NEED SOME HELP WITH JIGS!! 2024
Troll God reply :
I NEED HELP WITH JIGS. EVERYONE I TALK TO AND READ ABOUT SAY THAT JIGS ARE GREAT FOR CATCHING SOME GOOD SIZED BASS. SO I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT A FEW, TIED ONE ON MY LINE MADE ABOUT 6 CAST AND GOT HUNG UP. I POPPED THE LINE BEFORE I COULD GET IT UNSNAGGED. SO I TIED ON ANOTHER AND MADE ABOUT 6 CAST AND GOT HUNG UP AGAIN AND ONCE AGAIN I POPPED THE LINE. NOW THE SAD PART IS THAT THESE WERE BOTH "WEEDLESS" JIGS. AM I DOING SOMTHING WRONG OR IS THIS THE WAY IT IS WITH JIGS? THE FIRST JIG I LOST I WAS SWIMMING IT IN OVER A LAYDOWN AND THE SECOND ONE I WAS USING THE ROD TO SLOWLY CRAWL IT BACK IN. I AM WIDE OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS CAUSE I'VE NEVER REALLY FISHED THEM BEFORE THIS. JUST DOING WHAT I WAS TOLD.
chicobass reply :
I fish quite often with jigs in all climate conditions and all types of structures. Unfortunately losing lures is part of the deal. I have found that jigs with a round head are better for releasing through heavy cover like tree-tops, buck brush and even rocks. You may also want to go to a lighter weight which will not only move through heavy cover easily but will give you a better feel for strikes and a slower rate of fall to trigger strikes. Hope this helps !
guest reply :
Jig fishing is a versatile and addictive style of bass fishing. It can become your "go to" lure. My advice to new jig fisherman is as follows:
1. start light. Use 3/16 or 1/4 oz jigs.
2. keep colors basic. Use black/blue and watermelon/pumpkin
3. Match the color of the trailer to the jig.
4. Use chunky trailers with twin tails, like power chunks, or twin tail grubs
5. Fish them as drop baits. Meaning cast to a fishy looking spot and just let the jig drop straight down.
6. Keep a fairly taut line, not slack when jig is dropping.
7. the jig bite can be very soft. Use a sensative rod and set the hook if you feel anything different.
Good Luck and Have fun
DDbasser reply :
I have to agree with chicobass and avid, stick with lighter jigs in brushy cover. And round heads are better for fishing through laydowns.
Be careful, jigs will be your go to lure before it's all said and done!!!
Kendammit reply :
Jig was the only thing I could even get a response on when I was fishing yesterday. Oddly enough, the trailer and jig color were completely oddballed.
I was using a black and blue arkie matrix jig with a watermelon super brush hog trailer using a swimming technique with a few wiggles and hops, and I got my only two bites of the day with it. Hooked up on the first bite, by the skin of the fishes teeth..literally, and the second one I missed..too quick of a drop for me to set the hook.
Heres the way I approach fishing any lure...don't be caught up in "the right way to fish it". Do what you feels right to you and don't be afraid to try whatever comes to mind. Of course, not all baits can be fished in any way..but whats the worst that could happen if you fish it your own way? You might discover something new that works like a charm and lands a lot of fish. All that said the "right way to fish it" is the way you feel is gonna work the best for whatever situation you're in.
fishingrulz reply :
is the bite on a jig like it is on a plastic like a worm? i mean do you need to watch your line like a worm or will you feel the bite more often?
Keepin_It_Reel reply :
I think it is just like a worm and i always watch my line when jiggin 
Kendammit reply :
Quoteis the bite on a jig like it is on a plastic like a worm? i mean do you need to watch your line like a worm or will you feel the bite more often?
it depends. With a worm, you're more often than not using a little bit of slack line because the bait will not hold a tight line, due to the weight of the lure. With a jig, its usually easy to get a tight line, in which case you'll feel the bite AND see the line move at the same time. On the other hand, sometimes a fish will pick up a jig pretty softly and carry it, so you still need to watch the line for any ticks or movements in it. They are pretty similiar, but I do think a jig allows you to feel more bites than worms do.
Troll God reply :
THANKS FOR THE INFO GUYS! ONE MORE QUESTION. WHAT TYPE OF LINE DO YOU RECOMEND USING WITH JIGS. DOWN HERE MOST OF THE PLACES I HAVE TO FISH ARE PRETTY THICK WITH COVER.
Curado reply :
I use XPS fluorocarbon and have also started using Seaguar and like it too; I also use Power Pro braided line.
phisher_d reply :
I use 50 pound (12 pound diameter) Power Pro for most of my jig fishing. If you are using lighter jigs, you would probably want to scale that down a bit but definitely go heavy for jiggin'
hope this helps
chicobass reply :
P-line spectrex 10/50 braided for thick cover or P-Line cxx mossy in 15Lb for all other conditions.
Chris reply :
No matter if you are swimming or flipping or casting you need to read the cover if possible. With any lay down you look at which direction the limbs are facing. You want to go with the limbs if you can. Sometimes with stumps you can get hung up in the roots or with underwater trees there is no way to determine which direction the tree is facing without a depth finder and even then it takes some skill to figure out which way it is facing. The denser the cover the more you need to present the bait vertically. This will prevent most hang ups. Check your weed guard to make sure it is stiff enough so that when it goes over a branch that is doesn't compress and stick it. Sometimes I don't trim the guard if the cover is to heavy but I do make sure that the bristles are not stuck together and I might fan it out some to make it more weed less. Also make sure that the guard is not flopped over to one side. It needs to be inline with the hook and cover the hook. Sometimes even if you do everything right you still loose jigs. A lighter jig will help some with preventing snagging but always remember that sometimes with a light jig that it may not fall all the way through the cover to the bottom. Most of the bass will be hanging in the heart of the cover or right under the thickest part. Sometimes you get lucky and find them on the edge so make sure you check it also. The important thing about a jig when flipping is to make sure the jig reaches the bottom. With swimming it is more about the depth zone they are hanging at. Heavy line is a must because you need to horse the fish out of the cover and with light line you will break more fish off than catch.
dabluz reply :
I see that lots of guys using jigs for the first time have a tendancy to cast too far. The more vertical you fish your jig, the less chance of it hooking on bottom. So keep the cast short....especially when the bottom is rough (rocks, logs, branches). When your jig is on bottom and you want to move it, give it a tug so that it clears bottom....you don't want it to drag on bottom. Weedless jigs won't stop the head of the jig from getting caught between 2 rocks.
For walleye, I regularly use 4 lb or 6 lb mono. Using Fireline or braided line definately decreases the number of bites when fishing for walleye. Using very light line alows me to use lighter jigs and somehow, lighter jigs don't hang up as often.
Use a controlled fall on the jig....meaning, keep contact with the jig with the rod tip when it is falling. You will feel it hit bottom. After a while, you can even tell if it fell on a hard or soft bottom. You will also be able to feel the bite more easily and quickly.
It takes a lot of concentration to fish with a jig and it takes a while to get comfortable with fishing with jigs.
There is a place where I fish for walleye where the bottom of the river is strewn with logs from the time that logs were floated down the river to the saw mill. The shore drops very steeply from about 2 feet of water to about 30 feet. It's so steep, an anchor won't stay put. So I anchor out or drift in the deeper water and just toss my jig towards shore. Every small tug I give to the jig clears it from bottom and the depth increases. I follow the jig to the bottom. When I give my next tug, I can sometimes feel that my line rubs against a log. I just let the jig fall to the bottom and then I slowly pull back on the line until I can feel the jig make contact with the log. I then slow continue to pull on the jig and I can feel it slide over the log then fall again. The hook rides up all the time and does not hook on the log. I have no hope of recuperating my jig if it does hook itself on a log when using 4 or 6 lb mono but it's the only way that I can get bites. At first I lost a lot of jigs. Yes...ball head jigs are my favourites.
Next season, I want to experiment with fluorocarbon leaders (maybe 12 or 15 lb test) to see if the walleye will continue to bite. Anybody willing to sell me 10 or 20 yards of good fluorocarbon line? There is none to be found in my area.
Chris reply :
I fish as if it had 4 wheel drive. I throw it in places that few people would dare to go. This is why it produces big fish because not many lures can reach them like a jig.
dabluz reply :
QuoteI use XPS fluorocarbon and have also started using Seaguar and like it too; I also use Power Pro braided line.
I prefer line that floats. The jig clears the bottom easier because there is a downward slope in the line....the line is not near bottom. This gives the jig more of a hopping action instead of a dragging action. The floating line also helps in indicating any bites. However, using fluorocarbon leaders is a good idea.
guest reply :
The more I fish jigs, the more I love 'em. I agree that experimenting and using different styles, retrieves etc. is a fun and productive way to fish, but mastering the basics is well.....basic.
I have been doing very well recently on a pumpkin colored jig with a bright chartruese trailer. It is really visible a long way off.
basswest1 reply :
Prepare yourself for one more of my book-long reply...............heres a bunch of information about jigs..........however my choice in rods, reels, jigs, line and so on is based on my confidence in those things......you should use this information as a starting point......then through YOUR on the water experiences find your own confidence baits, rods, lines...........ect.
Jigs are extremely simple looking.........they consist of a leadhead, rubber or hair skirt, a hook, and in some cases a rattle. Though it is a simple looking bait............it is one of the most versitile baits...you can shake it, jump it, swim it, pitch it, flip it, through it in heavy cover or no cover at all. You can fish it on bright sunny days, dark ones, in all seasons, in clear, stained or muddy water and so on...........The key to fishing jigs effectivelly is recognizing the subtle differences in each bait, and knowing when to take advantage of each subtle difference.
Head + Line Tie: The head of a jig is a very important part of a jig. The shape of the jighead is a part that you must consider when picking out a bait for a specific condition. A big round or football shaped head is a great choice for fishing rock or gravel banks, and also in woody cover........a round or football head style will actually give the bait a better action when crawled along clean bottoms. On the other end of the spectrum a head which is very streamline with less resistance will go through cover better. These baits are best used for throwing into thicker cover like vegetation, brush............The angle of the line tie is very important also. A line tie at a 90 degree angle is best used for clean bottoms, due to the fact that it gets stuck in thick cover. A line tie that comes straight off the nose will be best suited for thick cover and pitching situations. I like a line tie placement in between at about 40 degrees for most situations.....other than the extremes at both ends such as thick cover or clean bottoms.
Hook: Now the style hook that is on a jig is highly overlooked. Hook diameter is very important. If you are going to be flipping a jig in heavy cover with heavy equipment you are going to need a hook that can pull a big bass out of thick vegetation without straightening out. On the other hand if you are using a finesse technique with light line it is really hard to pull a thick wire hook through a bass' mouth without breaking the line, in those situations you are going to need a light wire hook to be able to pull the hook through the bass' mouth easily without putting undue stress on the line.
Skirt: I like rubber skirts better in most conditions, however...sometimes when the water gets really cold or their are smallmouth in the lake hair is best because hair has more action than rubber in cold water, and smallmouth really like hair jigs sometimes. I like to modify each skirt by cutting them to about 1/4 of an inch below the hook.
Weedguard: Simple rule: The heavier the cover the stronger the weedguard. It is important to trim a weedguard right out of the package. Take the weedguard and trim about 1,8 of an inch off of it. Trim paralel to the hook.
Colors: If i am fishing clear to stained water in most conditions i will match the color of my jig to the color of the bottom or water. If the bottoms a greenish brown then i will be throwing a green pumpkin. If the water is a emerald green then an effective color could be watermelon. In muddy water i want a bait with a big silouet which means i will use a dark color which shows up well under the situation. Sometimes the rule might be broken under special situations.......like in spring in texas......the crawdads tend to be red so naturally red shades might be better. Spotted bass and smallmouth sometimes like chartruse so sometimes a jig with 3-4 strips of chartruse tend to be best.
Tackle: The tackle you fish a jig on can be equally important, though everyone fishes them different with different preferences. These are my preferences and why i like them.
Rods: My favorite rod is my 6'10" Heavy-X-Fast Action Shimano Crucial casting rod. I love casting and pitching with this rod. It is easier to be more accurate with it than my 7 footers. I like the Heavy power on it because i can pull bass out of really heavy stuff, and i like the fast action because i can really drive that hook through the fish in an instant...........and its super sensitive, which is a real big part of jig fishing.........you need to know what your bait is doing at all times.
If you are doin some really heavy cover flippin techniques then naturally you are going to need a flippin stick. I have a 7 and a half foot MH Shimano Crucial flippin stick. Most people prefer a Heavy action flippin stick but i like to use braided lines alot in heavy cover and because braids dont have stretch i like to use the softer action rod so i dont overpower the fish and pull a pair of jaws instead of a whole bass out of heavy cover.
Reel: I always use a fast speed real with jigs so i can pull them out of cover really fast. I use a 6.2:1 Shimano Crucial SF.
Line: Line is also a very important factor................In a perfect world i would use Florocarbon lines for all but the thickest cover situations because florocarbon has all the qualities im looking in a jig line its more durable than mono, it has less stretch which makes it much more sensitive, and it is invisible to the fish.........but since most of us cant afford florocarbon line all the time (i rhyme on my days off....redneck rapper) I use alot of Trilene XT because it is very abrasion resistant and it is also pretty invisible to fish.........and it doesnt have too much stretch as far as monofilament goes. When I am going into deep deep cover and flipping usually use braid............personally I like Fireline in smoke because i have confidence in it and because it has low stretch, it cuts through vegetation and has very high abrasion resistance. As far as what pound test i use...........I use nothing less than 12# and nothing more than 35#. I use lighter lines for deep water fishing and when I dont have very much cover to worry about, and when I want a faster fall..........because a jig will fall faster on 12# rather than 20#. Usually when pitching to docks and around wood and vegetation I like 17-25# mono or florocarbon. In deep vegetation im going to use the heavier lines in either florocarbon or braid. I could use braid in more than 35# but i dont feel i need to.......ive never broken a bass off with 35# test so why would I want more?
The best advice i could give is for you to use what you have confidence in. Always pay attention to what a jig is doing and pay attention to the little details.
Theres more so if you have any more specific questions i can answer them.
fishinTexas reply :
I fished with a jig for the firtst time last week, when the pressure was way down and fishing really slow. I caught one that was about for pounds and I think it was on accident. I fished it like I do w/ my other slow fishing technique. That is a large brass weight so that it will slide up and the line and a lizard. I cast it let it drop, and the weight slides down pretty quick while the lizard just floats down. I let it set for a ten count and lift my rod tip up from 9 to 12 o'clock pretty slowly then I reel the slack in pretty quickly.
The reason I say the one I caught w/ the jig was an accident was because I thought I had a bite and when I reeled in half of the craw was gone. So I got a trailer hook and put the craw on the trailer hook. The next time I was able to set the hook. I know this is the wrong technique for jigs because when I test it out in clear water it looks like it is coming up way to high.
So what is the proper technique to fishing these guys?
Thanks
Lightninrod reply :
90% of the time I pitch a jig for a verticle presentation, usually right up against a stump. The other 10% is made up with casting, swimming, or flipping one.
I have to disagree with those that say a jig bite is like a worm bite. To me, they are completely different. My worm bites usually feel like a "shudder" while my jig bites feel like a "thump/bump". That feeling comes from when a Bass opens its mouth, flares its gills, and sucks the jig up off the bottom(where most of my bites come from as I usually pitch a heavier jig and it reaches the bottom quickly). then the jig bumps into the Bass's throat area and it clamps its mouth shut. To me, it's a unique feeling/bite and I think it's because the jig is a more 'solid/dense' bait than a worm.
I use Seaguar's Carbon Pro 100% fluro in either 15 or 20# test for jigs and everything else except for topwater baits. With my forefinger on or under the line where it comes out of my baitcaster reel, I firmly believe that line transmits that bump even if there's a 'bow' in the line. I caught a 3 lber yesterday even with a bow in the line. The wind was moving my little Basshunter towards the stump and yet I felt the thump and was able to set the hook and land her.
I coat/soak my jig in an attractant(Megastrike or CB's Hawg Sauce) as I believe the 'taste' the Bass gets gives me a split-second more in time to reel down and set the hook. I always test the sharpness of the hook by trying to slide it across my thumbnail. If it slides or skitters, it's dull and I throw it away.
I use a 7' Medium Kistler Helium rod for jigs of 1/2 oz or less in weight. For 5/8 oz and heavier, I use either a 7', 4" Daiwa Heartland Heavy rod or a 7', 6" Kiztler Heavy Helium rod. My reel will be either a Daiwa TDZ(lighter weight jigs) or a Shimano Antares reel for the heavier ones.
Pitching a jig is one of my favorite techniques. I got a Denny Brauer video a few years ago and taught myself how to do it. It's a blast
Dan
fireandice reply :
TrollGod... I've got three different techniques for jig-fishing that I've learned from experience and am still learning.
Technique #1 Practice
Technique #2 Practice more
Technique #3 Practice more yet.
This is a big bite bait that will change the look of your livewell, the weight of your stringer or the readout on the scale. I find it an excellent way to another site. I also find it very, very difficult or way less effective from the shore. Stay vertical. Stay in contact with your bait, and set the hook every time anything happens at all. The jig bite is the most subtle of any I've ever experienced. It can feel like, "tick." It can feel like, "gone." It can feel like, "log." The fish you catch will be impressive in size compared to any other bait. Just practice. Have patience and confidence that it will catch fish. Your buddy in the back of the boat may find a bait to land more fish... but I guarantee that he'll be switching to a jig when you are consistently catching fish 5-20% larger than he is.
-----Signed,
A true Jig-fishing believer
Troll God reply :
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS POSTED. I GOT A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS AND INFO AND CAN'T WAIT TO HIT THE WATER THIS WEEKEND! THANKS AGAIN!
stratoscaster reply :
My question pertains to boat positioning. How close to the cover do you get before pitching or flipping the lure?
guest reply :
as far away as you can and still have a soft, vertical presentation.
Chris reply :
QuoteMy question pertains to boat positioning. How close to the cover do you get before pitching or flipping the lure?
It depends on how clear the water is, how thick the cover is, also how spooky the fish are. In real muddy water I just position my boat so that I can put the bait where I need it without crashing into the cover. If I am fishing in real thick weeds and catching fish deep in the weeds I might run my boat into the weeds and fish around it and camp out. I will use the weeds as a anchor for my boat. In stained water if I am fishing the edge of the weeds I will position my boat into the wind and keep enough distance so that I can still reach the target without forcing a pitch. Fish the edge then work your way into the cover. If it is a bush or brush pile I will pitch into the heart first then pick it apart. I fish a lay down the same way I pick out the largest limbs or any forks and hit them first or the place where the trunk and the shore meet then work my way out to the end. If I can pattern the fish just on the ends then I fish that first then pick it apart in other areas of the tree. In clear water I always start on the end or the edge (if its weeds) or the thickest part. In clear water I try to find variety if fishing weeds is the pattern or if its wood then I find the larger trees or something sitting on a break. I try to pay attention to the angle the trunk is sitting and what trees produced and try to figure out why.
skeeter944 reply :
fireandice said it is very difficult or not as effective to fish jigs from the bank? i dont want to offend anyone,but is this really true?
dabluz reply :
Fishing from the bank is very effective. You can creep up to the fish silently while keeping your profile low or even hidden by brush on the bank. You can wade, which is very silent and you have a low profile. However, it is more difficult on the average because of all the places you can hang up and having to pull the fish towards the bank through all the brush, branches, shallow water and vegetation.
To me, the ideal machine would be a canoe and paddle. That's what I use. But there are no bass where I live. I fish for pike. However, fishing for pike in thick cover is very similar to fishing for largemouth bass.
roadwarrior reply :
Here is another twist, especially for bank fishermen.
I have been fishing a pond that has almost no cover, it's structure only. The water has cleared dramatically and the water is heavily fished. Maybe these are not the best conditions for fishing a jig and maybe that is why I have not been catching a lot of fish. However, if you are willing to spend the time, big fish are there.
I have been fishing ledges and transition, a rocky point and a couple of deep pools just off an old creek channel. The key I think has been a slow presentation in or near deep water. I have had success with black neon, black & blue and yesterday a white jig and a GYCB white with silver flake single tail grub. Although I have only caught a few fish during my twenty-five hours of "jig practice", all the bass caught were 5+ lbs. I have fished early and late without a bite. All my fish have been caught between 10:00 AM and about 3:45 PM. I have not had a bite "swimming" a jig. All bites occured imitating a crawdad, slow, on the botom and climbing rocks. Four were caught using a G.Loomis MBR844C/ Shimano CTE200GT and 15 lb P-Line. Yesterday I fished a St.Croix Legend Elite/ Shimano Sustain 2500 and #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid.
I'm not Mr. Jig, just sharing some recent experience.
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