I have never jig fished 2025
Fishinthefish reply :
Not once, not ever. I've spent most of my time fishing up north and was always more of a plastics guy and found a way to make soft plastics work. I now live in Georgia and after seeing the waters I'll now be calling home the presentation that keeps popping into my mind is jig fishing. So here is my question, what is important in terms of purchasing a rod, line, and reel? Is sensitivity as important as it is with plastics? What strength of line should I be looking to get into? What reel do you recommend? Should I be looking for drag capacity or typical smoothness?
bigfruits reply :
what is your price range for both reel and rod?
I typically like a MH for most jig fishing (1/4-3/8oz + plastic), H for pitching into heavy cover. F or XF tip.
jig and plastics rods are they ones I want to be the most sensitive in my collection.
Fishinthefish reply :
My price range is basically 800 for rod and reel but if sensitivity isnt an issue then I would tone down what I need.
bigfruits reply :
awesome budget! my jig and worm rods are my most sensitive rods.
NRX 893 (don't pay more than $400!) and a JDM Metanium MGL ($300) would be my recommendation for 3/8oz jigs and under. For a cheaper reel, the Scorpion 70 ($175) is nice for pitching jigs and palms like a dream.
for a stiffer tip and the ability to fish 1/2oz jigs check out the NRX 873.
other sensitive rods to check out:
2016 GLX 893
Megabass XX Extreme Mission Type F
J Francho reply :
You can use the same rod you use for similarly weighed plastics. Jig fishing is more about choosing the proper jig for the cover and/or bottom composition than any geographical location. I use jigs as much as I use plastics, and I'm "up north." I suggest doing a search for "jigs" in our articles section, and familiarize yourself with the different types. You can also contact our sponsor, Seibert Outdoors, and he can put together a good selection of types you'd do well with. His brush jig can be considered an all terrain vehicle, and will cover most situations.
BigGame0892 reply :
On 2/14/2017 at 11:38 PM, Fishinthefish said:My price range is basically 800 for rod and reel but if sensitivity isnt an issue then I would tone down what I need.
Hard to go wrong with that budget. Pick up a high quality, super-sensitive rod 7 ft or longer from your favorite rod company and a high speed reel from a reputable reel maker and you should be set to go. For me, its more about the line (I'm fluorocarbon only) sensitivity-wise and paying closer attention to those times when the fish grabs it on the drop. That happens way more often with a jig than with a plastic for me. And, just don't expect that telltale thump, thump that you normally feel with plastic. Sometimes I feel a thump, but often it just feels heavy or my line moves just a bit.
bagofdonuts reply :
This year i've gone through all my high speed reels trying to find the best one for pitching and have come all the way back to an old five ball bearing bantam curado as the best. Fancy breaking systems are not really needed. You want to pick up line quickly and have a smooth drag. I like a wider spool when pitching because its easier for me to pitch left handed while just keeping my thumb on the edge of the spool and i just seem to get fewer loops in my line with a wide spool. Make sure its comfortable, but you don't need a high dollar reel for pitching, I think it would be a waste of money.
Oh, and be a line watcher. I see far more bites than i feel with the rod.
Mosster47 reply :
I use an NRX 894 as a do-all jig rod and I like it. I had an 893, but it felt under powered dragging 3/4oz footballs and trying to drag fish out of cover. If you're just pitching jigs or topping out at 1/2oz then the 893 is awesome. I have a Power Tackle football jig special that I C-rig with, but it would be a very good all around jig rod also.
With an $800 budget you can get just about anything you want.
hunterPRO1 reply :
i was the same way untill august of last year, i could not get the fish to bite a dang thing, i brought out a black and blue jig and but a black and red flake trailer on it, suddenly everything turned on and i ended up with a 25lb sack in 30mins, with two 7+ fish.
had a similar day last week where nothing else worked except the jig with a craw, and i lost the only jig i had, after catching a fish every third cast at the least i didnt catch A SINGLE FISH after that,
even tried t-rigging the craw, nothing, i think the difference was with the t-rig it landed flat but with a jigs the claws were pointed up, which i believe triggered most strike because of the fact most hits came while it was on bottom.
never leave without a couple jigs in my box nowadays.
kickerfish1 reply :
I would say buy a $100 rod and a $100 reel and use the difference on jigs!
.ghoti. reply :
In that price range, you should consider a custom rod. Contact Mike at Delaware Valley Tackle. He's a Bass Resource sponsor. Tell him what you want, and let him tell you what you need.
$300 will get you a fine reel. Stick with Daiwa or Shimano. They've both been around for a long time. There is a reason for that.
The remaining $500 will get you a top shelf custom stick.
Darren. reply :
Wow, what a budget for a jig setup!!
You have options and more options than I
have ever considered. I like what @.ghoti.
and @J Francho said. If I had your budget
I would definitely look at a custom rod.
Spent time drooling window shopping custom
rods via Google images and boy there's some
nice stuff you could have.
Fishinthefish reply :
I do the majority of my rods custom but I wasn't sure if this was going to be a type of fishing that was bite sensitive like soft plastics and texas rigs etc.
Turkey sandwich reply :
That's a killer budget, my .02...
I'm a northern guy and I love fishing jigs. My jig rod is also my T-Rig rod and I do pretty well fishing either on it. I think most guys do the same since they're predominantly bottom contact baits, anyhow. I have a few "specialized" rods that I'll use for growing jigs in very specific situations, but my MH XF gets 90% of the work throwing jigs.
You want a 7'-7'6 MH F or XF rod (for most applications) that balances and is comfortable for you. Most of my reels are Shimano, and I'm very happy with them. For $200 and up, you can get a great feel from Shimano that will be super consistent. I prefer 7.1:1 or faster. As for rods, that budget allows you SC Legend Extremes, NRXs, Steez, virtually anything Japanese, and basically any custom rod you choose to build. Handle whichever you can, and base it on your preferences. All of the above rock.
On 2/15/2017 at 5:57 AM, Fishinthefish said:I do the majority of my rods custom but I wasn't sure if this was going to be a type of fishing that was bite sensitive like soft plastics and texas rigs etc.
Jig fishing is very, very similar to Texas rig fishing. The tools and techniques cross over a lot.
riverbasser reply :
I fish jigs probably more than anything else and I like having 2 jig setups. I also have no where near $800 in them tho. Not even 300 combined. Your possibilities are endless
HeavyDluxe reply :
Another 'up north' angler here... and jigs were my tactic to learn last year. And, after a year of using them, it's now close to my confidence bait.
Definitely check out Siebert Outdoors, as mentioned above. Their products are excellent and VERY reasonably priced for the quality you're getting. They're the only jigs I'll buy, if possible.
I tried a lot of different styles of jigs and found that 'brush jigs' were the most versatile... A 3/8oz brush jig could be thrown into timber, did passably on rocky bottoms, and could be run as a swim jig. There are certainly times a lighter or heavier jig would be better, but 3/8oz is a great balance.
I always paired with a trailer - either GYCB Flappin' Hawgs or Zoom Ultravibe Craws.
At your budget amount for this setup, I imagine you can afford more tackle than I'll buy in a year. But, I think these would be good starting points...
Turkey sandwich reply :
As for really helping the sensitivity, 30-40lb braid mainline (I like 832 for this), can make a big difference. I also suggest keeping a variety of leader materials available to beat suit the water/conditions you're fishing that day. Generally, for T-rigs and jigs, I'm using Hybrid for fishing rocks/abrasive nasty stuff, and Invisex for bright, clear water, and may not even tie a leader if I'm fishing really dense salad.
Catt reply :
On 2/14/2017 at 11:34 PM, Fishinthefish said:Not once, not ever. I've spent most of my time fishing up north and was always more of a plastics guy and found a way to make soft plastics work. I now live in Georgia and after seeing the waters I'll now be calling home the presentation that keeps popping into my mind is jig fishing. So here is my question, what is important in terms of purchasing a rod, line, and reel? Is sensitivity as important as it is with plastics? What strength of line should I be looking to get into? What reel do you recommend? Should I be looking for drag capacity or typical smoothness?
If you are proficient with a Texas Rig my suggestion would be buy a identical setup for jigs.
I would start with 1/4-1/2 oz jigs & fish similar to how you fish t-rigs.
Many will tell you a jig bite aint any thing like the bite ya get with a t-rig but it is so get that notion out you head right now.
Like a t-rig, split shot, those bumps, thumps, tics, & taps are the easy ones to detect it's the one where the bass inhales your jig without ant tell-tale sign or line movement, I say now is the time to bring forth all the expertise on feeling subtle bites stored away in your brain from t-rig, wacky rigs, split shots and so on.
You will also hear "bass don't hold a jig long", don't be surprised when a 2# bass inhales your 1 oz jig without any tell-tale line movement and proceeds to sit there until you apply to much pressure at which time they spit it!
Fishinthefish reply :
On 2/15/2017 at 6:57 AM, Catt said:
If you are proficient with a Texas Rig my suggestion would be buy a identical setup for jigs.
I would start with 1/4-1/2 oz jigs & fish similar to how you fish t-rigs.
Many will tell you a jig bite aint any thing like the bite ya get with a t-rig but it is so get that notion out you head right now.
Like a t-rig, split shot, those bumps, thumps, tics, & taps are the easy ones to detect it's the one where the bass inhales your jig without ant tell-tale sign or line movement, I say now is the time to bring forth all the expertise on feeling subtle bites stored away in your brain from t-rig, wacky rigs, split shots and so on.
You will also hear "bass don't hold a jig long", don't be surprised when a 2# bass inhales your 1 oz jig without any tell-tale line movement and proceeds to sit there until you apply to much pressure at which time they spit it!
Thanks for the advice. As they say, hook sets are free.
RMax reply :
Honestly, line is up to what you are willing to use and deal with. While heavier line provides a better fail-safe, you also get worse memory in the line, as well as knots that aren't as strong. I personally just use 10 lb and feel if covers me perfectly well, put if you know you're going to catch some big bass, maybe go a little heavier.
bassboy107 reply :
Personally I like a Heavy powered rod in the 7'-7'6" range for most of the jig fishing I do. However, I have a 7'2 MH rod that I use mainly for t-rigs, but I'm not afraid to throw jigs in light to moderate cover. The main things I look for in a jig rod are sensitivity, durability, and backbone. All in that order. You will find that people have different tastes in their jig rods. Find something that feels good in your hands and will suit the cover you will be throwing into. I use a high speed reel and straight 15-20 lb flouro (again depending on cover). When setting the hook, don't be afraid to jack 'em. A weak hook set wont penetrate a heavy wire hook + weed guard that well. That was my biggest problem when I started throwing jigs. Like everyone says, hooksets are free. Tight Lines!
guest reply :
On 2/15/2017 at 2:41 AM, kickerfish1 said:I would say buy a $100 rod and a $100 reel and use the difference on jigs!
That's a heck of a lot of jigs!
RB 77 reply :
Yes, sensitivity is important. I basically fish a similar setup to what I would with plastics except I will bump up in lb test a smidgen and prefer a rod with a tad more back bone.
BassWhole! reply :
I have quite a few tuna outfits that don't go $800...
I started fishing for bass in NYC/LI and the Catskills, a 1/4 or 3/8 black arky and pork caught me a lot of fish. I find I flip and pitch a pegged (bobber stopped actually) t-rig most of the time now. The rod for both is the same, and based on the cover.
WRB reply :
What outfit do you now use with soft plastics?
Tom
Fishinthefish reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 8:37 AM, WRB said:What outfit do you now use with soft plastics?
Tom
I've got a dvt custom medium, 7'2" 1/4 to 3/4, casting rod built on an mhx elite pro blank with a shimano core 51 spooled with 20lb smackdown.
WRB reply :
On 2/16/2017 at 9:01 PM, Fishinthefish said:I've got a dvt custom medium, 7'2" 1/4 to 3/4, casting rod built on an mhx elite pro blank with a shimano core 51 spooled with 20lb smackdown.
May be a little under powered for some jigs due to the heavier wire hook they may have.
You could start with a 3/8 oz GYCB weedless football plain jig with 4" twin tail Hula grub and fish it the same way you do with a weighted T-rig worm. This is a simple but very effective jig to use.
The same rod and reel in a MH power and 30 lb braid would be ideally suited for casting jigs.
Caution, tying 20 or 30 lb braid to heavier wire hook, the knot may slip depending on what you tie. The original braid knot is a double line clinch knot and works very good, the only issue may be the 3 tag ends.
Take a look at Old School horizontal jigging thread.
Good luck,
Tom
Davidhorowitzski reply :
On 2/15/2017 at 6:57 AM, Catt said:
If you are proficient with a Texas Rig my suggestion would be buy a identical setup for jigs.
I would start with 1/4-1/2 oz jigs & fish similar to how you fish t-rigs.
Many will tell you a jig bite aint any thing like the bite ya get with a t-rig but it is so get that notion out you head right now.
Like a t-rig, split shot, those bumps, thumps, tics, & taps are the easy ones to detect it's the one where the bass inhales your jig without ant tell-tale sign or line movement, I say now is the time to bring forth all the expertise on feeling subtle bites stored away in your brain from t-rig, wacky rigs, split shots and so on.
You will also hear "bass don't hold a jig long", don't be surprised when a 2# bass inhales your 1 oz jig without any tell-tale line movement and proceeds to sit there until you apply to much pressure at which time they spit it!
I think of that inhale strike as an absence of the jig on my line. Don't feel your jig? It's in a bass! I still use my old Abu Garcia XLT as a flipping reel, and a Pflueger Asaro.
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