A Jig Mystery

[FishnMtlHd]

My buddy and I have been fishing Northern IL and Southern WI lakes for the last 5 years targeting LM and SM bass. Boat and occasionally shore fishing. We use spinning and baitcasters and catch them regularly on weighted and weightless t-rigged plastics (mostly craws and worms), drop-shots, jerkbaits, crankbaits, wacky rigs, and most recently I caught a nice one on a mojo rigged lizard, 1st time trying it so that was a blast. Here's what's weird, the mystery: both of us have tried every type, size, and color of jig (skirted with weedguard) with various trailers together and with other friends ans neither of us can catch anything with them. We never got bites, maybe some taps here and there but nada. For years we kept trying with no success and now neither of us fish them at all as we don't see the point. Zero confidence in them. So, anyone have the same or similar experience? Insight as to why this may be? 

[islandbass]

That’s what they say about the standard bass jig. I believe what the folks say and don’t doubt one but, and I’ve been bass fishing off and on since 2004-5 and I have NEVER, EVER caught a bass on the standard jig and pig trailer. I’ve come close starting this year and unfortunately I pulled back to soon to set the hook and yanked it out of his mouth. I was so close. 
 

You two are not alone, and this is to my shame lol. 
 

I’ll also be looking forward to the posts in this thread to to see what I’m missing. It has to be this year I’ll get that monkey off my back. 

[Bird]

We all have baits that disappoint and then sometimes surprise us.

 

I mostly throw jigs pre-spawn and around cover but they are big fish catchers.

About all I can add is, trim the skirts, downsize and add a paddle tail trailer and swim them if craw trailers aren't producing....... change it up.

[GRiver]

I know where you’re coming from @FishnMtlHd. I never caught a LM on a skirted jig, here in Fl. 
When  I lived in Nc, I caught a lot of SM on them. A green pumpkin skirt with a paca craw was killer in the fall. I quit carrying them in the boat.

[roadwarrior]

I feel like I have entered the Twilight Zone...

 

                                        

[bp_fowler]

I’m in the same boat as some of you.  This year was supposed to be the year of the jig for me.  Not in the least because I think of the jig as being the lure most that is almost synonymous with bass angling in my mind.  So needless to say I really wanted to get good at it.  
 

The traditional casting/flipping jigs have not caught me a single fish yet.  Strangely though I have been very successful with football head jigs.  I’m sure it’s because I’m doing something wrong or because the areas I tend to fish with football jigs are just more productive.

[MN Fisher]

While I have caught several fish on jigs/trailers, it's not my most productive lure. I'd say go with what works for you...and if jigs aren't, then it's okay to set them aside.

[Mobasser]

I caught fish on jigs early this season. Since early June Ive switched to plastic worms, because the jig wasn't working. Plastic worms have always been better for me in hot weather.

[Catt]

The Jig is one of the most productive lures for fishing heavy cover of any type known to anglers.

 

The Jig is one of the most productive lures for catching larger than average bass.

 

But despite its pure awesomeness the angler must keep in mind there will be days when the bass simply do not want a jig.

[Functional]

I've over doubled the number of fish I caught on a jig this year so far...a total of 5!

 

My home lake has a fairly silty bottom which I believe contributes to it but its a hard lure for me to entice fish with. I always have 1 or 2 tied on but what I've found is downsizing to a 1/4oz bitsy bug profile and some type of rage bait has increased my catches. Although as seen above its nothing to write home about.

[Pat Brown]

I will try to add a little to what @Catt is saying.

 

If you know you're on em real good and they're munching soft plastic worms, that can certainly  be a good time to try a jig out.  Sometimes you'll catch the bigger fish out of that school.  Sometimes the school will vacate the area when a skirted jig falls into the water.  That can sometimes offer a clue as to what certain schools of fish on your lake are willing to bite.  

 

I find the best way to gain confidence in a jig is to pitch and make short casts to pieces of cover and let it fall to the bottom and then hop it in place a couple times and wait.  Hop a few more times and wait and kinda work it out til you're maybe 3 feet from the cover.  Repeat this around pieces of cover from different angles.  The best pieces of cover tend to be the ones you can only see a little bit of and are mostly under water.  Start with small profiles and lighter weights.

 

In the summer you can just go down a bank with shade and submerged laydowns and pitch a 1/2 oz black and blue jig with a craw trailer tight to every log, stump, brush pile or lay down and you'll stick a few good ones if you make good casts.  Learning to slow the descent to the water of the heavier jig to silence the splash by making casts low to the water and thumbing your spool are essential for those shady over hangs.  Those heavier weights will have a faster rate of fall and really trigger the big fish to react.

 

Have fun!  Jigs are my favorite way to fish year round.

[Skunkmaster-k]

It took me a while to get bit on a jig as well. Now I have a lot of confidence in them . 

[Darth-Baiter]

only on finesse jigs for me.  Keitech Balls in particular.

[FishnMtlHd]

4 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

I feel like I have entered the Twilight Zone...

 

                                        

Why?

[roadwarrior]

Jigs are fished successively around the world for a variety of species. As is often noted, jigs 

account for a large percentage of big bass catches. For those that are wiling to devote the time

necessary to master the lure, the rewards are huge!

[Team9nine]

11 hours ago, FishnMtlHd said:

Here's what's weird, the mystery: both of us have tried every type, size, and color of jig (skirted with weedguard) with various trailers together and with other friends and neither of us can catch anything with them. For years we kept trying with no success and now neither of us fish them at all as we don't see the point.

 

? Just kidding, of course. It’s all in your head. Jigs are one of the most universal baits ever. Not sure I’ve ever come across a body of water where I couldn’t garner a bite or two on some variation of them, and they really shine on others. There can be some seasonality to it, but no reason for not being able to catch a fish for years on one. I wouldn’t fish anything else until I caught a bass on one and broke that mental block. 

[JediAmoeba]

When all else fails a jug always produces for me. Others will flip a small creature bait but I usually opt to flip a small Flippin jig. They flat out work

[river-rat]

I've been using skirted jigs for over 40 years and I always have at least one jig rod on the deck. And, I'll have at least one more jig rod in the rod box.

 

But, like Catt stated, there are days when bass just won't hit a jig. 

[bp_fowler]

5 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

In the summer you can just go down a bank with shade and submerged laydowns and pitch a 1/2 oz black and blue jig with a craw trailer tight to every log, stump, brush pile or lay down and you'll stick a few good ones if you make good casts.  Learning to slow the descent to the water of the heavier jig to silence the splash by making casts low to the water and thumbing your spool are essential for those shady over hangs. 

 

 

Ah, there in lies the rub.  Speaking for myself only, I believe that my lack of success with jigs can be directly attributed to my lack of skill and experience with baitcasting equipment.  
 

I’ve come a long way from where I was a few months ago but I’m not yet able to make that accurate of a cast with minimal water disturbance and noise.

 

Practice, practice, practice…

[FishnMtlHd]

5 hours ago, Team9nine said:

 

? Just kidding, of course. It’s all in your head. Jigs are one of the most universal baits ever. Not sure I’ve ever come across a body of water where I couldn’t garner a bite or two on some variation of them, and they really shine on others. There can be some seasonality to it, but no reason for not being able to catch a fish for years on one. I wouldn’t fish anything else until I caught a bass on one and broke that mental block. 

Did you read my original post? My friend and I have committed ourselves to jigs over and over again and the fish in the waters we fish told us they do not like jigs casted, flipped, pitched, skipped, twitched, dead-sticked, hopped, dragged, or swam at any cadence. Same goes for his Dad and brother BTW, commenters on this site, likely many more, and surely countless thousands of other anglers. Saying it's a mental block or in your head is conjectural and absurd. If you were someone I knew and trusted rather than an online commenter, I might feel offended or insulted. L to the O to the L on that. "Jigs are big fish catchers" is misleading, a misnomer, an unfinished sentence. The more accurate or valid statement is that Jigs are big fish catchers for SOME anglers SOME of the time and I'd contend this can be applied to any bait an angler has the most success with. Big worms, deep diving cranks, bladed jigs, etc. Obviously everyone's fishing experience is different - how often you fish, with what and how often with it, where, when, water type, clarity, structure, etc. We all know the variables are endless.

[Team9nine]

Not sure what kind of answer you're expecting from anyone with your post outside of just agreeing  with you to keep "just not throwing them" since you can't get them to work and you've already tried "everything." Guess you're just looking for someone to commiserate with in your misery. Several of our most respected and experienced members have said the same thing I did in their posts above, that jigs are one of the most basic, universal fish catchers in the bassin' world and will work given the time and effort. Why they won't work for you and your friends - who knows. I know several anglers who live in and fish Illinois/Wisconsin waters all the time who catch plenty of bass on jigs. If it's not mental, it seems like it would have to be technical. Maybe find someone local in your area who loves fishing jigs and challenge them to catch a bass on one.  ...and sorry you didn't find humor in the meme. Being a "long time reader here," you must know a little lighthearted 'poke' now and then is the norm around here. I've been the recipient of many such posts recently.

[MediumMouthBass]

Im not sure if any of the above comments have this but, even if you arent catching fish on jigs they are excellent for this. Understanding what the bottom is made of and whats on the bottom, (for those of you who dont have fish finders a heavy jig dragged along the bottom works very well for this).

I was fishing a local lake ive fished dozens of times and i havent put my fish finder on the kayak yet, i didnt catch any bass on a jig but i now know where theres rock bottom and a brush pile from dragging it in areas ive fished alot.

[FishnMtlHd]

Once again, did you read my original post? The last line states what I'm looking for: Insight as to why this is happening to me and others I fish with. "Commiserate in my misery"? Nope, no misery here, just curiosity and if I was miserable I certainly wouldn't seek sympathy or pity from complete strangers on a fish forum. Lol. I understand perfectly all the comments and successes other anglers have with jigs, I'm not denying this, it's precisely the reason why my post is titled jig mystery. I'm also fully aware of all the other jig rhetoric you dished out. You seem have a knack for misperceptions and assumptions based on well, nothing. You also seem to want to inject feelings, emotions, or experiences that are not mine which I find a bit strange. Finally, I wasn't offended by the meme because it has absolutely nothing to do with my post, me, my motives, feelings, or intentions. I also don't have the faintest idea who the dude in the meme is and where it comes from. And so this exciting post comes to an end. Insert loud fart noise here. Lol. 

 

[Team9nine]

23 minutes ago, FishnMtlHd said:

And so this exciting post comes to an end. Insert loud fart noise here. Lol. 

 

Thank, God ! Goodnight Irene!!

[Pat Brown]

Have you tried fishing a shaky head with a straight tail worm???  Or a hula grub on a football head with an EWG?  Perhaps a swing head with a beaver bait!???

 

These are absolutely fantastic ways to gain confidence throwing jigs.