When to use Jigs and When to use Plastics?

[Sylvaneous]

I'm a kayak angler that got entranced by flipping while watching the first Jack Links Bass something-or-other on near-by Chautauqua Lake.  So I bought a bunch of flipping jigs and craw trailers along with a good assortment of Pit Bosses and all the asstd. sundry and a nice pitching rod.   I've done OK on the plastics, but only got a couple on the jigs.  Part of this is due to the generally poor bass fishing over the past 4 years due to weather.  I rarely fish any weight besides 3/8 oz.  A few 1/2 oz jigs and sometimes use 1/4 oz bullet sinkers.   What conditions or situations make you pick a jig vs. a plastic beaver bait or some such thing. 

[scaleface]

I use to fish jigs a lot more than I do now .  They catch bigger than average fish . Now I  use a worm mostly because of the numbers they catch . If  I get on  a good worm bite then I "might" try a jig for a chance to catch a bigger fish . Its a personal preference . 

[shovelmouth83]

jigs are my major go to bait. they can be fished with or without a trailer. my base for a good jig is 3/8 oz and a black or blue maybe a white skirt. they are basic and they catch fish. i will use them any where. i would rather fish a jig than a beaver due to the fact that the image of the bait is much bigger. i have lost a lot of beavers and texas rigged baits. maybe due that i use a small weight cause i like the slow fall. even in the channels or on drop offs you can get a weird little movement out of it and bang you got a hook up. the debate can go on for hours. you can punch grass and brush easier with a texas rig and a beaver.

 

like scaleface says it is personal preference. i do like both but some days you feel one more that the other.

[Catt]

I keep both a Texas Rig & Jig-n-Craw tied on 24/7/365

 

I do not leave an area until I've covered it completely.

 

Many times after fishing an area with spinnerbaits & crankbaits, I'll turn around & throw t-rigs/jigs usually catching bigger fish.

[Todd2]

I think I give the very slight edge to the T-rig. I always read and hear T-Rig for numbers..Jigs for size. I can't really say I've seen that, I've caught a lot of big fish on the T-Rig but it does seem to get me more bites. But I love me some jig too..and drop shot, and etc etc. So many lures..so little time.

[Sylvaneous]

Thanks, folks.  I'm asking the question because I thought the 2 things were kinda redundant.  This week, I did see the Pit Boss plummet to the bottom, flapping madly, with the 3/8 weight and the 3/8 oz jig with the swimbait trailer ( 5" havoc grass pig with the head bitten off to size) falling much more slowly.  And of course, a WAY bigger profile.  Bass bit the crap out of that swim jig, but that was a better fit to the situation.  it wasn't pure flipping.  half the time I was fishing the swim jig through cover like a spinnerbait, the other times, I was pitching it into willows and reeds.  

 It is nice to not get your bait ripped up after 2 fish, or lose an arm/leg/wiggling appendage, so jigs excel there. I haven't worn-out a jig yet.  

Thanks again.

Syl 

[tholmes]

It's pretty simple...I use jigs when plastics aren't getting bit, and plastics when jigs aren't getting bit.

 

Tom

[Bankbeater]

Most of the local places I fish get some very heavy pressure.  In those ponds and small lakes I use jigs more than t-rigs because I don't think many people that fish there use jigs.

[ww2farmer]

If they are not biting moving baits for me...IE frogs, cranks, chatterbaits, jerkbaits, etc...

 

The first thing I reach for is a jig. If they are not biting that, I will fish a texas rig. If they are not biting that, then it's drop shot/shaky head/wacky worm time.

[WRB]

Just trying to comprehend what this topic is about?

Beavers are primarily a plastic jig trailer or a punch rig trailer, not often used as a T-rig soft plastic. 

If  the question is when to use a beaver as a jig trailer or rig it as a seperate soft plastic creature on a drop shot, C-rig, T-rig or punch rig, then the answer is simple; use a beaver as a jig trailer or a punch rig trailer. The soft plastics that I will use on a drop shot, T-rig, C-rig are worms 80% of the time, double tail grubs/craws and brush hogs 20%. The heavier the cover the more streamline shape or fewer appendages, sparse cover more appendages or tail movement is preferred.

I like to fish jigs on steeper hard breaks like rocks and gravel and soft plastics on sloping soft breaks like clay and always try both with both types of lures to deterime what the bass want.

Like Catt I like to keep them honest and usually fish both jigs and T-rigged or finesse soft plastics before leaving a area, most of the time it's what I start with.

Tom

 

[ww2farmer]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

 

Beavers are primarily a plastic jig trailer or a punch rig trailer, not often used as a T-rig soft plastic. 

 

 

What are you talking about? Beaver style baits are bought and used by the millions as a stand alone t-rig plastic bait.

[NHBull]

While I always have one tied on, my destination success is at dusk as they start moving up from the deep.  I do need to get more 1/4 ounce for a lighter presentation 

[WRB]

4 hours ago, ww2farmer said:

What are you talking about? Beaver style baits are bought and used by the millions as a stand alone t-rig plastic bait.

Millions maybe but not by me!

Tom

[mllrtm79]

On 7/3/2017 at 8:20 PM, ww2farmer said:

Beaver style baits are bought and used by the millions

or, O-ring and nail weight with my wacky setup in my case. I use this in calmer water when I want a smaller presentation and slower fall.