Jig Fishing Questions

[Choporoz]

2 hours ago, Chris244 said:

I am pretty much new to fishing this season also and personally I have never once caught a fish with a jig. I don’t understand. Even when they are hitting other things I still can’t win with them. What’s the advantage of using one with a craw, why not just use a craw instead of adding a big unnatural bushy thing to the top of it lol. They obviously work but I sure can’t use them for some reason. 

I know there's a LOT of stuff in here, but have you read through this thread?

[J Francho]

Agreed, the answers to your questions are in this thread.  Just spending an hour or so reading, and you will have so much more knowledge.

[Chris244]

Well I went to a couple ponds today and caught 4 on a bitsy bug jig with a rage tail craw. Just drug the bottom and paused and a couple twitches. Only thing I noticed was in a pond that had a lot of grass/weeds it was a big clump every cast so I’m not quite getting how they work good in grass. Maybe I did something wrong but the jig head just collected mass amounts u till I went to a better pond. 

[WRB]

You need to factor in the seasonal period when bass fishing any lure. We are in or transitioning from fall to winter cold water period. This means bass are going to be in the warmest water they can find and the aquatic vegetation is dieing off, turning brown.

The bass are cold blooded fish that need less food as they get colder.

Location is always key and a predominate prey source should be determining your choice of lures including jigs.

Catching 4 jig bass is a good day. If you want less weeds fouling your jig use a lighter weight grass jig in the deepest areas of your pond.

Tom

[Harold Scoggins]

On 12/2/2012 at 12:06 AM, WRB said:

The biggest mistake most jig anglers make is waiting until the jigs hits bottom to begin "fishing" the jig.

Tom

Just spending a little time revisiting old threads (this being one of my favorites) because you never know when something someone has posted will "pop" out at you. The above sentence is found at the end of a reply posted by @WRB 7 years back, and as I re-read it, it seemed as though I was being slapped on the back of the head. I was taught this some 30 years back by a local hometown fishing legend. We were both throwing jigs from his boat and after a couple hours and a few fish, all landed by him, I asked him what I was doing wrong. The old timer smiled at me and said, "You're not fishing a jig, son." He then went on and asked me if I had ever observed a crawfish falling through the water. I hadn't noticed that while I was letting my jig fall straight down to the bottom, he was occasionally making small jerks as his jig fell. I've caught my fair share of bass off the bottom with a jig, but after that "fishing" lesson many years ago, many more bass have been landed on the way down. If you happen to stumble onto this reply, make sure you revisit the older posts/replies. You never know what you might find that was missed on an earlier read. Thanks for the memories, WRB.

[pauldconyers]

1 hour ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Just spending a little time revisiting old threads (this being one of my favorites) because you never know when something someone has posted will "pop" out at you. The above sentence is found at the end of a reply posted by @WRB 7 years back, and as I re-read it, it seemed as though I was being slapped on the back of the head. I was taught this some 30 years back by a local hometown fishing legend. We were both throwing jigs from his boat and after a couple hours and a few fish, all landed by him, I asked him what I was doing wrong. The old timer smiled at me and said, "You're not fishing a jig, son." He then went on and asked me if I had ever observed a crawfish falling through the water. I hadn't noticed that while I was letting my jig fall straight down to the bottom, he was occasionally making small jerks as his jig fell. I've caught my fair share of bass off the bottom with a jig, but after that "fishing" lesson many years ago, many more bass have been landed on the way down. If you happen to stumble onto this reply, make sure you revisit the older posts/replies. You never know what you might find that was missed on an earlier read. Thanks for the memories, WRB.

You talking about constant little jerks or a pop every 4 or 5 seconds?

[Harold Scoggins]

48 minutes ago, pauldconyers said:

You talking about constant little jerks or a pop every 4 or 5 seconds?

Could be. Could be 1 or 2 on the way down. Change it up and let the bass tell you what they want.

[galyonj]

15 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Change it up and let the bass tell you what they want.

Most important thing in this whole thread, because it ties all the other points together.

 

Sometimes they don't even want a pop at all. Last jig bass I caught, I was just about deadsticking on the bottom – just rattling the tip every little while.

[clemsondds]

So two of the response in this thread have been videos. Both by pros. And they couldn’t be more opposite on how they teach to set the hook with a jig. One says that when you feel the bite, reel up the slack and then set the hook, and the other says to drop the tip of the rod and then use that slack to gain speed in setting the hook. So slack or no slack when setting the hook? What do you do? 

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, clemsondds said:

So two of the response in this thread have been videos. Both by pros. And they couldn’t be more opposite on how they teach to set the hook with a jig. One says that when you feel the bite, reel up the slack and then set the hook, and the other says to drop the tip of the rod and then use that slack to gain speed in setting the hook. So slack or no slack when setting the hook? What do you do? 

Bassheads will do what works for them.

Some of this has to include the type of gear (rod & especially type of line;FC or braid).

I prefer a mod/fast rod for jigs and my hookset technique never includes slack line.

I'll set up on a fish as soon as I can but I'll usually 'adjust' the horsepower depending on the line.

FC usually gets a fairly serious full stroke deal but when using braid I'll 'tone' that down a bit.

Exception to that is if fishing in heavy vegetation - where I will use a very hard hooket with braid and attempt to use that momentum to get and keep the fish heading / moving my way; meaning up & out of the slop.

Hope that helps

A-Jay

 

[Hammer 4]

This may help too, some good info here...

 

 

[rtwvumtneer6]

My buddy got me a pile of the Z-Man Crosseyez Finesse jigs for Christmas in 1/4 and 3/8oz.  It looks like both sizes have about a 2/0 hook.  

 

Looking for trailer suggestions for compact jigs...  

 

Twin tail grub size?

 

Smaller craw/beaver options?

 

Thanks, and Happy New Year!

[galyonj]

Smallie Beaver would be my first choice, but there are some other nice small trailers, too. Z-Man has a couple craw/bug/creature options that will fit a small profile like that.

 

Huddlebugs are 2.75" or so, I think. Ton of options.

[rtwvumtneer6]

22 minutes ago, galyonj said:

Ton of options.

Isn't that the truth.  I keep it pretty simple when it comes to jigs... Rage bugs or  beavers 90% of the time depending on how much action I want.  The other 10% are various craws.

 

Pretty limited experience with finesse jigs.  I've typically thrown a double tail grub, but now that I have about a dozen of them I want to start to experiment.  

[MN Fisher]

30 minutes ago, galyonj said:

Z-Man has a couple craw/bug/creature options that will fit a small profile like that.

My favorite on a finesse jig (I have Buckeye Spot Removers) is the TRD Hogz.

My second favorite is the Reaction Innovations Little Dipper.

[fishballer06]

1 hour ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

My buddy got me a pile of the Z-Man Crosseyez Finesse jigs for Christmas in 1/4 and 3/8oz.  It looks like both sizes have about a 2/0 hook.  

 

Looking for trailer suggestions for compact jigs...  

I fish a lot of jigs based on a 2/0 hook. Here's a few of my go to jig trailers. 

 

Rage Tail Baby Bug (3")

Biwaa Warax Craw (3")

Zoom Z Hog Jr (3.5")

Zoom Z Craw Jr (3.5")

Netbait Paca Slim (4", bite off an inch)

Riot Baits Little Fuzzy (3.25")

 

 

Here's the Rage Baby Bug on a Siebert Sniper jig, which is built on a 2/0 hook. 

[galyonj]

9 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

TRD Hogz

I've never fished a finesse jig, and I've never heard of those, but they look adorable.

[rtwvumtneer6]

37 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

I fish a lot of jigs based on a 2/0 hook. Here's a few of my go to jig trailers. 

 

Rage Tail Baby Bug (3")

Biwaa Warax Craw (3")

Zoom Z Hog Jr (3.5")

Zoom Z Craw Jr (3.5")

Netbait Paca Slim (4", bite off an inch)

Riot Baits Little Fuzzy (3.25")

 

 

Here's the Rage Baby Bug on a Siebert Sniper jig, which is built on a 2/0 hook. 

If I were a fish, I'd eat that ?.  I have a couple of Mike's minis and mudbugs.  Got the baby bug and Ned bug for them.   

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

[fishballer06]

24 minutes ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

I have a couple of Mike's minis and mudbugs. 

I believe the Mudbug jig is the same frame as the Sniper, just a little different lead shape. Maybe @Siebert Outdoors can confirm this. 

[Siebert Outdoors]

2 hours ago, fishballer06 said:

I believe the Mudbug jig is the same frame as the Sniper, just a little different lead shape. Maybe @Siebert Outdoors can confirm this. 

That's correct.  The head is a little different style but basically the same.  My go finesse jig is the Sniper typically 5/16 with a Rage Baby Craw. 

[Shockwave]

On 12/31/2019 at 3:05 PM, Siebert Outdoors said:

That's correct.  The head is a little different style but basically the same.  My go finesse jig is the Sniper typically 5/16 with a Rage Baby Craw. 

I absolutely fell in love with the Sniper jig this past season.  Every time I go out, I have a Dredge Dock Rocker tied on and if I need to downsize, my go to is definitely a 5/16 Sniper jig.  I usually have a Baby Craw trailer on it as well.

[Harold Scoggins]

On 1/7/2020 at 11:35 AM, Shockwave said:

Every time I go out, I have a Dredge Dock Rocker tied on

Have you tried Mike's @Siebert Outdoors other Dredge jigs? (G2 Football or Brush jigs) You can't beat that Owner Deep Throat hook!

[Bankbeater]

When I started fishing with jigs I missed tons of fish until I started watching the line.  Not to detect a bite, but to figure out what that bass was doing. 

The easy bass were the ones that hit hard and would run with the jig.  The hard bass were the ones that would strike at the jig to try and kill it, and then drop it to see if it was dead or not.  After they were sure the bait was dead they would pick it up and start to swim off with it. 

 

 

[galyonj]

6 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Have you tried Mike's @Siebert Outdoors other Dredge jigs? (G2 Football or Brush jigs) You can't beat that Owner Deep Throat hook!

I need more of those. Or better aim. Or both.

 

Probably both.

[Shockwave]

18 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Have you tried Mike's @Siebert Outdoors other Dredge jigs? (G2 Football or Brush jigs) You can't beat that Owner Deep Throat hook!

I don't get to drag a football jig around much since 95% of the lakes around here have a muck bottom.  I have some G2 Football Dredge jigs but I haven't used them much, if at all.  I haven't played around with the brush jigs at all.  I'll have to pick up a few and give them a shot this spring.