School me on swim jigs!

[5by3]

New to throwing swimjigs and looking for some suggestions on favorite jigs, trailers, and places to throw them.

 

I live in the northeast, so we have some milfoil, a few pads, and docks of course. Despite lots of attempts, I just can’t seem to get anything consistent going on a swimjig. Also, what’s your favorite retrieve?

[A-Jay]

There's a ton of info on this site on how & where to fish a swimjig.

In my world, (northern MI) swimjigs are routinely most effective close to cover.

Over it, beside it, around it, or in some way as close to it as I can get; just not In It.

The waters here are mostly clear and natural colors & patterns have proven themselves as the best producers for me. 

I am usually presenting these baits in the upper portion of the water column or in shallow(er) water, so 1/4 oz, 5/16 oz and 3/8 oz are the head weights I use most often. 

Trailer options are virtually endless and almost anything you want to hang on the back will get bites; as long as the bait runs straight & true. (especially on the fall).

Trailer choice, however can & often does determine how fast or slow the bait needs to be retrieved in order to track at a certain depth.  This can be a big deal some days. 

Here's a few that I routinely remove from bass faces. 

A-Jay

 

[PhishLI]

On 8/17/2019 at 7:28 AM, 5by3 said:

New to throwing swimjigs and looking for some suggestions on favorite jigs, trailers, and places to throw them.

 

I live in the northeast, so we have some milfoil, a few pads, and docks of course. Despite lots of attempts, I just can’t seem to get anything consistent going on a swimjig. Also, what’s your favorite retrieve?

I can't throw jigs with a brush guard from June through November. Most lakes here are choked with grass right up to the surface. It's just futile unless you enjoy picking off mounds of grass and algae after each cast.

 

These or something like them are the perfect  solution:  

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strike_King_Swinging_Swim_Jig/descpage-SJTGSS.html

 

I texpose any bait, if the body is long enough, from paddle tails to creatures and fish them like a conventional jig and can get through just about anything. When it bogs down a snap or two of the rod will clear the veg off most of the time.

 

The retrieve is whatever they seem to want at the moment.

[Harold Scoggins]

 

On 8/17/2019 at 8:07 AM, A-Jay said:

There's a ton of info on this site on how & where to fish a swimjig.

In my world, (northern MI) swimjigs are routinely most effective close to cover.

Over it, beside it, around it, or in some way as close to it as I can get; just not In It.

The waters here are mostly clear and natural colors & patterns have prove the best producers for me. 

I am usually presenting these baits in the upper portion of the water column or in shallow(er) water, so 1/4 oz, 5/16 oz and 3/8 oz are the head weights I use most often. 

Trailer options are virtually endless and almost anything you want to hang on the back will get bites; as long as the bait runs straight & true. (especially on the fall).

However trailer choice can determine how fast or slow the bait need to be retrieved in order to track at a certain depth.  This can be a big deal some days. 

Here's a few that I routinely remove from bass faces. 

A-Jay

 

Good responses from both @A-Jay and @BoatSquirrel! You have one advantage over the anglers of yesteryear, a lot more swim jig brands to choose from. The "OG" rod tip shaking it's not needed with all the trailers available today. (A-Jay's picture) My favorite trailers are the Rage Lobster and Swim Senko. Keep at it and don't give up, a big ole tank is going to roll up on your jig one day and then it'll be on!

[Derek1]

I just started playing with them myself I have a keitec one I use with kietec trailer. Ran out of trailers and used a rage craw and still caught fish. 

[12poundbass]

I just started fishing jigs this year and really enjoy it and have thought about trying swim jigs, so I’m glad this subject came up. Thanks! 

[Dens228]

I use Dirty Jigs and 6th Sense, 99% of the time with Keitech Fat Impact 3.8 inch trailers.  I run them around the weeds, over the weeds, I rip them through the weeds, open water over points, around docks, along shorelines, drop offs, stumps.................um, apparently I use them everywhere.  Color depends on conditions but mostly shad and blue gill colors.  I use Keitech with metal flake colors if the sun is out. 

 

 

[deadadrift89]

I keep it pretty simple using Strike King swim jigs.

    Trailers:

  Havoc Grass Pig with 3/4-1" trimmed off head when trying to mimic shad.

  Rage Twin Tail Menace rigged with tails vertical when trying to mimic perch or bluegill.

I only throw Swim Jigs when water clarity is more than 3' and use a steady retrieve with a few jerks or pauses on way back. I fish them in areas same as I would a spinnerbait or rattletrap as long as the water clarity is there.   

 

[Bandersnatch]

On 8/17/2019 at 11:07 AM, A-Jay said:

There's a ton of info on this site on how & where to fish a swimjig.

In my world, (northern MI) swimjigs are routinely most effective close to cover.

Over it, beside it, around it, or in some way as close to it as I can get; just not In It.

The waters here are mostly clear and natural colors & patterns have proven themselves as the best producers for me. 

I am usually presenting these baits in the upper portion of the water column or in shallow(er) water, so 1/4 oz, 5/16 oz and 3/8 oz are the head weights I use most often. 

Trailer options are virtually endless and almost anything you want to hang on the back will get bites; as long as the bait runs straight & true. (especially on the fall).

Trailer choice, however can & often does determine how fast or slow the bait needs to be retrieved in order to track at a certain depth.  This can be a big deal some days. 

Here's a few that I routinely remove from bass faces. 

A-Jay

 

Thoughts on throwing a swim jig instead of a regular jig for bottom contact in or around grass? I was doing this last week in a weedy area with the thought that it's still a jig and should act the same on the bottom. 

[Deleted account]

KISS. get a couple in 1/4 and 3/8 in something that suggests, a sunfish, a crawfish and a shad, and get a few curly tails, paddle tails, and ragey tails in similar colors. Now throw them in the same places you would throw a spinnerbait, chatter or crank, Sweep set without allowing slack. Go with a steady retrieve to start, then move to speed up slow down, shake, and the like. Also you can pitch it or skip it to targets as you approach them. It's like junk fishing without all the junk.

On 8/17/2019 at 11:07 AM, A-Jay said:

A-Jay

 

Me likes!

[A-Jay]

7 hours ago, Cheif250 said:

Thoughts on throwing a swim jig instead of a regular jig for bottom contact in or around grass? I was doing this last week in a weedy area with the thought that it's still a jig and should act the same on the bottom. 

When it's all said & done - they are all 'jigs' - A weighted head (lead, tungsten or something else) and a hook.

Differences besides weights can be in head shape, hook type & gauge and of course skirt type, color, style, bulk & length.  As long as the hook in the jig matches your gear & the conditions - one can probably 'swim' most any jig to some extent.   Head shape may dictate which ones swim a little better. 

I do have several model jigs that have a 'medium' gauge hook that I consider all-terrain baits.

Meaning, I'll use them on gear, and in a manner that allows them be to fish them as a bottom contact bait in whatever cover I encounter (except total jungle slop which requires special up-sized tackle) but they are streamline and light enough to where I can also 'swim' them.  Jig styles that I would not consider doing this with are either heavy football and standard flipping jigs.  Football jigs don't swim well for me and heavy flippers often come equip with a gaff for a hook. 

 

 Three decent examples of baits I believe do this multi-tasking well are all 6th Sense baits - 

 Both the 6th Sense Divine Braid and standard Swim Jigs as well as the 6th Sense Divine Hybrid Jig

A-Jay

[boostr]

Always had a few swim jigs, but never used them much. This year I've been throwing them more.  like what @A-Jaysaid, swim it around cover but not in it. When you do hit cover pause for a sec and continue retrieve that's usually when they bite. If you've watched some of the old MLF episodes theres an tip by KVD fishing a swim jig, and it's pretty much what A-Jay mentioned.

[WRB]

The best swim jig that I have ever used is the Scrounger design.

Tom

[Heron]

Take this with a grain of salt

 

I’ve come away from swim jigs.  In my waters the swim jig never did better than just running a keitech swimbait by itself without the skirt.  The added skirt really proved to be no real advantage whatsoever.  Though, it was no disadvantage either.