Who Throws White Jigs in Fall?

[papajoe222]

I may have mentioned this a time or two over the years;

I began throwing white, skirted jigs with a white grub trailer over 20 years ago. After it dawned on me that the fish were hitting it within seconds after it hit the water, I began yo-yoing it around 4-8ft. below the surface. That increased my strike ratio, but it wasn't until I began a fairly straight retrieve that the light in my pea brain came on.  I was basically swimming a white jig with a trailer. It has been a staple presentation for me once the water temperature drops to around 70 until it dips below 45 or so.  It worked so consistently that when the water temp. rises above 45 in the spring, I started using it then, too.

I don't know when the term 'swim jig' started being used, but how many of you throw a white one in the fall?  If you don't, why not?

[Bird]

Well, I'm open minded and will give it a try next time out.

 

[Team9nine]

Was one of the first back in Indiana to throw it (early 1990s) and won A LOT of money in tourneys by keeping it a secret for many, many years  

[Pat Brown]

I throw white jigs more than any other color all year around.  They are excellent in clean and dirty water fished slow or fast.  'white' is more of a generic gizzard/baitfish pattern to be fair but it ain't green or black.

[F14A-B]

Began throwing them in the 70’s but not exactly what you’re describing, but rather smaller white hair jigs / maribou jigs in creeks and rivers. As far as swim jigs in white for bass? I have only a few and they’re unused. Maybe I should give it a chance. 

[Functional]

99% of the time I have some type of white colored swim jig on deck during all seasons. Its been my highest producer the past 2 years. 

[casts_by_fly]

not full white because that's super loud in our crystal clear water, but a more muted white/grey/silver for sure.  Dark back, lighter bottom, keep it up in the water column.

[FishTank]

I use to throw a white jig from Strike King with rattles in fall with a Yamamoto Grub that was sort of white (blue silver maybe) but that gave way to a white/blue/silver swim jig with a White Flash Keitech.  I don't throw this a lot. It's my kind of go to when a crankbait or a senko isn't working.  

[DaubsNU1]

I can count on one hand the number of times I've thrown a "swim jig." I do have white, and rigged with a white rage tail...it sits in my jig box largely unused....

 

Okay @papajoe222, you have my attention....how do you present this to fish? In what type of cover? with what type of retrieve??

 

Educate me!!

[king fisher]

I do every time I go fishing, but my white jig has a wire arm with two spinner blades rotating above the jig.  It works every where I have fished, but I have never fished on the Tennessee River.  I have tried a jig without the spinners and have had limited success.  I plan on trying them more this fall.

[Pat Brown]

I usually cast them out and let them hit the bottom and point my rod at the bait and start the retrieve slow and steady with some pauses but no twitching.  Another retrieve I like is cast it out - let it hit the bottom - point rod at bait - twitch the reel and pause small increments like a glide bait.  Another retrieve I like is cast it out and start reeling with the rod tip high so it bulges the surface and then slow it just enough to where it stops bulging and then speed it back up over and over again.  Another retrieve is to cast it past a target and immediately start reeling it and when it gets to the target slow your reel and start shaking the rod tip to 'hover' the jig in the strike zone.  Another retrieve I like is cast it out and let it hit the bottom.  Rip your rod up and let the bait fall on slack line.  Do this in little 1-2-3 rip bursts.  Heavier weights are good for this one.  Hopping and dragging them and merely pitching and flipping them also work!

 

I think it's the same as any jig but the white jig is a generally more natural color despite how we imagine a fish sees our baits etc 

[papajoe222]

43 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

Okay @papajoe222, you have my attention....how do you present this to fish? In what type of cover? with what type of retrieve??

 

Educate me!!

It’s basically a straight retrieve through the upper water column. I add a few rod twitches or a quick turn of the reel handle. Experiment with retrieve speed.  

[Catt]

White Jig-n-Craw during pre-spawn/spawn who would have thunk!

[WRB]

Anytime I think the bass are targeting Shad the white w/green-black back hair with white pork trailer gets the call.

Tom

PM email to see a photo.

Until recently my hair jigs were a closely held secret.

[PaulVE64]

My river gets filthy with gizzard shad every fall and winter. 

A white skirted jig is a good imitation 

[Catt]

Throw white swim jigs, Speed Worms, Speed Craws, Lizards, Senkos, spinnerbaits, poppers, buzzbaits, crankbaits ect year round.

[woolleyfooley]

On 10/2/2024 at 5:15 AM, Team9nine said:

Was one of the first back in Indiana to throw it (early 1990s) and won A LOT of money in tourneys by keeping it a secret for many, many years  

You talking swimming a white jig or fishing it on the bottom like a traditional jig?

[Team9nine]

12 minutes ago, woolleyfooley said:

You talking swimming a white jig or fishing it on the bottom like a traditional jig?

Swimming for suspended bass around cover, often over 15’-30’ of water.

[papajoe222]

On 10/2/2024 at 4:15 AM, Team9nine said:

Was one of the first back in Indiana to throw it (early 1990s) and won A LOT of money in tourneys by keeping it a secret for many, many years  

It was my secret lure for fall tournaments until I stopped fishing them in ‘98.  Kept it secret even after I did. 

[Munkin]

Usually have a whitish swim jig tied on from May until November. 

 

If anyone is wondering how to fish them it is simple. A swim jig is just a bladeless spinnerbait nothing more, nothing less.

 

Allen

[Bankbeater]

I like to throw a white jig with a little bit of blue or black in the skirt with a salt and pepper or white pearl Fat Albert trailer.  I have my best luck fishing parallel to rocks or rip-rap.  Even better when the wind is blowing into where I am fishing.

[BigmouthForever23]

Funny I just came across this post coming back from a morning fishing trip where I caught my first bass on a 'swim jig,' which I never heard of before. I reconnected with my old real estate agent who reps for Lew's. The way he talks, he seems like a 'semi' pro. I was telling him how I struggle catching bass once fall arrives. This one lake I fish I had a lot of luck frog fishing all summer but all the sudden I couldn't catch any bass. He told me you have to try a 'swim jig.' I didn't know what he was talking about. 

 

So I took him out on the very lake where I couldn't catch any bass for the past few trips, and he caught several within 10 minutes....all on the swim jig. I was using a frog and got nothing up to that point. Finally he gave me one to try, an all white one with a white trailer. I ended up catching 3 bass, he caught over a dozen I think. 

[DaubsNU1]

I hear you @BigmouthForever23....I also caught my first bass on a "swim-jig" today!

[Munkin]

Most of the time I throw 2 colors of swim jigs; whitish and sunfish. Whitish catches more fish but the sunfish one catches the bigger fish.

 

Allen

 

[Dan N]

I do, but always have better luck on black/blue