swimjig/jig hookup ratio?

[PressuredFishing]

Man I am having a love hate relationship with the jig at the moment, I dont know if it is my style or what but I have recently gotten 6 solid jig bites over the last 2months and have not been able to hook a single fish. I have had them on for a few seconds at most and then they just pop off. Not entirely sure

if its because jig hooks have stupidly heavy wire or if it has to do with the weed guard, but in comparison to t rig fishing I have a 100% hookup ratio of getting a EWG fish in the boat after they have been stuck, but the jig has just been wierd. Im setting the hook pretty much the same way as a trig, so if anyone has different ideas let me know, I have even tried thinning the weed guard a little bit but at this point im thinking its most likley due to me using stretchy 12lb mono which probably does not favor the heavy hooks of jigs.

 

P.S (Im using casting/arkie style jig heads with a "standard jig wire hook" almost identical to the diameter of a chatterbait wire hook, some brands are slightly heavier some are slightly wire gauge.

 

(Also note, all fish where visibly seen for a few seconds when pitching/ swimming and all fish where between 2-4 pounds, none smaller which makes me think that they are not struggling to get the entire thing in their mouth)

 

[Johnpenguin]

5 minutes ago, PressuredFishing said:

Man I am having a love hate relationship with the jig at the moment, I dont know if it is my style or what but I have recently gotten 6 solid jig bites over the last 2months and have not been able to hook a single fish. I have had them on for a few seconds at most and then they just pop off. Not entirely sure

if its because jig hooks have stupidly heavy wire or if it has to do with the weed guard, but in comparison to t rig fishing I have a 100% hookup ratio of getting a EWG fish in the boat after they have been stuck, but the jig has just been wierd. Im setting the hook pretty much the same way as a trig, so if anyone has different ideas let me know, I have even tried thinning the weed guard a little bit but at this point im thinking its most likley due to me using stretchy 12lb mono which probably does not favor the heavy hooks of jigs.

 

P.S (Im using casting/arkie style jig heads with a "standard jig wire hook" almost identical to the diameter of a chatterbait wire hook, some brands are slightly heavier some are slightly wire gauge.

 

(Also note, all fish where visibly seen for a few seconds when pitching/ swimming and all fish where between 2-4 pounds, none smaller which makes me think that they are not struggling to get the entire thing in their mouth)

 

I had the same problem. T rigs require way less hook setting power. I got a 7’4” heavy jig rod and use 40# braid to a 20# mono leader now and kill ‘em 

[Bird]

I always trim and mash the weed guard down closer to the hook.

My go to swim Jigs are 3/8 and can't recall loosing a fish this year.

Oh, I'm only using a 6'10 med with straight 20# braid.

Hope you get it resolved as they're great baits.

[Bankc]

I prefer braid with jigs for this reason.  I also like a pretty stiff rod with jigs, as softer rods require a lot more force on hookset.  They definitely require a bit more force than T-rigs. 

 

Also, it seems to me with a jig, you sometimes want to wait a half second longer than a T-rig or the like before setting the hook.  I'm guessing that maybe it's the weight of the jig or drag of the skirt or something, but I'll often fight the fish for a full second on two after a good hookset before they get free.  And when I reel the jig back in, the trailer is either missing, ripped in half, or pulled down the hook.  Almost like they didn't get the whole jig in their mouth when I set the hook.  My hookup ratio seems to be a lot better if I wait just a half second longer before setting the hook with jigs.  Like when you feel the tap-tap of a bite, wait for the second tap.  Don't go on the first.  

 

However, sometimes luck plays a role.  Last Saturday I went out all day and got at least 10 bites.  And I don't mean nibbles, I mean full on bites as in I felt something, set the hook, and fought something that fought back.  And all 10 got off!  I was losing them on everything that day.  T-rigs, jigs, walking baits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, everything.  One threw the lure right as I was starting to reach out to lip him.  I have no idea what I was doing wrong, because it sure felt like I was doing everything the same old way I always did it.  But sometimes you just have "one of those days".  The next day, everything was back to normal.  Actually, a little better than normal, as I landed my biggest fish in two years on a jig in a pond that I swore didn't have anything near that big in it!  

[Bankbeater]

I've had better luck with jigs on the bottom than with swim jigs this spring.  Around here the bass have been charging at the swim jig and then bumping it.  After that they turn around and go back where they came from in the vegetation. 

[DitchPanda]

Jigs I use 15lb copolymer and a medium heavy rod. Swim jigs I actually use 12lb copolymer and a medium power rod. Honestly I don't have issues hooking and keeping them pinned on either.

[FryDog62]

Sometimes the fish are tentative and all they want to do is to nip at your paddletail trailer and avoid getting hooked very well... 

 

[MN Fisher]

Just now, FryDog62 said:

Sometimes all they want is to nip at your paddletail trailer and avoid getting hooked very well... 

Or any trailer really. I've had what I thought were solid bites, set the hook...and nothing. Bring the jig in and my Pit Boss is missing one of its trailing 'flappers'.

[Catt]

Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Flippin Jig or Santone Lures Chris McCall Rayburn Swim Jig

 

Both have extremely stout hooks that are thinner diameter requiring less force for penetration.

 

Rayburn Swim Jig has a thinner weed guard.

[Fastbee]

1 hour ago, PressuredFishing said:

im thinking its most likley due to me using stretchy 12lb mono which probably does not favor the heavy hooks of jigs.

 

 

 

It's not that...I use mono all the time without incident. Two things will help you out on swim jig hookup ratio:

 

1. Wait until you feel the pressure of the fish. I actually reel into the fish after the strike to take up all the slack before my rod moves.  Hit 'em hard when you do set the hook.

2. Pay close attention to the sharpness or the hook and position of the trailer on the jig. 

[PressuredFishing]

Good info everyone, excellent info. Jigs have been troublesome for me hookup ratio wise since will try all these new reccomendations. 

2 hours ago, Bird said:

Hope you get it resolved as they're great baits.

Excellent info, I will try lowering the weed gaurd down, these weed gaurds are quite a bit higher up, almost 90 degrees to the hook shank, will try this

2 hours ago, Bankc said:

They definitely require a bit more force than T-rigs. 

I think I'm starting to notice that alot, I'm really going to put the effort into the hook set more, on trigs alot of the time, maybe I'll even switch to a slightly stouter rod to aid in the hookset.

53 minutes ago, Catt said:

Both have extremely stout hooks 

 

Excellent reccomendation, I think I am going those route!

[Trox]

You can't catch jig fish if your combo isn't at least $600

[Basser2021]

6 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

Man I am having a love hate relationship with the jig at the moment, I dont know if it is my style or what but I have recently gotten 6 solid jig bites over the last 2months and have not been able to hook a single fish. I have had them on for a few seconds at most and then they just pop off. Not entirely sure

if its because jig hooks have stupidly heavy wire or if it has to do with the weed guard, but in comparison to t rig fishing I have a 100% hookup ratio of getting a EWG fish in the boat after they have been stuck, but the jig has just been wierd. Im setting the hook pretty much the same way as a trig, so if anyone has different ideas let me know, I have even tried thinning the weed guard a little bit but at this point im thinking its most likley due to me using stretchy 12lb mono which probably does not favor the heavy hooks of jigs.

 

P.S (Im using casting/arkie style jig heads with a "standard jig wire hook" almost identical to the diameter of a chatterbait wire hook, some brands are slightly heavier some are slightly wire gauge.

 

(Also note, all fish where visibly seen for a few seconds when pitching/ swimming and all fish where between 2-4 pounds, none smaller which makes me think that they are not struggling to get the entire thing in their mouth)

 

I was having trouble about a year ago with the jig bite and connecting on my hookups. I use mono sometimes and don't have many problems. The best advice I can give you is to find a certain jig that works for you. Mine is the Strike King Bitsy Bug it has the perfect weedguard and is light-weight.

[swhit140]

I rarely miss a bite on a swim jig, I normally use a 3/8 oz swim jig along with whatever trailer I'm using. I spread the weed guards wider, I feel it helps on the hookup. I'm using a Medium Heavy rod with 15lb copolymer.

 

[Catt]

Question 

When y'all are throwing Texas Rigs do y'all use extra strong punch hooks for everything?

 

Why y'all throwing jigs with extra stout hooks?

 

A jig imitates a crawfish correct?

Yes I believes they do

 

A crawfish has a hard shell does it not?

Yes they in fact have a hard shell

 

Why would a bass spit what it preceives to be a crawfish because it feels somthing hard?

 

When the bass "crushes" the jig to kill it; it feels the hardness of a shell, the softness of the skirt, & the firmness of the trailer just like a crawfish.

 

Tell me again what y'all waiting on!

[LrgmouthShad]

15 hours ago, Bird said:

with straight 20# braid.

why braid?

[Bird]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

why braid?

Me likes it.?

[Kev-mo]

I prefer swim jigs with a lighter wire hook and a sparser weed guard. I'm fishing rivers and smallies tho. I've also fished a swim jig with a bit stouter weed guard and hook. Also fished with both braid and mono. No problems with hook ups on any combo. The fish want it or they don't.

[Skunkmaster-k]

For the jigs with beefier hooks I like 20# mono or fluorocarbon on at least a medium heavy rod.

[Jweller]

40 minutes ago, Kev-mo said:

I prefer swim jigs with a lighter wire hook and a sparser weed guard. I'm fishing rivers and smallies tho. I've also fished a swim jig with a bit stouter weed guard and hook. Also fished with both braid and mono. No problems with hook ups on any combo. The fish want it or they don't.

Lighter-wire swim jigs for me too.  Never understood why some feel the need for a hook as big as as most use.

I've been using Lethal Weapon swim jigs lately.

[Kev-mo]

4 hours ago, Jweller said:

Lighter-wire swim jigs for me too.  Never understood why some feel the need for a hook as big as as most use.

I've been using Lethal Weapon swim jigs lately.

How do you like them? I picked up a couple of the Lethal weapon (I think the 2) but haven't thrown them yet

[Jigfishn10]

What are you using for a trailer? Sorry, I may have missed it, but is the trailer prohibiting you from hooking the fish properly? 

[PressuredFishing]

18 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

What are you using for a trailer? Sorry, I may have missed it, but is the trailer prohibiting you from hooking the fish properly? 

Kicky kind of craws and beavers, I think ones a rage claw and another is a off brand yum style, both look like a craw or beaver plastic tho

[Jigfishn10]

1 minute ago, PressuredFishing said:

Kicky kind of craws and beavers, I think ones a rage claw and another is a off brand yum style, both look like a craw or beaver plastic tho

I'm assuming you have enough room between the hook point and plastics then? Sorry, man, just spit ballin here.

[PressuredFishing]

9 hours ago, Catt said:

Why y'all throwing jigs with extra stout hooks?

Because before you reccomended me those light wire jigs I just ordered all I saw in the store was the heavy ones lol

3 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

I'm assuming you have enough room between the hook point and plastics then? Sorry, man, just spit ballin here.

Yeah I think so, but every extra idea is helpful, thanks!