Jig Help Needed.

[fishbear]

I am having a heck of a time catching a single fish on a jig.  I force myself to fish one for at least 1 hour every time I go out.  However, it is always an effort in futility.

I am fishing usually very clear water, and putting the jigs in and around brush, stumps, downed  trees etc.... I either am fishing it completely wrong, or I can not detect the strike. :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/

I am using 1/4 - 3/16 oz. jigs, with colored skirts to match the conditions, and usually a trailer.  I am using braid with a fluorocarbon leader.  Tried feeling the bite, watching the line, and still not a single fish on a jig......  I feel like I am worse off than the proverbial blind squirrel!!!!

HELP!!!!!!!  :-[ :-[ :-[

[.dsaavedra.]

you are not alone  :

[Ballpark Frank]

I feel your pain. Jigs and tubes are the bain of my fishing experience.

[neBassin]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1189609782

This really helped me out.

[Brian_Reeves]

I started catching fish in gin clear water about 3 or 4 years ago.  I'm by no means an expert, but I've gotten pretty good at getting bit and detecting the strike.

I started out with jigs using a thin skirt, 30-40 strands, in perch colors.  I don't put much stock in craw colors for 99% of my bass fishing, but this is probably personal preference.  I used my favorite soft plastic at the time (GYCB Hula Grub in watermelonseed) as the trailer and I fished it exactly like I would the hula grub.  Long pitches/short casts to cover in about 10ft of water and watch the lure on the fall.  I'd swim it back along the bottem...trying to stay about a foot or less off the bottem.  If I hit a tree or rock, I'd kill the lure and hop/drag it around, looking for that infamous T-Rig style bite.  I still do this today.

If you're going deeper than 10ft or want to try getting some vicious reaction strikes, try a 1/2oz jig.  (I rarely use anything between 1/2 and 1/4).  The 1/2oz jig rockets to the bottem and will help you feel the bottem better.  When it's falling on the inital drop or on a big hop, bass will often hit it like a freight train.  It can take some guesswork out of the equation, but always watch your line!!!

As for trailers, it's getting hot outside and fish are pretty active.  I am REALLY liking the rage tail craw on large profile jigs and the rage chunk on light, small profile jigs.  Summer craw color matches the skirts that I like pretty good and that is my go-to right now.  I like action-style trailers much, much better than straight-tailed ones.  I feel like the extra action is an attractant and helps the fish hit the lure a bit harder.  A BIG football jig (oldhams 3/4oz) with a rage tail summer craw has gotten me much harder strikes than traditional trailers, making deep water fishing a layup.

One thing to consider is controlling the attributes of your jig.  Thinning the skirt out (to make it more subtle) or biting a bit off of a rage tail craw will help you control the profile (overall size) of your jig.  Using the craw instead of a chunk will help slow the fall rate.  For clear water, I really do not like using a rattle.  They add weight, speeding up the fall, and they alert the fish too early.  The reaction strike comes when this bad boy sneaks up on them with pincers and skirt flying every which way.  

If you like subtle trailers, I'd recommend a beaver from * or something similar.  Chunks, for the most part, don't have much action and do little to control fall rate.  I just don't like them, but then again, that's me.  Those types of trailers seem to work better for me in the pre spawn and spawn.  When post spawn hits, I start using stuff with a lot of action, and very little compares to the rage tail craw or chunk.

I hope this helps.  I'll check this thread later to see if you have any questions or you can PM me.  

[fishbear]

Thanks for the info.

If you're going deeper than 10ft or want to try getting some vicious reaction strikes, try a 1/2oz jig. (I rarely use anything between 1/2 and 1/4). The 1/2oz jig rockets to the bottem and will help you feel the bottem better. When it's falling on the inital drop or on a big hop, bass will often hit it like a freight train. It can take some guesswork out of the equation, but always watch your line!!!

So what size jig are you using?  Most of my fishing is in 0-12 ft. of water.  Although there is water out to 30 ft. in the lakes I fish.

I have been using mostly 3/16 and 1/4 oz. jigs with curly tail grubs as trailers.  Mostly FLW or Booyah brand jigs. (probably need to upgrade? ) I have not had a chance to get to BPS for the Rage Tail craws and chunks.  Will make that a priority.   The thing that drives me crazy is that I catch fish on a jighead and Monster worm,,,,just cannot get one with a jig.

[bkoguy07]

Just stick with it, my first fish on a jig was easily in my top 3 biggest fish I've ever caught.  After that I was hooked, I continued using them in the spring and was tearing them up, summertime is my worst jig fishing time (mainly using soft plastics) but I LOVEEE jigs stick with them.

[=Matt 5.0=]

The rod is about 99% of the equation. In my humble opinion.  

[fishbear]

The rod is about 99% of the equation. In my humble opinion.

That my friend is probably 99% of my problem,  I am using BPS Tx special.   I am looking for a better rod that I can afford, someday.

[Big-O]

6'8" to 7' med heavy action $50 to $100 major manufacturer rod.

I would choose the $100 range cause those rods will be quality enough to utilize with any other bait choice such as Spinner bait, cranks, t rig worms, top waters etc.

Stay with the jig and craw trailer, shallow water 5 ft or less in grass-light weight. Med depths 6 to 12 ft water heavier weight (around 1/2 oz) and deeper water, (13 plus) 3/4 oz plus jigs. Rocks, gravel, cleaner bottoms Football style jig. Grass, heavy brush etc. Flippin or swim style jig.

This info may seem too detailed but is only my opinion for basic jig use. In reality, there are many other factors besides water depth that come into play for jig weight such as wind, matted vegetation, etc. My best advice is take it slow and maintain contact with the bottom and use small hops and drags.

You'll get the hang of it and soon will be teachin' us how it's done

Big O

[neBassin]

Hey Big O what kind of jig is that in your pic?

[Brian_Reeves]

Thanks for the info.

If you're going deeper than 10ft or want to try getting some vicious reaction strikes, try a 1/2oz jig. (I rarely use anything between 1/2 and 1/4). The 1/2oz jig rockets to the bottem and will help you feel the bottem better. When it's falling on the inital drop or on a big hop, bass will often hit it like a freight train. It can take some guesswork out of the equation, but always watch your line!!!

So what size jig are you using? Most of my fishing is in 0-12 ft. of water. Although there is water out to 30 ft. in the lakes I fish.

I have been using mostly 3/16 and 1/4 oz. jigs with curly tail grubs as trailers. Mostly FLW or Booyah brand jigs. (probably need to upgrade? ) I have not had a chance to get to BPS for the Rage Tail craws and chunks. Will make that a priority. The thing that drives me crazy is that I catch fish on a jighead and Monster worm,,,,just cannot get one with a jig.

By that I meant that I don't throw 3/8 or 7/16oz jigs for some reason or another.  

My jig rod is a Daiwa Medium Heavy 7footer that cost me around 60 bucks.  My NEXT jig rod will be a custom made spiral wrapped, split gripped Medium Heavy, Xtra fast 7footer that will probably cost me 300 bucks ;D

My technique differs from Big-O's a little bit, but not by much.  All of my football jigs are my deep water probes.  They range from 1/2 to 1oz, favoring 3/4oz.  I'll use them in anything that is 10ft deep or greater.  If there is a ton of vegitation, it's hard to beat a home-made bullet jig (Do-It Molds), an Oldham's jig, or Micromunch tackle's grass jigs.  In really heavy grass, use a flordia rig, honestly.  But for those 3 jigs, I only keep in sizes 1/4 and 1/2.  I would like some lighter ones (1/8, 3/32nds maybe) but I'm going to have to make those myself.  Those would be for REALLY pressured fish in REALLY clear water.

[basspro96]

The pic in big o's avatar is a strike king tour grade football jig with a rage tail craw chunk as the trailor.

[neBassin]

What is the split grip for on a rod? Does it just give you a better feel?

[Brian_Reeves]

I dunno what it's for...it looks cool though ;D

I think that having less cork on the grip will increase sensitivity a bit. Mainly I want it because it looks cool though lol. Not the most scientific approach, but the bait monkey says that I must have a split grip for my jig rod and I must obey!

I'll put together another thread for jig fishing later on.  I'm really out of it right now thanks to medicine.  I don't think my posts have been as easy to follow as they should be.  Big-O's post is a good one to follow as well as that link that someone put up.

[Catt]

My best advice is take it slow and maintain contact with the bottom

That's 100% of the equation and yes you can swim a jig but it is a bottom bumping lure first and foremost.  

[daviscw]

Not meaning to hijack, buuut, should the colors that one uses for soft plastics be the same as jigs?

[Catt]

Not meaning to hijack, buuut, should the colors that one uses for soft plastics be the same as jigs?

Nope  

[daviscw]

What would be some typical jig colors for basic conditions?

[Big-O]

Green Pumpkin is the basic color to build around for daytime use in most all water colors and clarities. Kinda like my avatar. Also black and blue is popular. This time of year the craws are turning to reds and browns so they work well too.

Big O

[Brian_Reeves]

One technique that I use when I'm stumped about jig color is start with a solid black jig with a solid black skirt.  No flakes, no frills...just black.  Try a green pumpkin, black neon, blue and black, or watermelon red trailer.  I'm out of the jigs that I use for this, but they are very thin skirted...only like 1 pad of 20 strands I think.  

Anyway, what this does is gives me the most common base for craw colors (blacks, dark greys, and dark blues all kinda look black in water) and it lets my trailer add the real definition to the jig.  This might be kind of out there, but it's worked for me and I continue to use it.

Don't get too wrapped around color unless you're fishing very tough conditions.  Location and cast accuracy usually is the biggest part of jig fishing.  A good accurate pitch along with a good, solid presentation will get bites.  I have fished with people who like blue/black jigs and treat them like a holy grail.  I'm a watermelon kinda guy myself...both worked on the same day.

When I'm fishing really tough conditions (gin clear, pressured water for example) I usually lean towards bluegill colors for some reason.  It works for me.  

[tyrius.]

That my friend is probably 99% of my problem, I am using BPS Tx special. I am looking for a better rod that I can afford, someday.

You don't need to break the bank to get something with enough sensitivity to detect strikes.  Growing up I fished with Ugly Sticks.  Never caught a single fish on a jig.  Just last year I bought a BPS Extreme 6'6" MH rod and I pretty much only fish jigs now!!  You can get the Extremes for $70 now (they're on sale).  I'm sure if I upgraded even more I'd gain more sensitivity and maybe detect a few more bites per outing, but what I got is what I can afford and it serves its purpose.

[fishbear]

Well, not sure if I broke the bank or not, but have a jig rod on the way..... One of the members had some Kistlers for sale.... SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH don't say anything to the wife,, or I will be sleeping in the back yard with the rod!!!  : : ;D ;D