Jig fishing in ponds?

[EastNcBassin]

So I have never caught a fish on a jig, I don't usually have the opportunity to fish big lakes unless I'm back boating so I normally fish ponds. My main question is, should I work the jig differently in a pond compared to a big lake? should I size down a lot? that kind of thing.  - best regards, James Burns

[LxVE Bassin]

I don't catch many pond bass on jigs. I missed a lot of them. I used to press the issue on it but I just simply switch to something else if it's not working. I have had more success with jigs in the middle to late fall. 

[BrackishBassin]

I've had zero success with jigs in the two main ponds I fish. I'm not sure if it's the bottom make up (entire bottom is soft and/or hydrilla that grows to within a foot of the surface), or that people throw them all the time there and the bass are used to them. In that same pond, the only lures that have ever produced fish for me were soft plastics (Zoom lizard, worms of various types) that were t-rigged, shallow crankbaits, and a chatterbait fished like a crankbait. Most productive has definitely been the soft plastics. I've tried frogs, spooks, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs (green pumpkin and black/blue with and without trailers). Haven't had a nibble on any of them. 

[Jon G]

I catch fish on jigs anywhere ponds, lakes, rivers, creeks, etc. If there are bass there they will eat a jig

[Dorado]

Curious to see what others say

[hawgenvy]

I bank fish small ponds with a jig quite often. A jig may scare off some of the smaller bass so I am more likely to use a jig if I think there are larger bass in the pond. I didn't have much luck with jigs when I first started using them, but I stuck with them because of their reputation and with time my success increased. Now the jig with craw trailer has become a confidence bait for me, from a boat or from the bank.

 

Also, at first I was screwing up the hook set a lot by doing a hard snap set, and I thought I just wasn't fast enough; but that wasn't the problem. Rather, the problem was that I was jerking the jig out of their mouths. Now I reel up the slack until I start to feel the weight of the bass and then I do a strong upwards pull, and I don't miss many that way.

[jr231]

Ummm. Yea! Especially in ponds !!

 

Get an 1/8 oz "bitsy bug" or any finesse jig and use a SK rage chunk... Not only will they eat it with the pitch method but they will also eat it with a slow swim, and those days end up being very fun. 

 

I use many trailers for jigs but in summer the rage chunk has been the best for me on a finesse jig. My girlfriend caught 4 or 5 using this bait last time we went and she lost a few as well. 

 

From lakes , rivers , big ponds (5+acres) , tiny ponds ( 1/2acre) a jig will catch those bass YEAR ROUND. I believe it is the most versatile lure a bass fisherman can use. The reliability from a jig is undeniable. An amazing part of bass fishing is all the ways they can be caught, but when struggling or looking for bigger fish there is a jig combo out there for every situation. Do yourself a favor and pitch, swim, drag and hop your jig all over your pond and see what happens. 

[CTBassin860]

Bank fishing with jigs in ponds is my bread and butter. Fish it any way you want. Grab a 3/8oz jig of your choice,throw a Rage Craw on the back and pitch it in the weeds and pads then tell me what you think.

[snake95]

@EastNcBassinThanks for asking this question.  I am in the same boat.  Or on the same bank.  

 

Thanks for the info @Yeajray231 @hawgenvy and others.  I will give it a shot myself. 

 

[Jon G]

If you don't have confidence in jigs start small. Start out by using a small finesse jig and after you've caught some fish on it and begin to have confidence in it move up to a bigger size.

[EastNcBassin]

thank you all for your replies, much appreciated!

[Dorado]

Great thread guys

[CroakHunter]

Good thread, one thing I might add that has helped me fishing not just ponds but everywhere is use as light of weight as you can get away with. In the few small ponds I fish (less than 12ft deep) I will only use 1/4 oz jigs. For deeper ponds or lakes I will use up to 1/2 oz, with the sweet spot being 3/8. I would suggest you grab a 1/8 or 1/4 finesse jig and use either spinning tackle or casting, whichever you like more, thread on a double tail grub and let er rip tater chip!

[Bluebasser86]

Jigs are great in ponds because you can not only fish them slowly through cover, but you can also swim them along the shoreline and around cover like a spinnerbait. I've caught lots of big pond bass swimming a jig I originally tied on to flip into cover. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

i fish 99% ponds, i love jig fishing, use them more when the weeds arent an issue. spring fall and winter. i love love love black and blue, black, black red, any color variation with black. i crawl em along. mainly jiggle. what i mean by jiggle, shake the rod tip. so the skirt and trailer move but the whole jig barley moves. i caught some of my biggest fish on jigs in the cold water seasons 

[MattC]

throw a 3/8 jig whatever brand you want and throw a nice trailer on there I prefer a rage craw chunk due to all the action and it allows me to either hop it along the bottom or I can swim it like a swim jig since that rage craw chunk has a bunch of action! allows me to kill 2 birds w/ 1 stone 

[NHBull]

The problem that some have, is the hook set.

There are some pretty good hefty hook in some 3/8 jigs.

Set according!

 

Have a buddy that struggles with this as he usually is using worms with light wire offset hooks.

 

He can set a jig to save his soul!

[Koz]

I bank fish a jig and craw trailer in our big and small lagoons down here in SC and it worked well in the spring. In fact, the 4 pounder in my profile pic was on a jig and pig setup. As the weather gets warmer and the fish go deeper (and further out from the bank) I haven't used a jig since it doesn't cast as far as I need it to go. I probably need to buy a punch jig, attach a 1 oz weight and try and throw that out there.

[MasterBasser]

I'm really new to fishing, like a month or two.  Most of my fish have been caught on a black and blue jig or chatter bait.  I bounce either along the bottom or swim the chatter bait.  The fish in PA seem to love it.  I've found the ponds that get a lot of pressure the bass won't bite rubber worms.  

 

I like the strike king hack attack with super chunk tails.  

[LxVE Bassin]

11 hours ago, CroakHunter said:

Good thread, one thing I might add that has helped me fishing not just ponds but everywhere is use as light of weight as you can get away with. In the few small ponds I fish (less than 12ft deep) I will only use 1/4 oz jigs. For deeper ponds or lakes I will use up to 1/2 oz, with the sweet spot being 3/8. I would suggest you grab a 1/8 or 1/4 finesse jig and use either spinning tackle or casting, whichever you like more, thread on a double tail grub and let er rip tater chip!

 

I mostky fish ponds and my all my jigs are 3/8 and 1/2 ounces. I will give the smaller jigs a try.

[fishwizzard]

I only started fishing jigs this past winter but have had some decent luck with them in smaller ponds.  But I have only ever caught when swimming them, maybe only one or two when the jig was falling or on the bottom.  I have noticed a trend for bigger fish as well.  I have been breaking my "per pond PB" more and more frequently sense I threw jigs into the mix.

 

This one came from like a one acre pond, it was almost twice the size of the bass I usually catch in there.  

[hawgenvy]

This thread inspired me to pitch a jig into a local residential pond tonight. I caught this 5-5 brute at 8:05 PM (35 minutes ago!) on a black/blue 3/8 Strike King Hack Attack jig w/ Rage Tail Menace trailer in green pumpkin.

 

 

[Dorado]

@hawgenvy which now you inspired me to hit a pond with a jig and trailer. Awesome pics!

[Oklahoma Mike]

On 7/12/2017 at 6:39 PM, Jon G said:

I catch fish on jigs anywhere ponds, lakes, rivers, creeks, etc. If there are bass there they will eat a jig

 

This. I catch them on jigs in ponds pretty much year round. Throw them near stumps, downed trees, brush likes, etc.  Hop them along the bottom parallel with the bank. Swim them with a trailer. Pretty much like you'd fish them in any other body of water. 

 

As as for the hookset, make sure you cross their eyes, and swing the second you detect a bite. 

[fish devil]

Jigs will work everywhere. Heck it doesn't even matter how you fish them!!! Key is to STICK with it.

 

 

I use 3/8-1/2 oz usually with a chunk trailer. A 7'6" broomstick with 50lb braid works for those killer hooksets.