Late Fall / Early Winter Swim Jig Trailers ?

[ChrisD46]

Trying to learn more about swim jig tactics as the water cools down - interesting to note that a trend I see with Bass Master / FLW Tour Pros is to move from a paddle tail swim bait / single tail grub swim jig trailer to a twin tail or craw type swim jig trailer as the water cools down in late Fall / early Winter ... What swim jig trailer changes (if any) do you make in late Fall / early Winter ?

[papajoe222]

The switch to a twin tail grub or something like a RageCraw will affect the jig in two ways; First, it will slow the jig's fall rate and second, it will add more drag/lift to the package. The first will get you more bites as the jig is falling and also gives it a more natural bottom presentation should you decide that is where the fish are holding.  The second allows you to slow your retrieve speed down, but still maintain the depth. Slowing down a horizontal retrieve is always a good choice when starting out in colder water.

A good starting presentation here would be to cast out and let the jig fall to the bottom, raise your rod tip and reel for a couple of yards and then let it fall to the bottom again. Work your way up the water column letting the jig fall a few feet (not all the way down) when you pause.This will tell you which type of retrieve the fish may prefer with the first one you catch. You can adjust your retrieve speed along with the depth until you find out what the fish 'prefer.'

[ChrisD46]

pappajoe222 : Good info ! ...Do you believe in general that bass relate more to craws in the winter time vs. shad ? If it is a slower rate of fall and slower horizontal retrieve you are after for colder water then I presume you could use a pearl color twin tail rage craw to imitate shad if bass in your area are not relating to craws ?

[kickerfish1]

If fish are lethargic I prefer a paddle tail trailer slow rolled. Keitech and RI make several good choices.

[HoosierHawgs]

pappajoe222 : Good info ! ...Do you believe in general that bass relate more to craws in the winter time vs. shad ? If it is a slower rate of fall and slower horizontal retrieve you are after for colder water then I presume you could use a pearl color twin tail rage craw to imitate shad if bass in your area are not relating to craws ?

That's what I would do.

[ChrisD46]

I also see where a tighter , perhaps more subtle swim jig trailer paddle tail action is more desireable in colder water vs. a wider more pronounced exagerated body wobble .

The Strike King Swim - N - Shiner is an example of a swim jig trailer for cold water with more subtle tail action ... Seems to follow suit with hardbaits where by lipless crankbaits with a tighter shimy action are favored in colder water for the same reasons.

[papajoe222]

pappajoe222 : Good info ! ...Do you believe in general that bass relate more to craws in the winter time vs. shad ? If it is a slower rate of fall and slower horizontal retrieve you are after for colder water then I presume you could use a pearl color twin tail rage craw to imitate shad if bass in your area are not relating to craws ?

I'm not sure what the bass relate to in GA, but up north here the craws are gone once the water temps dip below 55 or so.  I prefer less action and smaller presentations as the water gets colder and a white BitsyBug is my preference until I start throwing hair jigs (no trailer) from the mid 40's until ice up.

My response to the OP was to his comment about the pros using those types of trailers when the water starts to cool down.

[WRB]

Crawdads are not gone, they don't hibernate!

What crawdads do is slow down like everything else does in cold water.

30 years ago I wrote a jig fishing article based on what I believed crawdads did, burrowed into clay banks to wait out the winter cold water period, then emerged as the water warmed based on observation of this happening. I was correct on the observation, wrong about hibernation. Crawdads do burrow into clay banks, however this is a year around habit, not just a cold water seasonal behavior.

The crawdads are active year around and bass eat them year around, the crawdads just grow slower and don't molt as often during very cold water periods.

Jigs with trailers still work, just retreive them slower along the bottom structure.

I use pork rind trailers year around because they catch big bass year around, another myth is only use pork trailers in cold water.

Tom

[HoosierHawgs]

Crawdads are not gone, they don't hibernate!

What crawdads do is slow down like everything else does in cold water.

30 years ago I wrote a jig fishing article based on what I believed crawdads did, burrowed into clay banks to wait out the winter cold water period, then emerged as the water warmed based on observation of this happening. I was correct on the observation, wrong about hibernation. Crawdads do burrow into clay banks, however this is a year around habit, not just a cold water seasonal behavior.

The crawdads are active year around and bass eat them year around, the crawdads just grow slower and don't molt as often during very cold water periods.

Jigs with trailers still work, just retreive them slower along the bottom structure.

I use pork rind trailers year around because they catch big bass year around, another myth is only use pork trailers in cold water.

Tom

Tom, what is it you like so much about Pork Trailers? Is there something that distinguishes them from plastic and makes them better, or is it something you just got accustomed to and stuck with? Just curious.

[Catt]

The swim jig don't have to imitate a crawfish, it does quite well imitating baitfish.

During late fall / early winter baitfish are larger in size.

One trailer I like is Zoom's Fat Albert which is a full 5" giving me a rather large profile.

As we move farther into winter I'll switch to a tighter wiggle of Rage's Menace.

[papajoe222]

Great info Tom.  Another myth debunked by Bass Resource members.  :thumbsup1: