Swim Jig Or Spinnerbait?

[james 14]

So you're out fishing and you have to decide which to tie on. Let's assume the cover being fished allows you to fish either bait effectively. What conditions are you looking for to make your choice? Water clarity, cloud cover, fishing pressure, wind and water temp all have something to do with it I'm sure. There should be situations where one shines above the other. I'm curious if anyone has figured that part out yet.

[Vinny Chase]

I keep it simple...When it comes to choosing one or the other, I look at the water clarity and light penetration. When I feel as if I need a little more flash or vibration due to windier conditions, dirty water, or low light conditions, I will tie on a spinnerbait - otherwise I am throwing a NorthStar Custom Baits New Gill swimjig!

[Bassn Blvd]

I don't stress myself with such tough decisions, that's why a have a rod for several different techniques.

[james 14]

I keep it simple...When it comes to choosing one or the other, I look at the water clarity and light penetration. When I feel as if I need a little more flash or vibration due to windier conditions, dirty water, or low light conditions, I will tie on a spinnerbait - otherwise I am throwing a NorthStar Custom Baits New Gill swimjig!

I like this jig! Thanks for the suggestion earlier. I've tried a couple different trailers but I'm liking a watermelon red grub with the tail colored chartreuse. I caught a bass shortly after tying it on the first time but since then I've only caught 3 pickerel. I was thinking the same thing as far as technique is concerned. I like being able to use the jig to fish a little slower...especially through weeds and brush.

I don't stress myself with such tough decisions, that's why a have a rod for several different techniques.

Me too. Unfortunately I can only cast one rod at a time but I will likely have one of these tied on in addition to the spinnerbait from now on.

[Fishes in trees]

Probably the easiest decision would be to have a couple of rods, one on each and switch off every few casts. That's what I do, i.e. carry 20 rods + or - a few, and have lots of different choices tied on. Rods and reels have a price on them, fishing time is priceless, I try to maximize my fishing time.

[River Rat316]

Lots of factors. But for a general rule clear water, clear skies, little wind = Swim jig

windier, murkier, cloudier= Spinnerbait

90% of my swim jigging is pretty simple, I take long casts past cover and reel the jig into the cover, whether it be weeds, wood or rock, and try and make the swim jig contact the cover, if it is hard cover let the swim jig bounce off of it and that is where most of your strikes will come, if it is soft cover (weeds) rip the jig through and either keep cranking it or rip it through and let it drop right next to or into the weeds, the fish will tell you which way they want it. The other 10% involves working weedlines with either a straight retrieve, or more of a jerk bait retrieve only like 5 times faster.

There is no real set rules though, one of my favorite techniques is burning spinnerbaits covering as much water as possible, this is a complete reaction strike pattern so it doesn't matter if the fish are negative or not feeding, if you put your bait infront of enough of them some will bite it just out of a natural reaction to the bait being close to them. And I have done this under all conditions, warm water, cold water, clear water, murky water, and any kind of cloud cover you can think of.

[eyedabassman]

I keep it simple...When it comes to choosing one or the other, I look at the water clarity and light penetration. When I feel as if I need a little more flash or vibration due to windier conditions, dirty water, or low light conditions, I will tie on a spinnerbait - otherwise I am throwing a NorthStar Custom Baits New Gill swimjig!

Yep spot-on Vinny! And like Riverrat said they are both reaction baits. I throw more swim jigs that I do spinners. But in windy days I will take the spinner. In the spring that Northstar New Gill is a KILLER in both baits! As for trailers try a Netbait Magic Craw color in the Kickin B,chunk,chunk SR.,or a baby Paca craw. In the summer try fish the Northstar football jigs ( 1/2 oz. to 1 oz. ) on deep weed lines==HANG-ON!

[Vinny Chase]

Yep spot-on Vinny! And like Riverrat said they are both reaction baits. I throw more swim jigs that I do spinners. But in windy days I will take the spinner. In the spring that Northstar New Gill is a KILLER in both baits! As for trailers try a Netbait Magic Craw color in the Kickin B,chunk,chunk SR.,or a baby Paca craw. In the summer try fish the Northstar football jigs ( 1/2 oz. to 1 oz. ) on deep weed lines==HANG-ON!

I had the best fishing day of my life last year in the spring throwing this bait in 1/4oz size. I found a shallow pocket where the bass were just getting done spawing and it was literally every other cast. I ended up catching 6 bass that weighed 5+ lbs.

You're are also right on about the football jigs!

[Skeet22]

Like said above flat,clean water = swim jig ( for me even if its cloudy I will throw swim jig as long as the water clarity is good with light to no wind)

windy or dirtier water with less visibility = spinnerbait

[Nice_Bass]

Water clarity does not make a huge difference to me- really I much prefer a swim jig- but typically I will only throw a spinner bait if I want to keep a bait higher in the water column at slower speeds as the blades provide lift. Even in windy and murky conditions, fish usually find the swim jig with the right trailer...if I am fishing the right depth that is.

[Nitrofreak]

So you're out fishing and you have to decide which to tie on. Let's assume the cover being fished allows you to fish either bait effectively. What conditions are you looking for to make your choice? Water clarity, cloud cover, fishing pressure, wind and water temp all have something to do with it I'm sure. There should be situations where one shines above the other. I'm curious if anyone has figured that part out yet.

If the spot being fished can be fished effectively with either one, then I throw the first one I can reach, it's that simple.

I look at the weather forcast for the time I am on the water, I know if it's going to be a cloudy overcast day, I am going to have darker colors already on, this includes all, jigs,spinners or assorted plastics, this will also include a chartruse bait or two just incase the sun pops out, so cloud cover really only has an effect on the color not the bait I throw first, so that takes care of the cloud cover part, as far as the water clearity, for me it kind of goes hand and hand with cloud cover, wind and water temp however do play a part, as far as water temp the only change to either bait I choose, is the speed of which I retreive it, as for the wind, that one really plays the most important roll as far as which one I choose first, the more the wind blows the faster I pick up the spinner, Why wind influences that decision is simple, the swimming jig makes it harder to feel the bite on a slow retrieve, throwing a spinner is like fishing a crank in open water, your speed of the crank and the resistance it offers allows you to be in more constant contact with the bait.

What really decides for me on a calm day, is how thick is the cover?, can I get a swim jig through the cover and bang into it without getting too hung up, or would the spinner be less likely to hang up and get the action I need.

[smalljaw67]

Any kind of a ripple on the water and I'm throwing the spinnerbait and if the water has any stain to it would also have me use a spinnerbait. In all honesty I have at least one rod with a spinnerbait tied on from the time the water gets above 55 degrees and it stays on untill it falls below 55 degrees. I probably use a swim jig differently than most, a lot of anglers like paddle tails as their trailers and I use them like that sometimes but more often than not I use a Rage Tail craw, it has a ton of action and lets me fish the bait 2 different ways on one cast. I like to fish the swim jig around visible cover like laydowns, lilypads and weedbeds and what I do is make a cast and swim it right by the cover, if this doesn't get a strike I make the same cast and swim it up to the cover and just stop it dead, now I have a jig with a trailer that has a craw profile and I can't count how many times I've had a fish not commit to the jig swimming but grabbed it when it hit bottom.