Jigs For Smallies

[ChrisWi]

I make my own finesse jigs for smallmouth fishing, they usually get me some big fish and I still catch some numbers? I throw a jig over a Texas rig 95% of the time? Anyone else throw jigs for smallies?

[FishNFire]

I wouldn't mind hearing more about this, I fish on a lake that has good smallmouth population, being newer to bass fishing I have spent most my time targeting the spots and largemouth. I would like to get into focusing more on smallmouth but not real sure about bait choice and size to use.

[ChrisWi]

I keep it small profile wise. I'd say the main reason I throw jigs is because I have more confidence in them and better bottom contact, and they get some big bites. I usually just fish the most subtle differences. For example I sat in about 6 FOW and woul cast up to three, and work it to where it's about five feet. the fish were also sitting off of rock points that had weeds nearby. Keep in mind I fish rivers for smallies about 95% of the time. Not too many lakes around here with Smallmouth.

[mod479]

2 I've had success with this season:

 

Strike King Bitsy jig and bitsy flip for small profile, 3/16 to 1/2oz. Black, pumpkin, watermelon for skirt colors.  I like to use a single tail grub for a trailer. 3"-4".    

 

Dirty jigs finesse football, trim skirt spider style to reduce profile. Baby rage craw, zoom ultravibe speedcraw, or strike king baby chunk for trailer. Green pumpkin, watermelon, and black/blue for colors. 

 

Iaconelli posted a pic on his fb today of a smallie he got on a skirted jig. Looks brown and the skirt is cut spider style. Cant see his choice of trailer.     

[Steveo-1969]

What size jig are you using as finesse?  I also fish a river for smallies and this summer started using an 1/8 ounce Bitsy Bug jig with small craw trailer (head of a YUM Mighty Bug or a Baby Rage Craw).  I'm normally fishing 4' of water or less and various flows and 1/8 ounce seems to be about right for me.  Until this year most of my fishing has been with t-rigged plastics.  I've had pretty good luck with the jig.  I like being able to feel the bottom and am getting better at bite detection, but I'm still working on my hookset.

[fishguy613]

doesn't have to be finesse, I use 1/2oz and 3/4oz football jigs for deep smallies they eat them!

[Chris S]

Ned Rigs, Shaky Heads and Tubes out this way. Mostly Ned Rigs PB&J colored senko (about 3 inches of one) on 1/4 oz jig head

[F14A-B]

I like 1/4 round head, hair ( deer ) jigs, in orange/brown & green/ black... Plus they work well on LMB as well.. I use to use bigger Roadrunners too.. Hair jigs 1/2 and could stick quite a few stripers on Cumberland.. They are great baits for a variety of fish, truthfully.

[ChrisWi]

I spider cut an shorten the skirt length. I use a 3/8 ounce football head. usually fish anywhere from a foot of water to 15.

[ChrisWi]

I hate bitsy flips, too small of profile. I still want a decent sized bait. I usually use tiny paca chunks and zoom super chunk jr

[Dark3]

Absolutly! Most of my smallies this year have come on either a DS or texas rigged craw like a paca or chigger on main lake points though. It was well a "different kinda year"

[smalljaw67]

I fish a river for smallmouth, our river has big ones and a jig is a good way to get them. In the cold water period I use hair jigs in slack water areas, during the warm water times I'll use jigs when we have high water with a fast current, the fish will be close to the bank behind current breaks or eddies and an Eakins style jig with a craw trailer is an excellent bait to catch the giant bass.

[ChrisWi]

what are your favorite head designs? football seems like the only way to go around me?

[Bluebasser86]

I catch good smallies, and even lots of little ones, on 3/8 or 1/2 ounce brush jigs. Smallies will attack big baits despite the notion that you have to fish small baits for them. One of my PB smallies had the tail of a 8-9 inch crappie sticking out of it's throat.

[butch19]

i throw jigs a fair amount. To me they have just as much success as a tube. Now as the water gets colder tie my own hair jigs and have good success with them

[Further North]

I've been using VMC Rugby jigs the 2nd half of this season, the newer "Swingin" Rugby" jigs are an interesting evolution.  They work, but I can't say that they work any better than anything else.

 

I do like that they have offset worm hooks though.  Makes them a lot more weedless.

[butch19]

Its a lot of fun to tie your own hair jig and catch a bass on it. Feeling of accomplishment!

[Shane J]

1/2oz football jig with Rage Craw. Catches smallies everywhere they swim. Oh, and a Tx rigged Bug! 

[A-Jay]

In colder water where there is a decent perch population ~ these are like smallmouth Crack.

 

 

A-Jay

 

 

[Jay Ell Gee]

I have been throwing the Pepper Custom Baits micro jig a LOT lately and am loving it more and more. The 1/4 oz size is a perfect size profile. Toss 3/4 of a baby rage craw on the back and BLAM! Awesome jig. I picked them up from Bass Pro. I bit the rage claw that is on it a little short (I prefer the claws to stick out a bit more) but it still worked just fine.

 

 

You can see it in action at the very end of my latest video. I was bumping it over limbs of a laydown on a small river looking for spotted bass, which are roughly the average size and aggressive demeanor of river smallies.

 

[bowhunter63]

I have done real well with swim jigs and a Swimbait trailer or A Rage craw trailer.I have been using the northern  style swim jig.It has a less bulky skirt and i get alot of skirt flare with a swimbait trailer.

[everythingthatswims]

Bitsy flips have such awful skirts I can't stand them. Baby Boo jig with a zoom ultravibe speed craw as a trailer kills smallies (largemouth love them too!)

[ChrisWi]

Bitsy flips have such awful skirts I can't stand them. Baby Boo jig with a zoom ultravibe speed craw as a trailer kills smallies (largemouth love them too!)

only reason I dislike baby boos is because the super thin wire hook

[everythingthatswims]

only reason I dislike baby boos is because the super thin wire hook

Yeah I fish them on a medium action with 12lb line... My MH with 17 or 20lb will bend the hooks if I set it hard. You don't need a heavy hook for smallies though do you?

[ChrisWi]

Yeah I fish them on a medium action with 12lb line... My MH with 17 or 20lb will bend the hooks if I set it hard. You don't need a heavy hook for smallies though do you?

of course not. I started fishing smallmouth with crappie jigs. I like a good medium wire hook with jigs though.