Jigs in warm water

[Olebiker]

I was watching O'Neill Outside yesterday morning and he said that a jig is only good in cool water and once the water gets above 70 degrees (I believe that's the temperature he said) he switches to a plastic worm.  Do you folks who fish a jig find that to be the case.

Even though I have been bass fishing for 45 years, I have never used a jig much.

[grimlin]

Bull poop.....That didn't make any sense to me.

I've caught fish on jigs in warm water last year.

However maybe he's referring to the quantity of fish being caught.In that case a worm would probably outfish a jig.So that makes more sense when i think about it that way.

[Tin]

Not true one bit. Jigs are good just about anytime, anywhere. I have caught fish on them in water from 38 degrees in March up here, to 90 degree water on Neely Henry.

[Castamasta]

yeah i also disagree, my friend just caught a nice 4 lber yesterday, and he was gettin hits continuously in water temps in the upper 70's. jigs produce down here at any temp

[Catt]

Like the bite worm the jig bites are year round even on quaility bass  

[Paul Roberts]

I disagree too. But I think I know where that might be coming from. Maybe the guy is "old school".

As water gets warm it often takes more speed to interest fish. As the season prgresses and I begin seeing bass (or trout) chasing, or zipping in fast, looking, then zipping away, I immediately think speed, as one potential remedy. If one thought of jigs in the traditional sense, bottom crawling/hopping, then a jig's catch rate would often fall off, compared to other lures. Also, early jigs were almost all 90degree heads, so when the vegetation grew up and bass retreated into them, we'd go to the plastic worm. I even remember reading long ago that plastic worms weren't good UNTIL the water warms -and later found that to be untrue (had to have that surgically removed from my lexicon LOL). (However, I do think that there are better options than a worm in the early season, so I don't break them out until pre-spawn.)

But jigs, and worms, have come a long way since those days. I remember what a "breakthrough" the jigworm was -fishing a worm on an light weight jig head around weedwalls -which allowed a worm to be fished higher in the water column for active, weed oriented summer bass. A crawled jig, or worm, would simply miss these fish.

We also now have shaky and flick-shake, wacky, 28-60degree eyes, effective weedguards, techniques that allow us to fish them like spinnerbaits (swimming jigs and worms), flipping jigs for dense cover, and sensitive tackle that allows us to fish light stuff on the drop, etc...

And these things are ubiquitous, thanks in large part to tournament fishing and the internet. (We don't have to wait for our Fishing Facts and In-Fisherman's to arrive anymore!).

So maybe this guy is "old school", (and never did subscribe to the old IF and FF)? No shame there, just a bit behind the curve.

Just some thoughts.

[fishfordollars]

If he is correct I guess we should all put them down and not fish them in the grass here on Rayburn and Toledo. He's an idiot.

[Brian_Reeves]

I fish jigs year round.  From spring to fall, I like trailers with an action tail like the Rage tail or a *, but for winter I prefer pork or more subtle trailers.  Of course, there are those days when my philosophy doesn't work, but it does it most of the time.

I don't understand how a jig isn't good for warm water.  In many lakes, bass will seek heavy cover and shade in warm water.  Jigs are perfect for heavy cover.  To each his own I guess.

[jig]

oneil outdoors - that would be almost as bad as taking advice from charlie moore

[Big-O]

I have found that jigs are best in water temps that will sustain Bass life and in the "ALL" of the year. During this short 365 day period, the fish seem to be most responsive to the jig and really appreciate it as a favorite table fare. I have often found that the fish consider the jig much like a dessert or a delicacy during this short window of time and will gobble it up, get snatched up, then get admired and chunked back in the water only to beg for more jigs. All of us Jig-A-Maniacs look forward to this special time each year and feel it is reserved "Just for Us".

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[Big-O]

I take back everything I just said and I was badly miss-taken and you shouldn't fish jigs in warm water ever again because you are wasting your time and fish hate them and it makes them ill just to see a jig in the warm water, besides that Jigs in warm water give fish leprosy and all Jigs melt after the water gets to 70 Degrees, no 60 degrees, no 50 degrees, and cost you alot of money to replace them after the water cools a bit plus Jigs weigh too much and will cost too much for fuel to carry those heavy things around in your truck and boat, not to mention they will make you sweat just to throw'em.

Oh Heck, You don't ever need to throw a jig again, they suck! And I am gonna throw all of mine away "Real Soon".

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[Mottfia]

haha I feel ya, Big O. They should be banned!

Seriously though, the jig is still deadly in summer. Over the summer, my partner and I fish tournaments heavily. He is a hardcore worm fisherman while I'm a jig man. So I get to see the two side by side throughout the summer months. From what I see, they compare the same as they would any other time of year. His worm regular catches more fish than me but my bites are more times than not much bigger than his. I'll be honest, I'm not the best jig fisherman in the world and do pretty good on them so I'd love to see a die hard jig fisherman at work. Normally in summer you have to really work the lure alot more. Some people I know use the EXTREMELY slow style of fishing while others hard hop it fast. I do my best when the fish are suspended in the tops of laydowns and I can yo yo the lure over and over again. Thats just an example of how effective and versitile  this lure is in summer.

[Big-O]

In my opinion, "The real jig expert is the fish, he teaches us something a little different every day". Dragg'em, hopp'em, swimm'em, punch'em, shake'em, pitch'em, flip'em, cast'em, slow'em down or speed'em up. Or have a beer and just stare at'em. You jig junkies know exactly what I'm talkin' about.  Jigs are like the variety of rides at Six Flags, there's alot of'em, and they're all fun.

Big O

[The_Natural]

I generally switch a few things up in the summer when I am pitching a jig in bathwater.  I like a heavy jig...1/2oz or 5/8oz...to get the reaction bite.  For finesse jigs I like the 7/16oz Jewel heavy cover finesse.  Swimming a jig with a blue hue to it is very effective and underutilized.  It honestly isn't hard to swim a jig at all...just hold your rod tip high and lightly 'pump' it...bordering on shaking it.  Just use a lighter jig for swimming...1/4oz works well.  

[Catt]

There are only 2 baits I carry year round; jigs & worms  

[grimlin]

In my opinion, "The real jig expert is the fish, he teaches us something a little different every day". Dragg'em, hopp'em, swimm'em, punch'em, shake'em, pitch'em, flip'em, cast'em, slow'em down or speed'em up. Or have a beer and just stare at'em. You jig junkies know exactly what I'm talkin' about.  Jigs are like the variety of rides at Six Flags, there's alot of'em, and they're all fun.

Big O

I like playing with my jigs at home. 8-)  ;D

[BassFishingMachine]

Personally, I don't Think O'Neil knows his *** from his elbow... which is why I don't waste my time watching his show, stick to hunting O'Neil! I'll gladly watch City Limits, Bass Pros, Bass Edge (I think thats the name :?). But never O'Neil.