Swim jigs

[Mr. Aquarium]

I started fishing swim jigs last year. Got some good fish on them, really love how weeedles they are. I was surprised to see how well they come through weeds. 
 

I started using the Beast Coast workingman jigs. It a lighter jig.  Been thinking about grabbing some Beast Coast gorilla swim jig.  It’s a beefy jig

 

When would you use a light swin jig vs a beef swim jig. What trailers would you add on to a beef jig 

[Pat Brown]

I don't really go for the super heavy hooks on swim jigs but I think they're designed for fishing tules and dense pads and stuff where heavy braid and winching fish out of cover are called for.  I just don't actually have a lot of 'heavy vegetation' around here.  I tend to fish rock and wood a lot more and clear lines work much much better in those scenarios for me.

 

I like the lighter wire hooks for every other scenario because they allow a lot more flexibility with rod, reel and line choices and tend to penetrate more easily in general in a wider variety of hook setting scenarios.

[ne_dan]

Light wire gauge around vegetation, heavy wire gauge in/over and through vegetation.  Trailers I'll use anything from a Rage Magnum Meanace Grub, Keitch's in 3.8" and 4.3", Reaction Innovations Skinny/Little Dipper.  

 

I don't really use heavy gauge swim jigs much, especially up in the Northeast.  I have a couple but get a much better hook ratio with the normal/lighter gauge jigs.  I mostly use 1/4oz jigs, once you add a decent trailer you're easily over 1/2oz and for me personally swim jigs are a shallow water lure (less then 8').  

[casts_by_fly]

I fish everything from an 1/8 oz Sk tour grade light SJ up to a 1 oz meglodon from Siebert.  I started fishing them a couple years ago to good effect around here.  Depth of water and thickness of cover are what determine my jig type, weight, and trailer.

 

Mostly we just have milfoil and pondweeds.  Lost of 'frills' but no real substance to them.  I like a lighter wire and the pointiest nose I can get there.  It seems to come through cleaner.  We also have pads and the occasional 'other' type of grassy cover.  Also some docks and wood here or there.  In those cases I like a heavier weed guard and I'm less worried about the nose.  Pad stems and wood dock posts will have enough resistance to compress a lighter weed guard and get you hung more.

 

Weight depends on how deep I'm fishing, but usually I'm in the 3-5' range and that's a 3/8 oz for me mostly.  If its a deeper weedline I'll go heavier.  If I'm generally fishing the shallower water but I know the lake or stretch of water has some deeper edges I'll bump up to a 1/2 to make the deeper easy but just keep the rod tip high in the shallows.  I rarely go lighter than 3/8 oz but if there is a lot of < 4' water that I'm fishing or I want to fish them slow I'll go a little lighter.  

[Mr. Aquarium]

Sounds like the lighter ones would be the best. I have a lot of places that are clear water submerged weeds, milfoil and hydrilla .  Except for a few places where a beefy one would be best. I have a place that reminds me of Lake Okeechobee. Tons of reeds and milfoil! Other places loaded with pads.  I’ve avoided places in the summer cuz it’s so hard to fish! Glad I found swim jigs 

[Catt]

Seriously y'all need to look at Santone Lures Rayburn Swim Jigs. There are 3 different jigs from a finesse to Chis McCall's, to a Siwash. 

 

All 3 have different size hooks, awesome colors, & high quality components.

 

Trailers vary depending on what I'm trying to accomplish.

[softwateronly]

The 3/4oz dj cali swim jig, MB Uoze, and 3/4-1oz North Star flip'n swim w/ a 4-5" paddle tail is a highly effective deep outside weed edge, big fish bait, on panfish dominated waters both day and night.  

 

scott

 

 

[WRB]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Seriously y'all need to look at Santone Lures Rayburn Swim Jigs. There are 3 different jigs from a finesse to Chis McCall's, to a Siwash. 

 

All 3 have different size hooks, awesome colors, & high quality components.

 

Trailers vary depending on what I'm trying to accomplish.

^^^^on sale @TW^^^^

Tom

[NorthernBasser]

3 hours ago, Catt said:

Seriously y'all need to look at Santone Lures Rayburn Swim Jigs. There are 3 different jigs from a finesse to Chis McCall's, to a Siwash. 

 

All 3 have different size hooks, awesome colors, & high quality components.

 

Trailers vary depending on what I'm trying to accomplish.

I am a swim jig nut. And I am a big fan of these as well. They could improve upon them tho by hand-tying their skirts. Even so, big fan.

 

I probably have 15 different brands of swim jigs. But more often then not, I find myself grabbing a @Siebert Outdoors Shot Caller. 

[FishTank]

I have had good luck with ones from 6th Sense. I couldn't tell you what makes them special for me. They just get the job done.

[NorthernBasser]

47 minutes ago, FishTank said:

I have had good luck with ones from 6th Sense. I couldn't tell you what makes them special for me. They just get the job done.

The screw lock trailer keeper is a nice feature. Definitely saves on plastics. 

[FishTank]

29 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

The screw lock trailer keeper is a nice feature. Definitely saves on plastics. 

I think the Fat Impact I have one jig has been there all of last year. I've not changed it. 

 

There is one jig I have that has a heavy wire bent keeper with a hole designed for a toothpick.  It is best keeper system I have seen. You thread it through and brake it off. I think it's from Evergreen but not for sure. It works great but I don't catch as much on this one for some reason. 

[casts_by_fly]

24 minutes ago, FishTank said:

I think the Fat Impact I have one jig has been there all of last year. I've not changed it. 

 

There is one jig I have that has a heavy wire bent keeper with a hole designed for a toothpick.  It is best keeper system I have seen. You thread it through and brake it off. I think it's from Evergreen but not for sure. It works great but I don't catch as much on this one for some reason. 

 

Must not have caught much on it...  Or have pickerel around you.  

 

I love a 3.8 keitech on a swim jig but they do break easily.  Even glueing them in place.  The heads rip and the tails rip off.  

[Bankbeater]

Most of the time I have been fishing with a 1/4 Strike King KVD swim jig.  The only time I fish with a heavier jig is when the wind picks up and then I'll use a 1/2 Hack Attack Heavy Cover swim jig. 

 

[12poundbass]

@Siebert Outdoors shot callers are my go to  as far as swim jigs. All his jigs are my go to!

[padon]

8 hours ago, softwateronly said:

The 3/4oz dj cali swim jig, MB Uoze, and 3/4-1oz North Star flip'n swim w/ a 4-5" paddle tail is a highly effective deep outside weed edge, big fish bait, on panfish dominated waters both day and night.  

 

scott

 

 

you dont here much about people fishing heavy swim jigs on deep weedlines but it works well for me.i fish a 3/4 grasss ripper through the tops of milfoil in 15 feet and cover water to locate fish in deep weeds. then i can flip heavy texas rigs in that area and usually pick up a few more.

[Functional]

I caught a lot of fish on my dirty jigs swim jigs but my new favorite are the 6th sense swim jigs. The wire bait keeper is golden when using FAT Impacts. My biggest issues with any other swim jig without a bait keeper is the FATs after 1-2 fish slide down every single case and it gets tedious to fish. 

 

I only use a 3/8oz and toss them into the firs 1ft of weeds/reeds and swim them out or run them horizontally to weed lines. Fantastic lure. 

[FishTank]

16 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

Must not have caught much on it...  Or have pickerel around you.  

 

I love a 3.8 keitech on a swim jig but they do break easily.  Even glueing them in place.  The heads rip and the tails rip off.  

You're right on both accounts sort of, sauger instead of pickerel. 

 

I like swimming them over grass instead of bouncing them off the bottom.  I also don't fish them as often as I should.  Plus, I do glue them when they get torn. 

[RHuff]

1/2 oz dirty jigs swim jig with a berkley maxscent meaty chunk. Work the rodtip as you burn it under the surface. If you approach a target slow it down or let it fall to maximize time in the strike zone.

 

Black/Blue in early spring, prespawn, or dirty water

 

Green Pumpkin for post spawn or bluegill spawn or bream beds

 

White/Silver for shad spawn and fall

 

I honestly like to start throwing them the most immediately after post spawn as summer patterns set in..

 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Seibert Outdoors Shotcaller Golden shiner with Megabass 4" Spark shad has been 🔥  for me this year

[NorthernBasser]

2 hours ago, NittyGrittyBoy said:

Seibert Outdoors Shotcaller Golden shiner with Megabass 4" Spark shad has been 🔥  for me this year

Heck yeah. Another great trailer, the Z Man Goat.

 

[softwateronly]

On 1/9/2024 at 2:42 PM, FishTank said:

I think the Fat Impact I have one jig has been there all of last year. I've not changed it. 

 

There is one jig I have that has a heavy wire bent keeper with a hole designed for a toothpick.  It is best keeper system I have seen. You thread it through and brake it off. I think it's from Evergreen but not for sure. It works great but I don't catch as much on this one for some reason. 

 

Nichols saber swim jig uses this system as well.  Very effective.

 

scott

On 1/9/2024 at 8:01 PM, padon said:

you dont here much about people fishing heavy swim jigs on deep weedlines but it works well for me.i fish a 3/4 grasss ripper through the tops of milfoil in 15 feet and cover water to locate fish in deep weeds. then i can flip heavy texas rigs in that area and usually pick up a few more.

In the heart of summer I sometimes bulldoze those through the milfoil on the bottom.  It's almost like horizontal punching, the bites are angry.

 

scott

[Munkin]

Fat Impact 3.8 most of the time I am fishing them. This year I plan on trying some more craw trailers though.

 

Allen