have a trailer that doesn't go passed the end of the skirt I feel that the skirt holds the claws down if they are light enough.

[David P]

I don't trim skirts, or weed guards.

[BassThumb]

I like to flair the weedguard, remove a few fibers, and trim the weedguard similar to the pic in DWG1984's post. 

I think making the weedguard a little smaller helps the jig snake thru the weeds a little more easily and with less drag.  It helps when punching thru slop or swim-jigging heavy milfoil.  Otherwise, I don't modify the jig other than sometimes opening the hook bend a few degrees.