Detecting hit when jig fishing

[Senko4life]

I havent really fished jig all that much because I dont have much confidence in them.  My main problem is detecting hits.  Recently a small farm pond I fish weeded up.  It has mats around some edges but mostly sparse weeds.  I tried fishing a peged finesse worm today but it kept getting gunked up.  I then tried a jig, which fished through the cover nice but am lost on detecting hits.  I was wondering what a take is usually like and what to look for.  I was also wondering if any one ever fishes a finesse worm as a trailer, just an idea I thought of.  Any help is greatly appriceated.  Thanks in advance.

[J-Boogie]

for me its usually bump bump then they slam it hard.Not like worm fishing but im new to pitching jigs also.. Id say the trailer you want to try will fall fairly quickly. Never hurts to try though

[llPa1nll]

Jig fishing does take some getting used too. Especially detecting a "bite". It took me 45 mins with a knowledgeable jig fisherman to teach me what to look for and what to feel for. Unlike some other lures jig fishing you need to pay attention at all times. When you cast out keep some slack in the line but not too too much maybe only enough so 2-3' will be sitting on top of the water. Watch that line if it jumps, starts going off to either side, sinks too fast, doesnt sink long enough set the hook. Fish will hit a jig on the fall so be prepared. Once your jig hits the bottom (depending on the bottom) you will feel it hit, also your line will go slack. Reel up the slack just enough so when you raise your rod you can feel the weight of the jig. A jig bite usually if you feel it at all sometimes you wont, especially Smallies, will feel like a "tick" imagine someone flicking their finger at your jig. What you are feeling is the jig being sucked into their mouths and hitting the back of their mouth. Again practice practice practice the best way to get better at it is to throw it constantly. As far as trailers go, I personally use Pork frogs, plastic twin tail trailers, and plastic chunk frogs. Hope this helps good luck and tight lines.

[Bankbeater]

90% of the time I fish a jig by dragging it along like a plastic worm. I feel a tap tap tap and set the hook.

The other 10% of the time I dead stick it and then give it a short hop and then dead stick it again. You have to keep the line tight and watch it for movement. When a bass takes the jig the line may start moving off to one side or start making little jumps in the water.

[Shad_Master]

I use braided line (Power Pro) for all of my jig fishing - this helps me detect the strike and also to horse them puppies out of the narly stuff.  I like 20# test (diameter of 6# I believe).  You might want to give it a try.

[FishTank]

If I am fishing a jig slow and bouncing it off the bottom, I will cast out to a particular spot, bounce the jig a little bit just to feel what the structure is on the bottom, and I feel something different on the way in I give the rod a small jerk.  If that small jerk doesn't allow the jig to fall to the structure I felt when I first casted, I'll try to set the hook.  If your lucky, it'll be a big slam instead of nibble.

One other thing, a sensitive rod can make all the difference.  I have had the best success with a G. Loomis BCR803 GLX and Gamma Flourocarbon.

[ww2farmer]

WATCH YOUR LINE..........WATCH YOUR LINE...........WATCH YOUR LINE, lol did I mention watch your line. Alot of jig bites will come on the fall, you won't feel much, but see your line "tick", don't play around trying to "feel" them when this happens, set the hook like you mean it. Other times they will pick it up on the bottom and you won't see or feel a thing, only when you go to move the jig it feel "mushy" or there is slight pressure, SET THE HOOK. There is no wrong time to set the hook with a jig, if it feels different whack it.

[=Matt 5.0=]

I use braided line (Power Pro) for all of my jig fishing - this helps me detect the strike and also to horse them puppies out of the narly stuff. I like 20# test (diameter of 6# I believe). You might want to give it a try.

+1, I use the 20lb PowerPro. Seems that most of my jig fish this year have absolutely crushed the jig when I bounce it UP off the bottom, not on the fall....something to ponder.  

[roadwarrior]

I always read this "WATCH YOUR LINE...WATCH YOUR LINE".

So, what do you guys do at night?

[Siebert Outdoors]

I always read this "WATCH YOUR LINE...WATCH YOUR LINE".

So, what do you guys do at night?

That is a good question.

This is where good equipment and experience come into play.  Its all about feel.  This is going to sound stupid but you have to become the lure.  Staying in contact with the lure is key.

BTW  flourecent line and a black light help alot if you have one. I have only fished with one a couple times. it makes it alot easier to fish at night.

[=Matt 5.0=]

I always read this "WATCH YOUR LINE...WATCH YOUR LINE".

So, what do you guys do at night?

I've been throwing a black 3/8 oz Evo jig with a black zoom trailer and keeping in contact with the bait. Bounce, bounce, bounce....pause, repeat....l

[BassHunter69]

ive never fished a jig at night but i use 30 lb power pro its like an 8 lb dia. i watch the line which is as important as feel is to me. when im looking for the feel i like the line between my finger tips many times i'll feel that tick,tick or mushy feeling i set the hook with a side sweep then lean back on it as i reel in to keep pressure on the fish only time i dont keep my line between my fingers is if im swiming the jig, that braid can cut you ya know.

[ww2farmer]

I always read this "WATCH YOUR LINE...WATCH YOUR LINE".

So, what do you guys do at night?

Well then ........you have to "feel" for them. Quality rods, and braided line are a big asset for that. Beleive it or not line can be watched at night.

[Catt]

I fish jigs a lot at night and what I do is what y'all should be doing all along feeling the bite. While there is nothing wrong with watching your line there are more times your line will not move than times when it will move. With a Texas Rig or Jig the bass are not moving as with spinner baits or cranks so many bites the bass will simply inhale the worm/jig and sit on it not moving an inch.

Learn to weigh your bait. Explanation: if you can go to a swimming pool, pond, or creek any where with clear water where you can see your bait on the bottom in 5 to 10 of water. First pitch your bait about 10 to 15 yards on the ground, close your eyes a shake or hop the bait. Feel what the bait feels like in no water (I mean really learn it). Then pitch it out in the water and do the same thing. I can feel the thump of a Texas rigged worm with a ¼ ounce sinker as hit bottom in 15 to 18 foot of water. If you can't you need practice!

Now you are probably asking yourself what does this have to do with feeling a fish bite. Well if your bait feels any different that this, drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook!

And yes I can see my line at night under certain conditions but I mainly feel my bait

[BassHunter69]

I fish jigs a lot at night and what I do is what y'all should be doing all along feeling the bite. While there is nothing wrong with watching your line there are more times your line will not move than times when it will move. With a Texas Rig or Jig the bass are not moving as with spinner baits or cranks so many bites the bass will simply inhale the worm/jig and sit on it not moving an inch.

Learn to weigh your bait. Explanation: if you can go to a swimming pool, pond, or creek any where with clear water where you can see your bait on the bottom in 5 to 10 of water. First pitch your bait about 10 to 15 yards on the ground, close your eyes a shake or hop the bait. Feel what the bait feels like in no water (I mean really learn it). Then pitch it out in the water and do the same thing. I can feel the thump of a Texas rigged worm with a ¼ ounce sinker as hit bottom in 15 to 18 foot of water. If you can't you need practice!

Now you are probably asking yourself what does this have to do with feeling a fish bite. Well if your bait feels any different that this, drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook!

And yes I can see my line at night under certain conditions but I mainly feel my bait

Mr Catt,

thanks for that advise looks like im gonna be flipping and pitching jigs in the backyard again   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[roadwarrior]

Well then ........you have to "feel" for them.

That is my point. Watching your line may be important and very helpful at times, but developing a "feel" for the jig is important "all" of the time.

[Catt]

What many people fail to understand with slow moving baits like a Texas Rig, Jig-N-Craw, Senko and others is the bass doesn't have to chase it down. This is especially true when flipping/pitching the bass will simply inhale the bait without ever moving and there will be no line movement at all. You almost have to have a sixth sense about you when fishing these baits making them a little more difficult to master. I can assure you that if you are relaying solely on visual line movement you are missing a tremendous amount of bites. This is magnified ten fold with double digit bass they'll simply sit with the bait in their mouth and will be the lightest bite you'll never feel or see.

[ww2farmer]

Well then ........you have to "feel" for them.

That is my point. Watching your line may be important and very helpful at times, but developing a "feel" for the jig is important "all" of the time.

Your right, I have been fishing jigs for only a short time, developing the feel for them is not somthing that happens over night. I can say very confidently that after a couple years of jig fishing that my skills are far from refined in this area, and if someone who has just picked up a jig for the first time is already having trouble detecting bites by feel, well I think the line watching will help alot. One of the best ways to learn to catch a fish on a jig is to actually catch a fish on a jig. Once you know what a fish feels like, it gets a little easier, as confidence grows the "feel" comes along, but line watching should always be part of jig fishing. Feel alone, as with line watching alone, can both improve odds of putting fish in the boat, but together, it improves so much more. I stressed the line watching to the poster becuase I have no idea how much experience with jigs he has, and what kind of equipment he is using (good luck feeling anything with a jig fished on an Ugly stick and stretchy mono), but if that what he's got he can detect bites by line watching.

[BassHunter69]

Well then ........you have to "feel" for them.

That is my point. Watching your line may be important and very helpful at times, but developing a "feel" for the jig is important "all" of the time.

(good luck feeling anything with a jig fished on an Ugly stick and stretchy mono), but if that what he's got he can detect bites by line watching.

exactly how i 1st picked up jig fishing   belive me i didnt get the sensitivity i needed with that so i went home skunked more often then not.     maybe i should sell that old ugly stik and get a better rod for cranks and jigging ;D ;D ;D.  the best bites i got on that ugly rod was for stripers,but for lmb and smallies never caught one on that till i fixed up an old broom i found  

[TrickyVT1887]

I used to hate jig fishing but have gotten significantly better at it this year and have learned to enjoy it. I use an older Shimano Curado 200B on a G-Loomis 803 MB (6'8" Medium Heavy, Extra Fast), with 15# Seaguar Carbon Pro.  I tried the braid on jigs and I hated it! It seemed like the line was scaring the fish away and didn't like the feel of it, but as soon as I switched to fluorocarbon I started catching a lot more and a lot bigger fish. My experience thus far is feel everything and at the sign of anything feeling "weird" set the hook, the other thing I have learned is "WATCH YOUR LINE" sometimes a fish will pick it up and come at you and your line just keeps getting more and more slack. Hopefully this will help you just a little bit with jig fishing, I'm not an expert by any means but this is what has helped me.

[Catt]

Worm/jig bite

Ok let's see if we can shed some light on the subject of feeling a worm or jig bite; many people say the two are totally different but I believe they are very similar.

Worm/jig: with these baits the bass will simply flare its gills causing a vacuum which moves water and your bait into their mouth. With this bite there is very little if any line movement thereby not much is transmitted to your rod tip.

The art of feeling a worm/jig bite is a fine combination of watching your line and feeling for unnatural sensations of what your bait shouldn't feel like. Some times you will feel that classic Tap, some times you'll only see line movement, some times your line will simply go slack, but some times there will only be a feeling of heaviness that is almost like your line will not move. The bites where the bass moves after inhaling you bait are the easy ones to feel because there is line movement, the bites where the bass simply inhales your bait and just sits there are the hardest to feel. Feeling a worm/jig bite requires keeping a certain amount of tension on your line while at the same time keeping a certain amount of slackness in your line. To the average angler this makes no sense at all but the worm/jig angler it makes total sense.

[BassHunter69]

great post catt so Mr Catt's done it once again.  

how about the differnt ways to fix trailers on a jig? this may be worth another post but i for one am still talking about jigs, ive nused 3 inch worms,chunks,craws,and 4 inch grubs as trailers.

also what color jigs do yall like with what color trailers?

i'd love to hear your thoughts on this catt,rw,flukester,glenn,flechero,lbh,muddyman,ghoti,bassboys,avid,man i got too many friends to list so lets just get everyone to throw in their two cents   ;D ;D ;D ;D

i like a red and black jig which is currently a chatter bait which is still technicly still a jig,cant seem to find any red trailers however, or other red jigs,my next favorite would be black and blue,white and this one jig i forget who putts it out but it has a sillicon skirt and has a nice bluegill pattern.

[Catt]

I'm very narrow minded in my color selection when it comes to jig; I use only two different colors Black & Blue and Black Neon.

Now trailers are a different subject not in colors but in kinds of trailers. I use Gene Larew Craw Worms, Zoom Swimming Chunks, Zoom Super Chunks, Double Tail Grubs, NetBait Paca Craw, and various others.

[BassHunter69]

I'm very narrow minded in my color selection when it comes to jig; I use only two different colors Black & Blue and Black Neon.

Now trailers are a different subject not in colors but in kinds of trailers. I use Gene Larew Craw Worms, Zoom Swimming Chunks, Zoom Super Chunks, Double Tail Grubs, NetBait Paca Craw, and various others.

Catt narrow minded? Hmmmmmmm where does he fit the bass then?   ;D ;D ;D