The reasons I am a better jig fisherman

[WRB]

When you look at life through a whiskey bottle it tends to blur your vision.

Jigs are jigs like bass are bass multiple different types of both and several different ways to fish them.

Tom

[throttleplate]

7 minutes ago, WRB said:

When you look at life through a whiskey bottom it tends to blur your vision.

Jigs are jigs like bass are bass multiple different types of both and several different ways to fish them.

Tom

well said, this pertains to all baits. I would say for myself the first time i used a jig just for the heck of it i put on as a trailer a broke off piece of a stick bait that was so short it had no movement and threw it out and caught a bass. Well darn this is easy and it works so i continued.

 

After working the jig for an hour i felt like a pro as i not knowing really anything about jig fishing worked it in many different ways and probably without knowing it did all the techniques known to man.

 

I caught my biggest bass this year with the jig using a rageking craw while bank fishing. I was using top waters to start with and then i wasnt having any more success with that so i sat down and said well today i promised myself i would throw the greenpumpkin jig with a craw before we left to hit another lake.

 

I wrote down on a piece of paper that morning and put it in my bank bag a list of the lures i was going to use that day and had them separated out so i wanted to squeeze in the jig before we left.

 

Threw it out from the bank and slowly dragged it over sunken tree parts feeling the weeds and most importantly i was looking at the fall scenery kinda daydreaming thinking on what lake to hit next  not expecting to catch a fish then wham it hit and i set and reeled her in and had me a nice 6 pounder.

 

Without even thinking about it my technique was just automatic not stressing myself if i will catch a fish or not but it was just my mind working with my hands all the while i wasnt really 100% focused on catching a fish. So to all the fishing guys stop panicking, stressing, feeling like if you dont give 100% you are a failure and wont ever catch a fish, relax have fun and good things happen when you least expect it.

[NoShoes]

Definitely going to commit to the jig over the next few months seeing as cooler water supposed to favor it. What other factors do you look for on any given day to lean you towards a jig as opposed to a t-rig?

[mcipinkie]

If I'm in a body of water that has a fair population of big fish, and I'm in a derby, I'll always start out with a jig over plastic.  You will, as a rule, get less bites, but better fish. 

 

Hot summer time, I'll gravitate to a big worm, Texas or Tokyo rigged. 

 

We have couple lakes around here that are big fish lakes.  I'm throwing a jig for 4 or 5 bites a day, expecting 3 - 7 lb. bites.  Sometimes I don't get 'em.

 

We have a couple more lakes that are over populated with dinks.  Sometimes, you just want to get bites. I'll go to one of these and throw little stuff.  Drop shot, ned rig, Neko rig, shaky head.  There I expect 50 bites a day that won't total 15 lbs. 

 

If I can, when fishing for money, I'm throwing the big jig.  I feel confident that if I can get 6 bites, I'll get 5 in the boat and weigh good. 

 

Remember, I'm 74 years old.  Fished my first tournament in 1975.  It didn't come easy. 

[sideways2]

On 11/30/2020 at 10:18 PM, mcipinkie said:

You guys are making this far harder than it really is.  To me, nothing is easier to fish than a jig.  When a fish pulls on it, or swims off with it, you jerk.  That's all there is to it.  Watch your line.  I see far more bites than I see.

 

I like heavy jigs.  Easier to pitch, easier to feel.  My bread and butter jig is a 3/4 oz.  Fish Boss Gary Klein Heavy Cover jig.  Fish it 75% of the time.  I use 1/2 oz most of the rest of time.  Don't believe all the finesse crap.  Stay with the big jigs.  Learn to present them.  Learn how they feel.  I catch fish on the big jig 12 months out of the year from 6" deep to 15' deep.  I ain't fishing any deeper than that.

 

Seriously, pick you a jig size, stay with it.  Learn how it feels.  Once it's part of you, then you can try another.  Unfortunately, every once in a while, the small jigs are what they want, but it's not the norm.  Throw big jigs. 

 

Funny personal note:  Every one dotes on 3/8 oz jigs.  I don't own any.  I don't know how many jigs I have between the boats, the truck, and the tackle room, but none are 3/8.  If I want a full sized jig, I'll throw 1/2, preferably 3/4.  If I want a small jig, I'll throw a 1/4.  

See more than I feel.  Jim Beam sours mess up my typing.

 

^ this ?

 

[Catt]

14 hours ago, NoShoes said:

What other factors do you look for on any given day to lean you towards a jig as opposed to a t-rig?

 

The bass ?

 

I have both tied on 24/7/365, I throw both until the bass show me their preference.

[Sam]

On 11/29/2020 at 10:36 PM, WRB said:

Anticipation and intuition.

Anticipation comes from knowing and believing the bass is located where you are fishing and what depth. Cocked and ready to set the hook as the jig enters the strike zone.

Keeping in touch with any lure is critical but with jigs it’s essential. Everyone knows this and go to extremes buying the most sensitive rods, smooth operations reels and premium line. To me these are crutch’s and relying on equipment in lieu of anticipating the strike by keeping in touch with the jig mentally and using your intuition.

Intuition is the wildcard factor that comes from the gut. You just know a strike has occurred by processing all the factors in a micro second and hook setting without knowing why.

Since I was not totally reliant on my equipment to catch bass consistently over 5 decades with rods, reels and line today’s anglers consider obsolete my focus on anticipation, intuition stayed as sharp as my hooks.

Tom

As stated before, Tom, the fish have no idea of how much your tackle costs.

 

My old fishing buddy could clobber anyone he went against using very low priced rods and reels.  When one broke, he would throw it away and buy another one.

 

I can't count all the tournaments he won while he was in Virginia using low priced gear.

[Paul Roberts]

On 11/30/2020 at 11:16 AM, A-Jay said:

...some people have more experience and expertise stored in their memory database against which current perceptions can be matched.

...

I think this explains a lot of the intuition we experience as anglers, and hunters. 

 

I am most intuitive when I am practiced. Some of it has come from years of doing it. But it helps to be fishing a lot.

[Michigander]

On 12/1/2020 at 4:38 PM, NoShoes said:

Definitely going to commit to the jig over the next few months seeing as cooler water supposed to favor it. What other factors do you look for on any given day to lean you towards a jig as opposed to a t-rig?

For me, it depends on what's around me. TRigs are better equipped to get in and out of weeds IMO. For me, the jig does it's best work in less clogged water and around hard cover/structure. If I keep getting my jig back with a ball of vegetation each time I cast, I put it down and switch to a TRig 

[MGF]

I've probably caught more fish on a jig of some kind than anything else, although, I won't claim to be any good at it.

 

I don't own any "expensive" equipment. Heck, I don't even have an expensive boat. I wouldn't call those things crutches. They're nice to have if you can afford them but, out of necessity I place the emphasis on skills.

 

It would be great to have the nice equipment and the skills. LOL

[Boomstick]

On 11/29/2020 at 10:36 PM, WRB said:

Intuition is the wildcard factor that comes from the gut. You just know a strike has occurred by processing all the factors in a micro second and hook setting without knowing why.

This is something I'm still working on. I feel I'll likely say the same thing in 20 years to. Sometimes I get it right, and sometimes I don't.

[WRB]

Started this thread to point out jig fishing takes concentration unlike almost every other lure presentation. Talking and visiting just generating enjoying the outing distracts from the shuttle jig bites, you must concentrate.

Tom

[NoShoes]

Ive caught another 4 or 5 on jigs since this thread kicked off and just want to thank everyone whose shared their knowledge. It’s much appreciated from those who still have a lot to learn.