Summertime Jig Fishing

[MIbassin]

Hey Guys,

 

So with my goal this summer being to learn how to fish a jig effectively,

 

I was wondering if any of you guys have some tips and techniques that you are willing to share!

 

( if it helps most lakes/ponds i fish are no deeper that 8 feet and are filled with submerged weeds and logs)

 

 

Thank You!

[MARSH MASTER]

To me jig fishing is no different then t-rig. Don't get caught up in a bunch of colors keep it simple match the surroundings with like watermelon or pumpkin. For real stain water black and blue. I will throw huge in the nastiest of places. I will use a 3/4 football jig and throw it in the middle of a bush. I like banging that big head off the sticks. I also always use rattles with a rage craw trailer because I feel it moves more water. Jmho

[WRB]

Hey Guys,

So with my goal this summer being to learn how to fish a jig effectively,

I was wondering if any of you guys have some tips and techniques that you are willing to share!

( if it helps most lakes/ponds i fish are no deeper that 8 feet and are filled with submerged weeds and logs)

Thank You!

Do you fish from a boat or from shore?

What type of tackle do you plan to use?

Tom

[mnbassman23]

Hey Guys,

 

So with my goal this summer being to learn how to fish a jig effectively,

 

I was wondering if any of you guys have some tips and techniques that you are willing to share!

 

( if it helps most lakes/ponds i fish are no deeper that 8 feet and are filled with submerged weeds and logs)

 

 

Thank You!

 

Start practicing your pitching and get proficient at it if your not already. If you can pitch a jig with a soft entry and not make a splash while hitting target areas like logs and submergent clumps of weed you will be on your way to success. What I usually do is start off with a swim jig to cover water and once you find what structure the fish are relating to then I usually slow down with a grass jig. Also don't be afraid to let your jig "soak" or sit in a prime area for an extended period of time. Many guys pitch/cast into cover and bring it out right away. While this works and gets bites, sometimes it pays to let your lure sit in a good area for a while. 

 

Last but not least when pitching jigs 90% of your bites are going to happen on the initial fall. Watch your line, and make sure to pay great attention on that initial fall. Once you fish a jig for awhile you'll learn how it acts and feels, just like any bait. It gets to the point if your fishing 3ft of water it make take your jig 3 seconds to hit the bottom and you instinctively will realize this. Next pitch it may only take 2 seconds... Set the hook because one just ate it on the fall! Sometimes jig bites are really mushy and you may only feel weight at the end of your line. Again set the hook! Hook sets are free and until you really learn the feel of fishing a jig don't be afraid to swing on anything that feels "different". 

 

Good luck man jig fishing is addicting and a great way to put your new personal best in the boat. 

[rockchalk06]

Start practicing your pitching and get proficient at it if your not already. If you can pitch a jig with a soft entry and not make a splash while hitting target areas like logs and submergent clumps of weed you will be on your way to success. What I usually do is start off with a swim jig to cover water and once you find what structure the fish are relating to then I usually slow down with a grass jig. Also don't be afraid to let your jig "soak" or sit in a prime area for an extended period of time. Many guys pitch/cast into cover and bring it out right away. While this works and gets bites, sometimes it pays to let your lure sit in a good area for a while. 

 

Last but not least when pitching jigs 90% of your bites are going to happen on the initial fall. Watch your line, and make sure to pay great attention on that initial fall. Once you fish a jig for awhile you'll learn how it acts and feels, just like any bait. It gets to the point if your fishing 3ft of water it make take your jig 3 seconds to hit the bottom and you instinctively will realize this. Next pitch it may only take 2 seconds... Set the hook because one just ate it on the fall! Sometimes jig bites are really mushy and you may only feel weight at the end of your line. Again set the hook! Hook sets are free and until you really learn the feel of fishing a jig don't be afraid to swing on anything that feels "different". 

 

Good luck man jig fishing is addicting and a great way to put your new personal best in the boat. 

Well said!!

[Bankbeater]

I fish weeds one of two ways.  I will either throw a light jig that won't sink into the slop, or if the weeds are matted on the surface, I will use a heavy jig to punch through it to get down to the bottom. 

[MIbassin]

Thanks guys! And also I don't know if this will change anything you say, but 99% of the time I am casting

[Catt]

I fish a Jig-N-Craw like a Texas Rig most of the time

[merc1997]

what type of water are you fishing?? what is water clarity?? another factor is to determine what forage the bass are keying on. here on table rock, there will be a portion of the summer that bass are keying primarily on shad. when that is going on, to catch them consistently on a jig, i have to go to a hair jig with a slender trailer to mimic a shad. here in late august, a big profile jig will catch some really big bass. this is when i will use a rubber skirted jig with a #25 uncle josh pork. jigs catch bass year round. the key is to determine forage, depth, and key in on the right profile and speed. at least that is what has worked for me.

bo

[roadwarrior]

Focus on cover and structure.

 

 

 

 

[MIbassin]

So blinds casting wouldn't really work with a jig?

[Jigfishn10]

So blinds casting wouldn't really work with a jig?

Are you bank fishing or fishing from a boat?

 

Blind casting with a jig from the bank is a good technique to find structure and cover, however, to do this you will need to know what things feel like when you bump your jig into them. You can use that data and get a sense of where spend more time in areas and less in others. I personally can't explain what it feels like when you bump into obstructions, you really have to spend time on the water to experience it yourself.

[Blues19]

just use it like a T Rig. You can blind cast. Just switch up retreives until you find what they like. Hop, drag, all that stuff works, I personally like rage craw or paca craw trailers. if you use a baby paca craw, they are mostly a tube, You can stick a round rattle up inside it to give it a rattle too.

[MIbassin]

Thank you and most of the time I am fishing from a boat