When to use a jig vs soft plastic vs shakey head?

[pauldconyers]

These 3 presentations are new to me and I am going to make myself learn them this year. My question is when to use each? In my eyes a shakey head is a bit different that the other 2 but be it in grass lines or brush piles or docks what are the general rules when to do each of these?

[Harold Scoggins]

Jigs https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/12403-jig-fishing-questions/

[pauldconyers]

2 minutes ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Jigs https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/12403-jig-fishing-questions/

I have been reading this post. Talks about how to jig but not when to jug versus pitching soft plastics and such.

[scaleface]

  There are no rules when  to use each . I just use whatever I feel like at the time .Most of the time that will be a Texas rig but at any time could substitute a jig , shakey head , tube...

[Russ E]

 I use them all in the same areas. Let the fish dictate which one to use.

I do have 3 basic rules to start out.  Then adjust from there.

1: relatively clear water and rocky bottom gets a Shakyhead.

2: weeds get a Texas rigged soft plastic.

3: woody cover usually gets a jig.

[IgotWood]

I'll usually start off with a jig whenever I can. If I can't keep the weeds off my jig, I'll t-rig a bait. Or if I'm not getting bites on the jig in productive areas, I'll switch to a t-rig. A benefit to the t-rig is that you can so quickly and easily change colors, action, profiles, etc. Whereas with a jig, you will be cutting off and retying a lot if you want to make adjustments. If I get dialed in with a t-rig, I'll go back to the jig and try to match it as best I can. The jig just gets bigger bites for me. But also don't be afraid to mismatch trailer and jig skirt colors! Many guys swear by contrasting jigs and trailers.

 

As for shakey head, I can't really shakey head fish in my area. Way too much grass.

[Dens228]

I don't use a shaky head much but I usually start with a jig.  If I get no bites, or the bites are timid/non-committed I switch to a texas rig.. 

The other day I was fishing and it was very slow, I was using a swim jig/paddletail and got a couple bites but I barely realized a bass had hit it.  So I switched to the same size/color of paddletail but on a weighted swimbait hook and started catching bass and they were hitting it much harder than the jig.  

[pauldconyers]

56 minutes ago, Russ E said:

 I use them all in the same areas. Let the fish dictate which one to use.

I do have 3 basic rules to start out.  Then adjust from there.

1: relatively clear water and rocky bottom gets a Shakyhead.

2: weeds get a Texas rigged soft plastic.

3: woody cover usually gets a jig.

This is the kind of thing I was looking for Russ. Not rules so much just general guidelines or principals to adhere to. Thanks again Russ!

31 minutes ago, IgotWood said:

I'll usually start off with a jig whenever I can. If I can't keep the weeds off my jig, I'll t-rig a bait. Or if I'm not getting bites on the jig in productive areas, I'll switch to a t-rig. A benefit to the t-rig is that you can so quickly and easily change colors, action, profiles, etc. Whereas with a jig, you will be cutting off and retying a lot if you want to make adjustments. If I get dialed in with a t-rig, I'll go back to the jig and try to match it as best I can. The jig just gets bigger bites for me. But also don't be afraid to mismatch trailer and jig skirt colors! Many guys swear by contrasting jigs and trailers.

 

As for shakey head, I can't really shakey head fish in my area. Way too much grass.

That makes a lot of sense regarding easily being able to make drastic adjustments to see what's productive or not.

[WRB]

Shacky head is a jig with soft plastic trailer, is a jig a bass jig with skirt and weed guard? What is a soft plastic?

Ned rig is a mushroom head jig  with soft plastic, a dart I'd a dart head jig with soft plastic. 

Select the appropriate jig style with soft plastic trailer for the cover and line size being fished in.

Finesse; Shakey head 1/8-1/4 oz with soft plastic worm, rigged weedless using 6-8 lb test mono/FC line spinning, 8-12 lb line baitcasting.

Bass jig for heavy cover, skirted Arkie style w/weed guard 3/8-3/4 oz,craw soft plastic using 15+ lb test line braid,mono/FC, baitcasting.

Bass jig for sparse cover, skirted football head (with or without weed guard) 1/4-3/4 oz twin tail soft plastic trailer, 8-15 lb line, bait casting.

where you cast a jig or whatever you consider "soft plastic" depends on tackle being used and line strength.

Tom

[Jig Man]

For me a jig is an any time any place bait.

Shaky basically the same as the jig except I lose a bunch in brush so I normally don’t throw them in heavy brush.

Ned is open water because of the 6# fluorocarbon line.

 

i fish all of them with both spinning and bait casting setups.

[Catt]

When to use a jig vs soft plastic vs shakey head?

 

When the water is wet!

 

Personally I keep a Jig-n-Craw & Texas Rig on my deck 24/7/365.

 

I don't care what season it is, I don't care what the water conditions are, I don't care what the weather patterns are, I don't care if it's shallow or deep.

 

I'm throwing one of those two & a big Shakey Head is sneaking into the lineup!

[stepup]

I fish a shakey head or a jig 90% of the time and they get split evenly. I always have each tied on. I let the fish tell me what they want. I believe the Jig is more productive after a full moon due to crawfish spawns. I rarely fish a T-Rig jsut because my home lake dictates a shakey head for me. Granted I have a buddy that all he will throw is a T-Rig Finesse worm and he usually catches some fish on it. I think you end up fishing what you have confidence in. I would rather fish a Jig but if the jig bite isn't there I throw a shakeyhead.

[Choporoz]

Like @IgotWood, I used to begin with jig when possible.  As my platform has moved from 50/50 kayak/boat to more like 95/5 kayak/boat, I find I begin with t-rig much more than jig.  I absolutely love fishing a jig, however, my bite detection and hook setting just hasn't been as good with a jig from a yak.  Especially, if its windy -- I've just gained higher confidence in trig than a jig in recent years.   The t-rig very often gets hit on the fall.  If the bite is a real slow bottom bite, and the weeds are manageable, I will go with something finesse-y on a shaky head.  I will, at times, go with bigger, bolder shakey heads, but still only when I'm planning to slow-drag, or dead stick.  I know full well that a lot of shakey heads can swim a bait well, I just don't do it much.  

[Hook2Jaw]

@Choporoz, why do you think your effectiveness with a jig goes down in a kayak?  I know you've been at this a lot longer than me but I absolutely love pitching jigs from my kayak.

[riverbasser]

Have all 3 tied up and on deck 24/7

[Choporoz]

@Hook2Jaw, its a good question....not certain if its leverage, or inattention due to having to devote a bit of near constant attention to boat position, or just mental -- but I felt I was missing a lot more bites in the yak than I ever did in a boat -- doesn't seem to be the case for trigs --- I could be way off, but I think margin of error is better with t-rig due to the time a fish holds a trig vs the quick spit of a jig...again, maybe its a mental problem, but I have absolutely successfully stuck a higher percentage since I have thrown the jig less ...and t-rig more

[Hook2Jaw]

@Choporoz, I've almost convinced myself to go with a propeller drive instead of a Hobie for my next boat for that reason.  Boat control.  I'm in a behemoth of a kayak, so leverage isn't really an issue.  I also stake out when I'm pecking away at a laydown if the wind or current is up.