Swim Jig Details

[txchaser]

Do yall find that details on a swim jig matter a lot or a little? Jig A catches and Jig B doesn't? I'm thinking maybe the things are moving fast and details that might matter on a stationary jig won't matter on a swim jig. 

 

I've noticed I've started to accumulate what is probably too many different ones. I can see a case for some variations around GP and white, but I really don't know why I need all these, except for I wanted to try them out. I suppose some heavy hooks for straight braid fishing them, but other than that... 

 

If you regularly fish swimjigs, do you have a box full of different brands, or just get a few weights in a few colors and get on with it? 

 

[Cbump]

I have all dirty jigs in just a few colors:

 

1/2oz California Swim jigs in Alabama bream and tactical Shad. 
1/2oz regular swim jig in crappie and threadfin Shad. 
3/8oz no jack swim jig in bluegill, Shad, tactical Shad, hematoma, and black blue. 
 

I’ll probably never throw the black and blue or hematoma. Not sure why I have those. The rest of the colors are green pumpkin-ish (bream/bluegill) or white/silver, which I prefer. 
 

I use a river 2 sea d Walker for the trailer. 

[NorthernBasser]

I'd say the trailer is the most important part of a swim jig. Some paddle tails will give it more roll than others. Some trailers like a Rage Menace rigged vertically won't give the jig any roll at all (which I like in colder water). Craw-style trailers will help keep it higher in the water column. 

 

As far as weight goes I mostly throw 1/4 oz and 3/8 oz. 1/4 oz is I'm fishing rather shallow. I'll sometimes bump it up to 1/2 oz if I wanna fish it deeper. 3/8 oz is probably the most common size people throw.

 

Colors...I fish black/blue a ton. I fish a lot of stained/dirty water. White works well, too. In clearer water I'll throw bluegill colors or green pumpkin. Those 3-4 colors, or a variations of those colors, are really all you need. Sometimes I'll dabble in fire craw and chartreuse colors...mostly in the spring. 

 

As far as brands, Siebert's gets my vote. But I probably have 15 different brands. I also like 6th Sense, Greenfish Tackle, Satone, Strike King, Beast Coast, Dirty Jigs and Outcast Tackle. The Lethal Weapon IV comes thru grass really well. Oh, and I do like the Missile Baits Mini as well when I want a smaller profile. 

[Pat Brown]

I think that the weight of the jig and the action of the trailer and the overall profile seem to be the key components with just about any jig.

 

I've caught bass swimming football jigs, brush jigs, flipping jigs, arkie jigs and finesse jigs so I don't think the eyeballs matter a whole lot but I do appreciate the angle of the line tie in relation to the hook point on most traditional swim jigs which are sort of a grass jig head with eyeballs.

 

I let conditions determine color but if they're on a swim jig bite, they'll usually eat most colors most of the time in my experience.

 

There are times where they're keyed in on bluegill or shad or crawfish or when the water is super clear or super murky.  I try to adjust accordingly.

[casts_by_fly]

10 hours ago, txchaser said:

Do yall find that details on a swim jig matter a lot or a little? Jig A catches and Jig B doesn't? I'm thinking maybe the things are moving fast and details that might matter on a stationary jig won't matter on a swim jig. 

 

I've noticed I've started to accumulate what is probably too many different ones. I can see a case for some variations around GP and white, but I really don't know why I need all these, except for I wanted to try them out. I suppose some heavy hooks for straight braid fishing them, but other than that... 

 

If you regularly fish swimjigs, do you have a box full of different brands, or just get a few weights in a few colors and get on with it? 

 

 

I have a swim jig tied on most every trip.  I generally only throw a keitech on the back (3.3 to 4.3 depending on the lake).  I probably have a dozen colors over 3 sizes.  The more I fish them the more I've decided that the specific color and trailer doesn't matter one bit.  On a trip last year I forgot my tackle bag at home so I was limited to what was already tied on my 5 rods plus a couple lures cut off sitting in the bottom of the boat from the last trip.  The fish wanted a swim jig and promptly chewed up the keitech I had on the back.  I swapped to a craw trailer in a totally different color and profile and kept catching.  It was more important that you put it where they were sitting (holes in the grass) than what the specific jig or trailer was.  So for me, I prioritize the components of the jig and the head shape first and foremost as that's what means the difference between swimming cleanly through weeds and having to pick your lure after every cast.

[WIGuide]

I fish them a fair amount, I wouldn't consider myself an expert with them. I've tried a few brands, but generally when I find one that works I try to stick with it and just buy different colors and weights within their lineup. 

[Team9nine]

11 hours ago, txchaser said:

…or just get a few weights in a few colors and get on with it? 

Pretty much this…
 

Base your specifics on the waters you fish and just go catch some ?

[softwateronly]

  Head shape, weight, and hook drive my decision.  When working the upper part of the water column and skinny water, I prefer any coosa style head, nichols, 6th sense, dirty jigs, sieberts, etc., with a standard wire hook somewhere between 3/16-3/8oz.  When swimming along the bottom on deeper breaks or busting through thick submergent grass in the mid depths I really like the california swim jig from dirty jigs and north star flip and swim in 1/2-1oz with a big, heavy wire hook.  Gambler EZ, big EZ, vibes, D walker 100 & 120mm are my goto trailers.  

  On moonless nights, I've had great success swimming a MB uoze 3/4oz w/ a gambler GZ mid column.  (Yes, I lose the blade within the 1st hr of fishing, don't care) The giant GZ really likes the heavy uoze because it has a longer, super slick hook with a light weed guard allowing an excellent hook up ratio.

 

scott

 

 

[Bird]

All my swim jigs are Outcast and all are 3/8 oz.

Black/blue

Orange/brown

Green pumpkin

Bluegill

White

A great bait choice in cold water and in grass.

[king fisher]

All of my swim jigs,  are attached to a V shaped wire, with one or two spinner blades on the wire.

     The Monkey has been telling me to get my act together, and quit being so old fashioned and stubborn for a couple years now ( better to cave in to his constant nagging on swim jigs, than to give any consideration to his vile dribble about glide baits).  This year I'm going to break down and buy some swim jigs.  I will probably spend half my time jerking the rod trying to get the blades that are not there to start spinning, but hopefully I will adjust and start singing the swim jig's praise like every one else.  

     To my surprise I had great success last year fishing 3-5 inch swimbaits, even without an underspin blade so I guess it is time to give the swim jig a try.

[Deleted account]

If you are asking if realistic details like gills, eyes and paint jobs make a difference, I say they don't. The angle of the line tie, the shape of the head, the size and quality of the hook (and of course the weight, skirt, and keeper) are what matter. I use mainly just one or two, and truth be told it's because I got them at a huge discount, I'm sure several other brands would work just as well, or one could build one from components available separately just as well. The trailer is where the magic happens.

[PhishLI]

On 3/16/2023 at 11:24 PM, txchaser said:

If you regularly fish swimjigs, do you have a box full of different brands,

Yes, because I needed to find one with a perfect vertical line tie position relative to the head, brush guard angle, and a head shape which allows me to get them through milfoil draped in filamentous algae. Everything else is secondary to being able to retrieve one without it getting totally bogged down along the way.

[Smokinal]

I've never thrown a swimjig; not sure I even own one. This is a bait, though, that I have wanted to learn for years.

I have mostly football and throw those often, worked slowly on bottom.

I guess I gotta go get a few for this year

[Bankbeater]

I started fishing with swim jigs a few years ago. I don’t think I have fished with any size except 1/4 ounce. The biggest problem I have is getting the trailer straight. If the trailer isn’t straight then the jig might run wrong. If the jig is running wrong the bass around here won’t bite it. 

[swhit140]

I just started using swim jigs about 2 years ago and now I always have on my rod. I catch larger fish on them in my experience of fishing them. It is a versatile/mainly snag free bait, you can fish it shallow/deep or swim it/jig it, change speed/action.

I mainly use 3/8 oz with vertical line tie, I like Black/Blue, White/Shad, Green Pumpkin, Blue Gill colors. I've tried different brands/prices, I focus more on the hook quality/sharpness. I've used swim jigs $1-2 cheaper then others with better hooks, so I try to stay with a couple brands that I can depend and know what I'm getting.

Soft Plastic's are unlimited in my opinion on swim jigs, if you can put in on a hook you can use it. I try all different plastics, different actions/movement. 

Also a note of advice it to hold on when a fat fish smashes your swim jig.

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

As far as color goes I keep it simple.  GP, white and black is all you need IMO.  Component wise I favor certain features.  The head shape and eye placement/angle is most important.  Not just a good hook, but the right hook, is a must..  Its got to have enough length and gap, but the gap cant be too big.  The shank shouldnt be too long either, realative to the trailer you plan to use.  Obviously the hook needs to sticky sharp. 

Next is the brushguard, or how effective it is.  If the guard isn't stout enough to actually protect the point, you may as well cut it off.  I would rather have a jig with a guard that's too stiff.  I can always make it softer, but I cant make it stronger and keep it the same length.  This is where a too big of a gap comes into play.  If the gap is too big then that guard has to be longer to protect the point and typically the longer that guard has to be the softer it is.  

Swim jig needs to have an effective keeper, especially if you skip them.  Sliding the trailer back up the shank every other cast drives me crazy.  An effective keeper will save you money as well, because you will go through less trailers.

IMO the skirt material and the way its tied is important.  I want that skirt to breath and pulse well, a good quality silicon makes a big difference.  Taught wire helps give the skirt body and holds up abuse better then a rubber band.  Wire holds better too, which is big for me, because I like to trim out the inner layer of my swimjigs.  

There are a lot of good ones out, but out of the pack, Greenfish is my go to for standard and open water/finesse SJ

[Jonas Staggs]

Question: are you guys keeping the weed guards? Trimming them? Thinning them?

 

I'm not a fan of those weedguards. They make the bait look ugly. They really don't seem to do their job at guarding weeds either. They do seem to affect hook-up ratio.

 

I remove them on all my jigs now. 

 

 

[softwateronly]

20 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Question: are you guys keeping the weed guards? Trimming them? Thinning them?

 

I'm not a fan of those weedguards. They make the bait look ugly. They really don't seem to do their job at guarding weeds either. They do seem to affect hook-up ratio.

 

I remove them on all my jigs now. 

 

 

I keep mine and fan them out some. So many weeds I’d lose all  the advantages of a swim jig in general.  Many times I think a weedguard helps keep the fish pinned after the hook set. I’ve adjusted my gear to accommodate the extra difficulty in the initial hook set and lose few to no fish over the course of a season now. 
 

scott

[TnRiver46]

They work without trailers too! 

[txchaser]

Thanks everyone. Consensus seems pretty clear, most of the details that matter are in construction and approach (like head shape and skirt quality). 

 

I think I can cut it down to two brands then, one for a medium wire and one for heavy wire hooks, as they are pretty good on the details. Medium wire - evergreen, they are built like jackhammers, same colors etc, great bait keeper etc. Heavy wire I think they are mostly dirty jigs. And I bet I rarely get these out anyway. 

 

Everything else is headed to the donate pile, except the picassos, which I need to put some time in on them - they have a spread wire titanium guard that seems like it'll be much better in brush, so I'll give them a shot and see; otherwise well built. I just have more of the evergreens already and looking to standardize on something. 

 

[Catt]

I have a Hack Attack Fluorocarbon jig tied on 24/7/365. I flip, pitch, cast, swim, & do light punching with it.

 

I do have a 1/2 dozen Santone Lures Chris McCall Rayburn Swim Jigs. I just don't see an advantage to having a specialized jig.

 

[ChrisD46]

On 3/19/2023 at 9:24 PM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

As far as color goes I keep it simple.  GP, white and black is all you need IMO.  Component wise I favor certain features.  The head shape and eye placement/angle is most important.  Not just a good hook, but the right hook, is a must..  Its got to have enough length and gap, but the gap cant be too big.  The shank shouldnt be too long either, realative to the trailer you plan to use.  Obviously the hook needs to sticky sharp. 

Next is the brushguard, or how effective it is.  If the guard isn't stout enough to actually protect the point, you may as well cut it off.  I would rather have a jig with a guard that's too stiff.  I can always make it softer, but I cant make it stronger and keep it the same length.  This is where a too big of a gap comes into play.  If the gap is too big then that guard has to be longer to protect the point and typically the longer that guard has to be the softer it is.  

Swim jig needs to have an effective keeper, especially if you skip them.  Sliding the trailer back up the shank every other cast drives me crazy.  An effective keeper will save you money as well, because you will go through less trailers.

IMO the skirt material and the way its tied is important.  I want that skirt to breath and pulse well, a good quality silicon makes a big difference.  Taught wire helps give the skirt body and holds up abuse better then a rubber band.  Wire holds better too, which is big for me, because I like to trim out the inner layer of my swimjigs.  

There are a lot of good ones out, but out of the pack, Greenfish is my go to for standard and open water/finesse SJ

A 30 degree vertical line tie is a must for me - I agree with your other comments but do like variations on Green Pumpkin and Shad colors to go along with Black & Blue .

[txchaser]

Seeing as this has turned into a pretty interesting thread, I wonder if there are strong opinons on trailer X vs trailer Y? I recall a bunch of people talking about x-zone swammers being better on swimjigs than other trailers, but then they kind of disappeared. And the TB guys with the River to Sea preference. And at least one pro using the biospawn for a similar reason. Anways, I have lots (and lots) of keitech fat impacts, but perhaps the wag is too much? Does it really need more roll?

 

Have you found one trailer catching way more than others? Is there a 'best', is it situational, or just put whatever decent quality paddletail you have around on there and be done with it? 

[A-Jay]

7 hours ago, txchaser said:

Seeing as this has turned into a pretty interesting thread, I wonder if there are strong opinons on trailer X vs trailer Y? I recall a bunch of people talking about x-zone swammers being better on swimjigs than other trailers, but then they kind of disappeared. And the TB guys with the River to Sea preference. And at least one pro using the biospawn for a similar reason. Anways, I have lots (and lots) of keitech fat impacts, but perhaps the wag is too much? Does it really need more roll?

 

Have you found one trailer catching way more than others? Is there a 'best', is it situational, or just put whatever decent quality paddletail you have around on there and be done with it? 

Can't say for sure if one brand/type of trailer is the end all on a swim jig.

My overall 'action' preference when throwing swim jigs in the waters I fish is 'subtle'.

If I want/need more action, I change to a bait that does more; vibrating jig, spinnerbait. 

Either way, I do use a variety of trailers.

Not pictured but is a bite getter for me is a swim senko.

One prerequisite of every swim jig & trailer combo I throw here,

is that whatever action the bait/trailer has while moving horizontally,

it also needs to perform the same deal on the fall; slack line & tight line.

Besides Jig head weight, line size/type often play a role in that as well.

 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[Catt]

12 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

One prerequisite of every swim jig & trailer combo I throw here,

is that whatever action the bait/trailer has while moving horizontally,

it also needs to perform the same deal on the fall; slack line & tight line.

Besides Jig head weight, line size/type often play a role in that as well.

 

Same with a swim jig, casting, flipping, or pitching jig.