Swim jig vs spinnerbait

[bigspirit]

Wanted to throw a spinnerbait tomorrow but looking like it’ll be 3mph breeze, which is basically nothing. So I’ll probably opt for a swim jig, which I personally have more confidence in anyways. 
 

This got me to thinking though - when I throw a swim jig I normally throw blue gill colored skirts and trailers. However many seem to like a white or chartreuse spinnerbait. I know some of the nuances of each, but can’t say I’ve ever thrown a solid white or chartreuse swim jig. 
 

thoughts?

[HaydenS]

I’ll throw a white swim jig in the same place I throw bluegill colored one.  Personally I’ve had more success with a white swim jig than anything.  

 

I’ve got a lot of confidence in a swim jig, but right now I’d be throwing a smaller spinnerbait.

 

Slow rolling a spinnerbait seems to be more effect in the colder water, in any cover, and really any other time of year.  

Swim jig seems to shine in grass or wood and warmer water.

[Kenny Yi]

42 minutes ago, bigspirit said:

but can’t say I’ve ever thrown a solid white or chartreuse swim jig.

you are missing out!  i also throw green spinnerbaits...?

[LrgmouthShad]

Spinnerbait!

 

Oh sorry, you were wondering about a chartreuse and white swim jig. Yeah that's cool I guess.

29 minutes ago, Kenny Yi said:

 i also throw green spinnerbaits...?

[DitchPanda]

My 2 cents..at least how I rationalize it in my brain. I go white\shad with a spinner bait because the blades represent shad so I like the skirt to be close in color to get them to eat the bait not just the blades. The overall profile of a swim jig with a vertical rigged trailer is much stockier representing a pan fish so I go bluegill colors on a swim jig majority of the time.

Now I'm in no way saying a bluegill spinner bait or shad swim jig won't work.

[Munkin]

 

These are the two main swimjig colors I have used for years. White one catches more fish but the sunfish one catches bigger ones. 

 

Allen

[Bass Rutten]

I would only throw white or chartreuse swimjig in moderately  low water visibility, like 1-2 feet, or if they’re on shad.

[Catt]

Santone Lures Chris McCall's Rayburn Swim Jig in Psycho Clown. Depending on the trailer I can make look like a shad or bluegill.

 

 

[Jigfishn10]

Sounds like you have more confidence n a swim jig, why not stay with a swim jig in the color preference you like?

 

Me, I keep it pretty simple, clear days and clear water = white or white and pick your favorite secondary color.

 

Overcast/dark skies w/clear or dark waters - a dark wine color or black or black with pick you favorite secondary color.

 

[gim]

I personally have more confidence in a spinner bait but the jig can more methodically cover water than a spinner bait and generally can get down deeper too.

[softwateronly]

My confidence is to start with a swim jig and back it up w/ a spinnerbait or bladed jig.  I put that on water clarity, less is more type thing.  I'd flip the order with clarity less than 3'

 

40 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I personally have more confidence in a spinner bait but the jig can more methodically cover water than a spinner bait and generally can get down deeper too.

 

Somewhat surprisingly to me is that heavy versions of both have been very effective for me in deeper water, but the 3/4-1oz spinnerbait seems slightly better, especially at night.  

 

 

 

scott

 

[swhit140]

I love fishing both baits, but last year the swim jig was my most productive lure. 

Green Pumpkin with Zoom Fat Albert (Green Pumpkin Purple)

[RDB]

On 2/25/2022 at 6:39 PM, bigspirit said:

Wanted to throw a spinnerbait tomorrow but looking like it’ll be 3mph breeze, which is basically nothing. So I’ll probably opt for a swim jig, which I personally have more confidence in anyways. 
 

This got me to thinking though - when I throw a swim jig I normally throw blue gill colored skirts and trailers. However many seem to like a white or chartreuse spinnerbait. I know some of the nuances of each, but can’t say I’ve ever thrown a solid white or chartreuse swim jig. 
 

thoughts?

With no wind, I personally would also have opted for a swim jig over a spinnerbait as well.  I like some chop on the water when fishing spinnerbaits.  As far as color, I choose more natural colors in clearer water and brighter (white, chartreuse, etc.) in stained/dirty water.  I have confidence in both and let conditions dictate which I choose first.

[J.Bass]

On 2/25/2022 at 6:39 PM, bigspirit said:

Wanted to throw a spinnerbait tomorrow but looking like it’ll be 3mph breeze, which is basically nothing. So I’ll probably opt for a swim jig, which I personally have more confidence in anyways. 
 

This got me to thinking though - when I throw a swim jig I normally throw blue gill colored skirts and trailers. However many seem to like a white or chartreuse spinnerbait. I know some of the nuances of each, but can’t say I’ve ever thrown a solid white or chartreuse swim jig. 
 

thoughts?

Go with both a spinnerbait and swim bait … the answer is a chatterbait. I love adding a Zako as my trailer .. AJay on here got me addicted! They also have Zako with paddle tails which are also deadly. 

[bigspirit]

11 hours ago, J.Bass said:

Go with both a spinnerbait and swim bait … the answer is a chatterbait. I love adding a Zako as my trailer .. AJay on here got me addicted! They also have Zako with paddle tails which are also deadly. 

I can tell you I have caught a whopping ZERO fish on a chatterbait. Haven’t thrown it a ton, but I have 0 confidence in it from the times that I have!

On 2/25/2022 at 9:02 PM, DitchPanda said:

My 2 cents..at least how I rationalize it in my brain. I go white\shad with a spinner bait because the blades represent shad so I like the skirt to be close in color to get them to eat the bait not just the blades. The overall profile of a swim jig with a vertical rigged trailer is much stockier representing a pan fish so I go bluegill colors on a swim jig majority of the time.

Now I'm in no way saying a bluegill spinner bait or shad swim jig won't work.

I honestly think it stems from when I was up by you in northern Iowa. That’s when I started fishing swim jigs and used bluegill colors as that was the forage up there since there were no shad. That’s where I built confidence with one and it’s translated to down here - I’ve used the same swim jigs down here with pretty good success. 

[J.Bass]

7 minutes ago, bigspirit said:

I can tell you I have caught a whopping ZERO fish on a chatterbait. Haven’t thrown it a ton, but I have 0 confidence in it from the times that I have!

I honestly think it stems from when I was up by you in northern Iowa. That’s when I started fishing swim jigs and used bluegill colors as that was the forage up there since there were no shad. That’s where I built confidence one and it’s translated to down here - I’ve used the same swim jigs down here with pretty good success. 

First time I tried a chatterbait I had no luck. I saw some of @A-Jay pictures of bass he caught and he explained what he was using and how he fished it. I went and replicated and caught fish. You can rip it but in spring and early summer you want to reel in medium pace. I like to keep it above weeds but near bottom as possible. In spring and early summer the weeds here haven’t grown outrageous so you don’t have to rip it. It’s all about finding that happy medium they like. The lure is deadly looks like a Shad in water. Even pike hammer it. Haven’t had a pike nor miss it. Even got Muskie ☺️

[gim]

6 minutes ago, J.Bass said:

Even pike hammer it. Haven’t had a pike nor miss it. Even got Muskie ☺️

I catch a lot of pike on them. Too many in fact. They rip the skirt and plastic trailer a lot. Most of the pike are in the small annoying variety too.

 

I did catch a 40 inch tiger muskie last season on one though. So every once in a while the bycatch is a bonus.

[Captain Phil]

In my view, spinnerbaits and blade baits are different enough to be classified as separate presentations.  Both are reaction baits. Much of a spinnerbait's attraction comes from the flash of the blades.  A blade bait's attraction comes from it's vibration.  Spinnerbaits are generally more effective when fished slowly and blade baits are at their best when fished faster.   Here in Florida you only need two colors, chartreuse with gold metal and white with silver.  There are times, like on rainy or overcast days, when black and chartreuse work better.  Everything else is just another reason to buy.

[bigspirit]

I guess another reason I haven’t felt the need to try them is I’m not fishing much grass. Basically highland reservoirs with wood and rock structure. I’m sure it would still catch some fish but not sure that’s the ideal place for a chatterbait. Especially the wood LOL

[Bankbeater]

It depends on how thick the vegetation is and how finicky the bass are.  I've noticed that sometimes the bass want the blades and sometimes they don't.