Questions about soft plastics and jigs

[garelval2]

I am rather in-experienced when it comes to bass fishing with soft plastics and jigs, and I have a few questions.

 

1. When it comes to colors, what colors should be in my tackle box as a must? Also, how do I choose which colors for what day/lake?

 

2. When fishing soft plastics and jigs how much movement should I use?

 

3. How do I pick a natural bait? Do colors have to do with this?

 

[WRB]

Welcome to bass fishing. We have a 20 page Q & A thread on jig fishing, sit down and start reading, everything you need to know and more is in this Fishing Tackle forum thread at the top of the page.

Tom

[FordsnFishin]

Agreed there are some great articles on here.  I highly suggest you do some searching.

 

To get you started.

 

Color wise:I always try to keep it a natural color. Match the color of forage you are imitating.  dark greens, black, browns and lighter variations.

 

Speed wise, generally I find myself fishing then very slow.  You will have to p lay around and see what they want.

 

Everyone has their favorites but 90 percent of the time I like to throw lizards, Crawdads, worms, and beaver soft plastics.

 

Good luck

[Boomstick]

1 hour ago, garelval2 said:

I am rather in-experienced when it comes to bass fishing with soft plastics and jigs, and I have a few questions.

 

1. When it comes to colors, what colors should be in my tackle box as a must? Also, how do I choose which colors for what day/lake?

 

2. When fishing soft plastics and jigs how much movement should I use?

 

3. How do I pick a natural bait? Do colors have to do with this?

 

As for colors, usually the colors of the fish the bass are eating is a food bet. Try a few different colors if you aren't sure and see what they like best.

 

As far as how to fish a certain bait, the videos both on this site and YouTube should help. You can watch how others fish the same bait.

 

 

[NHBull]

Soft plastics......green Pumpkin.........black/ blue

 

Flukes....white.

 

Start there

[JigMaster4]

I mainly use blacks, greens, browns and junebug for colors. But the best tip to give you is to work your lure SLOW on the bottom. A lot of people like to hop or drag it real fast back to the boat, but if you let it sit and soak, and slowly retrieve it you will get more bites.

[Eli-R]

Jigs and soft plastics are definitely some of the best fish catching baits ever made and are an essential piece to every angler's tackle box. Here's our best answers to each of your questions, but always remember that nothing in bass fishing is always going to hold true. Even the best of techniques and patterns sometimes fall through.

 

1. There are two colors, green pumpkin and black/blue, that you always need to have handy. Opt for green pumpkin in clearer water and throw dark colors like black and blue in dirty water conditions.

 

2. The amount of movement you should put into your jigs and soft plastics depends on the state that the fish are in. If fish are actively feeding, more movement can trigger more strikes. If fish are lethargic, dragging your bait along the bottom with little movement is the best option.

 

3. Choosing a natural bait is all about "matching the hatch." To match the hatch, you need to throw a lure that imitates the forage that the fish are feeding on. For example, if bass are feeding on craw fish then a jig or soft plastic craw would be a good way to match the forage.

 

Bait color plays a huge role in creating a natural presentation that imitates forage. It may not be perfect, but do your best to fish a lure that resembles the color of the main forage. A common example of this is using a silver and white crank bait to resemble shad, a common bait fish.  

 

Happy Fishing!

[roadwarrior]

Pick your favorite color and fish it slow.

 

[scaleface]

I use  heavier bullet weight than most on this forum and fish them faster . When   fishing cover like a visible laydown  , I often work it through the cover carefully then    bounce it on the bottom quickly  all the way to the boat  . Its not unusual to get  a hit from a better than average  bass at the boat . I think they follow it out .

 

As far as colors ,its usually something dark .I never fish a red fire tail , sunfish have a habit of pecking at them

[garelval2]

Thank you all!

This has helped tremendously! I hope to catch alot more bass in the, very near, future!

[Catt]

1. Black-n-Blue, Watermelon Neon, Falcon Lake Craw

 

2. To be determined by the bass

 

3. Plastics & jigs imitate natural bait

 

K.I.S.S.

[MittenMouth]

On 6/24/2017 at 0:59 PM, scaleface said:

I use  heavier bullet weight than most on this forum and fish them faster .

 

How heavy are we talking here?  1oz?  Do you move to a H rod?  What type of jig head do you use for this?

 

i have to say this is a pretty interesting technique that I may have to try. 

[scaleface]

I'll usually use a 5/16th ounce weight on a six inch worm the most such as  a Miter Twister Phenom or jelly worm .  Its fast and effective . If that doesnt work then I can go lighter and slow down but I'll stick with the heavyer weight for a long time .

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

I've followed most of the advice given here; these guys know what they are talking about!  But I've had a weird experience over the last two years. Last year, I grabbed what I thought were three bags of South Africa Special Zoom Ol' Monster (I use these because it's tough to find a local supply of black/blue fleck for dark days.) worms at Dick's and one of the packs was Plum. At the checkout I was just too lazy too take them back, so I figured, "What the heck?" and kept them. Turns out that was a fortuitous foul-up. Although they resemble no natural food in local lakes, bass went after them like crazy! Now they are an integral part of my arsenal, but only when I fish one particular lake ... and only on sunny days. Go figger! 

 

I'd just suggest that you take the advice given here to start, but maybe try an occasional variation. Ya just never know. (Now if I could just work up the courage to try Bubblegum.)  Good luck!

[Boomstick]

16 hours ago, GrumpyOlPhartte said:

I've followed most of the advice given here; these guys know what they are talking about!  But I've had a weird experience over the last two years. Last year, I grabbed what I thought were three bags of South Africa Special Zoom Ol' Monster (I use these because it's tough to find a local supply of black/blue fleck for dark days.) worms at Dick's and one of the packs was Plum.

 

For whatever reason, people seem to do good with plum colored baits, and often bubblegum flavored pink as well!

 

Another general rule that people often fail to mention is don't be afraid to experiment. If one color doesn't work in one lake, it doesn't mean it won't be like fish crack in another, and because one color works in one place also doesn't mean it works in another.

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

@Boomstick: I agree - experiment! The only problem with that is figuring out what to do with all those rejects. I got a shoebox full of packs of worms that, for one reason or another, haven't produced! I contemplated melting them down to make new colors but my wife informed me that if I did so I would require two pans - one to melt them and one for her to bounce off my head for ruining the first pan. Sigh! I wonder if other great innovators faced such daunting obstacles to their genius. (Either that or I gotta find some new lakes with picky fish.)

[Boomstick]

5 hours ago, GrumpyOlPhartte said:

@Boomstick: I agree - experiment! The only problem with that is figuring out what to do with all those rejects. I got a shoebox full of packs of worms that, for one reason or another, haven't produced! I contemplated melting them down to make new colors but my wife informed me that if I did so I would require two pans - one to melt them and one for her to bounce off my head for ruining the first pan. Sigh! I wonder if other great innovators faced such daunting obstacles to their genius. (Either that or I gotta find some new lakes with picky fish.)

Try them at a different lake. Maybe the fish there will like them better.