Jig Fishing Revelations for Rookies? 2024
snake95 reply :
Noticed a couple of guys commenting on catching their first jig fish on another thread and wanted to start a specific conversation.
Particularly for anglers who are relatively new to jig fishing:
What experience got you hooked on jig fishing, and/or "flipped a switch" so that you went from being a non-jig angler to throwing a jig with confidence?
What response by a fish resulted in an "a-ha" moment?
What bait were you using and how did you fish it?
I'd especially like to hear from fellow bank beaters. I'm not normally standing in a boat flipping to heavy cover. I'm normally on the bank fan casting good looking areas or hitting targets and wondering if it would be worth it to be doing that with a jig.
Mobasser reply :
I started seriously bass fishing in 1980. Had 4 kids at home, and couldn't really afford a lot of tackle.I bought an old tacklebox at a years sale in a small town near my home. There wasn't much in it except a few rusted hooks, 1 old spoon, and some bucktail jigs. Older Arkie style probably 1/4oz. The old man saw me look at one and said " oh that's a good one". Get a jar of pork rind eels and fish them slowly on the bottom".I bank fished a 3 acre pond I had access to. I bought Uncle Josh u-2 eels and tried these jigs. First couple of times nothing. One overcast fall day, I cast one near a large blowdown near shore.Im thinking maybe 6ft water. On my initial cast, I felt a solid tap, set the hook and caught a 3lb bass.My biggest bass so far. I was pumped to say the least.Started trying different jigs- always with pork rind trailers. Now, I fish several different ones with plastic craw trailers. Next to the plastic worm , my favourite baits.I was using a hand me down ABU 5000 reel and a stiff glass casting rod- both a gift from my older brother.I had fished for bass with my brother, dad , and grandfather growing up, but we never used jigs then. We always used topwater plugs in the ponds on my grandfather's farm. Jigs can work anywhere
Dens228 reply :
I saw the bass others were catching on jigs. In jig situations I had been using t-rigged. This year I vowed to always have a jig tied on.
My wow moment with them came this year back in May, on my kayak when I was using a jig/crawfish trailer in 20 feet of water and caught a 23 inch 7 pounder. It was my second bass over 20 inches since I started back fishing in 2015. That same day I caught 2 more bass over 20 inches and another at 18 1/2.
So, first two years I caught one bass over 20, then caught 3 over 20 inches in one day on jigs. I had 9 this year over 20 inches so far, 8 on jigs and 1 on a crankbait. Not bad for a relative rookie in northern Illinois.
I should add that jigs also appear to be good at catching crappie barely bigger than the jig! LOL
Matt_3479 reply :
I am definately new to jig fishing as i just started trying it early this year but no very little luck on it. Caught 2 or 3 swimming a jig back from cover almost on shore and after that nothing. Then I kept hearing great things about jigs so finally decided to give a another go and bought a new rod and 3rd cast hooked a 4.75lbs bass and the very next cast got a 3lber. That’s what got me fired up!
i was using a 1/2oz dirty jig and a d**n 1/2oz jig with a reaction innovations kinky beaver. I was just popping it off the ground. The bigger bass picked it up and there was a Small weight change when I picked up slack and I set the hook. The 3lber grabbed it on the initial fall as I saw the line move so I set the hook!
It has won me over just yet, and definately not confident in it but it has my attention and going to spend a lot of time practicing throwing a jig as every recommeneds it, quality over quantity of fish normally, and got the new rod I have to use lol!
roadwarrior reply :
the reel ess reply :
I watched this YT video and decided to follow his advice and always try a jig every trip, all year round. I put it on my worm rod so I would be sure to use it every time I go. I started with an Arky jighead and a Chigger Craw. One thing I discovered was that most bites happen either on the drop or when the bait is still and often they don't feel like anything. I was only noticing the bite by the line moving. Keep the line tight. To me, it doesn't seem like a bait that will get a lot of bites on most trips, but they'll usually be solid fish. I try to toss one to all the wood cover and overhanging trees I can find.
My setup is a 7' MH Falcon LowRider rod (because it's by far the most sensitive I have), 7.1:1 reel with shallow spool and a good drag, 30# PowerPro braid and I use a leader of 15# mono a little shorter than the rod. I like the mono just in case fish actually care about the braid visibility. I've caught them on straight braid as well.
I ordered some custom hand tied jigs form another forum member. Not really necessary but they're wire tied and the skirts won't be coming off anytime soon. I've had a jig tied on for more than a year and I caught a new PB (6.92 lb.) on one a little over a month ago.
Log Catcher reply :
I guess I need to get a setup for jigs all the time. I get so wrapped up in using soft plastics I forget about using jigs. I think I have only used a jig once or maybe twice this year.
fishwizzard reply :
This was my “year of the jig” and what got me really into them was catching a lot of bass in spots where my ususal soft plastics never did. I started using very small jigs just to get bites and after I got more confident with the tiny jigs I started moving up in size.
When I hit a new spot or visit a place for the first time in months, throwing a jig at all the high probability spots is my first move these days.
WRB reply :
The lakes I bass fish aren’t your typical heavy cover type they are deep rock structure with sparse cover ideally suited for football jigs. The jig I recommend for entry level jig fishing is Yamamoto weedless football jig, Gamakatsu hook with his two tail Hula grub. This a high quality jig and effective combo at a reasonable price that catch’s bass everywhere, except heavy cover.
Heavy cover lakes I like the jig that Catt posted in the current PB&J thread.
Tom
Big Rick reply :
On 10/2/2018 at 10:00 PM, roadwarrior said:
Ah, the old search function.... This forum is so full of info it would take years to really digest it all.. My brain would probably rebel and quit altogether.
One good thing about creating another thread along the same line is the fact that the original is ELEVEN years old and there has been a TON of new baits, technology, and knowledge created in the last ten years. It's amazing how even baits are so much more realistic and accurate with the new materials and products they're built with.
Case in point, since I started using a reel with an SV spool I'm a jig skipping genius and my cast/catch ratio has really gone up. Gotta love technology....
Sorry, OP, for jacking your thread. Carry on.
snake95 reply :
On 10/3/2018 at 5:55 AM, Big Rick said:Sorry, OP, for jacking your thread. Carry on.
Ha ha - it's cool, yeah much respect for RW What was on my mind was I saw recent posts by
@Matt 825 and @Dens228
and it really got me thinking how I'd like to see some fellow anglers talk specifically about their experience from the recent newbie perspective. Common threads I'm hearing are :if you want to learn to catch on a jig, you need to throw them. Also, not catching the first few times seems pretty common, but the success will come. Also, learning to detect that first bite is the key. I'll work on those things. Thanks everyone.
Beetlebz reply :
My a-ha moment came from confidence fishing. If everyone tells me bait X should catch fish but it doesnt work for me, I'm going to go out and throw nothing else until I figure out how to make it work. I'm limited by a normally fairly short season before the late summer stringy grass blows up in most of my still waters here, it makes fishing a jig almost impossible. But back last year I wanted to force it.... I went out with a heavy rod and pitched a jig until my arm was about to fall off. Once I got the first bite I got 3 more fish in rapid succession and no more until I found another honey hole a little while later. I'm far from an expert but I have a much better understanding of when to throw a jig and how.
Hook2Jaw reply :
On 10/2/2018 at 10:40 AM, snake95 said:What experience got you hooked on jig fishing, and/or "flipped a switch" so that you went from being a non-jig angler to throwing a jig with confidence?
What response by a fish resulted in an "a-ha" moment?
What bait were you using and how did you fish it?
1. The incident that truly proved how effective the jig and trailer is, to me, catching my personal best and only double digit I've ever caught.
2. My own personal aha moment was my first time trying a jig, and it came while I was pitching. I practiced pitching sidearm all night so I would be able to do it from my kayak. Slung it close to some reeds, let it fall relatively controlled, felt the bite and saw the line move. I was so surprised I missed the fish, as I had yet to gain confidence in the lure.
3. In both instances I was using a Booyah Bankroll Jig. The first instance was casting and hopping it along the bottom. They second was pitching. I normally have a YUM Craw Chunk on the back of the jigs I throw, and it is still my favorite trailer.
the reel ess reply :
On 10/3/2018 at 6:41 PM, Hook2Jaw said:
2. My own personal aha moment was my first time trying a jig, and it came while I was pitching. I practiced pitching sidearm all night so I would be able to do it from my kayak. Slung it close to some reeds, let it fall relatively controlled, felt the bite and saw the line move. I was so surprised I missed the fish, as I had yet to gain confidence in the lure.
Yeah, it was hard for me to start detecting the bites soon enough to set a hook. This plays a big part in catching instead of just getting bites. You have to expect fish to bite and be ready. Sometimes they won't give you as much of an opportunity to respond to them as they will with a worm. I guess it's the extra weight of the jighead.
And, OP: SET THAT HOOK HARD! That's a thick hook with a weedguard usually going into the tough roof of the mouth of a bass who eats crawfish for a living.
scaleface reply :
I have been catching fish on jigs since I was a little kid . Crappie jigs and Doll Flies for crappie , white bass , largemouth bass and walleye on the banks and backwaters of the Mississippi river . So when I got into boat fishing for bass it was just natural to continue to use jigs . I read in the fishing magazines to bounce them off the bottom so thats what I did .
Jeremy Perry reply :
im relativly new to the jig fishing mafia as well, i have been bass fishing for 15 years and tournament fishing for 10-12 but for some reason i just never used a jig. well last september i bought a brand new boat for the first time and it came with a spot lock trolling motor which has allowed me to really hone in on offshore structure and ledge fishing which i have never done successfully until this year, i have to say that fishing offshore ledges in 20-40' of water with a green pumpkin or black and blue jig is my absolute favorite way to catch bass now.
scaleface reply :
Championship fishing with Virgil Ward came on every sunday . After every episode he would demonstrate in an aquarium how he caught the fish . he used jigs , Beetle spins which is a jig , and other sinking lures and he always bounced them off the bottom . That just sunk in .
WRB reply :
You will never catch a bass using jigs until you learn to detect strikes or a bass hooks itself. Learning to detect jig strikes starts with watching the line, feeling line movements and knowing what the jig is doing underwater. Heavier jigs are easier to feel, lighter weight jigs the bass doesn't reject as fast. My advice is use lightest weight jig you can feel, that is usually about 3/8 oz without adding the trailer weight.
You will snag and lose jigs so use jigs you can afford to lose, just make sure it has a very sharp hook.
You rod, reel and line are important, they all work together to get a hook set and to feel what the jigs is doing. You have a lot of good choices within your budget, the same tackle can be used for several other presentations like T-rigged worms and creatures or craws.
Tom
the reel ess reply :
On 10/3/2018 at 9:41 PM, scaleface said:Championship fishing with Virgil Ward came on every sunday . After every episode he would demonstrate in an aquarium how he caught the fish . he used jigs , Beetle spins which is a jig , and other sinking lures and he always bounced them off the bottom . That just sunk in .
And that Johnson Weedless Spoon! I have one of those in gold that I bought for redfish, trout and flounder. It's all scratched up from oyster shells. I only caught flounder on it, using a Gulp Mullet trailer.
Hook2Jaw reply :
On 10/3/2018 at 8:03 PM, the reel ess said:Yeah, it was hard for me to start detecting the bites soon enough to set a hook. This plays a big part in catching instead of just getting bites. You have to expect fish to bite and be ready. Sometimes they won't give you as much of an opportunity to respond to them as they will with a worm. I guess it's the extra weight of the jighead.
And, OP: SET THAT HOOK HARD! That's a thick hook with a weedguard usually going into the tough roof of the mouth of a bass who eats crawfish for a living.
I've since got it down pretty well, fishing weightless senkos and watching braid all day really helped me out with visually identifying bites.
Pitching to cover and setting a hook before the bait ever touches bottom is one of my favorite ways to fish now. 
Catt reply :
I come from a saltwater background, a lead head jig & plastic trailer is how ya catch Specks-n-Reds.
I bank fish quite often, I throw jigs like a Texas Rig, in the nastiest cover available.
Most anglers try forcing jigs through cover which is all wrong, ya gotta finesse em through.
When you feel the jig starting to load up...stop!
Release the pressure, pull up until you feel heaviness again but apply slightly more pressure, then release; repeat until the jig breaks free. You want the motion to be similar to & as fast as working a shaky head, you're just applying more pressure each time.
Once the jig slips free...ya might wanna hold on...tight!
WRB reply :
Unlike Catt I am not good fishing jigs from shore, far better from a boat. My shore fishing choice is T-rigged worms with sliding bullet weights and work them as Catt suggested. Looking at the jig design Catt uses I can see they wouldn't get hung up as often as the jigs I use. Take a close look at Catts jigs, the hook eye and head shape, ideally suited for going through cover.
When you start to snag you shouldn't try to force it lose, in rocks I jiggle or shake the jig lose a high % of the time successfully when fishing from a boat.
Tom
LionHeart reply :
I have spent many many hours trying to fish jigs (casting, pitching, dragging, hopping), and have had very little success. I have gone out often with only a jig rod in hopes of forcing myself to become more effective.
What have I learned? I prefer Texas rigged plastic. It doesn't snag as easily, is cheaper, and maybe it is just the water I fish but for me it flat catches more fish under the same conditions, fished the same way.
I still toss a jig every now and then but when people talk about how successful a jig is at catching bass I have to wonder why I haven't had that experience at all.
WRB reply :
On 10/4/2018 at 1:28 AM, LionHeart said:I have spent many many hours trying to fish jigs (casting, pitching, dragging, hopping), and have had very little success. I have gone out often with only a jig rod in hopes of forcing myself to become more effective.
What have I learned? I prefer Texas rigged plastic. It doesn't snag as easily, is cheaper, and maybe it is just the water I fish but for me it flat catches more fish under the same conditions, fished the same way.
I still toss a jig every now and then but when people talk about how successful a jig is at catching bass I have to wonder why I haven't had that experience at all.
Jigs are not a panacea lure that always catches bass. In fact I believe jigs are very difficult to detect strikes vs T-rigged soft plastic. If you catch bass on T-rigged with bullet weight detecting a jig strike isn't that different, it can be much lighter and quicker strikes at times.
No lure represents a crawdad better then a bottom contact jig. When bass are eating crawdads is when a jig is very effective. Crawdads are more active in low light or night because they nocturnal feeders. My suggestion is fish at night to increase your chances of catching jig fish for 2 reasons; bass target crawdads at night and you concentrate detecting strikes by feel.
Tom
Catt reply :
During the early 70s the Hydrilla/Milfoil/Coontail Moss on many southern lake started really getting thick so you either learned to fish grass or learned to enjoy getting skunked.
Jigs with craw worm trailers were invented and techniques refined to effectively fish for bass in grass
Not only do I fish these southern "grass" lakes I grew up fishing the swamps & marshes of Southwest Louisiana & Southeast Texas.
When fishing "grass" from a boat or walking the bank, you'll have to first evaluate the density of the grass & select the jig techniques accordingly.
Most generally ya wanna stay as vertical as possible.
Bankbeater reply :
When I was younger I didn't have the patience to work a plastic bait, or a jig, slowly. When I seriously got back into fishing about 16 or 17 years ago everyone was talking about jigs, so I bought a few. I finally caught a bass after 6 months of playing around and I was hooked.
When I'm fishing from the bank and there is a line of vegetation that I know I won't be able to pull through without bringing in weeds I stop the retrieve, and let the jig drop down along the side of the weed line to the bottom. Works good but you almost need a punch rig to get the bass out.
Log Catcher reply :
On 10/4/2018 at 1:28 AM, LionHeart said:I have spent many many hours trying to fish jigs (casting, pitching, dragging, hopping), and have had very little success. I have gone out often with only a jig rod in hopes of forcing myself to become more effective.
What have I learned? I prefer Texas rigged plastic. It doesn't snag as easily, is cheaper, and maybe it is just the water I fish but for me it flat catches more fish under the same conditions, fished the same way.
I still toss a jig every now and then but when people talk about how successful a jig is at catching bass I have to wonder why I haven't had that experience at all.
It sounds like you and I have about the same luck with jigs. I have caught some on jigs but just don't throw them very often for the same reasons you mentioned.
Matt_3479 reply :
How long do you wait in between hopping a jig. Saw I cast it out, let it hit bottom, wait 5-10 seconds and give it 2-3 hops. Is it bad to wait too long or, be too fast and hop too often?
GReb reply :
When the going gets tough I know I can catch a few on a jig. But like @Catt I fish shallow grassy lakes with a lot of covers. I know where the fish are. Just have to convince one to bite and a jig works best for me in that situation
Going back to the OP....I was lucky enough to grow up on a small lake with good fishing. Started throwing small jigs one summer when I was home from school. I became addicted with the “art” of the jig and detecting bites. And was rewarded with nice fish. 15 years later it’s still my favorite lure to fish and I suspect it will continue to be
fishwizzard reply :
On 10/5/2018 at 9:47 AM, Matt_3479 said:How long do you wait in between hopping a jig. Saw I cast it out, let it hit bottom, wait 5-10 seconds and give it 2-3 hops. Is it bad to wait too long or, be too fast and hop too often?
I start slow for a few casts, and if nothing’s biting I speeded up for a few, but if that doesn’t work I slow it down again, etc. etc. until I get a hit. I then can start trying to figure out what’s going to work that day.
I’m slowly becoming of the opinion that a high enough percentage of hits happen on the fall or immediately after that it might not be, statistically speaking, worth my time to work the jig all the way back to myself in a slow and deliberate manner. I keep meaning to carry a little notebook with me and try to actually gather some data but I’ve never actually done it.
I do usualy speed it up as I get closer to the bank/boat to try and force a reaction out of any bass that might be following it. It works just often enough But I feel like I need to keep doing it.
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