Jig fishin, when to switch?

[Mr. Aquarium]

I was out the other day flipping jigs. I love it. This thought crossed my mind. Million dollar question. You’re not doing well, are they just not wanting the jig? Is it the jig color or size? Or is it the trailer.  I need like 10 hours to fish and like 6 pairs of arms so I can have 3 different size jigs colors and trailers to figure em out! 😂😂

[Bird]

Believe it or not I only throw a 3/8 - 1/4 0z  jigs in only 3 colors.

I only throw them prespawn around wood and they produce my biggest fish year after year.

I switch to other baits after the spawn only because I'm a shallow thinker and believe other baits out perform a jig in warmer water months.

 

 

 

[Munkin]

Until you get enough experience with jigs I say to simplify what you are using. First get jigs in the same color as your #1 producing tube, creature bait, bottom contacting baits. Second you need matching trailers in two types, subtle and action. Subtle are your regular chunks without much action on the fall (I recommend Zoom Super Chunks). Action are your Rage Craws, doubletail grubs, etc that have tons of movement independently usually from each arm. Colder water or a straight flip fall I like the subtle trailers. Swimming or dragging the jig I have more luck with the action trailers. This is just a starting point and I will say if I could only fish one jig trailer it would be the Zoom Super Chunk Jr in Green Pumkin.

 

Allen

[Mr. Aquarium]

10 hours ago, Munkin said:

Until you get enough experience with jigs I say to simplify what you are using. First get jigs in the same color as your #1 producing tube, creature bait, bottom contacting baits. Second you need matching trailers in two types, subtle and action. Subtle are your regular chunks without much action on the fall (I recommend Zoom Super Chunks). Action are your Rage Craws, doubletail grubs, etc that have tons of movement independently usually from each arm. Colder water or a straight flip fall I like the subtle trailers. Swimming or dragging the jig I have more luck with the action trailers. This is just a starting point and I will say if I could only fish one jig trailer it would be the Zoom Super Chunk Jr in Green Pumkin.

 

Allen

I tend to over complicate things. I generally fish black and black mixed with another color. Then the naturals, GP and watermelon and varieties of that.  I stick with 3/8s when flippin shallow.  But man some days I’m like I don't understand they should be hitting a jig! 

[Mike L]

That’s fishing!

That can be said about every lure regardless of what it is and where and how you’re throwing it. 
Certainty not exclusive to the jig 
 

I do the same sometimes when things get tough.
 Questioning everything, trying everything and still nothing works.

When that happens the best thing I’ve learned is to go back to my confidence baits based on experience in the same conditions and keep moving. 
 

Instead of thinking I’m not throwing what they want and I can’t figure them out, it can be as simple as starting over from the beginning and keeping it simple. 
 

 

 

Mike
 

 

 

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

5 hours ago, Mike L said:

That’s fishing!

That can be said about every lure regardless of what it is and where and how you’re throwing it. 
Certainty not exclusive to the jig 
 

I do the same sometimes when things get tough.
 Questioning everything, trying everything and still nothing works.

When that happens the best thing I’ve learned is to go back to my confidence baits based on experience in the same conditions and keep moving. 
 

Instead of thinking I’m not throwing what they want and I can’t figure them out, it can be as simple as starting over from the beginning and keeping it simple. 
 

 

 

Mike
 

 

 

 

Yep I usually just keep the jig I tied on.  They are going to eat it, they are going to eat it! Sometimes they just won’t.  Part of the game though! Find em elsewhere on a completely different bait 

[Pat Brown]

Rate of fall and action and profile all add up to more bites with jigs when you get them dialed in.  Jig fisherman will go out with a few different jigs that cover the spectrum and systematically alternate them in areas that should produce until determining what the bass are in the mood for.  Give it a try on your lake and always stay open minded when it comes to trailer action and the overall profile!

[Team9nine]

Yep ^^
 

It’s pretty much the same with every bait type. Binkelman got it right on jig fishing nearly 60 years ago (slightly paraphrasing): “Either you bounce one around the bottom and catch a few fish, or treat it like an art.”

[WRB]

I am a jig junky and it’s hard for me to give up and use what the bass want to eat.

What I do is have 3 different rods rigged with #1 my favorite hair jig w/pork trailer, #2 living rubber jig w/soft plastic craw trailer, #3 5” wacky rigged weightless Senko or if the bass are in cover a T rigged w/sliding sinker with a worm or creature.

Having the choices rigged and readily available allows  trying different options without moving to another location. Let the bass choose in lieu of force feeding them something they don’t want.

Tom

[MediumMouthBass]

If bass dont want the jig im throwing, im not switching size, color, or trailer im switching to another lake. 😂 just joking. Last season i spent an hour in 1 spot throwing different football jigs, several colors, trailers, weights. Spent more time opening and closing soft plastic bags, tying SDJ knots, and switching jigs than i did fishing. And caught no bass.

So after that experience i reassessed how and where i fish a jig, because sometimes it might be the trailer, color, or weight arent right for that day, but sometimes it can also be im just throwing everything that i have and there just arent fish in that area. But thats just fishing. 

I keep my selection really simple now, pb&j, black and blue, and green pumpkin for the jig and trailer colors, and just a few bags of trailers i have confidence in with/without action. For where i fish 3/8 and 1/2 are all thats needed. Also now i move around quite a bit before changing the setup.

[papajoe222]

I have found that there are days and different times during any particular day, that bass prefer a horizontal vs. a vertical presentation. When they ignore the straight fall of a jig that's flipped or pitched, I switch to a worm with a pegged weight. Although it isn't a vertical presentation, the worm will pendulum on the fall more than a jig and that slight horizontal movement is, IMO, the trigger.

[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.

 

So to all the young anglers (not chronological but experientially) struggling when casting, flipping, pitching, or punching with the Awesome Jig keep in mind there will be times when the Jig aint gonna be that AWESOME.

[Bankbeater]

Most of the time I fish a 3/8, 1/4, and 1/8 ounce jig.  The weight depends on the wind and how thick the vegetation is.  The heavier the vegetation the lighter the jig. 

As for as colors go, I let the light level determine that.  Most of the time I'm using green pumpkin, black / blue, and black jigs.  

I will try to match the trailer to the skirt, but I don't want an exact match.  I like a little contrast in the mix.

I'll keep the sizes the same but either change out the trailer or hook it differently after about half an hour or so.

 

[lunkerboss923]

Yesterday, I experimented with a 1/2oz Arky head skipping style white Z Man cross eyes with a white Strike King Rage Menace. I threw at a couple of laydowns and stumps. I caught 4 nice fish. I don't know what it is about white, but they catch fish this time of year. 

[river-rat]

 

I have the utmost confidence in the jig, but like it's been pointed out there are some days the bass just don't want it. For that reason, I always have a flipping tube in the boat and will rotate between the two to find out if there is a preference of one over the other.

 

My advice is to not over-think using a jig with too many sizes and trailers. Keep it simple until you get enough experience at which point you can expand on what you have learned.

 

Also, if you are determined to learn how to fish a jig, go out for a period of time with nothing but jigs. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

I don't really ever catch #s with jigs.  Late winter I can stack em up with finesse footballs, but other than that I know I can switch out baits and catch a lot more fish, but jigs are a blast.  I really favor smaller jigs, they get bit a lot and they still get better fish.  

This Chibi jig right here kills it as a do it all compact power jig