For those of us not throwing a jig/trailer combo 2024
airborne_angler reply :
Can anyone give us some clue on what we might be missing out on? I fish from a 10' Jon boat and don't have flipping/pitching capabilities as I must sit down to fish from this rig.Are jigs as good when casting as they are when pitching/flipping? Bottom line why should a non jig fisherman start throwing jigs other than to be a well rounded fisherman.Are they really that good at enticing fish to strike? What makes a jig so appetizing to a bass? Is it the subtle movement of the strands of the jig skirts action?
Hamby reply :
Jigs are extremely versatile. You can do anything with them. You can swim them along the surface like a wake bait, drag them along the bottom, hop them, whatever you like.
Why can't you stand up in your boat? You're really missing out on some nice fish if you can't flip and pitch.
matstone7 reply :
In one word, "yes" they should give them a try.
They can be fished from a small boat, from shore and are in no-way limited to just flippin' and pitchin'.
As for the appeal, I like to think of it as the motionless motion. Even when you aren't moving the jig, it's moving. Good luck.
airborne_angler reply :
Its a 10' jon and feels pretty shaky when I stand up. Ant really relax when I'm standing up in it. I'm always really wobbly
Hamby reply :
I understand. Yeah, you should really give them a try. I don't know how it is in arizona, but jigs on the bottom are supposed to look like crayfish. But you can swim it and it'll look like a baitfish.
FIAB reply :
You absolutely do not have to pitch or flip a jig for it to be effective. If you fish a texas rig worm or lizard you can fish a jig. I will throw a jig almost every time I go fishing, and the lake I fish has very little in the way of cover to flip or pitch to other than floating boat docks........which I don't fish very much......Use it as a follow up or clean up bait casting to the same place you where casting whatever other lure you were using.
In my opinion it is the best single bait if you are looking for that big bite. (Maybe the big swim baits are just as good I just have not fished them)
Flipping and Pitching is just a technique used to cover alot of cover very fast and very accurate by putting your bait in the strike zone instead of casting past the zone and working the lure through the zone. Jigs are also not the only lure that can be pitched or flipped. You can texas rig any plastic and flip and pitch it.
This time of year is a great time to vertical jig a pig and jig or jig and grub or whatever other plastic you would like to use.
One technique you may want to try is shooting jigs with a spinning rig. You can do this sitting down (even though it may be easier standing). Scale your jig down to 1/4oz and shoot them under boat docks.
I'm sure others will have many other ways and reasons to use a jig, but whether standing or sitting the bottom line to use a jig is to get broke off!
Tie one on any size or color as long as it is 3/8oz and black and blue. You'll love it.
Hamby reply :
QuoteTie one on any size or color as long as it is 3/8oz and black and blue. You'll love it.
Ha ha.
J Francho reply :
Hmmmm.....I wonder if a swimming jig ever looks like a swimming crayfish, or if a feeding baitfish looks like a jig on the bottm. Something to ponder before young minds make generalizations about fishing.
Anyway, a pitch or a flip is JUST A TYPE OF CAST!!!!!. Just cast the jig to your target in what ever way is easiest. Its what you do the instant the bait hits the water that gets bit.
River Rat316 reply :
IMHO there is not a better or more consistent big fish bait then a jig. They are also the most versatile bait out there, like already said fished near the bottom or swum up near the top, they can pretty much do it all. I don't pitch or flip that often to be honest, most of my "deep" jig fishing is working a deep weedline or combing an underline point or some other type of structure, these usually entail some type of cast whether it be short or medium (I don't like that much line out with a jig because it diminishes feel and hook setting ability imho). As far as equipment goes most of my jig fishing is done with a 7" mh Fast action rod, I own like 3 flipping sticks and always have at least 1 with me but when I am working deep or off shore structure I am almost always using the 7'er I think the majority of your jig fishing you could get by with a 6'6" or 7' mh fast action rod, just remember on the hookset that there is a weedguard and usually a big thick hook that you have to drive home to get that fish to the boat.
deaknh03 reply :
try different presentations, I will often cast it out and crawl it back, jumping and twitchin sometimes, and keep changing up your presentation until you find what they want.
K_Mac reply :
There are many times when flipping/pitching would not be the preferred technique. Even when working in close a short underhand or side armed cast will often work just fine. I learned to fish a jig from a small boat that did not allow me to stand, and I caught many fish on jigs from it.
Raul reply :
Flipping jigs is one of the many ways there is to fish a jig.
Pitching jigs is one of the many ways there is to fish a jig
Casting jigs and hoping jigs along the bottom is one of the many ways to fish a jig.
Casting and dragging jigs on the bottom is one of the many ways to fish a jig.
Casting and swimming a jig is one of the many ways to fish a jig.
So far that makes five ways to fish a jig, so flipping and pitching are only some of the many ways to fish a jig, where is it written that jigs are only for flipping and pitching ? :-?
Jason Penn reply :
One suggestion I would make is try a finesse type jig to start out. The first jig fish I ever caught was on a 3/16oz Strike King bitsy bug with half a lizard as a trailer. At the time that's all I had to use. I got on 1 big laydown and caught probably 25-30 small fish off it. I found another laydown on the other end of the lake that was similar and caught another 20 fish off of it!! It was definitely a fun day.
These were all small fish, but they were fish! I was fortunate enough to be fishing a place that had a large population of small fish. I could learn different techniques there because I got bites. It's hard to know if you're doing something right or wrong if you're getting no response.
Once you catch a few fish you'll get a feel for fishing the lure, and then it's much easier to ramp up to the bigger jigs.
I still probably fish a finesse-type jig more than full skirt jigs. This past sunday I fished from 1:00-4:30 and caught 5 fish, broke off on 1, and lost another. 4 of those 7 bites was on a Northstar 3/8oz alien head with a finesse skirt. I use a twin tail grub on all jigs.
Hamby reply :
QuoteHmmmm.....I wonder if a swimming jig ever looks like a swimming crayfish, or if a feeding baitfish looks like a jig on the bottm. Something to ponder before young minds make generalizations about fishing.Anyway, a pitch or a flip is JUST A TYPE OF CAST!!!!!. Just cast the jig to your target in what ever way is easiest. Its what you do the instant the bait hits the water that gets bit.
The only thing i meant by that is that they could be anything. Very versatile lures. I don't know the forage base in arizona, but where i fish a jig on the bottom could look like a crayfish, but it could also look like a baitfish if worked a little faster. Could be anything. 
If i had to sit here and explain everything a jig COULD be as to not generalize, i'd be here forever.
SoFlaBassAddict reply :
If all you do with a jig is flip or pitch it, you're severely limiting yourself.
Hamby reply :
You can catch a ton of fish simply dragging and bouncing a jig. I broke my trolling motor this year, and for a few days all i was doing was drifting over a rockpile and dragging the jig along. Could do the same with a texas rigged plastic...but a jig can catch more fish without being totally wrecked.
I catch noticeably larger fish on a jig than plastics, also.
Catt reply :
I don't know where this notion came from that one must stand to flip & pitch?
My two most productive lures are Texas rigged worms & Jig-n-craws which I've always flip/pitch/punch/cast from a sitting position. In resent years with ruptured discs, nerve damage, & torn ligaments in my lower back I probably stand only 15% of the time.
Now I will disagree with most because it's a proven fact Texas rigged plastics out produce all other lures for size & numbers.
Hamby reply :
But does your boat have a deck? Try sitting in a boat with regular bench seats with the side of your boat in the way. If you boat has a deck, it would be like sitting on the deck.
If you somehow do flip and pitch from a boat without a deck, then more power to you. Pitching accurately is hard enough standing up.
Jason Penn reply :
QuoteNow I will disagree with most because it's a proven fact Texas rigged plastics out produce all other lures for size & numbers.
My personal best came this year on a t-rigged baby brush hog and I caught a whole lot more fish on plastics than I did a jig. I probably like fishing a jig more though because you don't have to really mess with it other than the trailer. 8-)
Jig = lazy man's t-rig? ;D
River Rat316 reply :
QuoteNow I will disagree with most because it's a proven fact Texas rigged plastics out produce all other lures for size & numbers.
I don't disagree on with that on numbers.... but size? We must be fishing different fish, over the years, the jig has proven to me that it brings the big mommas in!
Skeet22 reply :
I went all out on my first Jig fish and caught a 6.5 in 25ft on top a brushpile. I plan on using it alot more this year...
bigfruits reply :
i pitch jigs all the time in my kayak. pretty easy with spinning gear.
for starting off i recommend a small jig (1/4oz bitsy bug) with a small 3" craw trailer (baby rage craw, 3" craw papi, 3" paca craw)
until you feel comfortable pitching from a sitting position, do short, low trajectory casts as to not cause too big of a slash and you will catch fish. it doesnt have to enter the water like an olympic dive. a little commotion might actually attract fish. you will soon have a new favorite bait!
senile1 reply :
QuoteBut does your boat have a deck? Try sitting in a boat with regular bench seats with the side of your boat in the way. If you boat has a deck, it would be like sitting on the deck.If you somehow do flip and pitch from a boat without a deck, then more power to you. Pitching accurately is hard enough standing up.
A 10 foot boat is pretty short but you can do it. Try standing sideways and straddle one of the bench seats. If your gunwales are high you may still have to pitch with a bit of sidearm to keep from hitting the sides. If you have enough width you should be able to stand facing forward or backward as well. It will be easier if you are standing facing forward or backward because you can perform the pitch with the lure swinging on the outside of the boat. (Let me know if that doesn't make sense.) I have a bassboat but I occasionally fish from a small jon boat and I stand the vast majority of the time. It does take a little practice.
Nibbles reply :
Couldn't you tie some inflated inner tubes to the side of your boat to make it more stable while on the water? All you would need are some inner tubes and a couple of heavy gauge screws with large eyelets that you can screw into something sturdy in your boat. Keep em in your boat when towing and throw em out to the side and tighten the rope to keep em stuck to the side of your boat. When taking them back out just loosen the ropes and you can pull em back in.
I tried to kind of draw what I mean in MS Paint, but I don't know how much more itll help.
rubba bubba reply :
QuoteCan anyone give us some clue on what we might be missing out on?
Higher quality fish on average. Frequently the only fish.
Hamby reply :
QuoteCouldn't you tie some inflated inner tubes to the side of your boat to make it more stable while on the water? All you would need are some inner tubes and a couple of heavy gauge screws with large eyelets that you can screw into something sturdy in your boat. Keep em in your boat when towing and throw em out to the side and tighten the rope to keep em stuck to the side of your boat. When taking them back out just loosen the ropes and you can pull em back in.I tried to kind of draw what I mean in MS Paint, but I don't know how much more itll help.
The guy could probably do something similar, but as you describe it i would think the tubes would need to be secured better than that. They'll still float up and down.
J Francho reply :
QuoteCan anyone give us some clue on what we might be missing out on?
Some jig fish....
Nibbles reply :
QuoteQuoteCouldn't you tie some inflated inner tubes to the side of your boat to make it more stable while on the water? All you would need are some inner tubes and a couple of heavy gauge screws with large eyelets that you can screw into something sturdy in your boat. Keep em in your boat when towing and throw em out to the side and tighten the rope to keep em stuck to the side of your boat. When taking them back out just loosen the ropes and you can pull em back in.I tried to kind of draw what I mean in MS Paint, but I don't know how much more itll help.
The guy could probably do something similar, but as you describe it i would think the tubes would need to be secured better than that. They'll still float up and down.
It's just a rough sketch. He would have to wrap the rope more than once around each inner tube and pull it fairly snug. He could probably just use a long piece of metal or wood and stick it through an end loop and let torsion do the work of tightening the rope though.
I think it may just work though.
J Francho reply :
Seems like it would be easier to just chuck a jig over the side and fish.
Vinny Chase reply :
Adding on to J's great pics, this baby come flipping a North Star Custom Baits jig under that tree in the background.
K_Mac reply :
Nibbles the tubes on the side of the boat may keep it from overturning as you went head first over the side. It would not make any real difference in the stability of the boat. That is determined by weight, width, and center of gravity. Some people can get away with standing in a small boat; most of us do not have the cat-like balance to do so.
Adding a couple of inches in height to the seat would give you a little more room to work without compromising stability too much. That would be the place to start in my opinion. Good luck.
Hamby reply :
I think it would be easier to just keep the boat the way it is...someone else had the right idea jig wise. Quarter ounce, spinning gear. He could probably skip it under docks and trees being so low to the water.
deaknh03 reply :
I believe bps or cabelas sells those pontoon like stabilizers to attach to your boat to keep it nice and stable.
kikstand454 reply :
i dont know... if the ride feels that unstable i would just cast. its no different at all than fishing a t-rig. not in that capacity anyway.
towards the original question.... man i felt the same way you did about two years ago. i couldnt buy a bite on a jig.
now its all i think about.
i think i have a problem.
lol.
Big Al23 reply :
When you do start throwing jigs I would recommend the Chompers 5" unskirted twin tail grub. It is a great trailer.
RoLo reply :
I'll bet you're already throwing jigs
To my mind anyway, the jig is not the lure, but merely the weighting system.
A jig is the coming together of a hook and sinker, which are available as Skirted,
Unskirted, Weedless, Exposed hook, Finesse jigs, Hair jigs, Marabou jigs, ad nauseam.
Since the trailer is the actual lure, it usually determines how the jig is fished.
For instance, a jig & worm is normally fished different than a jig & swimbait.
Though I never flip and rarely pitch, my next cast may be 8 ft long or 100 ft long
Roger
David P reply :
Stand up from your boat, I've been in 8ft and 10ft john boats, with 2, and on some rare occasions 3 people. I've stood up, and with only 2 people, we have both stood up. Just be safe, you'll get used to it.
Jigs are better in some cases when casting, and in some cases flipping and pitching. I don't flip and pitch jigs into 50ft of water when fishing deep lakes, but a jig is still my favorite bait for fishing deep lakes.
Gangley reply :
i flip or pitch maybe 5 percent of the time i spend with Jigs...if that. I cast and retrieve a large majority of the time, very similar to a texas rigged worm, but slower. Generally a slow drag/pull, with a small hop added in here or there depending on the bass' mood.
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