Jig Alternative

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I typically go through a fairly good bit of jigs each year. The typical reasons, mainly river fish. But you can use a T-rig in the same places and not go through near the jigs.

 

My question is, has anybody used punch skirts with a T-rig creature bait under it? Say 1/2ounce tungsten, with 4/0 and baby brush hog?  It's something I was going to try this year and just looking for pointers

[A-Jay]

Yes ~ 

 

 

 

A-Jay

[Bluebasser86]

When I get to the very thickest cover, the skirted punch rig with a beaver or creature is what I opt for over a jig. I pour my own lead skirted punch slip weights, paint them whatever color I want and wire tie the skirts on. A Havoc Pitboss is my favorite thing to fish behind one but regular beavers work good too. 

[Catt]

It goes by a half a dozen names, down here they're called Texas Rigged Jigs. I used them in 1/4-1.5 oz with various plastics.

 

You can find them in lead or tungsten, painted or unpainted.

 

[scaleface]

I pour my own using a spinnerbait mold . 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Thanks fellas, that's exactly what I needed to know. 

 

I love dragging and flipping a jig and was just tired of loosing them. I knew I couldn't be the only one with that idea.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

For this technique, what is everyone's favorite skirt to put on? 

 

I'm talking brand, best for quality, durability, and ease of installing?

 

Edit: I've been looking at BOSS skirts on tackle Warehouse and love the colors/price

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

@NittyGrittyBoy:  Hmm.  Guess I would put on an A-line skirt. Would give me more freedom of movement in my kayak than a pencil skirt.  ?. (Hey! Don’t yell at me! He asked!)

[fin]

All that hardware is going to add up to maybe almost the cost of a cheap jig, and be a lot more trouble. I did it for a while, but I just t-rig a trailer most of the time now, skipping the skirt altogether. I'm not certain the skirt actually increases the number of bites. It obscures the hook and sinker, and I think that's the main benefit.

 

[A-Jay]

24 minutes ago, fin said:

All that hardware is going to add up to maybe almost the cost of a cheap jig, and be a lot more trouble. I did it for a while, but I just t-rig a trailer most of the time now, skipping the skirt altogether. I'm not certain the skirt actually increases the number of bites. It obscures the hook and sinker, and I think that's the main benefit.

 

2

I would not totally disagree with that sentiment, however, the cost is not the prime benefit of the rig.

Initially, the rig is considerably better at coming through any & all kinds of cover cleanly, than a standard jig for me.

Also, the addition of the skirt gets bigger bites more often for me than the plain plastic.

Not always, but it does seem that dinks are little more willing to get on a plain creature or craw than a rig with a skirt. 

So while I do fish the standard jig at least 50 % of the time and do OK, when there is dense cover, especially a combination of dense cover (wood with weeds or weeds & rock for example) this rig does most all the heavy lifting for me and has done so effectively for a while now.

Finally, this is a shore fisherman's dream rig - throw it where ever - you'll almost always get it back.

A-Jay

[ResoKP]

I got me some of that new Toyko Rig things to try out this season.

 

 

Since the weight is not pegged at the front of the lure, I'm thinking it won't be trying to constantly wedge itself into everything.

 

I also like that it can suspend a bit off the bottom. Some places I punch has such soft bottom composition, the lure completely buries itself into the ground and disappears. Maybe there are benefits to hard bottom too.

 

I'll see if this thing is a gimmick or not... But for now I'm optimistic.

 

DYODD. GLHF.

[Catt]

@NittyGrittyBoy skirt brand really doesn't matter I zip tie mine.

 

@fin the ones I use are just a lead weight, skirt, & hook; considerably less than any jig. Even some tungsten weights are less.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

@fin I don't mind the extra hardware/cost. It's worth it to me and my location. Like @A-Jay said the prime benefit is producing a larger jig bite, in places I can't usually fish a Jig.

 

Thanks @Catt I found the lead punch weights on Tackle Warehouse, perfect for a river fisherman like me! I might try the ziptie trick

 

[fin]

7 hours ago, NittyGrittyBoy said:

@fin I don't mind the extra hardware/cost. It's worth it to me and my location. Like @A-Jay said the prime benefit is producing a larger jig bite, in places I can't usually fish a Jig.

Ah, I see. I thought you were just fed up with losing jigs / spending money on jigs. There are lots of rocks and wood where I fish, so I've lost a lot and got tired of spending money on them. Putting them together like @A-Jay does took a lot of time to rig, and rigging it while fishing from shore walking the banks is kind of awkward, and I never got into it seriously enough to get the right skirts/hardware before I switched over to just fishing trailers using a weighted hook, which has been pretty successful for me.

 

Another alternative to the @A-Jay method (which I agree is a great method) is the centering pin thing @WRB does on his jigs. I'm not sure that would help in the rocks necessarily, I haven't tried it much but I haven't lost one yet (knock on wood).

 

10 hours ago, ResoKP said:

I got me some of that new Toyko Rig things to try out this season.

  

  

I would turn that weight around.

 

[OkobojiEagle]

Another alternative: http://www.jigfish.com/product/title-shot/

 

The keeper "spear" is designed to accept a skirt.

 

oe

[PhishLI]

TW had these on sale for the BMC. Picked up a handful.

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Eco_Pro_Tungsten_Swing_Swim_Jig_/descpage-EPSJ.html

[scaleface]

Heres the one I make with the spinnerbait mold . 1/8 , 1/4 , 3/8 and 1/2 ounce .

[roadwarrior]

GYCB Single Tail Hula Grub

 

 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

@roadwarrior I like them but the skirt on the bait really ain't long enough to my liking. If it weren't for that I'd use them! 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

On 3/27/2019 at 8:52 PM, ResoKP said:

I got me some of that new Toyko Rig things to try out this season.

 

 

Since the weight is not pegged at the front of the lure, I'm thinking it won't be trying to constantly wedge itself into everything.

 

I also like that it can suspend a bit off the bottom. Some places I punch has such soft bottom composition, the lure completely buries itself into the ground and disappears. Maybe there are benefits to hard bottom too.

 

I'll see if this thing is a gimmick or not... But for now I'm optimistic.

 

DYODD. GLHF.

Seems like a Bubba Shot rig would do the same thing cheaper and with less hardware?

[OkobojiEagle]

9 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Seems like a Bubba Shot rig would do the same thing cheaper and with less hardware?

Don't confuse me with the facts...

 

oe

[Heartland]

9 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Seems like a Bubba Shot rig would do the same thing cheaper and with less hardware?

looks like a bottom bouncer or a slightly modified Jika rig.

[rtwvumtneer6]

I've got bobber stops, flipping weights, hooks and skirts but the missing link would be the hub (I believe that's what it's called).

 

Has anyone tried to use beads above/below the skirt as an alternative with any success, or failure? 

[papajoe222]

There was a time when I'd run a spinnerbait skirt between the weight and the worm on a T-rig. That was before I gained confidence in fishing jigs. I don't see why using a craw, or creature bait would be much different.