Jig Fishing Questions

[the reel ess]

On 10/8/2019 at 6:16 AM, 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. 

The idea is that bass think it's a crawfish and the skirt is a an added attraction, not the other way around. Therefore, if you made me choose between the skirt and the soft plastic craw, I'd just use a plain weedless jighead with the craw. That's what I did when I wanted to learn to use a jig. I wanted more bites so I got more practice at feeling the bite and setting the hook.

I was fishing with a guide a bit back and we were flipping grass. We were catching one at almost every patch of grass. He handed me another rod with the same type lure but it had a punching skirt added. He said it was to try to get a bigger bass to bite.

[rcjoutdoors]

On 1/17/2020 at 8:22 AM, Shockwave said:

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.  

I am in the same boat, it's muck city around my local area. I love when I get to fish a football jig on a rock or sandy bottom lake, which is rare. 

[galyonj]

On 1/17/2020 at 8:22 AM, Shockwave said:

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.  

Honestly, I hate throwing a football jig where I'm at because I'm either dealing with a soft bottom and the jig just acts like a ditch witch and digs itself in, or I'm dealing with riprap that a football head will just get hung up on anyway.

[Jermination]

2 hours ago, galyonj said:

Honestly, I hate throwing a football jig where I'm at because I'm either dealing with a soft bottom and the jig just acts like a ditch witch and digs itself in, or I'm dealing with riprap that a football head will just get hung up on anyway.

you fishing in the greenbelt? I throw football heads on every lake in the area and do quite well

[galyonj]

7 minutes ago, Jermination said:

you fishing in the greenbelt? I throw football heads on every lake in the area and do quite well

Pretty much wherever I can safely get to from land. I'd say that's the problem.

[Jermination]

1 minute ago, galyonj said:

Pretty much wherever I can safely get to from land. I'd say that's the problem.

yeah that changes things lol sorry didn't mean to come off as condescending didnt realize you were walking the banks!

[galyonj]

2 minutes ago, Jermination said:

yeah that changes things lol sorry didn't mean to come off as condescending didnt realize you were walking the banks!

All good. I should have specified.

[Johnny Falls]

Hey guys,

 

Up until this weekend, I have fished a jig 1X in my life.  Midday, during the summer and got slammed by a PB smallie.  What do I do?  Put the bait back into the tacklebox and don't throw it again for 3 years.  I don't understand.  After reading all 24 pages of posts in this thread and watching a ton of vids on the subject my interest has been peaked again.  I went out last night and determined to keep the jig tied on come hell or highwater.  I caught a nice pickerel on a blue/black jig without a trailer, believe it or not.  Didn't get a bass but got something else, confidence with this bait.  I really spent a lot of time experimenting and learning the bait.  I feel like this is bait I will keep on throughout this season and really find out it's potential.  I just wanted to thank everyone for the tremendous amount of information and insight into this bait.    

[Chonch12]

WOW is all I have to say, just got through the entire thread, so much incredible information. Thank you to everyone who contributed. 

 

I just made a received an order from Siebert, got some more Snipers, loaded up on the Fogy (killing it recently) and tried my hand at 2 of the Dredge Series Packages, the Dock Rocker and G2 both in 3/8oz since I have a few 1/2oz from before. Looking forward to throwing them with the new knowledge. 

 

One thing I did not see, does anyone think that 'Living Rubber' make a world of difference? I did not even know it existed before reading through this thread. 

[mheichelbech]

On 1/17/2020 at 8:38 AM, the reel ess said:

The idea is that bass think it's a crawfish and the skirt is a an added attraction, not the other way around. Therefore, if you made me choose between the skirt and the soft plastic craw, I'd just use a plain weedless jighead with the craw. That's what I did when I wanted to learn to use a jig. I wanted more bites so I got more practice at feeling the bite and setting the hook.

I was fishing with a guide a bit back and we were flipping grass. We were catching one at almost every patch of grass. He handed me another rod with the same type lure but it had a punching skirt added. He said it was to try to get a bigger bass to bite.

2 things with a jig, helps you catch bigger fish and it is versatile, it can look like a crawdad or a fish depending on how you fish them.  You can even do 2 things in one cast; you can pitch it into cover and then swim it back to the boat.  The biggest learning curve I had was detecting bites.  Once I developed confidence in it, I started detecting more bites.  I think a jig probably requires more focus than any other bait.  
However, I think that helps overall because it helps fishermen to focus more on all the lures they use.  I have seen many times when using other baits when fish swiped at it but didn’t take it.  If I hadn’t been focused on the lure I’d never have know a fish was there and to throw back or try the same place with a different lure and catch the fish.

[rtwvumtneer6]

Please convince me that I need to add swim jigs into my arsenal of tackle.

 

To be more specific, jig head with a weed guard, skirt and plastic trailer.

 

I throw spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, swimbait heads with plastics but no skirt, jointed structure heads, hybrid jigs, etc.  These cover different depths and various cover, but I do not throw a true "swim jig".

 

So, what makes a swim jig a must have when I have all of the above options at the ready?

[J Francho]

15 hours ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

To be more specific, jig head with a weed guard, skirt and plastic trailer.

That describes many baits called "jig."  All of them can be swum. Swim jigs typically have a few mods that help, like head shape, bait keeper, thinner brush guard, thinner skirt, and often come baitfish color patterns.  You don't have to throw a jig, or you can skip everything else in your list.  There are times when swimming a jig triggers a bite.  Sometimes they're just fun to fish.  Think of your question like this, like asking why throw a buzzbait when you already have a jitterbug? 

[Catt]

15 hours ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

So, what makes a swim jig a must have when I have all of the above options at the ready?

 

You don't necessarily a "swim jig" but you need to know how to swim a jig. 

 

To me it's a technique, I quite often swim a Texas Rig in the same situations one would swim a jig.

 

[J Francho]

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

I quite often swim a Texas Rig in the same situations one would swim a jig.

Keep it down, @Catt! You are supposed to whisper secrets!

[Tennessee Boy]

55 minutes ago, Catt said:

To me it's a technique, I quite often swim a Texas Rig in the same situations one would swim a jig.

 You just gave me a great idea.  I'll order medium heavy fast rods from China for $15,  put a sticker on them that says "Swim Worm Rod" and sell them for $350.  First swim worm rod on the market.   I'll be rich. ?

[J Francho]

Make sure you brand it Shamino or Diwai, and sell it on Prime.

[rtwvumtneer6]

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

"Swim Worm Rod" and sell them for $350. 

Well, my question was answered that no, I don't need to go and buy a load of "swim jigs" so when you get those rods made up, I'll take 2 of the Shimano (so my reels don't get angry, of course) ?

[ajschn06]

On 7/22/2020 at 1:27 PM, mheichelbech said:

 You can even do 2 things in one cast; you can pitch it into cover and then swim it back to the boat.  

 

THIS is, for me, 100% the reason a jig has been so productive this year and is more often than not in my hand.  The ability to do two things, effectively, on one bait.  I went over my catches this year and other than 2 I caught on a crankbait every bass I caught that was worth anything was caught on a jig.  I would say about 50/50 they were pitching/bottom contact bites vs swimming...

[PaulVE64]

it feels like i turned a corner with the jig.

 

I've committed some hours into it and tried to apply it more often in my rotation. I think I'm getting better with it. Lately the strikes have been the classic "long pause, jerk, hit on the drop" and most of the jerks include an erratic bounce off a rock.

 

Friday night i hand tied a black maribou/black bucktail jig with some flashabou and a generic back twin tail grub and slayed them for about 2 hours.

[throttleplate]

i put a senko worm green pumpkin on a green pumpkin jig just for the heck of it and caught my first ever jig bass. From then on i started using craws.

I should try the worm again next spring, instead of sliding it onto the hook i can experiment by just running the hook onto the nose section so the nose of worm tucks under the guard just a bit to make it more weedless, then set the hook harder.

[mikey z]

On 12/4/2012 at 11:21 PM, WRB said:

Because big bass will reject a jig quickly, most anglers miss the strike a very high percentage of the time.

Novice jig angler here keeping this epic thread alive! 

 

I've been reading every response over the past few days and I'm getting the distinct sense that I should be using a jig with a high quality trailer keeper and just swing away immediately every time I feel any type of resistance. I mention the keeper because every time I have a swing and a miss, the trailer slips down the hook and it gets old having to push it back so often. Am I on the right track?

[roadwarrior]

Rig the jug by putting the hook point through the middle of the nose,

towards the body of the trailer.  Estimate where the hook should be

re-entered into the body and push straight through.  Texpose the point

and the trailer will be secured.

 

[WRB]

UJ pork rind frogs are available again and they are nose hooked don’t come off. 

Instead of making a hard rod set try the reel and rod sweep set. Take a look at the tackle forum for info on current pork trailers. 

Feel and watch your line for strike indicators.

Tom

 

[Jonas Staggs]

I catch plenty of fish on jigs but I have never caught one on a skirted jig. Not sure what the deal is.

 

They work well for me in saltwater though.

[J Francho]

10 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Not sure what the deal is.

Same as every other lure: location, activity, presentation, and commitment.  It's the last item that often falls short when people complain about not catching on a certain bait.