Shallow jigs

[papagravey]

What size jig do you guys use for water under 4 feet. Do you still use them or just Texas rig?

[Dtrombly]

I'll use both, typically 1/4oz 

[papagravey]

I was using 1/2 oz today and thought it was too much. Which style jig you use?

 

[Catt]

Same ones I use in deep water, grass, & brush.

 

I've caught bass in 2' of water on a 1 oz jig!

[papagravey]

5 minutes ago, Catt said:

Same ones I use in deep water, grass, & brush.

 

I've caught bass in 2' of water on a 1 oz jig!

I’m new to jig fishing and I just feel like I’m stuck in mud the whole time when I fish 1/2 oz

[LCG]

Have you caught any fish with the jig yet? 

 

Muddy bottom may not be the best place to fish a jig in general terms. 

 

[papagravey]

10 minutes ago, Luke G. said:

Have you caught any fish with the jig yet? 

 

Muddy bottom may not be the best place to fish a jig in general terms. 

 

A few. Not many though.  It’s a muddy lake though

[LCG]

I would try Texas rigged either weightless or a small weight so that it's not sinking into the mud bottom. 

 

Ideally I would try to locate a more solid bottom, but sometimes that's just not possible. 

[Munkin]

I care about what the fish want for the fall rate. That being said I have fished 3/4oz in 4FOW and 1.8oz in 30FOW.

 

Allen

[papagravey]

20 minutes ago, Munkin said:

I care about what the fish want for the fall rate. That being said I have fished 3/4oz in 4FOW and 1.8oz in 30FOW.

 

Allen

How do you determine what they want

26 minutes ago, Luke G. said:

I would try Texas rigged either weightless or a small weight so that it's not sinking into the mud bottom. 

 

Ideally I would try to locate a more solid bottom, but sometimes that's just not possible. 

1/4 weight?

[papajoe222]

If I'm jig fishing in 4ft. of water, it's more than likely to laydowns and it's a 3/8oz. arkie style with a bulky trailer like a Rage or Paca Craw. Because I fish a lot of clear water, I need to cast rather than pitch or flip and that style head tends to get hung up on the timber a lot less.

[WRB]

For me there is jig water and worm water, the difference is the soil type. If the bottom is soft mud I prefer worms, hard bottom jigs regardless of the depth.

Tom

[Catt]

Guess y'all never punched shallow water ?

[papagravey]

6 minutes ago, WRB said:

For me there is jig water and worm water, the difference is the soil type. If the bottom is soft mud I prefer worms, hard bottom jigs regardless of the depth.

Tom

 Need to take a mental note of this. 

4 minutes ago, Catt said:

Guess y'all never punched shallow water ?

Never punched before but I do want to try it

[Bassin' Brad]

2 minutes ago, papagravey said:

 Need to take a mental note of this. 

I use my phone for all my Bass Resource browsing so every time I read something that stands out to me I take a screenshot of it and save the picture in my album labeled fishing tips. 

[papagravey]

4 minutes ago, Bassin' Brad said:

I use my phone for all my Bass Resource browsing so every time I read something that stands out to me I take a screenshot of it and save the picture in my album labeled fishing tips. 

Genius. Thank you 

[LCG]

1 hour ago, papagravey said:

/4 weight?

I would start weightless, then increase 1/8oz at a time. 

[Bassin' Brad]

18 minutes ago, papagravey said:

Genius. Thank you 

Glad I could help. 

[Bluebasser86]

I use a 1/2oz a majority of the time, even in water less than a foot. Put a bulky trailer with lots of action and it will slow the jig down quite a bit to keep it from sinking into the mud if that's a concern, but remember that those little puffs of mud and silt can resemble a craw or baitfish scooting along the bottom and get a fish's attention. 

[ZebcoZak]

i keep my jig fishing pretty simple.  3/8 pitch jig for flipping and pitching along the bank and 1/2 football for dragging flats and points wherwe water is a little deeper.  seems to work for me.

[Turtle135]

I match the rate of fall with the water temperature. Since my water temps are still in the low 40's I want that jig and trailer to gently waft down. When the water is in the 90's then I will go for a rocket to the bottom.

 

As a general rule I match the profile size to water clarity. Bulky jigs in mud and small finesse in clear water.

 

 

[sully420]

I use the heaviest jig i can get away with my go to is 3/4oz 

[Munkin]

12 hours ago, WRB said:

For me there is jig water and worm water, the difference is the soil type. If the bottom is soft mud I prefer worms, hard bottom jigs regardless of the depth.

Tom

This should just be pinned to the top.

 

Allen

[Siebert Outdoors]

For standard fishing I typically go 3/8.  But as Catt mentioned it really depends on the situation.  If you get into punching,grass, or heavy brush that 3/8 can quickly change to 3/4-1 oz if needed.

[WRB]

The weight of a jigs when presenting it vertically is shallow water depends on the fall rate and getting it through cover as Catt mentioned. Punching heavy cover weed mats you need a heavy jig, or better yet a punch rig, to get through the surface mat. If that mat is covering thick weeds top to bottom growing in mud fewer bass will be under it. 

Mats covering hard bottoms may have fewer weeds growing with more water less weeds under them. 

Casting working the jig through mud is difficult, where hard bottoms and mud come together creates a break line, that is where I want to fish jigs.

Tom

PS, thanks for positive commits.