Swim jig size

[Michael Green]

1/4 vs 3/8 oz swim jig. if you were gonna fish water depth 1’-5’ what size would be best. With a trailer added of course...thanks guys

[JediAmoeba]

Depends on the wind, the current and the trailer.  

 

Swim bait trailers seem to get down further where as crawfish and beaver style will come up toward the surface better.  Most of the ones I use are 1/4 ounce.

[Michael Green]

Same with chatterbaits? 1/4oz? Thanks for the quick reply

[Ksam1234]

1 hour ago, Michael Green said:

Same with chatterbaits? 1/4oz? Thanks for the quick reply

Honestly I use 3/8 most of the time.  Don’t even own a 1/4 oz. it fishes just fine in that shallow of water.  And can drag it if needed and swim and everything in between. 

[Dens228]

Same as Ksam.  All my swim jigs are 3/8 oz.

[Bankbeater]

I’ll swim a 1/8 or 3/8 jig depending on the wind and depth of the vegetation. 

[Munkin]

Since the paddle tails give it lift 3/8 is what I use 90% of the time.

 

Allen

[Michael Green]

So maybe get 3/8oz for paddle tail trailers  bc it provides lift and 1/4 oz for craw trailers since there won’t be lift? Does that sound like a sensible plan? 

 

Keep in mind I’m fishing very shallow, I dont want these on the bottom. Thanks guys

[Ksam1234]

41 minutes ago, Michael Green said:

So maybe get 3/8oz for paddle tail trailers  bc it provides lift and 1/4 oz for craw trailers since there won’t be lift? Does that sound like a sensible plan? 

 

Keep in mind I’m fishing very shallow, I dont want these on the bottom. Thanks guys

Reel faster lol ... but that sounds like a plan.  

[Michael Green]

Okay cool, the main reason I ask is bc I wanna have only one weight for my swim jigs. I fish from the shore so I don’t wanna take lots of tackle with me. So ultimately I am trying to decide between those two weights. But reel faster, okay, I see what you’re saying just get a 3/8 and when I have on craw trailers on feel faster.  And when it’s paddle trailers reel slower. 

[Deleted account]

4 hours ago, Michael Green said:

Same with chatterbaits? 1/4oz? Thanks for the quick reply

No, I always go with the lightest swim jig I can get away with, and the heaviest chatter I can get away with. That is usually 1/4 for the former, and 1/2 for the latter.

[Michael Green]

I guess I’m a little confused now, one person said the swim baits trailers creates lifts and the other says it doesn’t...so which one is it ? ? 

 

“Since the paddle tails give it lift 3/8 is what I use 90% of the time.”

“Swim bait trailers seem to get down further”

[Bluebasser86]

6 minutes ago, Michael Green said:

I guess I’m a little confused now, one person said the swim baits trailers creates lifts and the other says it doesn’t...so which one is it ? ? 

 

“Since the paddle tails give it lift 3/8 is what I use 90% of the time.”

“Swim bait trailers seem to get down further”

A swim bait is going to create drag, which is going to lift the bait upwards. The bait may seem to run deeper with a swimbait than it does with other trailers, but adding any trailer is going to create water resistance, which is going to create lift.

 

I fish a 3/8oz almost exclusively. You can easily control depth by reeling slower or faster.

[Michael Green]

Okay, I gotcha now! Thanks!!

[fishwizzard]

I use 1/4oz heads most of the time, going up to 1/2oz when I want to fish them deep or rip them through weeds.  

 

This is my standard, 1/4oz Siebert head and a 3.75” Rage Swimmer.  

[Grim_Reaver]

I'm going to echo the other guys who only use 3/8oz with a swimbait trailer.

[Catt]

13 hours ago, Michael Green said:

Keep in mind I’m fishing very shallow, I dont want these on the bottom

 

Personally I throw Santone Lures Chris McCall Rayburn Swim Jig.

 

1. They come in 5/16 & 7/16 oz, those two sizes are a better "fit" for swim jigs.

2. The head design is very weedless but stands up on the bottom.

 

When throwing a swim jig & I'm confronted with targets of opportunity, I'll flip-n-pitch em with the same jig.

[Michael Green]

@fishwizzard what depths are you throwing that 1/4 oz swim jig in?

 

 

@Marcus Y. do you still throw 3/8 oz with a craw trailer?

[Michael Green]

Guys, ya know, I’m just fishing small farm ponds in Texas, they don’t get terribly deep but they hold some hogs. I appreciate all the replies and help. Tight lines. 

[fishwizzard]

1 hour ago, Michael Green said:

@fishwizzard what depths are you throwing that 1/4 oz swim jig in?

Shallow, 6” to 6’ is the norm. I retrieve them very slowly so the lure rising is rarely an issue if I do run them deeper. If I want a fast retrieve I tend to want some flashy/thump as well and will swap lures.  

[Munkin]

These are the two main colors I fish.

 

Like Catt said they do make them in 5/16oz.

 

Allen

[waymont]

I like in between at 5/16oz the most. But I also throw 1/4 and 3/8 at times

[Grim_Reaver]

2 hours ago, Michael Green said:

@fishwizzard what depths are you throwing that 1/4 oz swim jig in?

 

 

@Marcus Y. do you still throw 3/8 oz with a craw trailer?

I personally have never tried a craw trailer on a swim jig. I did have a bass crush a 1/4oz BPS rattling jig w/ a rage craw trailer while I was buzzing it under the surface years ago if that counts for anything.

[Michael Green]

As far as people who use craw trailers (I’ll be using keitech, rage swimmer and skinned dipper as my paddle tails) 

would you use the rage menace or menace jr, it’ll be on a 5/16 swim jig. 

Same with a rage craw full size or jr?

thanks again guys y’all have been a ton of help. Tight lines

[CountryboyinDC]

8 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Personally I throw Santone Lures Chris McCall Rayburn Swim Jig.

 

1. They come in 5/16 & 7/16 oz, those two sizes are a better "fit" for swim jigs.

2. The head design is very weedless but stands up on the bottom.

 

When throwing a swim jig & I'm confronted with targets of opportunity, I'll flip-n-pitch em with the same jig.

I think this all great advice.  I've used this Santone swim jig (I think it's 5/16 oz), and it does great for swimming or just pitching around grass.  I only use mine with a Rage craw, so I don't know if you'd want the heavier one for a paddle tail.