jig fishing Confession: I never catch bass on jig in my life.

[ATA]

I am here to confess that I never catch any Bass(any fish), on Jig and Drop Shot. I know you will think I am crazy, but at first when I start I had no chance with this two technics, and I left it there.  for me I'll get my hard baits especially jerk bait then crank baits and I'll get back to you with Bass. But I never, Ever had on Jig which is crazy. So last week I got some jigs from TW and now I am watching non stop tips about them and I am going to do it till I master it.

Is there any technic that you didn't catch bass on yet?

[jimmyjoe]

   Reminds me of a (short) conversation I had with a guy a few years ago.

   I love spoons. I use them almost any weather and any season. I had caught a decent bass with one, and a fisherman about 20 feet away asked me a few questions, which I answered. Then he said, "Y'know, I've never caught any fish on a spoon." I said, "Never at all?" he said, "Nope." I said, "Gee, I wonder why that might be." He said, "Because I've never used a spoon!"

   Duh.

 

   Looks like you're a million miles ahead of that guy.    ?    jj

[ATA]

31 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

   Reminds me of a (short) conversation I had with a guy a few years ago.

   I love spoons. I use them almost any weather and any season. I had caught a decent bass with one, and a fisherman about 20 feet away asked me a few questions, which I answered. Then he said, "Y'know, I've never caught any fish on a spoon." I said, "Never at all?" he said, "Nope." I said, "Gee, I wonder why that might be." He said, "Because I've never used a spoon!"

   Duh.

 

   Looks like you're a million miles ahead of that guy.    ?    jj

Yes I tried but when I didn't get any just put them in my sons tackle box LOL. But this time I am going to go for it, whole day jigs, till I catch on it, also as it proven you'll catch big ones on it.

[scaleface]

Lots of things I havent caught bass on , only because I dont use them .

[Captain Phil]

For years I read about anglers catching bass on jigs.  The bass in Florida must not read the same books, because I never had much success with them.  Believe me I tried.  I did catch one fish on a jig in Florida.  It was a very cold day and I was desperate.  This lead me to believe jigs are for cold water conditions.  Cold water turns soft plastics into sticks.  During the winter in Florida, I catch more bass on hard baits.

 

Years ago when I was guiding, I often had anglers from other parts of the country in my boat.  Most of my customers where tournament anglers looking for help on the Chain.  They would pull out a "northern" lure and I would comment as follows "That doesn't work here."   About that time they would catch a fish on the "doesn't work here" lure.  If you have confidence in something, you will make it work.  If you don't, you will believe it "doesn't work here" like I did. 

 

 

[Hook2Jaw]

7 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

   Reminds me of a (short) conversation I had with a guy a few years ago.

   I love spoons. I use them almost any weather and any season. I had caught a decent bass with one, and a fisherman about 20 feet away asked me a few questions, which I answered. Then he said, "Y'know, I've never caught any fish on a spoon." I said, "Never at all?" he said, "Nope." I said, "Gee, I wonder why that might be." He said, "Because I've never used a spoon!"

   Duh.

 

   Looks like you're a million miles ahead of that guy.    ?    jj

I'm that guy.  You should enlighten me on how to fish a spoon some day!

[813basstard]

No one has ever caught a bass on a jig. It’s a mystery like how the firework store stays open year around or how the wife’s gas tank conveniently has just enough gas to make it to the gas station the one time you need to drive it...

 

Its the questions of life

[Captain Phil]

:>)

[Throwafrog]

Good luck on your endeavor.  I would recommend fishing it slower than you would think, with long pauses  or more aggressive than you'd think lol with hard rips of the rod and use a good trailer like a grub or a craw that kicks. I like the rage tail Menace or double tail grub. 

 

Green pumpkin or black and blue

 

And I've only caught a few bass with a lipless crank, not from lack of trying

[Michigander]

I committed to learning the jig about two years ago. This year it finally clicked and am doing really well with them. I actually commented to my fishing partner earlier today after releasing a solid bass that I don't know what the change was and if I could go back in time to give myself advice, I wouldn't even know what to say. It's just something that you figure out suddenly.

[ATA]

I hope because I just got 20 of them delivered , going to start once my reel delivers next week.

[RoLo]

 

CONFESSION: I've never caught 1 bass on a Senko!

Okay, okay...the Senko part is a lie   

[Bird]

It's very believable to me.

 

I have certain baits that I believe has a chance every cast and shy away from proven baits that has proven nothing.

 

Confidence baits instill confidence. 

 

I can throw a spinnerbait and Jerkbait on land and catch a fish but throw a chatterbait in amongst starving fish and they'd rather die than hit.

 

Possibly unexplainable. 

[Michigander]

7 minutes ago, ATA said:

I hope because I just got 20 of them delivered , going to start once my reel delivers next week.

LOL, that's basically what I did. I bought a ton of jigs at a fishing show and was determined to learn how to use them since I just spent so much money on them. Good luck! It'll happen for you if you stick with it. My only advice is find cover that you're sure you'll snag in, and then make ten casts into it. Work the jig out of it slow and it'll actually come out most of the time. Also, watch your line. A lot if times, it never hits the bottom in the thick stuff.

[BigTimeBassin]

I just this year caught my first bass on a jig. Was on my bucket list for the 2020 season after trying the last two years with no luck.

[WRB]

You are fishing from shore right? 

I like to say there is jig water and worm water. So what is the difference you ask?

Worms, T-rigged with a sliding bullet weight are very similar to a bass jig with a trailer.

The difference for me is worms are easier to work up hill without snagging, the direction you must do when fishing from the shoreline. Trying to work jigs uphill in our rocky local lakes is difficult unless you use lighter weight jig. The problem with a lighter weight jig is casting distance get reduces so it's difficult to cover a area with shorter casts. 

T-rigged worms with a bullet you get away with larger size worm with overall heavier combined weight that doesn't snag as easy. Worm water can be clay or soil with brush without rocks where jigs work better in rocky areas or hard bottoms in SoCal.

My suggestion is use a plain 1/4 to 3/8 oz football head jig with 4" or 5" Yamamoto twin tail hula grub color 221 or 330. Start at any marina area fishing the ramp, dirt to rock seams and any nearby points.

When come across brushy water change to a T-rigged worm.

Tom

[N Florida Mike]

14 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

For years I read about anglers catching bass on jigs.  The bass in Florida must not read the same books, because I never had much success with them.  

Same here.

[ATA]

1 hour ago, Michigander said:

LOL, that's basically what I did. I bought a ton of jigs at a fishing show and was determined to learn how to use them since I just spent so much money on them. Good luck! It'll happen for you if you stick with it. My only advice is find cover that you're sure you'll snag in, and then make ten casts into it. Work the jig out of it slow and it'll actually come out most of the time. Also, watch your line. A lot if times, it never hits the bottom in the thick stuff.

thank you for strange yet effective tip, I am going to do it

[JustinCT]

I caught my first bass and then several more on a Ned rig 1 week ago... 

 

Wow.  I feel better now.

 

Very few fish on a jig, only because I don't fish them much.  My fault.

[ATA]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

You are fishing from shore right? 

I like to say there is jig water and worm water. So what is the difference you ask?

Worms, T-rigged with a sliding bullet weight are very similar to a bass jig with a trailer.

The difference for me is worms are easier to work up hill without snagging, the direction you must do when fishing from the shoreline. Trying to work jigs uphill in our rocky local lakes is difficult unless you use lighter weight jig. The problem with a lighter weight jig is casting distance get reduces so it's difficult to cover a area with shorter casts. 

T-rigged worms with a bullet you get away with larger size worm with overall heavier combined weight that doesn't snag as easy. Worm water can be clay or soil with brush without rocks where jigs work better in rocky areas or hard bottoms in SoCal.

My suggestion is use a plain 1/4 to 3/8 oz football head jig with 4" or 5" Yamamoto twin tail hula grub color 221 or 330. Start at any marina area fishing the ramp, dirt to rock seams and any nearby points.

When come across brushy water change to a T-rigged worm.

Tom

Thank you so much Tom. I found it very interesting and I am sure something coming out of it, for now 4 days a week I am at Castaic, usually from opening to noon. going to do it soon, but Castaic is king of snag places. 

[Catt]

The Jig is one of the most productive lures for fishing heavy cover of any type known to anglers.

 

The Jig is one of the most productive lures for catching larger than average bass.

 

But despite its pure awesomeness the angler must keep in mind there will be days when the bass simply do not want a jig.

 

So to all the young anglers (not chronological but experientially) struggling when casting, flipping, pitching, or punching with the Awesome Jig keep in mind there will be times when the Jig aint gonna be that AWESOME

[Captain Phil]

51 minutes ago, Catt said:

But despite its pure awesomeness the angler must keep in mind there will be days when the bass simply do not want a jig.

Or anything else for that matter.  If you want to learn to catch fish on a certain lure or with a certain technique, leave everything else home and do that.  When I first learned to flip, I didn't have much luck.  I grew tired of getting my butt kicked, so I took a flipping stick and fished the entire circumference of Little Lake Harris.  Took me all summer.  Not only did I learn to flip, I found some great spots I did not know about.  If you fish the same area the same way all the time, you will produce the same result.  If that works for you, great.  If you want to do better, try something different.

[Catt]

9 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

If you want to learn to catch fish on a certain lure or with a certain technique, leave everything else home and do that. 

 

Agreed but keep in mind while you're running down to your favorite hole a jig may not be the ticket for that day.

 

Be persistent & be patient...it may take more than one day.

Edited May 30, 2020 by Catt
Operator Error

[ATA]

5 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

If you want to learn to catch fish on a certain lure or with a certain technique, leave everything else home and do that

That is what I am planning to do, thank you for sharring.

[scaleface]

I wouldnt  just take a jig . I'm out to catch fish not play around .  I may use a lure  a little every trip but not ruin my fishing outing because of stubborness .