3/8oz or 1/4oz jigs for ponds?

[TriStateBassin106]

What would be a better size jig for ponds? The lakes I fish aren't very deep max is 7 to 10 feet, so far I've had luck with both but I don't know what's a good all around size, in the winter I understand that the fish will be on the bottom and a 3/8oz is probably better. 

[Dens228]

90% of my jigs are 3/8 oz.  I use them 99% of the time. From a foot deep to 15-20 feet deep. 

[Ktho]

In a little pond from shore its even easier to fish the bottom and 1/4oz is more than enough weight because your positioning is always fixed and you're always fishing uphill. Fishing ponds from shore I use a lot of 1/4oz and 5/16oz jigs. However there are times when casting distances is important and I'll use up to a 1/2oz jig just so I can get it out there. Sometimes a heavier jig is nicer for pitching as well. 

[Team9nine]

I’ve been throwing 1/8 and 3/16 all year in my ponds and doing well (listed jig weight w/o trailer). Not sure why you’d need to go heavier unless your ponds have heavy cover you need to work in. Might be worth a try...

[WRB]

I agree with this ^^^ if the trailer size is appropriate for the jig hook, line and rod used.

Tom

[DitchPanda]

I use 5/16 most often

[GetFishorDieTryin]

For dragging and hopping I like 1/4 and 5/16.  I use 3/8 as well, but the 1/4 and 5/16 are more efficient in shallow water or grassy bottoms.  You don't have to pick grass off the lighter jigs after every other cast and they don't seem to snag as much.  One of the biggest advantages of lighter jigs IMO is the slower fall rate.  The size of the skirt, how you trim it and the trailer you use impacts the fall rate as well.  In the winter when the water is really cold the 1/4oz forces you to fish slower to keep it on the bottom.  If your throwing a 1/4 jig on the same rod you would throw a 3/8 distance is going to suffer.  You can add higher density plastic trailers and get a little more distance as long as you keep the profile to a reasonable size.  There aren't as many 1/4 jigs to chose from as there is with the 3/8 especially when it comes to football jigs.  I like to use a 7ft M F rod for 1/4 and 5/16.  I can get the same casting distance with the 1/4 as I do with 3/8 on a heavier rod.  If you do downsize the rod look for jigs with a lighter wire hook.  There are a bunch of great jigs on the market. 

[scaleface]

If there is a size that fits your equipment best I'd go with that .

[TriStateBassin106]

35 minutes ago, Rusty_Shackleford said:

For dragging and hopping I like 1/4 and 5/16.  I use 3/8 as well, but the 1/4 and 5/16 are more efficient in shallow water or grassy bottoms.  You don't have to pick grass off the lighter jigs after every other cast and they don't seem to snag as much.  One of the biggest advantages of lighter jigs IMO is the slower fall rate.  The size of the skirt, how you trim it and the trailer you use impacts the fall rate as well.  In the winter when the water is really cold the 1/4oz forces you to fish slower to keep it on the bottom.  If your throwing a 1/4 jig on the same rod you would throw a 3/8 distance is going to suffer.  You can add higher density plastic trailers and get a little more distance as long as you keep the profile to a reasonable size.  There aren't as many 1/4 jigs to chose from as there is with the 3/8 especially when it comes to football jigs.  I like to use a 7ft M F rod for 1/4 and 5/16.  I can get the same casting distance with the 1/4 as I do with 3/8 on a heavier rod.  If you do downsize the rod look for jigs with a lighter wire hook.  There are a bunch of great jigs on the market. 

why is 3/8oz such a popular size? can it be used in shallow water effectively? 

[MIbassyaker]

Ask yourself: What do you need the jig do to? Fall fast? Fall slowly? Get through heavy cover? get over heavy cover without burying? Stay on the bottom as you move it? Stay off the bottom as you move it?

 

3/8oz is popular probably because it casts well on a MH rod and, with a trailer on, falls at a moderate-fast rate that is "good enough" most of the time.

 

The biggest issue with ponds tend to be overgrown vegetation and mucky bottoms. you may need the jig to get through a canopy of weeds, but not bury itself in the muck. A mid-range weight like 3/8 is often just right, and usually is a good place to start. You can adjust the fall rate by changing trailers to provide more vs. less resistance.  If you are getting stuck in bottom stuff too much, move the jig faster or downsize to 1/4. An even lighter weight is good if you want to move it slowly but stay off the bottom.  If you want it to stay on the bottom as you drag it, that may require a heavier weight, especially if you want to move the jig faster.  It's all going to be relative to the presentation you're trying to make.

 

 

[Dens228]

1 hour ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

why is 3/8oz such a popular size? can it be used in shallow water effectively? 

Yes it can.  As I said earlier I use it most of the time....I'd say the 3/8 oz jig is like the MH/Fast rod of the jig world.  Most versatile.  

[Bluebasser86]

I mainly use a 1/2oz, even in ponds. I don't carry many 3/8oz jigs.

[Hammer 4]

Mostly 1/4 and 3/8 oz jigs. If it happens to be when the grass is fairly thick, I'll jump up to 1/2 oz, and if I'm tossing into the toolies, 3/4 oz. 

[timsford]

The size I use depends on several things. First I always start off with something with a large profile for bigger fish. I usually like to start out with a 3/8 or 1/2 oz jig with a sweet beaver for a trailer. I like to start with that to see if the fish are active and to go after the bigger bass first because most of the ponds I fish are shallow and the fish spook easily. That way I can get a long cast to cover more water and at the same time show the bigger bass a hefty meal worth them chasing down.

If its not working well or if there is a lot of grass I switch to a 1/4 oz jig for a slower fall and to keep it from burying down in the grass. If there is light cover or if even the 1/4 oz doesnt draw bites I switch to a 1/8 oz jig woth a small craw trailer to try to present the fish with a finesse type bait. 

If the water is deeper or if I'm getting bites on the 1/2 oz may go up to a 3/4 oz jig so I can cast farther and reach places from shore I can't cast to with a small jig.

Some of it depends on the mood of the bass as well. After a cold front or on highly pressured ponds and lakes I usually go to one extreme or the other. By that I mean I either use a 1/8 oz jig and fish it super slow with a lot of shaking and small twitches of the rod tip even though my bait comes back to me very slow. Basically it falls very slow and then sits in front of their face as long as possible but with lots of shakes and twitches to trigger a reaction bite. Or if the water is deeper and the fish are lethargic and the small jig isn't getting bit then I will switch to a 1/2 oz "mop" jig with a mixed living rubber and silicone skirt. The living rubber flares out and gives the fish a large profile to give them a meal worth eating. I have also had luck even going up to a 3/4 oz jig in even shallow water when the fish are not biting due to cold fronts and pressure. I think the fast fall helps trigger them to bite because its not something many anglers fish.

Basically there is no single "best" jig size as far as my experience goes. I have better luck letting the conditions dictate my bait size and also my retrieve/presentation and also it always pays to experiment what works one day may not work the next even though the fishing pressure and conditions are the same

[Armtx77]

I catch more on the 1/4, than 3/8. Don't know why, but the drop rate is super slow and for my style of fishing, that slow roll just catches more of them.

[lynxcat]

I use 1/4 the most followed by 3/8. I own maybe one 1/2 jig. I can cast a 1/4 plenty far and it doesn’t get caught up in the muck as bad. 

[MidwestBassAttack]

What a great question. Especially for this time of year here in NE Illinois. I suggest trying to keep things simple.

 

Let your cover/depth be your guide.

 

Mid-deep depth / heavy cover = 1/2+
Shallow-mid / light cover = 3/8+
 

Just my $0.02

[Bankbeater]

I fish a lot of 3, 4, and 5 acre ponds.  This time of year the only time I don't use an 1/8 jig is when it's windy out. 

[Catt]

R.O.F. - Rate of Fall 

 

It is common knowledge the bass often hit a jig or t-rig on the initial fall. It is called a reaction stike & is caused by how fast or slow the lure falls through the water column.  

 

Depth of the water or size of the body of water has nothing to do with it!

[Hook2Jaw]

I mainly use ⁵/¹⁶ for bodies of water for smaller fish and ½ for bodies of water with larger fish.  I've found when fishing in muck and grass that dragging the jig or hopping the jig with vertical rod movement keeps the crud off my jigs better.

 

I also toss these things in the heaviest cover available, so 9 times out of 10 I'm casting or pitching them on a heavy rod.

[Boomstick]

I really like the 3/8oz jigs for up to 12ft feet of water, and 1/2oz for anything above that and only heavier if I'm fishing exclusively in 20ft+ of water. But if there is no cover, I wouldn't hesitate to go much lighter.