1/4 Oz And Smaller Jigs. When Where And How

[rockchalk06]

I've been fishing jigs for years and they are my #1 confidence bait. I have never used anything smaller than a 1/2 oz. Not to long ago, I got a deal here on the forum flea market for some bitsy bugs and other misc jigs. Most greens, browns and some black n blues.

Is there a time of year where smaller jigs are better, different types of water or structure cover etc. Lately I've been tieing them on my sons rod and letting him use em.

Thanks in advance

[jhoffman]

Smaller jigs work best in a couple situations

 

1: Cold Water

2: High Pressure(Fishing not Weather)

3: When youre looking for a feeding strike rather than a reaction strike

 

 

Think about extremes, a 1oz vs a 1/4oz... you chuck that one ounce jig in there, lets say your fishing a weed edge, 14 feet of water. That jig is going to rocket to the bottom. The bass typically hit it on the fall, they have just a second or two to react. That 1/4oz jig is going to fall much much slower, the fish thats been jacked a few times or meets the other criteria has time to get to it. Think of the smaller jigs like the deadsticking of the jig world. A jig thats 1/4 ounce isnt necessarily a smaller jig but it can be depending on the head style and material its made with.

[jig]

i use 1/4 oz alot when there is alot of grass on the bottom.it doesnt collect as much grass on it because it stays on top of it better than the heavier jigs do

[smalljaw67]

I make a finesse jig with a 3" craw trailer that isn't bulky, the jig is modeled after the Eakins jig but in a 1/8oz, 3/16oz, and 1/4oz sizes with a 3/0 flat eye hook and that jig catches a lot of fish. I use the smaller jigs in cold water, shallow clear water situations, and it the summer when it is really hot out and the bite shuts down. In the natural lakes I fish there is little oxygen in deep water and when it gets hot the bass will move toward the gass and weed beds in around 4' to 8' of water and it is the perfect time for the little jig and trailer. You let it fall and when it hits bottom you give it a little pop and let it fall and then fish it like you would a shkey head were you slowly drag the bait 6" at a time instead of hopping it. Try it, you may find you like using it.

[jeb2]

Smaller jigs work best in a couple situations

 

1: Cold Water

2: High Pressure(Fishing not Weather)

3: When youre looking for a feeding strike rather than a reaction strike

 

 

Think about extremes, a 1oz vs a 1/4oz... you chuck that one ounce jig in there, lets say your fishing a weed edge, 14 feet of water. That jig is going to rocket to the bottom. The bass typically hit it on the fall, they have just a second or two to react. That 1/4oz jig is going to fall much much slower, the fish thats been jacked a few times or meets the other criteria has time to get to it. Think of the smaller jigs like the deadsticking of the jig world. A jig thats 1/4 ounce isnt necessarily a smaller jig but it can be depending on the head style and material its made with.

Good description of when to use a small jig. I have to force myself to do it, too. I prefer the 1/2-3/4oz ones and throw them a lot. But I fished the 5/16oz jig today with a tiny trailer on Table Rock and did well with it. 7 or 8 of my 12 fish came on it, up to 3.5lbs. I'd been getting nothing on the bigger jigs of late, so it's hard to argue with the results. Fishing it 3-20', very rocky conditions, no weeds. Cold, clear water. 40f degrees.

[iabass8]

I fish 1/4 and 5/16 bottom contact jigs during the dog days of summer when the bite is tough. i throw 1/4 swim jigs more than any other size swim jig on the river.

[keith71]

Love the Bitsy bug for Smallies too.My go-to bait on small streams down to a 1/16th oz on 6lb line. My PB smallmouth came on the crawfish color and a pumpkin bitsy craw.

[Stingray23]

I use small, light jigs for smallmouth and during the transition from late fall to winter.

[papajoe222]

Adding a bulky trailer to a BitsyBug will add a lot to the total weight, but it will also slow the drop or fall speed. Add a twin tailed grub and you have a finess alternative to a spinnerbait.  Nose hook a small pork trailer and you have a great shallow water presentation that you can keep on the bottom without too much effort. 

You can also go with any number of different bare jig heads in that weight class and add anything from small swim baits to beaver style plastics for something the fish don't normally see.

[eyedabassman]

I fish jigs of that size around docks,pads,weeds that get a bit thick like milfoil.i like to let the jig fall into the top of the weeds and just give it a snap. As for docks I like this the most as the fall rate is slower.As for trailers I like to take a Zoom U-tail and just use the last 3 or 4 in. of the worm,or a drop shot worm.

[mnbassman23]

I pay a great deal of attention to fall rate. There are many days were you can get reaction strikes by using heavier weights, but there also a lot of days were you will get more bites with a slow fall. For me it isn't so much time of year, but just finding out the mood of a fish on particular days. 

 

2 areas were I will usually downsize weight is 1) shallow water with thick weeds or muck on the bottom. This way your jig doesn't go through it, but sits on top of it. 2) when i'm fishing what I call cut banks.  A lot of times up here cattail banks become eroded under the water so the fish sit "under" the bank, similar to a bog but still attached to shore. A slow falling jig really shines in this circumstance for me. As does a senko. 

[rockchalk06]

Cool. Thanks for the help guys. I will hang onto these then. Most have the rubber band collar, which I hate, but I got them so cheap that I can afford to loose a few skirts.

[Bankbeater]

I use 1/8 oz. jigs when there is a lot of weeds and grass.  I also like to use them in water that is shallow.

[mnbassman23]

Cool. Thanks for the help guys. I will hang onto these then. Most have the rubber band collar, which I hate, but I got them so cheap that I can afford to loose a few skirts.

When I use to use jigs with rubber collars I'd take some 50lb braid and tie a knot in between the collar and the jighead. This way if the collar melts or rips you can still get a few more fish on it before the jig falls apart. 

[quanjig]

3/16-1/4 bitsy bugs are a go to for me this time of year. Matched with a RI flirt worm ( small one ) and pull it down sunny 45* banks. It works!!

[hookset on 3]

I pay a great deal of attention to fall rate. There are many days were you can get reaction strikes by using heavier weights, but there also a lot of days were you will get more bites with a slow fall. For me it isn't so much time of year, but just finding out the mood of a fish on particular days. 

 

2 areas were I will usually downsize weight is 1) shallow water with thick weeds or muck on the bottom. This way your jig doesn't go through it, but sits on top of it. 2) when i'm fishing what I call cut banks.  A lot of times up here cattail banks become eroded under the water so the fish sit "under" the bank, similar to a bog but still attached to shore. A slow falling jig really shines in this circumstance for me. As does a senko. 

 

 

This is an excellent post, MNBassman23. Y'all should read this a few times and remember the key points being made.

 

- fall rate should be a reflection of the fishes mood. The heavier and faster drops will get them really good some days. At other times they need to be lulled into coming over to investigate what they saw out of the corner of their eye. You may even deadstick that jig for a time and then the slighest twitch, the bass inhales it.

 

- lighter weight for thcker weeds and muck, so you don't bury the jig in a soft bottom. This is when I like a floating chunk or craw trailer that waves back and forth  while the jig rests on top of the weeds or bottom.