Swim Jigs

[TWMstr]

Need a little advice on swim jigs. I am a bank fisherman. My lake is about 250'x1000'. With some sandy spots, mostly med/heavy submerged grass on the bottom. Deepest parts are about 10' or more. What line should I use? What size jig? What color? ( water is stained 2-4' visibility ) What trailer should I mostly use? Also what techniques.

Thanks for all comments ahead of time.

[CPBassFishing]

3/8 oz. bluegill color with whatever 4" swimbait matching the jig. I like the dirty jigs swim jig with a pro staff special 3.8" Keitech fat impact.

[TWMstr]

So I should use a swimbait as a trailer and not a craw trailer or grub?

 

3/8 oz. bluegill color with whatever 4" swimbait matching the jig. I like the dirty jigs swim jig with a pro staff special 3.8" Keitech fat impact.

[iabass8]

i prefer 1/4 oz swim jigs /w a subwoofer trailer or rage craws. i fish them primarily over lilypads, next to weed lines, etc on 30lb braid. you have decent visibility so i would try to match the color scheme of your swim jig to the forage that is in your pond. i.e bluegill, crappie, shad etc. 

[TWMstr]

braid with no leader? can't the fish see the braid?

 

i prefer 1/4 oz swim jigs /w a subwoofer trailer or rage craws. i fish them primarily over lilypads, next to weed lines, etc on 30lb braid. you have decent visibility so i would try to match the color scheme of your swim jig to the forage that is in your pond. i.e bluegill, crappie, shad etc. 

[MarkH024]

braid with no leader? can't the fish see the braid?

You'll be fine. Don't worry about it. Bass hit an A-rig with wires all over don't they?

Play with trailer selections. I use craws, paddle tails, twister tails and more. You gotta just get out there and let the fish tell you what they want.

[roadwarrior]

Best for me right now is the 3/8 oz NorthStar Original Swim Jig (bluegill) with a Rage Tail Shellcracker trailer.

[vikingbear8]

Seeing as how I live so close to you and fished Fayetteville for a while now since I lived on Bragg I can tell you that if you throw a crappie dirty jig California swim jig 1/2 with a 5-6 inch keitech swing impact fat on as the trailer you will not be able to keep the fish off. If you have any other questions about fishing Fayetteville let me know

[rockchalk06]

Need a little advice on swim jigs. I am a bank fisherman. My lake is about 250'x1000'. With some sandy spots, mostly med/heavy submerged grass on the bottom. Deepest parts are about 10' or more. What line should I use? What size jig? What color? ( water is stained 2-4' visibility ) What trailer should I mostly use? Also what techniques.

Thanks for all comments ahead of time.

You'll want a few different options for colors. Depending on how you want your fall of the jig, determines your weight. I like a 1/2oz myself. I'm in the same boat water wise as you. Not near the grass through.

I use only North Star Jigs, so the colors are to NS only. Some like the original swim jigs, but I prefer the flip n swims. They are stronger and double as a flipping jig too if you want it. I would go with a few New Gills, Black n Blues, Mistake, Salsa and Kentucky Blue Grass. Those five cover a wide variety of conditions and seasons.

For trailers, personally I love the Berkley Havoc Subwoofers. They have colors that match all my favorite jigs. Great action and they have movement no matter how fast or slow you run it. They come in 8 packs for 2.99. They are on sale for 1.99 all the time. I also use the Strike King Shell Cracker and Menace. Both work very well too.

As for line, you can get away with braid. I have really been impressed with the Power Pro Slick in Timber Brown. It may fit your water color well. If your worried about the visibility throw of a fluoro leader.

[MrSwimJig]

I would use a 1/4 or 5/16oz swim jig in white or a sexy shad color and you could also use a black and blue or a Okeechobee color. For trailers I would recommend a Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper for a trailer. For line I prefer 10lbs fluorocarbon.

[iabass8]

braid with no leader? can't the fish see the braid?

line visibility for swim jigs and how i fish them is really a non issue. it gets more of a "reaction" strike fishing them in places where spinnerbaits won't work. i do use them in open water from time to time next to laydowns and weededges and work them a little differently to entice strikes from bass that are following the bait and am still not really worried about the line visibility issue.  I really think they just get too keyed in on the presentation of the bait and it's tail movement deciding whether to bite or not more so than looking the line in the front of the bait. bass chase the arig in gin clear water that has large gauge wires on it so i don't think my 30lb braid is really an issue.  i really dislike using braid and prefer fluoro for almost everything but swim jigs are something that requires braid in the manner i fish them and the areas i throw them.

[Mike L]

I rarely tie a black/blue jig for swimming..Mostly for flippin.

 

For swimming I've had the best luck down here with a multi colored blue gill skirt with a yellow and green twin tail grub for a trailer.

 

 

Mike

[pbizzle]

I like the 1/4 Strike King Swimming Jigs in bluegill and a 3.5 Grass Pig in green pumpkin.

[skeletor6]

Revenge Swim Jig......as much as I LOVE, Siebert and Northstar jigs (they are all I own), the Bluegill Revenge Swim Jig is sweet. The head style on that comes through cover fantastic. its actually much like Northstar's Spinnerbaits (which I love). 

 

On to trailers...they've already been mentioned.......Rage Menace (honey candy fished vertical), Berkley subwoofer, RI Skinny Dipper, Keitech Swing Impact Fat (pro staff special), yeah, even that shellcracker is nice to mix it up. If I could only choose one. It would be the Swing impacts

[RyneB]

I like 3/8 oz jigs in shad or bluegill patterns. I use all kinds of trailers. Single tail grubs, rage craws, swimbaits, Rage Menace, and possibly the most underrated bait on earth, the Rage Eeliminator.

[Montanaro]

I agree on Revenge bluegill.  I ordered a couple shad colors from TW so I'll see how they turn out.  They cut through cover well, but are mediocre when flipping (this is where the NS flip and swim comes in).

 

The bass in my little local lake have been shy on the swim jigs/ spinnerbaits, so I've avoided using them.  I've just tried the shellcracker with the swimjigs and I honestly am not impressed.  The extra bulk makes it harder to get through cover, and the two flapping tails don't seem to show a lot of action on the jig (they are great texas rigged though).  I'll probably stick to grubs as trailer.

[Rmitch223]

3/8oz Buckeye mop jig Green and red with a Havoc Pit Boss trailer.

[skeletor6]

I agree on Revenge bluegill.  I ordered a couple shad colors from TW so I'll see how they turn out.  They cut through cover well, but are mediocre when flipping (this is where the NS flip and swim comes in).

 

The bass in my little local lake have been shy on the swim jigs/ spinnerbaits, so I've avoided using them.  I've just tried the shellcracker with the swimjigs and I honestly am not impressed.  The extra bulk makes it harder to get through cover, and the two flapping tails don't seem to show a lot of action on the jig (they are great texas rigged though).  I'll probably stick to grubs as trailer.

 

The revenge swim jigs I referred to are not meant for flipping. They are something that I would not flip with as it would just lay flat on the bottom. NS flip n swims are great, have a bunch of them. Siebert now has a model very similar in style and performance.

 

The shellcracker is interesting, I agree its not something that swims through heavy cover as well, but its bulkiness is what I believe its benefit, or purpose is for that matter. If a bulky presentation is what you are trying to go for, it sure fits the bill.

 

Grubs are a staple, always a solid choice and something everyone should have at their disposal. I don't mind using them on a spinnerbait either.

[kickerfish1]

I like 3/8 oz jigs in shad or bluegill patterns. I use all kinds of trailers. Single tail grubs, rage craws, swimbaits, Rage Menace, and possibly the most underrated bait on earth, the Rage Eeliminator.

X2 on the under rated value of the eeliminator!

[Montanaro]

The revenge swim jigs I referred to are not meant for flipping. They are something that I would not flip with as it would just lay flat on the bottom. NS flip n swims are great, have a bunch of them. Siebert now has a model very similar in style and performance.

 

The shellcracker is interesting, I agree its not something that swims through heavy cover as well, but its bulkiness is what I believe its benefit, or purpose is for that matter. If a bulky presentation is what you are trying to go for, it sure fits the bill.

 

Grubs are a staple, always a solid choice and something everyone should have at their disposal. I don't mind using them on a spinnerbait either.

I've caught a couple of them hopping them on the bottom (usually swim up to cover and if no bites I'll drop it down)

 

As for trailer, I don't think bulk is what you want for a swimjig.  For pitching sure.  But I suppose, some days, the bass may want a slightly beefier look.

 

I'll keep experimenting

[Bankbeater]

I would start off with a blue/black jig and a trailer that has a lot of motion to it.  Start with a 3/8 size and see how that works.  If the 3/8 does't produce I would go up to a 1/2 size.