Bass Jigs - What I've learned this year

[SoFlaBassAddict]

These are just some of my observations on jigs. I'm sure that I haven't mentioned several important things. I'm quickly writing this while I'm waiting on my oven to heat up for dinner. I fully plan on expanding this topic and each sub topic further in the future. Feel free to add whatever you'd like as well.

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Earlier this year, I decided to dedicate myself to throwing jigs. I concentrated on only throwing them for a few months before I started to add them into my normal fishing routine. Although I do not consider myself an accomplished jig fisherman yet, I certainly no longer call myself a novice. Hopefully the following post will help in demystifying the bass jig to some of the other anglers that rarely use them.

So, what is a bass jig? What is it supposed to imitate? How do I use this odd combination of lead, steel, and silicone? If you ask 10 different people, there is a good chance that you'll end up receiving 10 different answers. There are no absolutes when it comes to a jig. They can mimic a crawfish moving along the lake bottom, or a small baitfish that is swimming right on the surface. In fact, the same jig can do both. Over the short time that I've used them, I've really started to understand just how versatile a jig really is.

You can drag them, hop them, twitch them, and pause them. You can swim a jig, yo-yo one. In fact, you can cast one out and do absolutely nothing with it, and still catch a fish. I have yet to find a situation where you can't use a jig. Now, thats not to say that the jig is the end all, do everything bait. There are times when other lures are a better choice. I personally wouldn't start covering water with a jig unless I knew that there were fish in the area. This is where your typical search bait would probably be a good first choice.

Now I'll go into covering the actual meat and potatoes of the jig. How do I choose a jig? What color(s) should I use when? How do I actually use the jig once I've determined what to throw?

Choosing a jig:

One thing that I think that newer anglers get confused with are the myriad of choices of jig head styles. You have grass, football, arkie, swim, etc etc. The jig head that I throw 85% of the time now is the standard or arkie style jig head. This is a head style that doesn't excel at any one area. It can work in almost any situation. If I were to pick one head type, this would be it. I'll use a flipping jig only when I find myself in cover that is heavy enough to warrant it (i.e. very thick vegetation, submerged brush). The only other type of jig I find myself throwing is a football head jig. I use the football jig in situations where I find myself in sparser vegetation. I find that they are fantastic on muddy, rocky bottoms. When crawling them along the bottom, the wide football head tends to dig into the ground just enough to stir up the silt.

Color selection:

Does anybody actually know what color lure to use when? Probably not. In all honesty, I've completely given up the quest to find a color for every situation. I tend to concentrate on shades of colors and contrast more than anything now. The primary colors in my jig box are greens, browns, and blacks. That's not to say that I don't have additional colors like white, or chartreuse. I've just found that those three primary color choices are able to be fished effectively in any water condition that I encounter. I probably throw a jig somewhere in the green color family more than anything else. The lake water that I fish in for the most part is semi-stained, with a green tinge to it. Most prey species will tend to blend in with their surroundings to some degree. If I'm fishing in greenish water in lighter vegetation, I don't want a black jig that is going to stick out like a sore thumb. It just won't look natural. I'd much rather pick something that will stand out just a little but not overtly. I want the action or noise of the jig to draw the fish in, not just a visual cue. Think of the other colors on a jig as accent colors. I've yet to find a situation where a green pumpkin jig with a few strands or orange in the skirt will outfish a green pumpkin jig that has a few strands of chartreuse in the skirt. I'm sure that there are people that have run into that situation, but I personally haven't. If you're just starting out, stick with some basic colors in the green and brown family. Just remember, the darker the water your fishing in, the overall darker shade you want to use.

Selecting a jig trailer:

No jig is complete without some type of jig trailer. You can certainly fish a jig without one, but I believe that your chances of catching more and better fish are far greater with the trailer on. Many people would like you to believe that trailer selection should be based a lot on water temperature. The warmer the water, the more action the trailer should have. Recently, I've discovered that this isn't necessarily true. I've lately become a big fan of trailers like the GYCB Fat Baby Craw and the Gene Larew Salt Craw. If you've ever watch bass actively feed on crawfish, you'll notice that they generally will attack the smaller craw that can't defend himself as easily. Larger claws on the crawdad equate to a meal that may be harder to eat. I'm not entirely sure if this is just coincidence, or if it actually holds merit. Time will only tell as I continue to experiment. You can use a full sized trailer threaded completely on the hook, or a chunk just threaded onto the end of the hook. I think a lot of this is personal preference. The chunk will also give you a bait that has a larger profile. If you subscribe to the theory of bigger baits equal bigger bass, then you may want to use a chunk style trailer. I generally try to match my trailer color to the jig color. Although, there are plenty of times when I've mixed colors and had equal results catching fish. Feel free to experiment here. You may be surprised with what happens.

Using the jig:

So you've picked a jig style, a color, and a location that you want to use it. How do you actually go about using the jig? Lots of times after the initial cast, pitch or flip, the lure will get hit while the jig is falling. This is why you must make sure that you have a semi slack line while the lure is falling. Watch for the line twitching, or moving off to one side. If that happens, set the hook. A fish probably grabbed the lure as it was dropping through the water.

What happens if the lure hits the bottom though? There are several schools of thought here. Some would say drag the jig along the bottom to imitate a crawdad that is walking along the bottom. Others say that you should twitch the rod slightly to make the jig take small hops back to the boat. I've found that a combination of the two is the best choice. I'll usually drag the jig for a moment, then I'll sharply twitch the rod. What this is supposed to look like is a crawfish that was walking along the ground and then suddenly took off to flee from danger. I've found that most of my hits have come on the hop using this technique. Again, this is an area that will require a little bit of personal experimentation to figure out what the fish in your area like. Fortunately for me, I'm blessed to live in an area that for 95% of the year the water is fairly warm. The guys up north that deal with ultra cold water have to learn how to fish very differently. I'm no expert on cold water techniques. As far as I know though, during that time of the year, you need to slow down for the most part. The fish become quite lethargic in colder climates.

   As I mentioned earlier, I'm definitely no expert on using a jig. I hope that this will at least help the beginning jig fisherman learn a little bit more. Jigs are constantly thought to be this mystery lure that only a select few people really know how to use. They couldn't be further from the truth. If you just dedicate a few trips to fishing them, you'll be on your way to learning a new and very versatile fishing lure.

[kLuo]

great post. I agree with 95% of the things said here.

[Bankbeater]

Good post.

[Primus]

Good job on your post.

[adclem]

Very nice post, lots of good ideas on there.

Later,

[piscicidal]

Nice post, Eric.

The jig rod is the one rod, now, that I ALWAYS have on the deck next to me.  IMO, it is the best "follow up" bait there is...that is, you miss a bite on a frog/worm/swimbait etc. pitch a jig to the spot you had the bite trying to get that fish to bite again.

I have had some success this year skipping a jig over lily pads at night. Its a good bait to use at night, because you can launch the jig up toward the shore, sometimes it lands in the pads, sometimes on shore or in the cattails.  The jig is so weedless it doesn't matter.  Just launch it out there in the dark and crank it back over the top of the pads. Sometimes it works over the top of the pads like a frog, sometimes falling thru the holes in the pads. A very effective way to fish when visibility is near zero (i.e. everglades at night ).

I have also had some luck recently pitching a jig into deeper holes in the grass out on the flats. It seems like when the water is really hot, the fish don't want to chase.  The fish hanging out in those deep holes will hit the jig on a reaction bite but won't touch the worm/swimbait.

I also am not an accomplished jig fisherman by any means but it is a method I have dedicated myself to getting better at.  I've caught ~50 jig fish this year...probably five times what I caught last year on a jig.

[Dwight Hottle]

Well spoken, Eric. If you want to learn how to fish a jig you need to spend some time doing it. I learned to jig fish by spending a week on a canadian lake fishing for walleye using only jigs tipped with live bait. Spend a whole week 8-10 hours a day fishing only a jig and you will get comfortable & proficient with the technique.

[hitchhiker]

Thanks for taking the time to write this up.  I am not a jig fisherman and although I see some heavy hitters in my area that almost exclusively fish them, I just cannot catch a fish on one.  Maybe I'll take your approach and try to fish just jigs until I can figure something out.

You must have a slow oven.  Writing what you did would have taken me a long time. 

[Chaz Hickcox]

Here's my issue with jigs, and maybe you can help.  I pitch and flip A LOT, but very rarely with jigs.  I have to agree with your techniques, but only I use a pegged T-Rig Creature.  This is only because it seems that I get false feelings of strike almost all the time with the jig, i.e. setting into wood, but with the t-rig I seem to understand the feeling better.  Now when I get on fish during practice times, I almost always switch to a jig for practice and usually catch a few fish.  However, like I said before, the feeling of a fish and wood with a jig to me is no different.  Whereas with the T-rig it seems easy.  Any thoughts?

[SoFlaBassAddict]

In that situation the best answer I could probably give you is: You need to use the jig more often. The feel of the jig will never change. Play with them in shallower water so you can watch the jig. Learn how it feels. If you're coming over the limbs of a tree, it will never feel like something alive. If you're in doubt, which I am frequently, just hold the rod perfectly still. If it's a fish it should give you some feeling of life. There are times when the fish will just sit there and hold the jig. Those are the times when you need to have almost a sixth sense about what your jig is doing. Experience is the key here. You'll never learn what the bite feels like if you don't spend enough time using them.

[RussBert]

Fantastic post! Thanks for taking the time. It really helps n00bs like me

What rod, reels and line do you prefer for jigging? Do you use a flouro leader?

[aceman387]

I just took up jig fishing myself a couple of months ago,mainly bitsy bug jigs in 1/8 oz, and 1/4oz sizes,green pumpkin and black& blue colors.This has been my go to lure this summer because i have been having a lot of fun out fishing all my senko loving friends ,they may out do me with the numbers but i have out done them with catching the bigger bass.I'm tempted to sell off all my worms and just stick with jigs and baby brush hogs.

[A-Jay]

Nice post Eric. I kept reading about how good the jig was but couldn't make it happen. The past 3 seasons I have been throwing jigs a whole lot more. Until I actually logged the hours with a jig and saw for myself what it took to get bit, I was never going to reap the benefits of this simple and so effective bait. What has happened is not earth shattering or anything that's new. The more and different situations I fish them, the more I catch with them and the more confidence I gain in their ability to take fish. Basic shirt colors in greens, browns and black have been effective in the clear waters here. Sizes have been 1/4 and 3/8 in 10 fow or less and 1/2 & 3/4 for deeper. Rate of fall has played a part in success and on some days a heavier jig that falls faster will be better even in shallower water. The size and type trailer used works to determine rof as well.

My flipping/pitching is limited to mostly docks and some wood. I'm usually casting these jigs so they route around in deeper structure in 10-25+ fow around wood, grass and assorted weeds. If and when I can get a jig/trailer in front of fish enough, sooner or later I can poke a few and they are usually better fish.

As a result, I have changed my approach a bit when it comes to initially fishing a promising spot. Traditionally I would use "search" type baits to find biters and then slow down with a jig to find a bigger bite. But recently I have reversed the order and fished the jig first. Instead of initially beating the water to a froth by machine gunning a spinner bait through it for 30 minutes I spend some time sneaking a jig around the best spots. It's been a good deal for me and sometimes I end up never putting the jig rod down all day. Often a search bait will come out after a jig bite slows or if one never materializes and I get bite that way. See , I told you this wasn't anything new. My jig collection has gone from 5 baits to 3 boxes but I use the same 4-5 most of the time.

btw - fall is a very good Jig season.

A-Jay

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Color Selection, not so simplified

There are such a gross myriad of lure colors available to the angler today that it's no wonder why people are constantly confused as to what color to pick in any given circumstance. There are literally hundreds of companies each manufacturing their own specific colors in God only knows how many different combinations. How are you supposed to actually pick an appropriate color to fish with? Does the color actually matter?

First, let's start off by talking about the jig skirt. The skirt, sans trailer, is the only portion of the jig that directly affects the overall color presentation of the lure. Have you ever seen a living creature in the water that is only a single color? I personally have never seen a solid green fish. This is why I believe that in jigs, you do not need a ton of colors in your box. You need a few very complex colors. What this means is that in a single jig, I like to see several different complementary colors in the skirt. The overall effect may be a brown or a green jig, but within that single jig there will be multiple shades and colors of green and or brown. The overall effect that this gives is something on the bottom that looks much more lifelike than just a solid blob of green sitting there.

You'll hear a lot of people saying to match the hatch. I'm not necessarily a firm believer in this. The lake I primarily fish has crawfish, but there is a very small population of them. A jig is meant to mimic a crawfish. I've had a single opportunity to actually handle one and examine it. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what color they are at what times of the year. It was dead summer and this thing was pitch black. Does that mean I should be throwing a black jig all the time during that part of the year? My water for the most part is green tinged and fairly clear to semi-stained. Common thought would say that black would be one of the worst colors to throw in that situation. I tend to agree. I think it is far more important to match the surroundings that you're fishing in. Instead of strictly matching the hatch, try matching the cover. If I'm fishing in vegetation, I'm going to throw a jig that is in the green family. My second choice would be a lighter shade of brown. The only time I'll throw a black jig is in very dirty cover, extremely thick vegetation, or at night.

Chromatowhat? Oh, chromatophores. What the heck is that? Chromatophores are these tiny, light sensitive cells in the body of a crawfish that enable them to change skin color to match the surroundings that they spend most of their time in. Most crustaceans, if not all of them have chromatophores. The crawfish will still maintain its secondary colors such as blues, reds, oranges, etc. These secondary colors are also found in the skirts of most jigs. To me, this is mostly a crapshoot. If you know the primary colors of the crawdads in your lake, you can really dial into a solid color pattern to use.

Take the old standby saying of darker water, darker lure color to heart. In most cases this holds true. Make sure you know the area you're fishing though. If you're in rocks, pick a shade of lure that will match with the rocky bottom. If you find yourself fishing in and around submerged vegetation, chose a complementary color to the environment. You want your jig to stand out a little. You don't want it to sit there waving a giant flashing neon sign around announcing its presence. Most aquatic animals tend to blend in with their surroundings somewhat. Your jig should as well. Remember, both color shade and contrasts are the main considerations when picking a jig color. Don't be afraid to experiment though. Using a product such as JJ's Magic to tip your jig trailer a different color can make all the difference in the world.  Picking the proper color is only part of the equation though.  Having proper jig action is equally as important, if not more important.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Fantastic post! Thanks for taking the time. It really helps n00bs like me

What rod, reels and line do you prefer for jigging? Do you use a flouro leader?

I won't recommend a specific rod and reel to you. If you really want to know what I use, shoot me a PM and I'll tell you. As far as line goes, I use 30lb braid on one rod and 40lb braid on a second. Unless I'm fishing in very thick cover I'll use a fluoro leader. Usually somewhere in the 12-14lb range. I like having the leader on all slower moving bottom contact baits. The other benefit of a fluoro leader is if you fish around rocks. Braid and rocks do not mix. With the leader, your line wont get chewed up as quickly. I'm a big fan of braid for jigs and other bottom contact lures.  I personally like a 6'10" MH XFast for most of my jig work.  If I'm in thicker cover, I'll switch to a 7'6" MH XFast Flippin Stick.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

You must have a slow oven. Writing what you did would have taken me a long time.

I was cooking a ham for dinner.  It took a while to get up to temp.  That and I'm a fast typer.

Btw, that ham was freakin delicious.  I'm sitting here eating a sandwich with the leftovers.  Nom nom nom  8-)

[OHIO]

Great post man.

I'll remember a lot of this next time I go out.