Confidence Baits...jigs Ain't On The Last.

[chelboed]

Alright, so I'll have to admit...I'm huge on Senko style worms. Loving the Fat Ika now too.

Traditional spinners? Check!

Inline spinners? Roger!

Toppy frogs? Indeed!

Lipless cranks? Hoo-rah!

Beetlespins, chatterbaits, wobble worms, jitterbugs? Check! Check! Check!

Jigs?

Jigs?

Bueller?

I just don't have jigs on my confidence-bait list yet. Generally, when I see lots of grass, I head straight for a Texas rigged plastic. Heavy cover....limbs? Same deal. Open water will get a bladed or rattling bait.

As a boat fisherman...trolling a weed line flipping into weeds just makes sense.

As a bank fisherman...help me boost my confidence in arguably one of the most productive baits on the racks.

I've caught one bass on a jig.

[C0lt]

Start out with a small finesse jig, with a small trailer. My favorite is the 1/4 misslie mini flip jig, with a baby d bomb trailer. Take your rod, and only a few of those jigs out with you for a day on the water. Pitch to the weedlines and any cover you can find. after a while, you will hook up. 

[FloridaBasser1]

Try a stand up jig head with a trick worm, and a Berkley Power Bait Chigger Craw.

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/PowerBait%C2%AE-Chigger-Craw/1317169,default,pd.html#start=39&sz=64

[Ozark_Basser]

I usually start out with jigs then switch to a t rig if the bite slows or was slow to begin with.

[scaleface]

I use Texas rigs a lot more than jigs. I have confidence in jigs all right its just that I really like Texas rigs .

[OroBass]

get some jigs in the same proven colors as your plastics. This can help with your confidence.

[ABW]

When I first started fishing jigs I started small. Strike King Bitsy Bug with a Paca Chunk trailer. It's hard NOT to catch fish on these.

[kickerfish1]

A jig to me is total confidence. Just need to pick the right kind for the conditions... IE swim, grass, football, brush, hair, mop, etc.

[Catt]

Ya can't gain confidence unless ya throw it!

Ya said ya know how to use a T-rig, then fish the jig the same way!

[Senko lover]

Throw those bad boys into the cover you've been texas-rigging into, and get ready to set the hook hard!

[Bankbeater]

I start off with a 3/8 jig and trailer.  If I am catching bass I put on a bigger jig to see if I can catch a bigger bass.  If I don't get any bites I put on a smaller size jig.

[Chief 2]

I just started using jigs this year. So far I have had some good results in both Fla. with a CD trailer and here in NY without a trailer. I plan on continuing to experiment with them. So far so good!

[Nice_Bass]

If I was fishing from shore in thick weeds I don't think I would fish a jig either.  A jig for me is still tied for the #1 thing I throw.

For you though you may just want to stick to texas rigged in the weeds.  Add a skirt if you want to bulk up and give it the profile of a jig (slither rig). 

[chelboed]

Alrighty, so I git myself 3 SK swim jigs. 1x shad, 1x watermelon, 1x bitsy watermelon thingy. I put a watermelon swim trailer on the dark ones, and a white Havoc paddle tail taller on the shad.

Well see how it goes...fingers crossed.

1 more thing...

I've read that you should bounce them off the bottom. You should swim them as fast as your reel will crank. You should swim them slow.

Are all of the above good options because each technique was "the only way to use them" according to the authors?

[WRB]

Re read Catt's post.....fish a jig like a T-rig!

Look at sponsor Siebert, better quality and a good price.

If you want to learn to jig fish, then jig fish using a craw type trailer. The trailer doesn't need to be pretty, it needs to work. The trailer should be 4" to 5" overall length, 3" to 4" beyond the jig hook bend when rigged.

Berkeley Chigger craws are inexpensive, ugly and work good. Lots of choices with craw type jig trailers, RageTail for example.

Colors, (24-7) black-blue and (B2B) brown-green with trailers 1 of those same colors.

Size, 3/8 and 1/2 oz Arkie style to start with.

Good luck.

Tom

[brgbassmaster]

I love fishing jigs under and around docks and laydowns for shallow water. Then I love fishing them in deep water off points or humps with grass on the bottom. Just hopping it along kind of fast is the best IMO. Then all the sudden you feel weight and boom set the hook.

[Flippin4Biggins]

Take it from me.... Only been bass fishing for two years truly trying and until I joined this site I had never caught a thing on them while owning 4 jigs for almost 5 years. They do catch fish and I've hooked into bigger fish because of them. It's a slow moving bait with a more compact profile to entice the biggest fish. Here's what u was told to do and after patience and really trying I got hooked on them.

First.... Go to the lake... Bring a jig and trailer and only that. Fish it all day.... 9 times out of 10 for me, they always hit on the fall. You have to learn to line watch!!!! Line watch line watch line watch. Got it?

Next learn your jigs ROF and toss it into the water.... Keep the slack up, stay in contact with your jig but still keep enough slack that it may vertically fall. If she hits a few things can happen.... A). Shel run with it and I saw my line just dart off to the left right and straight out.... Reel down, load the pole and set the hook. on the fall she may just inhale it and stay there. Line watch is important why? Because when she sucked in the water and stayed there you'll notice your line suddenly snap and you'll notice it hasn't hit the bottom. Reel down set the hook. And there were times I didn't know she had it and when I wiggles the jigs he was already there... Reel down set the hook.

Now, once it hits the bottom before you move it.... Shake or jiggle the rod just enough to make that jig mover ever so slightly before you pull or hop it. I do this because if she's looking at it nose down and hasn't hit yet.... It's like a dog looking at a ball.... Move and your mine. I can't tell you how any times in that situation I've had my rod literally taken fromy had from aggressive fish. If she doesn't take it here wait a few seconds and begin your retrieve wether it's a hip hop pause repeat after a few seconds or you drag it or just pick it up and let fall. At this time I want to say I love football jigs. You can truly feel the bottom and prefer them over Caroline tungsten weights. Throw these near wood you physical can see, or rocks or weeds and pay attention when you drag it. And see what they feel like. Mud will feel like your just sliding along, Weeds will be very resistant at times and branches feel like you've run into something slow down and hop it over by lifting the rod upwards....if you drag it sideways... I'm gonna bet you'll snag a lot more. And rocks and gravel feel like a tap tap tap. Now it's always important to keep in contact with your jig and are you still watching your line? Hope so. If you feel like you brok off your line especially after a hop over structure reel down and set the hook. Remember hook sets are free... Not fish.

If your just staring out.... Go finesse with a small trailer... I personally like the baby paca chunks with these in the 3/8oz size. If it's really windy I go up to 1/2oz. Now I have all kinds of sizes but start with a 3/8 and add a trailer... The plastic can help slow the fall and displace lots of water. And to make colors really simple. There's tour base colors of brown, green pump inks, watermelon and black. Those 4 will handle Any and I mean Any situation. Match your trailer and your set. You don't need all these crazy colors and if you want say watermelon green pumpkin... Use a green pumpkin jig but use a watermelon red trailer. Like I said use the base colors for the jig and get those other colors with the trailers.... There a lot cheaper to have a bunch of those then a bunch of different color jigs. Don't make this hard.

I hope this helps you as I know it's a lot. It will save you time and money and be patient.... It will be rewarding.

[chelboed]

Cool, thanks. Will do.

[Catt]

K.I.S.S.

Of all the lures in an angler's arsenal the jig is one of the simplest and yet the most over completed by anglers.

Denny Brauer and Gary Klien are two of the top jig fishermen on planet earth; their jig choice is simple with both selecting black-n-blue #1 and a 3/8 oz #1.

I would select 1 manufacture and stick with it for now; later you can add your own personal repertoire of confusion!

I repeat! Fish it exactly like a Texas Rig!

[FloridaBasser1]

Denny Brauer and Gary Klien are two of the top jig fishermen on planet earth; their jig choice is simple with both selecting black-n-blue #1 and a 3/8 oz #1.

 

 Greg Hackney, Tommy Biffle, & Scott Martin 

[Catt]

Greg Hackney, Tommy Biffle, & Scott Martin

Sorry those 3 combined do not have the number of wins, top tens, or times in the money as Brauer & Klien!

[FloridaBasser1]

Sorry those 3 combined do not have the number of wins, top tens, or times in the money as Brauer & Klien!

Ok- fine you got me..... their just my favorite pros

[WRB]

 Greg Hackney, Tommy Biffle, & Scott Martin

Brauer has caught more bass and won more tournaments using jigs then Hackney, Biffle and S. Martin combined, Kline is a close second to Brauer. All good jig fisherman, Kline is very good at various types of jig fishing, both shallow cover and deep structure.

The most important element choosing jigs is the hook!

Tom

[FloridaBasser1]

Brauer has caught more bass and won more tournaments using jigs then Hackney, Biffle and S. Martin combined, Kline is a close second to Brauer. All good jig fisherman, Kline is very good at various types of jig fishing, both shallow cover and deep structure.

The most important element choosing jigs is the hook!

Tom

I agree, the fishermen i mentioned all seem to prefer shallow water fishing which is probably why they are not as consitant in their success 

[FloridaBasser1]

By the way tom, what was your biggest bass, and i bet it was on a swimbait!