Return of the Arachnids

[WRB]

Bassmaster Nov/Dec 2016 issue has a good article on spider jigs called Return of the Arachnids, worth reading.

I have been recommending the football head GYCB Hula grub or spider jig for as long as I have been on bass fishing sites, about 8 years now. Spider jigs are the easiest jigs to fish and often recommend them to new jig anglers.

You can find lots of threads on spider jigs on this site for good reason...they work!

The fact that a 19 lb LMB was caught recently at lake Chadot ( see the Western and Fish report forums) is proof just how good spider jigs can be.

Tom

 

[KCFinesse]

The things catch fish- I was fishing as a non boater in a tournament a few years back where I was turned on to a mid-summer standing timber bite on bluegill forage base lakes. Bass were suspended in trees- GP or watermelon chompers falling through the branches or being dragged through horizontal limbs are terrific for this in addition to the more 'traditional' football jig bite.

-Jared

[Gundog]

I have one tied onto one of my rods most times I fish a lake. I use Arkie spider grubs with a mushroom head and dragged them through grass patches with great success. Its easily my "go to" bait when other lures don't work or I'm more interested in catching fish and not practicing a specific technique.

[Columbia Craw]

Tom,

 

Did you ever fish the version Bobby Garland marketed as a two piece, collar and twin tail which  sold separately in the early 80's ?

[Bluebasser86]

They work rigged a variety of ways too. I had a really good tournament fishing them on a plain T-rig and dragging them through rocks and laydowns (football heads were snagging in the limbs too often). I fish them on a shakyhead a lot anymore but a plain football head is great as well as the standup style head. One of those baits I do well with but often forget about. 

[KDW96]

Been using Chompers spider grubs for years

["hamma"]

  Is there an area in the whole USA that a green pumpkin spider jig doesnt work? I've noticed that anglers from all over report their success with one, whether its a yamamoto, or chompers, or even the old garlands (columbia craw mentioned) that color and faux jig and twin trailer design just out and out kicks bass.

 I have a rod specificly dedicated to the jighead presentation, and more often then not you'll find a football designed head with a green pumpkin yamamoto hula grub on it. Because its such a lethal weapon up here on the dominating rocky lakes. I've been using these since the mid 90's, right about when Gary started marketing them, which I think, was not long after his senko's success. And I actually liked these hula grubs, but saw the senko as nothing more than a "newer" do- nothing worm, and still have yet to use a senko.

  But the hula grub? Good lord forgive me,.. but I could have probably been singely responsable for Gary's success just on the sales from this little bass fishing gem. Much like other anglers and the senko? I cant possibly count the amount of them I've gone through over the last 20 or more years. At least 5 or 6 bags Id buy in the spring, and then throughout the year, whenever I got low? I'd shop for more. I stock green pumpkin, motor oil/ green/black fleck, A dark green,  and black/blue fleck,..I wish they'd make a dark brown.,... Im going to have to check out that Bassmaster article

[iceintheveins]

Spider jigs are one of my absolute go tos. They are great on a jighead or a finesse flippin' bait rigged on a 1/0 EWG hook. If the bass won't hit a normal jig or creature pitched, I'll go down to spinning gear, a 1/8 ounce pegged sinker, 8 pound mono, and a 5" Hula Grub rigged weedless. Works great on casting gear with a 3/16 to 1/4 ounce head as a flippin bait with 14 to 17 pound test, just use a heavier wire 1/0 hook with hte heavier setup.

[Montanaro]

My dad fished them all the time in the 80s and passed em on to me.  Caught a 21 inch smallie on a motoroil hula grub when i was young.

Wanted to use it in my last tournament but forgot to pack them!  They look pretty good on swing head jigs too!

[Glenn]

It's one of my "go to" rigs:

 

[jr231]

They work all types of ways... not just on a football head, or t rigged. They can be used on a bare swim jig head , a simple ball jig head, and my favorite way is to rig them Texas weightless. Obviously not a deep water presentation. But In a shallow scenario those grubs fill the boat when slowly chugged along. 

[roadwarrior]

Give them a try on the outside arms of your Alabama Rig.

 

[j bab]

8 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

Tom,

 

Did you ever fish the version Bobby Garland marketed as a two piece, collar and twin tail which  sold separately in the early 80's ?

I'm not Tom and I wasn't born yet in the 80s, but that sounds like a similar concept to the Cabin Creek brand "salty spider parts."

[WRB]

8 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

Tom,

 

Did you ever fish the version Bobby Garland marketed as a two piece, collar and twin tail which  sold separately in the early 80's ?

Yes, the original Garland spider skirts were poorly made you had to usevacsafety razer blade to cut and seperate most the skirt legs, but they worked. Today's GYCB spider shirts are over looked by most anglers who prefer the pre made Hula skirts. I add spider skirts ( cut into 2 halves) to Chigger grubs using a hot butter knife to melt them together for example. Sometimes contrasting skirts to trailers is the ticket with spider jigs.

Tom

 

[j bab]

8 minutes ago, WRB said:

Sometimes contrasting skirts to trailers is the ticket with spider jigs.

Good idea. I could see myself dyeing the skirt chartreuse with dip n glo on a green pumpkin hula grub

[the reel ess]

More than once this past spring.early summer, they saved my day.

[Gundog]

45 minutes ago, j bab said:

I'm not Tom and I wasn't born yet in the 80s, but that sounds like a similar concept to the Cabin Creek brand "salty spider parts."

Cabin Creeks salty spiders are a good option. You can mix or match collars/bodies. CC's work for me in rivers where downsizing and matching the crayfish matter more. 

["hamma"]

Cabin Creeks??? are those the ones that had a cylindrical collar cut on both ends for the skirt, and a twin tail for the trailer? or are those the Garlands,..(been so long im forgetting which is which) If so, and anyways,... I loved those little things, and used them up as the smallies just tore them all apart on me.

If Im correct, they were the smallest version I could find, about 2 inches long, and simply deadly. I caught the biggest crappie I ever seen on one, thing was as big or bigger than a dinner plate.

[Gundog]

31 minutes ago, "hamma" said:

Cabin Creeks??? are those the ones that had a cylindrical collar cut on both ends for the skirt, and a twin tail for the trailer? or are those the Garlands,..(been so long im forgetting which is which) If so, and anyways,...

These are Cabin Creeks Salty Spiders body and collar. 3in is large, the 2 inch model is small.