Fishing jigs in rivers

[Bass2124]

Haven't had much success catching smallmouth in the rivers with jigs. I have caught a few in lakes flipping docks but I really want to give it more of a chance in the river that I fish but I just can't get bit.  I even spent almost entire day just using a jig last summer in August trying to get comfortable and didn't get bit.  Maybe it is a river smallmouth thing?  I don't have many jigs but the few that I have are the SK Hack Attack black/blue and green pumpkin/craw in both 3/8 and 1/2 oz sizes.   I have only used rage tail chunks for trailers in the same colors.  I just bought some zoom chunks that were on sale for the heck of it as I have seen great reviews.  My question- when should I use the zoom chunks over the rage tails?  To me I would think the zoom chunks would be inferior as they have little action compared to the rage tails and smallmouth seem to be a little more aggressive to movement.  Are my jig choices good for river smallmouth? 

[everythingthatswims]

Hack attacks are pretty big jigs with a huge fat hook, I like smaller profile jigs without such a stout hook for smallies. My favorite is an all terrain tackle rattling jig in 1/4 and 3/8oz, I trim the skirt to give it a smaller profile and trim the weedguard so it's not so long. Either a 3" pit boss or half of a regular size pit boss threaded onto the hook is my favorite trailer. Works good for flipping laydowns or hopping/shaking in rocks.

 

I typically don't fish for smallies in muddy water because they are so hard to find when there's a lot of water in the river. Even in floods/high water I have more success with smallies on green pumpkin than a black and blue jig.

[thebillsman]

When I fish the delaware I usually stick with jerkbaits, both suspending and floating. I don't know what it is but it really triggers angry strikes. I don't often use jigs on the river unless I am swimming them, but the smallie bite is always on.

[Bass2124]

 

59 minutes ago, thebillsman said:

When I fish the delaware I usually stick with jerkbaits, both suspending and floating. I don't know what it is but it really triggers angry strikes. I don't often use jigs on the river unless I am swimming them, but the smallie bite is always on.

I use jerkbaits and crankbaits all of the time.  No problem getting bites with those.  Just curious if people have any experience and success fishing jigs for smallies on rivers. 

[Gundog]

1 hour ago, Bass2124 said:

 

I use jerkbaits and crankbaits all of the time.  No problem getting bites with those.  Just curious if people have any experience and success fishing jigs for smallies on rivers. 

I've used jigs on the Susquehanna river and the main thing you have to remember is the drag on the line by the current. If its moving too fast it looks unnatural. Throw your jig upriver and across slightly so you get less drag on it. Also you can let the current do more work and you don't have to impart as much action to the jig.

[Fishinthefish]

I throw a heavy jig that will sit onthe bottom without being moved by the current usually up river so the current gives my trailer some action. Then I mind numbingly slowly drag it back towards me with occasional tip shakes.

[smalljaw67]

I throw jigs in the Susquehanna river, and I throw smaller profile jigs as I'm dealing with clear water most of the time. A jig and trailer is actually a great bait for smallmouth but it needs to be used during the right time and in the right places. For my river, I'm normally targeting slack water behind a boulder or an eddy close to the bank and the jig is normally 3/8oz and less. When the water is low and clear the jigs I use will be between 1/8oz and 1/4oz, when the water gets high with some color, then I will use something around 5/16oz to 3/8oz. As Gundog mentioned, moving water will pull on line and you need to watch current so if you fish the jig in current, it need to be moving with the current down stream, not upstream but try smaller jigs with a small craw or chunk trailer next to a laydown or boulder in slack or slow moving water.

[Steveo-1969]

Fishing a jig is my favorite way to catch smallmouth in a river.  I make a diagonal cast upstream and I use a jig just heavy enough to get to the bottom quickly and stay there.  Then I lift my rod until I feel the jig started to drift with the current and fall back to the bottom.  Reel in slack and repeat.  For me I'm usually fishing 2-8 feet of water and a 3/16 ounce jig is the weight I'm usually throwing.  I'll go down to an 1/8 or up to a 1/4 occasionally.  My trailer of choice is a Baby Rage Craw with the first 2 segments bitten off.

[Turkey sandwich]

15 hours ago, Gundog said:

I've used jigs on the Susquehanna river and the main thing you have to remember is the drag on the line by the current. If its moving too fast it looks unnatural. Throw your jig upriver and across slightly so you get less drag on it. Also you can let the current do more work and you don't have to impart as much action to the jig.

This is really important to remember.  In fly fishing, lifting and adjusting the line on the drift is called mending.  It's done to correct this kind of drag and to control the speed of the presentation.  If you're using braid or mono, you'll want to pay particular attention to that drag because the line will float higher in the water where the current is typically moving faster.  

 

Also, consider the weight you're throwing.  The general rule is to use the least weight you can get away with to present the way you want.  Smaller jigs like Bitsy Bugs w/craw trailers tend to be ideal around weeds and lay downs in rivers.  If there are no weeds, and the rivers are primarily boulders without crazy depth/current, I'm throwing tubes, grubs and maybe craws on 1/16-1/4 oz heads.  

[Preytorien]

I don't typically do well either with jigs in the river. I've really given it a good shot too, but my river is quite rocky and I hang the jig so frequently it's maddening. When I use bottom contact lures, if any at all, I use weightless and weedless soft plastics.

[Munkin]

Try a finesse style jig that matches the color of your local crayfish. Below I have posted a link showing the crayfish species that are distributed throughout the US. I am a shallow river SM fisherman at heart myself and can tell you  that my most effective jigs for river SM are 5/16oz ball head brown/green finesse style. If finding the jigs you need is overwhelming contact Siebert Outdoors and he can fix you up with whatever jigs you need. I have no affiliation with his business but have had contact with him for years and can say without a doubt he can help. As far as trailers you basically need 3; subtle = Super chunks, aggressive = chigger craw, rage, twin tailed grub= Zoom creepy crawler or whatever else you want to use. Trailers that work depend on the day and fish activity level so I suggest you carry all 3 in colors that correspond to your jigs.

http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/country_pages/species_by_state.htm

 

Allen

[bowhunter63]

Sometimes to keep from getting hung up i use just a Rage craw or baby craw on a Rage rig.Get hung up a lot less with 1/8 ounce weight.Some spots on the river eat jigs faster then Smallies.