Here is my jig approach

[Chris]

Early spring through to early fall I fish a 1/2 oz jig. Let me explain why. With a half ounce jig I feel I have more control over my bait. My bait will get to the bottom in a hurry and will pick up a reaction bite. I can feel my bait in deeper spots and shallow areas and can break though cover without changing baits. Its a larger profile and your always in position for a bigger fish. Speed is another factor with a half ounce bait. You can cover water efficiently without waiting for your bait to hit the bottom. They are easier to control and feel in wind. Late fall early winter I switch gears. I go to a lighter jig and I beef it up. I use a bait with a full skirt or double skirt and I use a large trailer. Let me explain why. This time of the year I want my bait to be big to displace water and with that bulk on a lighter jig it will slow down my fall. With the colder water fish are not as active. So you are using a big slow moving easy meal. This lighter jig will force you to slow down. Try it out you might get a few more bites. ;D

[MichiganBass]

Thanks for the tips.  I just started using Jigs often and I am trying to gain as much information as possible right now.

[Jeff_NHBA]

Chris,

 Have you had use for a Stone Jig or a Flying Jig?  These have more of a shovel-shaped head to provide lift to get the jig up off the bottom as you retrieve.

 What conditions have you used them, if at all?

Thanks.

[Chris]

The stone jig has a flat side to its head and is easier to skip under overhanging trees and under docks. Its like tossing a flat rock. You can skip any jig but this jig is easier to learn with. Also if you put your plastic chunk fatty side up and thread it on the hook instead of hooking it like a pork chunk it gives the bait a flat surface area that skips even better.

[roadwarrior]

Chris,

How do you feel about using white jigs this time of year? How about "swimming" a white jig in late summer/ early fall?

[Chris]

Man you did some digging for this post   I swim jigs from late summer until the water freezes. The colder the water gets the better swimming jig bite I have it seems.

[DDbasser]

Chris,

have you tried the Booyah swimming jig yet?

If so, what are your thoughts on it?

I've bought some of them but I haven't had any luck with them yet.

Although, I'm not very good with a jig to begin with.

[Chris]

I have never used that style jig yet. Here are some guidelines. I like to use a light wire hook jig for swimming or a jig with the weed guard thinned out. This way on a long cast I can still stick the fish. In super clear water I use a clear holographic skirt with a white swim chunk and about a 1/4 or 1/8 oz jig. In deeper water I go up on the jig weight to a 1/2 ounce. In stained water I use a all white skirt and a swim chunk. Heavy stained water I use black and blue jig. You can use any trailer from a tube, grub, pork and plastic chunk. I don't do anything fancy but some people pump their rod as they reel this lure I just put my rod at a 10:00 position and slowly crank. When you get a bite wait a second like a worm bite. What the bass does is they stop the bait and start to swim off then they suck down  the rest. You got to wait a second to give the bass enough time to take it in deeper in their mouth. With a normal jig bite like when I am flipping I don't give them any time because they almost always have the hook on the strike but when you swim it they don't have the hook until you feel that second tap.

[roadwarrior]

Chris,

Thanks. This is a great thread for me, I'm still struggling with the bite. It seems I'm either too fast or too slow. Maybe I'm swimming the jig more than I think and not waiting on the second tick. I'm going to keep at it, thanks for the post.

[Matt Fly]

The best time of the year to learn a jig is now.  I left all my other tackle at home when I decided to become more profficent with one.  I  was tired of catching a good limit, but missing the money due to not having a quality keeper.  My goal is to catch a limit quickly, then I try for the kicker usually with a jig.  Jigs catch bigger fish consistenly.

[roadwarrior]

Matt_Fly,

No doubt, that's where my interest lies. I don't fish tournaments, I fish for big fish only. For me, that's always been soft plastics. I have dedicated a lot of hours this year to developing and improving my jig fishing, but I just haven't caught the largemouth I am expecting.

It's been fun concentrating on this specicific lure and technique. Success will come with time.

[Chris]

This time of year I use a light jig for flipping and pitching to slow down how I fish the bait and to slow the fall. Like the post for Fall/winter keep in mind everything is moving slow. The colder the water gets the less often the bass will feed. A slow moving slow falling bait means a easy target and have a hard time passing up a easy target. 5/16 oz or 1/4 oz jigs are what I use the most this time of year. I leave the jig in one place for a longer amount of time. Pork is more flexible in cold water so if you need more action winter or any cold water is when I use pork trailers the most. Don't overlook swimming spider grubs and other swimming jigs.

[dodgeguy]

i think a jig is hard to learn beause other than the fall it has no natural action.everything a jig does is induced by the angler using it.that is why 2 guys may fish the same exact jig amd one catches fish and the other doesn't.i also struggle with jigs during the summer but some of my buddies don't.my goal is to learn to fish them better next summer during the hot weather.