What’s your thoughts on trimming jig skirts?

[Darth-Baiter]

You leave them alone?  You trim thoughtfully?  
 

im not a bass, but they all seem so overdressed to me.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

I don't trim new baits out of the package as I pay good money for them.

That said I don't replace skirted baits once they start to lose strands, and time after time I've observed the more reduced that skirt gets, the better the baits work.  That isn't specific to jigs, but with bladed jigs and spinnerbaits as well.   

 

If I got them for free, I'd likely thin them out and cut some short if I wanted a finesse presentation but didn't want a finesse jig.  

[Jimmy1981]

I like trimming a skirt about half an inch after the hook. Sometimes I’ll trim right after the hook. 

[NorthernBasser]

I'll trim if I want a little smaller profile or if the skirt is inhibiting the action of the trailer. Also goes for swim jigs and bladed jigs. 

[Pat Brown]

I always trim every jig skirt.  How much depends on my goals.  The minimum is just trim the tips of the strands to creates a little bulk and randomness to how it hangs.  Mid level I will kinda trim it down to where it's very close to the hook shank maybe roughly 1" and then flair a few strands out.  And then sometimes I really want it compact and that's when I will trim the skirt up to the hook shank and really poof it out with my clippers.

 

I have skirt tying stuff and constantly tie my own jig skirts and do new skirts on old jigs so I really don't mind doing it at all.

 

I have many jigs that are approaching 5 years old that have caught a bunch of bass on them and I still use because I mess with skirts!

[Catt]

Depending on what I'm trying to accomplish.

 

Sometimes I want a full length shirt with a 6" Gene Larew Hawg Craw. Sometimes I'll trim the skirt at the bend of the hook with a Rage Chunk.

Sometimes I'll double skirt it.

[Mbirdsley]

depends on the situation or time of year. The colder the water or the more negative the fish are. I will trim the top strands of the skirt all the way to the collar.

 

Generally speaking, regardless of the temp or the fish mood. I like to have the bottom skirt either even with the hook or maybe an 1/8 inch past the hook.

 

If the fish are really aggressive, they may like the extra skirt length on the jig  

[IYAOYAS]

I trim my skirt to just before where the action of a trailer starts. so if it's a craw I'll trim to right in front of the where the claws attach to the body. Boot tail swimbait I'll trim it to where the body starts to get smaller going to the tail.

[Bird]

I trim all skirts just behind the hook.

Jigs, spinnerbaits and buzz baits.

[fishballer06]

I'm not too particular on bottom contact jig skirts - as long as they're not too long past the hook. 

 

However, on my spinnerbaits and chatterbaits I trim the skirts to give them some flare and life. I'll generally trim the half of the strands that folds over the top about a 1/2" shorter than the bottom half. 

[Alex from GA]

My wife says all you guys should stay away from skirts, unless invited.

[Jar11591]

It’s rare I don’t trim a skirt before I use the jig. Sometimes the skirt can inhibit the trailer’s action if it’s too long. Sometimes I want a large profile (trimming the skirt actually gives the jig a larger profile). I don’t trim spinnerbait skirts or any other skirts for that matter, but I will trim the feathers off the back treble on baits that have that. 

[F14A-B]

I buy jigs in sets of 2-4 depending.. I might have 60 jigs (dressed) probably 30% are trimmed down. I will do that w spinnerbaits too. A shorter, stiffer skirt flares and breathes differently imo.. I’ve kind of got away from spinnerbaits as of late but now that bladed jigs are the new senko I’ll probably start throwing them again. 

[Jar11591]

3 minutes ago, F14A-B said:

that bladed jigs are the new senko

My bass haven’t gotten this memo 

[F14A-B]

Just now, Jar11591 said:

My bass haven’t gotten this memo 

It’s like Trickle down economics lol

[Bankbeater]

I don't really shorten the skirt.  It's more like I level it out and trim the strands sticking out.

[IYAOYAS]

4 hours ago, Alex from GA said:

My wife says all you guys should stay away from skirts, unless invited.

Funny, my wife says the same thing to me all the time...

[OkobojiEagle]

Unabashed smallmouth chaser...

 

 Occasionally I remove the skirt on jigs and spinnerbaits completely.  Frequently I thin skirts to only 6 or 8 strands.

[928JLH]

Trim in the winter. Long in the summer. Totally contradicts speedo season.

[Joedodge]

Just got serious about jig fishing. Had caught a few on random jigs years ago. But I will say I have messed around trimming them a lil bit. And it seems to change the bulk and the action of the trailer. 

[Darth-Baiter]

I just did a mullet.  Business up top, all party down low. 

[Junk Fisherman]

I almost always trim my skirts to the curve of the hook.  Especially with chatterbaitsss I like the way it allows my trailer to be more visible.  

[Pat Brown]

The Brush Mata Jig from Siebert comes with a hybrid silicon and living rubber skirt and he leaves it COMPLETELY full - it's bad to the bone.

 

You can leave them completely untrimmed and thread a big salty chunk on there and it catches big fish without trimming when they're in the mood for that super big profile.

[rangerjockey]

I usually trim them to the hook bend. I don't use scissors I just pull the strands off so they're uneven.

Probably doesn't matter but just the way I've always done it.

 

[Lottabass]

As always, listen to the fish and your confidence level   Many times I'll take a 3/16 skirted jig with a weed guard and take the skirt off and put a small stick worm on, call it a Ned Jig.