What is everyone's favourite swim jig?
I fish my own creation quite a bit but also do like the Freedom Tackle Stealth Live Action Hybrid Jig ~
http://www.freedomlures.com/stealth.html
A-Jay
I assemble my own using the Boss swim jig heads, and make my own skirts.
I make my swim jig skirts a little different than I would a "regular" jig skirt. Think of it as a "reverse finesse jig skirt. I use the Boss ultra flare bands, but instead of cutting the strands that would hang "outside" the band like you see on finesse jigs I cut the ones off on the inside that would cover the hook, as close to flush with the band as I can get. To keep the contraption together, I brush a thin layer of gorilla glue around the skirt keeper collar of the jig head, push the full skirt up on the head, then trim off the "inside" strands. I don't like big "full" swim jig skirts either. I only use 1 and a half tabs of my main color, then just a few strands of my accent colors, like chart., orange, blue, etc....
The closest "factory" jig to my own creation would be the Dirty Jigs "northern swim jig". Also a pretty close match to my swim jig skirts would be the Z-man "EZ skirts". I have use those a lot in the past, but I like my hand made ones better.
I make my own from scratch. I start with a Boss Outdoors pre-painted fish head jighead (it comes in several high quality colors). It comes with a medium gauge, medium length shank, Mustad NeedlePoint hook that is very sharp out of the package and maintains its sharpness as good as any hook out there (braid and a MH power rod will not open the hook- I've caught many fish up to 6lbs on these hooks with no damage). The weedguard is a medium stiffness, perfect for heavier cover but not too stiff as to impede the fish getting a good bite on the bait (weedguard's color is matched to the jighead color). The keeper is a double-barb that holds plastics really well without tearing them like wire keepers. I buy my own skirt material through Boss Outdoors and make custom skirts for any situation (Boss Outdoors sells top-quality silicone and rubber skirt material at a great price). I also purchase my skirts bands, rattles, and other lure customizing material through their website. I can make my swimjig for about a 1$ and they are of a better quality than anything you can buy, guaranteed. Oh, and it's fun to build them yourself. I also build all my own grass, wood, rock, finesse jigs, bladed jigs, and buzzbaits using their materials.
There are many great swimjigs on the market today. You can pretty much swim any jig but a true swimjig is designed with 2 KEY features to keep it upright and streamline so it comes through cover efficiently, and hooks a high percentage of fish, with a few other features that are an added bonus but not a must. First, the best swimjigs have a near flat or flat head on the bottom which acts as a "keel' to keep the jig upright and swimming with an almost hunting action. Second, the line tie in vertical and recessed to keep from hanging in cover, it'll also protect your knot from contacting the cover first. An added feature, but not necessary one, is a softer weedguard, as it'll increase your hooking to bite ratio versus a heavier weedguard. Another added feature is having a sharp, medium gauge hook that won't open-up when fishing with braid (hook to landing ratio will increase when using braid versus fluro or mono), as some swimjigs have too heavy or light a hook. Lastly, having a double-barbed trailer keeper will help keep your baits from falling off during your casts and when fish just bite the trailer (stay away from wire bait keepers, as they just tear your plastics and eat-up your fishing time as you tinker with it to get it just right.
https://natescustombaits.com/products/hybrid-skirt-swim-jig?variant=49823775829
My one and only swim jig I use, pretty much the only swim jig I will tie on.
Santone Lures Chris McCall Rayburn Swim Jig
Comes in
Finesse: 5/0 Light-wire Mustad Ultra-Point Hook
Standard: 2X Strong Mustad Ultra Point Hook
Siwash: MONSTER 5/0 Gamakatsu hook!
Military Tribute: Air force, Army, Navy, Marine, & Coast Guard
Super tough, powder-coated, weedless head design
Oversized 3D prism eyes
High-quality silicone skirt
Double barbed trailer keeper
Multi-colored weedguard
Available in 3/16, 5/16, & 7/16 oz & 41 different colors
Northstar baits flipNswim wire tied very durable jigs
Siebert's bloody shad swim jig.
Strike king swim jig.
I want to second the Santone Rayburn swim jig choice.
The part about jig design I like the most is the flat bottom which gives you the possibility of also fishing the jig on bottom as well as swimming it. Being relatively new to jig fishing, I find that this jig covers most of the situations that I fish them. They came through millfoil very well.
I'm a fan of the Dirty Jigs California swim jig if I'm throwing a larger profile trailer or their finesse swim jig if I'm throwing a smaller trailer. Catt hooked me up with a couple Santone's during last year's gift exchange and they also won me over.
Brovarney's makes the best
I like Northstar, Dirty Jigs, Lockjaw and 6th Sense.
C+C makes a hell of a nice swim jiig!
If I had my choice I would have two: The Dirty Jigs No-jack Swim Jig for fishing around wood and the Lethal Weapon IV Swim Jig for fishing vegetation.
....unfortunately I can't fish either of these any more since I'm trying to stay as legal as I can when it comes to the Massachusetts lead law so I've been using the Eco Pro Tungsten Sick Boy Swim Jigs. I actually really like these. They aren't perfect for much but they're pretty versatile and I've been happy. The weedgaurd is stout enough I can fish it around and through wood without getting snagged. The hook is stout enough I don't worry about bending it, and it stays fairly clear of weeds. The wire trailer keeper is also nice to have. And their bluegill and crappie colors are spot on, which is really all I use.
My Strike King Tour Grade has taken a beating but is still alive and ticking. I also have another one with a rattle, I think a Booyah that I've caught a few fish on.
Siebert outdoors "swim jig" in both black and blue or bluegill flash have been absolutely killer for me this year. I put a keitech fat impact on them as a trailer and dip the front 1/3 of the trailer in pink JJs magic then thread it on. The pink shows just enough threw the skirt I think it imitates gills or red breast on some of the sunfish up here or maybe it's just in My head but I find I get better strikes with the front of the trailer dipped.
Santone
Keel shaped head gives it a nice little wobble among many other features at a great price.
I like the dirty jigs swim jig for all around use, lethal weapon II for open water / smallmouth, and lethal weapon IV in vegetation. Dirty jigs has a lot of colors, but a lot of the best colors always seem to be sold out online. Lethal weapon has a smaller color selection but I catch a ton of fish using three basic colors: black/blue or purple, green pumpkin orange, and pearl. The lethal weapon jigs are hand tied and have an amazing wire bait keeper. The paint is extremely durable and I've put the hooks through hell and they keep on going.
Roll my own.
Allen
On 9/5/2017 at 3:35 AM, kickerfish1 said:I like Northstar, Dirty Jigs, Lockjaw and 6th Sense.
*What are the ribbed swimbait trailers you are using ?
Those ribbed paddle tail trailers are the Keitech Fat Impact. Sizes are 3.3, 3.8, and sometimes larger depending upon the desired intentions or size of jig.
Make my own. Still trying to figure out when to use them, but starting to make a little sense of them.
Another vote for the dirty jigs swim jig
I honestly dont use them. I use to a lot but have found that chatterbaits and swimbaits are just as good. There are situations i can see using swimjig but they dont arise often for me
I find most swim Jigs all fish well, I like the Jewel Swim Jig for lighter line more of a true swim jig without a thick hook and has a thinner guard, you can still fish it in heavy cover and be alright. The shape of the head gives it a different action than most bullet 90 degree line ties.
Many Swim Jigs are simply casting jigs with eyes. I swim alot of casting jigs and just cut a few fibers out to hook more fish.
One swim Jig that is really good is that Strikezone jig which has a flat head like the Booyah but has a 6/0 hook, comes in 1/4-1/2, and falls differently than other jigs cause of the flat head. The AT swim Jig is a great alternative when you don't need a super stout hook. Flat head, Thin guard that touches the hook, but You can take a VMC Casting JIg and cut a few fibers off and it works plenty good.
Nichols has the Saber swim Jig which is cheap and I love that Toothpick hook holder they have. I think it is Nichols, I ordered the heads in a bulk lot.
With all that said, You can get them inexpensive & how you want them from Siebert and choose eyes, Hook, colors etc. and he wire ties the skirt which helps. For some reason the Booyah versions have the flat head and ride high easily, but they all fall apart on me.
Dirty Jigs are pretty, but all but one of their jigs are basically Flipping jigs with an eye, Even in heavy cover you don't need it to be that heavy guage imo. Too much weed guard and Thick hook = too many lost fish. A swim Jig should hook most strikes, I would rather swim a Hack attack Jig than a Dirty jigs....
I use North Star Baits Original Swim Jig and their Flip & Swim Jig...
Strike king
Wacky Worm makes their own jigs/swim jigs/ brush jigs. Like the quality and the fact that they use heavy, sharp hooks.
I like the V&M pulse swim jigs. Been very pleased with all of their products.
On 9/4/2017 at 9:34 PM, IndianaFinesse said:Strike king swim jig.
Great jig, i seem to go through them quick, but the hook up ratio is unreal. Im giving dirty jigs a try soon. What rod and reel and tips do you have? I use keitech trailers and skinny dippers as trailer. and a 6.3:1 with 10 lb mono and a 7 1 m mod rod
On 9/17/2017 at 2:39 AM, Quarry Man said:
Great jig, i seem to go through them quick, but the hook up ratio is unreal. Im giving dirty jigs a try soon. What rod and reel and tips do you have? I use keitech trailers and skinny dippers as trailer. and a 6.3:1 with 10 lb mono and a 7 1 m mod rod
I like both the fat keitechs and the rage menace grubs as trailers, and if I'm fishing clear water a 4" curly tail can be good to. Your setup should be fine, unless your around heavy cover. I don't have a rod for them, so I just throw it on my multi purpose moving bait rod (6'6" mod-fast, fishes between a medium and medium heavy) spooled with 15 pound mono. A longer rod like the one you have would be helpful I think though, unless target casting.
I got turned onto Boss heads + skirts off TW and i'm now using those. WAY more cost effective (pike like to bite them off in Minnesota) and the hooks are SHARP. I land way more fish with these Boss swimjigs.
On 9/17/2017 at 2:39 AM, Quarry Man said:
Great jig, i seem to go through them quick, but the hook up ratio is unreal. Im giving dirty jigs a try soon. What rod and reel and tips do you have? I use keitech trailers and skinny dippers as trailer. and a 6.3:1 with 10 lb mono and a 7 1 m mod rod
I would suggest lighter wire hooks as the thicker hooks are tougher to set the hook on.
Allen
On 9/18/2017 at 8:19 AM, Munkin said:I would suggest lighter wire hooks as the thicker hooks are tougher to set the hook on.
Allen
the strike king one i use is a light wire. i hook almost every fish with it. no hookset needed. i totally agree with you on that one!
I was thinking of giving this jig a try soon:
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/dirty-jigs-swim-jig-17ad8ugfswmjg14cllur/17ad8ugfswmjg14cllur?recid=Product_PageElement_product1_rr_1_2749_&rrec=true
line tie and weed guard look good. hook is a mustard. skirt might be living rubber. its not a dirty jigs but it is advertised as such. probably a mistake. want to try dirty jigs as well
On 9/18/2017 at 8:22 AM, Quarry Man said:the strike king one i use is a light wire. i hook almost every fish with it. no hookset needed. i totally agree with you on that one!
I was thinking of giving this jig a try soon:
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/dirty-jigs-swim-jig-17ad8ugfswmjg14cllur/17ad8ugfswmjg14cllur?recid=Product_PageElement_product1_rr_1_2749_&rrec=true
line tie and weed guard look good. hook is a mustard. skirt might be living rubber. its not a dirty jigs but it is advertised as such. probably a mistake. want to try dirty jigs as well
I don't think that is aDirty Jigs bait, it looks like a Greenfish tackle bait.
Allen