Do You Struggle?

[.ghoti.]

I'm certainly not a jig fishing expert, but I'll give you the following observations.

Jig fishing is a target game. Have a target, and be able to hit it. Pick an area apart, be it a weed bed, flat, hump, point, etc. Identify likely fish holding targets and hit them all. This is no time for long casts.

Jig fishing is a slow game. If you think you're working the jig slow enough, slow down. In most cases, less is indeed more. This is no time to be in a hurry. Running down the bank with your trolling motor on high is the best way I know to keep you skunked when jig fishing.

Jig fishing is a quiet game. Put the bait in the water with the smallest disturbance you can manage. Again, this is no place for long casts. Short, controlled entry casting is the thing. Turn your electronics off. Do not cycle your trolling motor on and off constantly. Drift if you can. Be stealthy.

This last bit is just me, but I use the lightest jig I can get away with. I rarely use a jig over 1/4oz. I find it easier to make a quiet entry into the water with lighter jigs. Since I tried down-sizing my jigs, I've caught a lot more jig fish. And, the rate of fall is easier to adjust with a light jig. When I want a fast drop I use the tail of a worm as a trailer; just enough of the body to keep it on the hook, with the curly tail close behind. Or simply use no trailer at all. To really slow the drop rate, I use half of a Rage Lobster. This is the first thing I experiment with; trying to find the best rate of fall for that day. The next thing to experiment with is retrieve; dragging, hopping, slow swimming, etc. I'll experiment with color later, if necessary.

[senile1]

I like the topic, JT. 

 

The learning curve for picking up the "feel" of the jig may be steeper than other lures, but I wouldn't say it was a struggle for me.  It did take some time to become proficient, but that was my expectation.  If you are new to jigs, go to a location where you know you are likely to catch a few fish no matter what.  Expect to spend some time learning how they feel traveling over different obstacles and how they feel when bit and don't be in a hurry.  Learn the differences and catch some fish to build your confidence.  Then step it up from there learning to pitch and flip into thick cover, holes in lily pads, brush, etc.  I also think that swimming a jig is easier to learn than working one slowly as one can usually feel when a faster moving bait is bit.  However, for me, fishing a jig slowly and picking apart cover is the meat and potatoes of jig fishing and I think there will always be room for improvement. 

[MarkH024]

My strongest jig is swim jig style.  My weakest jig is a football jig. I have a hard time with "slow" fishing overall, therefore making jig fishing a challenge at times for me.  I do love to jig fish, and I need to do so more often because they do produce quality fish. I prefer 3/8oz as my all around, but will get into the 1/2 or 3/4oz occasionally. 

 

I mainly will throw jigs on a 7' MH/F action rod.  Some guys like big stout rods and some like a little more give.  To elaborate more, what is your preferred rod size and action. Leave brands out of it so this doesn't turn into a turd fest. 

[Catt]

One mistake I see is that anglers make is they have abandoned casting a jig & working it like a Texas rig.

Y'all should try it

[SPEEDBEAD.]

[Catt]

K.I.S.S.

Of all the lures in an anglers arsenal the jig is one of the simplest and yet one of the most completed by anglers.

Denny Brauer and Gary Klien are two of the top jig fishermen on planet earth; their jig box is simple with both selecting blue/blue #1 and a 3/8 oz #1.

I would select 1 manufactute and stick with it for now and later add your own personal repertoire of confusion.

[derekxec]

im a bit weird about jig fishing...for bass its tooo slow for me i hate using jigs bass fishing now if im snook fishing i can cast a jig out and reel it so slow that it takes forever to get back in lol....not sure why but always like this

[Mccallister25]

When I first started learning to use a jig, I faced a pretty big learning curve. Now, I absolutely love them. I have one tied on evety time I go out. Id def. say Im a jig fisherman.

[Mccallister25]

When I first started learning to use a jig, I faced a pretty big learning curve. Now, I absolutely love them. I have one tied on evety time I go out. Id def. say Im a jig fisherman.

[PABASS]

In my very short observation with jig fishing black & blue seems to work better in stained to muddy water.  In some of the clearer waters I have fished browns and greens produced more fish.  In clear water do you still use a black & blue jig and or when do you choose to go with more natural colors?

[aquaholic]

I have posted several threads on this subject and don't know how to recover them on this site using the search tool.

You can swim any jig by retrieving it through the water column instead of slowly along the bottom.

There are hundreds of jig head shapes, all trying to improve some design feature to enhance the jig performance. Knowone has the panacea jig design for all presentations.

Common mistakes are;

1. Using jigs that are too heavy.

2. Using jigs with the wrong style hook, size and dull points.

3. Fishing jigs in the wrong place at the wrong time. Location is critical to bass fishing success.

4. Fishing jigs with too light of tackle.

5. Trying to fish jigs up hill from shore.

6. Relying of the rod to feel strikes.

7. Not setting the hook fast enough.

8. Failing to concentrate on what the jig is doing or feels like.

Tom

can you explain a little more on this? Is jig fishing from shore a bad idea?

[The Young Gun]

I fish hours on end with a jig around a lake loaded with largemouth about 200acres throwing every lay down and dock I see but I can't get bite. But ill go off the dock and take a cast and ill catch a tiny one...

I think it may be my line??

7'2" powell diesel rod

Black max reel

50lb pp braid

1/2oz big o siebert jig with rage craw trailer

But I do enjoy pitchin jigs a lot. I just wish I caught fish more often .

[lmbfisherman]

Not sure why jig fishing from shore is a bad idea.  Only thing I can think of is hang ups?  I learned to fish jigs from shore first and caught fish.  I'm no expert though, still learning the tricks of the trade.  I kind of set aside the jigs this year as one of my goal was to learn to drop shot and fish crankbaits more.  I have done number 1 with lots of success, still haven't built the confidence on crankbaits.  This thread is making me want to jig fish all day this coming Saturday.  I miss jig fishing!  I will not say I'm an "expert jig" fisherman, but I will say I'm no beginner jig fisherman. 

[MarkH024]

I fish hours on end with a jig around a lake loaded with largemouth about 200acres throwing every lay down and dock I see but I can't get bite. But ill go off the dock and take a cast and ill catch a tiny one...

I think it may be my line??

7'2" powell diesel rod

Black max reel

50lb pp braid

1/2oz big o siebert jig with rage craw trailer

But I do enjoy pitchin jigs a lot. I just wish I caught fish more often .

No it's not your line. You should be just fine using braid as that is what I use. If i'm in some heavy rock, I'll put a fluoro leader on.  You can color your braid with black sharpie if you're worried about visibility but to be honest, the tantalizing craw arms and skirts puffed out in the water are far more distracting than a line.  Keep at it. One day it will just click for you. You may want to try a lighter weight to produce a slower fall rate. That would be a good start.

[The Young Gun]

How do I know when to throw a 1/2oz compared to a 3/8th? I rarely fish any water over 6 feet deep. But I also have only tried jigs pitching to shore cover.

[MarkH024]

How do I know when to throw a 1/2oz compared to a 3/8th? I rarely fish any water over 6 feet deep. But I also have only tried jigs pitching to shore cover.

If you're in 6 fow or less...you should be in the 1/4oz to 3/8 range in my opinion.  I think if you produce a slower falling jig, you're going to get more luck.  Just my $.02 

[PABASS]

Two thoughts come to mind with this statement " Trying to fish jigs up hill from shore" one would be fish position and two would be snags but from reading many of WRB's posts I believe its more about fish positioning.  Bass are more likely to be looking into the shallow water from the deep then from the shallow end to the deep, the deep is the escape route, whether its competing with other fish for food or it feels threaten.

[Lipsinker]

I'm certainly not a jig fishing expert, but I'll give you the following observations.

Jig fishing is a target game. Have a target, and be able to hit it. Pick an area apart, be it a weed bed, flat, hump, point, etc. Identify likely fish holding targets and hit them all. This is no time for long casts.

Jig fishing is a slow game. If you think you're working the jig slow enough, slow down. In most cases, less is indeed more. This is no time to be in a hurry. Running down the bank with your trolling motor on high is the best way I know to keep you skunked when jig fishing.

Jig fishing is a quiet game. Put the bait in the water with the smallest disturbance you can manage. Again, this is no place for long casts. Short, controlled entry casting is the thing. Turn your electronics off. Do not cycle your trolling motor on and off constantly. Drift if you can. Be stealthy.

This last bit is just me, but I use the lightest jig I can get away with. I rarely use a jig over 1/4oz. I find it easier to make a quiet entry into the water with lighter jigs. Since I tried down-sizing my jigs, I've caught a lot more jig fish. And, the rate of fall is easier to adjust with a light jig. When I want a fast drop I use the tail of a worm as a trailer; just enough of the body to keep it on the hook, with the curly tail close behind. Or simply use no trailer at all. To really slow the drop rate, I use half of a Rage Lobster. This is the first thing I experiment with; trying to find the best rate of fall for that day. The next thing to experiment with is retrieve; dragging, hopping, slow swimming, etc. I'll experiment with color later, if necessary.

Thanks I'm going to try down sizing, especially when I'm on a river.  As a novice Bass fisherman, I think I often make the mistake of assuming that huger tackle automatically will land me the bigger fish.

[SirSnookalot]

im a bit weird about jig fishing...for bass its tooo slow for me i hate using jigs bass fishing now if im snook fishing i can cast a jig out and reel it so slow that it takes forever to get back in lol....not sure why but always like this

Feel exactly the same way, I totally understand.

[bigbasshunter]

Exactly what Catt posted, "K.I.S.S"

Not saying anyone is stupid

[Loop_Dad]

I fish jigs in winter months on my local lakes when they are closed for boating. They work for me. Sometimes I only bring a box which only have a few jigs in it. For some reason, I don't use much during warmer months. 

 

I would like to stick with one size of jig (1/2 oz) and mostly same design of jig (Archy). I mostly use the same trailer (twin tail grub).  I like to always use the same rod, same reel and same line. By keeping things always the same, I get better feel of what my jig is doing down there deep, like hitting rocks or bites. If I switch around things, I lose that sense and I have to re-learn.

 

Hope this makes sense.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

ive been jig fishing a lot more these past few years and I can say there my favorite to throw.. at night they are killer!!!

[ColdSVT]

I struggle to put jigs down when I know should be using something else lol

[Dingah]

Just started this year, caught about 15 fish, all of those fish either thumped it hard and ran, or just barely whacked it, so my biggest struggle is determining a bite? i know when i have one when it hits hard or i feel weight at the end of my line but there are sometimes where im left clueless to if i had a bite or it was a rock or a log, and most of the time i cant tell at all.

 

So what my question is is what does a bite feel like?

 

-Tully

[WRB]

It is very difficult to cast and retrieve a jig from one position standing on the bank due to the fact you are always retrieving the jig up hill from deeper to shallower water. The seasonal period when bass are close to the bank where a shore angler can cast to a shallow water bass with a jig without spooking the fish is during the spawn or spring. It can be done, the question is why use a jig when shore fishing?

I realize some anglers are shore bond, no boat or boats are not allowed.

When I shore fish my jigs stay home and I use a T-rigged worm, grub, plastic craw or creature. I do this because a T-rig can use a wider variety of hook styles and sizes, easier to carry, less trouble with snags and versitile by pegging a glass bead for a instant slip shot rig. I can use different weight and bigger worms.

Another point to clarify is the pace to fish jigs, it's not always slooooow, sometimes a faster pace is better than saturating a piece of cover with lots of casts, I hate to that! I would rather make a long casts and cover more water, structure and potential bass, then make short precise cast to targets. I will make several casts on a piece of structure and fish it thoroughly from several different angles and depths from a distance, often well over 90'. I can't remember the last time a bass bite a dead stocked jig! 99% of jig strikes happen when the jig is moving through the water or stopped for a brief moment with the skirt breathing, the trailer moving, unless you are bed fishing.

The thought process that active bass are loners holding on a specific piece of cover or structure isn't true. . Bass, especially active feeders, move around when hunting and rarely feed alone! Inactive bass tend to be loners and very difficult to catch. When I catch bass on jigs, it's usually several on one small area.

My advice; look for groups of active bass and forget the notion of targeting single random bass. When you catch a good size bass, there should be more close by, don't leave active fish to look for another lone bass.

Tom