jig vs texas rig when to use which?

[Pat Brown]

I personally feel like getting intimate with each bait category is sort of like familiarizing yourself with the best scenarios to throw it in on your body of water more or less.  You can always throw the wrong bait into the wrong area and catch fish, but I am of the mind that generally fish will bite most things at the correct  depth and speed and for me, personally, it's more about efficiently presenting a bait.  I just fish for fun and catch big fish when they bite what I have decided to throw! I lose plenty of baits but I have a lot more luck on baits that are still attached to my line/are efficiently maneuvering through the chosen cover.

 

Here's a scenario for you:  down here at most public ponds you've got sludgy sloppy mucky weed bottom that's not clean and it doesn't come off of anything when you rip your bait free and it sticks to everything and bass won't touch a bait that's covered in the stuff.  You have to keep your bait moving or fish something on top or that suspends.

 

You CAN throw a 1/4 oz jig with a bulky trailer if you want to.  You CAN throw a shallow diving lipped crank.  You can throw a biffle head. But I'd rather actually catch a bunch of fish instead of clean weeds off my bait so I throw a suspending jerk bait or a buzzbait  or a lipless and catch stuff and it's fun.  I still clean weeds off my bait every few casts but I spend a lot more time unhooking fish.

 

Sometimes I walk down a tree line at another pond I fish.  It's loaded with fallen branches and logs and stumps and irresponsible anglers fishing line.

 

You can definitely fish a jig there if you want to. You could throw a jerk bait in there if you wanted to.  I like to catch fish and enjoy myself and nothing kills the fun like throwing a jerk bait into a tree.  I am also, in spite of loving to buy stuff, not made of money, so I throw a weedless soft plastic or t rig and I rarely lose my bait in that area of the pond and I catch a ton of fish all doing that.

 

It's like you can do whatever you want. I'm not claiming you should follow rules in bass fishing. I just find that there's efficient ways of presenting lures that pertain to the cover you're fishing as a person who fishes for fun with pretty good success.  I know my bodies of water and what works where and that knowledge is pretty much the difference between catching fish and not catching fish to me.

 

I'm still gonna toss new stuff I've never thrown AND I'm still gonna toss inefficient stuff, I'm just saying it's good to be aware of what you're choosing to do and how it pertains to your chosen cover.

[A-Jay]

  On 1/4/2024 at 8:15 PM, Jimmy Wallhanger said:

 

what knot do you tie with that? 

 

I have that set up but used it to punch mats with heavy braid and a snell knot. I love the snell knot but can not for the life of me tie one with flouro. 

 

thanks

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This is essentially a light punch rig.

Excels when fishes in places with a super soft or mucky bottom where a standard bottom bait might sink into or pick up all types of gunk.

I'll use a light LEAD weight (1/8 or 3/16 oz) and a trailer that 'glides' on the fall.

Bait tends to 'sit' in the soft cover bottom rather than plunging into it. 

As for line to the hook knot, I am a uni-knot user & abuser.

 

BTW ~ congrats on being the first member to solve his own thread.

#madskills

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

  On 1/5/2024 at 1:21 AM, A-Jay said:

BTW ~ congrats on being the first member to solve his own thread.

#madskills

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I believe @TnRiver46 has done that more than once 

 

#overcompensating 😂

[Catt]

For me its all about the plastic!

 

I like em all, every shape, every color, every length. 

 

I like em winter, spring, summer, & fall. Morning, noon, or night.

 

Texas Rig, behind a jig, Carolina Rig, Wacky Rig, Neko Rig, Ned Rig (working on it), flipping-n-pitching-n-punching, whatever.

 

Plastics is my confidence lure 😉

[Bankc]

They're different, but I don't use them in different situations.  I just try one, and if it's not working, I try the other.  

 

The biggest advantage of a jig is the different head shapes for different kinds of cover.  The biggest advantage of the Texas rig is being able to cheaply own a bunch of different weights and pegging or not pegging the weight to adjust the rate of fall.  The jig also has a larger profile and a bit more action with the skirt.  

 

But really, it's best to try both and let the fish tell you what they're in the mood for that day.