jig advice for my local pond

[gates52]

I'm trying to learn to fish jigs with a craw trailer, and I'm looking for some advice. I have read all the jig articles on this site.

I fish from the bank and the places I can reach have a depth of about 1-4 feet, thick "weeds" (not sure what kind of vegetation they are I live in Vermont if that helps at all) on almost every inch on the bottom of this pond.

I feel like the 3/8oz jig doesn't punch through the weeds as well as a 1/2 oz jig but since the water is so shallow the 1/2 oz jig i feel falls to fast for the bass.

Any advice on how to effectively work this pond with a jig.

[Gangley]

if the weeds are that thick and you can only fish shallow water, I wouldnt bother with a jig.  If you insist upon it, try micro jigs with a full size trailer.  The light jig with the full size trailer will give you a much slower fall, and might allow the jig to stay on top of the weeds instead of crashing through them.  Also try swimming the jig over the tops of the weeds.

[Catt]

A 1 oz jig can not fall to fast far a bass

Jigs a deadly shallow or deep, day or night, summer or winter, spring or fall.

[guitarkid]

I agree with the small jig thing, try the Booyah bed bug jig.

   -gk

[Jigfishn10]

g52...I find up here in New England ponds, the bass will be on the edge of the thick weeds during a stable condition. If a front is in, then they will tuck under. Despite being "book taught" that the bass will tuck in the weeds during a "blue bird" day, I'm finding that bass are still out on the weed edge at this time of year on a pond here and will be active. The bigger boys will be out further from the bank adjacent to deeper water and the little guys are around the bank. You will find some bigger bass at times shallow, but they are very finicky.

I'm mostly a bank fisherman during the week. I try and get out about 3 times a week after work and my advice I just gave you is based on what I've been seeing thus far. This is clearly MHO.

I've been making long cast to the outer weed edge with a 1/4 oz jig and chunk trailer or a 3" or 4" grub. The average 2 hours I fish for will yield 4-6 nice bass from the bank.

I also find that on a natural pond an arky jig works really well. In man made ponds/reservoirs I tend to lean towards a flipping or casting jig like a Strike King Bitsy jig or Bitsy Flip.

If you really think that the bass are holed up in the thick weeds and you can't cast past the edge, then a 1/2oz is what I use, especially during those days when the front is in. If you can cast past the thick stuff and work your 1/4oz into it and thru it (don't be afraid to lose some jigs), then I find that's the way to go.

Please, take this with a grain of salt, but here in MA, that's what's been working for me.

Good luck.

[gates52]

Thanks everyone, i'll take your guys advice. I just wanted to learn to use a jig and the last 3 times i've been out, for a total of 9 hours or so I have only landed two bass with the jig. I have a couple of booyah and strike king jigs, actually those are the only ones i own. I purchased about 7 jigs last weekend along with strike king baby craws as my trailer. 

[Hammer 4]

There's some BR advertisers here that make some very nice jig's. Might wanna check em out..

[BassThumb]

A fast fall triggers strikes at times.  In that situation, I would try 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 oz jigs. 

[Catt]

The biggest mistake anglers make when fishing grass is to fish over the grass instead of in the grass. A bass will quickly attack lures on the surface or dart out from the grass edge only to return to the sanctuary of under the grass.