When to not use a swim jig?

[Kenny Yi]

I always have a swim jig tied on.  It's a confidence bait for me in shallow water and I appreciate its versatility and ease-of-use, but it makes me wonder why I don't see/hear much about it.  I always seem to find videos and topics about chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and cranks when browsing, but not the swim jig.  To me, a swim jig is great because it's weedless, comes in all the best colors, can use many trailers (for subtle and aggressive actions), and has a skirt for a nice profile.  When I need a lot of "thump" for swimming, I use a rage craw trailer.  Subtlety comes from a keitech style swimbait.  The best trailer for me is the rage menace.  I successfully fish swim jigs in water with around 1-2 feet clarity at best (typical Virginia water), where most people would primarily use spinners and chatters (which I also use).

 

To me the only thing a swim jig doesn't have is the flash of spinnerbaits or the incredible vibration of chatterbaits.  But, I haven't had a situation where the swim jig was outperformed, day-by-day-week-by-week, due to lacking those features.  There is always the occasional "chatterbait day" but the swim jig always follows the next.

 

Just wondering if anyone has experienced some situations in shallow water where a swim jig just doesn't produce or is tough to work with.  Or maybe it doesn't work in different parts of the country.

[Way north bass guy]

Not working here too well right now. Maybe in 3 or 4 more weeks. 

[Jigfishn10]

Nice post. I honestly think your 2nd sentence summed up your whole post with 2 key words: confidence bait.

I’m not a swim jig fisher. Don’t know why to be honest. If I’m fishing horizontally in grabbing a spinnerbait or a lipless crankbait because those are my confidence baits. 
Is the swim jig better than the spinnerbait or lipless crank? Could be on that day but one isn’t better than the other.

For me, I want to fish a lure I have conviction in and it sounds like thats the swim jig for you.

[Deleted account]

When they are crashing a spinnerbait.

[Michigander]

I'm a swim jig fanboy. I don't use them too much when fishing deep though.

[GReb]

Swim jigs are a staple for me when fishing heavily pressured shallow lakes with cover. Same with a silent crank. Being subtle and stealthy works very well when everyone else is zooming by with loud blade and rattle baits

[Mr Swim Jig]

I always have a swim jig tied on and it is the first bait I always start with. There is no place, time or condition that I won't throw a swim jig....

[r3825]

I love swim jigs,  always have one tied on

[MIbassyaker]

Good question. The only answer I have is an anecdote from last summer:

 

One day in august it was bright, bluebird skies, almost no wind. I was in a shallow, swampy river bayou that is usually a frog & buzzbait heaven.  But wasn't seeing any surface activity at all, so after spending a little time with topwater, I switched to a 3/8oz swimjig.

 

An hour later, after alternating between the swimjig and pitching a few different plastics... with still nothing so much as a strike, it came to me that maybe I needed something flashier/noisier to take advantage of the sun and get a reaction bite, but that still ran subsurface. So I just switched to a spinnerbait, and within three casts had the first bass of a dozen I would catch (along with couple of pike and a bowfin) over the next couple hours.

 

So: Maybe sometimes the blade matters! But you don't know for sure until you try it.

[Dens228]

I love swim jigs and fish them all the time.  

The only time I switch it up is if it's cloudy skies, rain, or real low vis water, then it's a chatterbait, or real clear water then it's an underspin.   But I will switch back to the straight swim jig if the others aren't working. 

[Kenny Yi]

I appreciate all the responses. ?

1 hour ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Nice post. I honestly think your 2nd sentence summed up your whole post with 2 key words: confidence bait.

Spinnerbait is also a confidence bait for me, but I've found that I don't prioritize its use anymore.  I do agree that my confidence in those baits helps with my success.

 

20 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

The only time I switch it up is if it's cloudy skies, rain, or real low vis water, then it's a chatterbait

Me too, spinnerbait fits in there as well.

 

29 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

An hour later, after alternating between the swimjig and pitching a few different plastics... with still nothing so much as a strike, it came to me that maybe I needed something flashier/noisier to take advantage of the sun and get a reaction bite, but that still ran subsurface. So I just switched to a spinnerbait, and within three casts had the first bass of a dozen I would catch (along with couple of pike and a bowfin) over the next couple hours.

 

So: Maybe sometimes the blade matters! But you don't know for sure until you try it.

That tends to be my routine as well, start with a swim jig and work from there.

[Bluebasser86]

Swimjigs are pretty far down the list of baits for me. They rarely seem to be the best option on the day. The only time I really reach for them is when there is too much grass for a spinnerbait or bladed jig.

[Deleted account]

12 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

Good question. The only answer I have is an anecdote from last summer:

 

One day in august it was bright, bluebird skies, almost no wind. I was in a shallow, swampy river bayou that is usually a frog & buzzbait heaven.  But wasn't seeing any surface activity at all, so after spending a little time with topwater, I switched to a 3/8oz swimjig.

 

An hour later, after alternating between the swimjig and pitching a few different plastics... with still nothing so much as a strike, it came to me that maybe I needed something flashier/noisier to take advantage of the sun and get a reaction bite, but that still ran subsurface. So I just switched to a spinnerbait, and within three casts had the first bass of a dozen I would catch (along with couple of pike and a bowfin) over the next couple hours.

 

So: Maybe sometimes the blade matters! But you don't know for sure until you try it.

A swim jig is a great choice a lot of the time, It is more subtle and less intrusive than something with a blade, and can be customized with literally hundreds of different trailers to achieve a more subtle or more "ragy" action, as well as the desired size and profile. It is also a jig, so if you are working water with it and see a target that looks good, you can pitch it in there, or hop the bottom a bit (TTA).

That being said, there are times when there is no better bait than a chatterbait. I wish that wasn't the case, but I also wish Montana was still the GOAT. And lastly, there is something about getting the blade combination on a spinnerbait just right, that almost seems like bass can't help but bite it if it passes in front of their face. Those 3 plus a squarebill is all I really fish in the pre spawn anymore. Sure a T-rig, Senko and several other things will catch them in the pre spawn, but I just don't see any value added.

[Michigander]

13 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

Good question. The only answer I have is an anecdote from last summer:

 

One day in august it was bright, bluebird skies, almost no wind. I was in a shallow, swampy river bayou that is usually a frog & buzzbait heaven.  But wasn't seeing any surface activity at all, so after spending a little time with topwater, I switched to a 3/8oz swimjig.

 

An hour later, after alternating between the swimjig and pitching a few different plastics... with still nothing so much as a strike, it came to me that maybe I needed something flashier/noisier to take advantage of the sun and get a reaction bite, but that still ran subsurface. So I just switched to a spinnerbait, and within three casts had the first bass of a dozen I would catch (along with couple of pike and a bowfin) over the next couple hours.

 

So: Maybe sometimes the blade matters! But you don't know for sure until you try it.

That's why I tie swim jigs with flashy metallic skirts. ?

[Dens228]

Sometimes the bass don't follow our logic.  Two summers ago at my main go to water it was all swim jig and could hardly ever buy a bite on a chatter, last summer on the same water it was all chatter and I could hardly buy a bite on a swim jig.  Often I had both tied on and would alternate.  

[DaubsNU1]

I have a few swim jigs in my box...but never tried them. 

[roadwarrior]

Just now, DaubsNU1 said:

I have a few swim jigs in my box...but never tried them. 

Most of the lures I have collected over the years have the same problem.

I haven't fished them so they don't catch any bass!  My goal this year, as it

has been form the last 25, is to fish everything I own at least once.

[Dens228]

22 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Most of the lures I have collected over the years have the same problem.

I haven't fished them so they don't catch any bass!  My goal this year, as it

has been form the last 25, is to fish everything I own at least once.

I went out a couple times last year with the mindset to switch lures every two bass.  I actually did better than expected both times!

[Catt]

I have a "JIG" tied on 24/7/365, I cast it, pitch it, flip it, punch it, & swim it.

 

Kinda like I do with a Texas Rig, I cast it, pitch it, flip it, punch it, & swim it.

 

I don't carry 5 or 6 jig rods, I carry 2, one for 1/2 oz & under and one with 5/8 oz & over.

[Dens228]

6 minutes ago, Catt said:

I have a "JIG" tied on 24/7/365, I cast it, pitch it, flip it, punch it, & swim it.

 

Kinda like I do with a Texas Rig, I cast it, pitch it, flip it, punch it, & swim it.

 

I don't carry 5 or 6 jig rods, I carry 2, one for 1/2 oz & under and one with 5/8 oz & over.

Same here but one for bottom contact like Arkie and football and another for swim jig, chatterbaits, underspins. 

 

[J Francho]

I don't think I own any swim jigs anymore.  I might have some somewhere, but they aren't in my jig box.  I will often (some days, very often) swim the jig I am using.  I like a high action trailer for this, like a Rage Chunk or Rage Craw.  Football jigs are really nice for this.  When they hit a rock or other hard bottom cover, they kick up and that seems to appeal to bass.

[DitchPanda]

I feel like swim jigs produce better for me in clear water or high pressure...like if I'm fishing over a spot that guys just pounded on. Fortunately I have several small ponds and lakes around that have clean water that do get fished enough for the swim jig to pay off. I also have other ponds that almost always have color to them where a spinner bait or bladed jig always seem to produce better. I will also add that spinnerbaits and bladed jigs always seem to work better for me in colder water then a swim jig. They shine when a lipless does and about that time when the lipless bite drops off for me so does the spinner and chatter bite...that's when I switch to swim jig.

[avid]

I’m guessing that when y’all say “swim jig” you mean a skirted jig   I don’t have a lot of luck swimming those   But put a paddle tail on a jig head and it can I’m gold 

[MN Fisher]

5 minutes ago, Ovid said:

I’m guessing that when y’all say “swim jig” you mean a skirted jig   I don’t have a lot of luck swimming those   But put a paddle tail on a jig head and it can I’m gold 

A swim-jig head is a different shape than a football or Arky head - it has a narrower front profile. Made for coming through weeds easier.

 

[avid]

10 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

A swim-jig head is a different shape than a football or Arky head - it has a narrower front profile. Made for coming through weeds easier.

 

Down here in Florida inshore fishing for snook etc is very productive using a jig head and paddle tail   They come in all sizes and shapes but TBH I don’t ever feel a need to use anything other than an arkie style head   But I have several different shapes   Up north with rock and gravel bottoms I’ll use a football style but here in Florida armies work best foe me